Shloka 26
अक्षद्यूतप्रवेशः — Kali’s Entry and the Initiation of the Dice-Contest
प्रविशन्तं च मां तत्र न कश्निद् दृष्टवान् नर: । ऋते तां पार्थिवसुतां भवतामेव तेजसा,आपलोगोंके प्रभावसे उसमें प्रवेश करते समय मुझे वहाँ उस राजकन्या दमयन्तीके सिवा दूसरे किसी मनुष्यने नहीं देखा
praviśantaṃ ca māṃ tatra na kaścid dṛṣṭavān naraḥ | ṛte tāṃ pārthivasutāṃ bhavatām eva tejasā ||
Nala said: “When I entered there, no man saw me at all—except that princess, the king’s daughter. It was only by the power and radiance of you (gods) that this occurred.”
नल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary events in human life may be shaped by higher powers: divine tejas can veil or reveal, yet true recognition (here, Damayantī’s) can still occur. It also underscores humility—Nala attributes the unusual circumstance not to his own skill but to the gods’ potency.
Nala explains that when he entered the place in question, no one noticed him; only Damayantī saw him. He credits this selective visibility to the divine radiance/power of the beings he is addressing.