Shloka 20
दमयन्तीस्वयंवरः — देववेषधारणं, सत्यप्रार्थना, नलवरणम्
Damayantī’s Svayaṃvara: Divine Disguises, Truth-Vow, and Choosing Nala
नारद उवाच शृणु मे मघवन् येन न दृश्यन्ते महीक्षित:,नारदजी बोले--मघवन्! मैं वह कारण बताता हूँ, जिससे राजालोग आजकल यहाँ नहीं दिखायी देते, सुनिये। विदर्भनरेश भीमके यहाँ दमयन्ती नामसे प्रसिद्ध एक कन्या उत्पन्न हुई है, जो मनोहर रूप-सौन्दर्यमें पृथ्वीकी सम्पूर्ण युवतियोंको लाँध गयी है
nārada uvāca | śṛṇu me maghavan yena na dṛśyante mahīkṣitaḥ |
Narada said: “Listen to me, O Maghavan. I will tell you the reason why the kings are not seen here now.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models responsible explanation: before judging an absence or change in social order (here, the absence of kings), one should seek the underlying cause from a reliable witness, emphasizing clarity and truthful narration.
Narada addresses Indra and begins to explain the reason the kings are not present. This serves as a transition into the ensuing account (in this section, leading into the Nala–Damayanti narrative context).