Shloka 22

दमयन्तीस्वयंवरः — देववेषधारणं, सत्यप्रार्थना, नलवरणम्

Damayantī’s Svayaṃvara: Divine Disguises, Truth-Vow, and Choosing Nala

Devanagari script

तस्या: स्वयंवर: शक्र भविता न चिरादिव | तत्र गच्छन्ति राजानो राजपुत्राश्ष सर्वश:,इन्द्र! अब शीघ्र ही उसका स्वयंवर होनेवाला है, उसीमें सब राजा तथा राजकुमार जा रहे हैं

Transliteration

tasyāḥ svayaṃvaraḥ śakra bhavitā na cirād iva | tatra gacchanti rājāno rājaputrāś ca sarvaśaḥ ||

Translation

Nārada said: “O Śakra (Indra), it seems that her svayaṃvara will take place before long. To that gathering, kings and princes from every quarter are already proceeding.”

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• स्वयंवरः: svayaṃvara (bridegroom-choice ceremony)
• स्वयंवरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• भविता: will be / is going to happen
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भवितृ (भविता) (परिप्रास-भविष्यत्कृदन्त)
• Form: भविष्यत् (periphrastic future), प्रथम, एकवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध)

• चिरात्: after a long time / long hence
• चिरात्: अधिकरण (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक) → चिरात् (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/तद्धित-निपात)

• इव: as if / like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• गच्छन्ति: go / are going
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, बहुवचन

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• राजपुत्राः: princes (sons of kings)
• राजपुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सर्वशः: altogether / in every way / all of them
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) → सर्वशः (अव्यय)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śakra (Indra)
• kings (rājānaḥ)
• princes (rājaputrāḥ)
• svayaṃvara (marriage assembly)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights royal dharma and social order: major life-events like a svayaṃvara are public, regulated occasions where rulers and heirs participate according to status, and timely action matters because opportunities quickly draw the attention of many competitors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada informs Indra that a certain woman’s svayaṃvara is imminent, and that numerous kings and princes are already traveling to attend it, signaling a significant political and marital contest about to unfold.