Shloka 18
Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm
Varuṇa-loka Darśana
कण्व उवाच न देवान् नैव दितिजान् न गन्धर्वान् न मानुषान् | अरोचयदू वरकृते तथैव बहुलानूषीन्,कण्व मुनि कहते हैं--मातलिने वरके लिये बहुत-से देवताओं, दैत्यों, गन्धर्वों और मनुष्यों तथा ऋषियोंको भी देखा; परंतु कोई उन्हें पसंद नहीं आया
kaṇva uvāca | na devān naiva ditijān na gandharvān na mānuṣān | arocayad vara-kṛte tathaiva bahulān ṛṣīn ||
Kaṇva said: “In seeking a bridegroom, she found no delight in the gods, nor in the sons of Diti (Daityas), nor in the Gandharvas, nor in men; likewise, even among many sages, none pleased her.”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
Right choice—especially in marriage—rests on discernment and dharmic suitability, not on mere rank, power, or belonging to an exalted class such as gods or celestial beings.
Kaṇva reports that, while searching for a suitable groom, the woman under discussion examined many candidates across different orders of beings—gods, Daityas, Gandharvas, humans, and even sages—but none met her approval.