Shloka 24
अक्षहृदय-विद्या-प्रदानम्
Transmission of Akṣa-hṛdaya; Kali’s Exit and the Bibhītaka Refuge
आस्थास्यति पुनर्भमी दमयन्ती स्वयंवरम् । तत्र गच्छन्ति राजानो राजपुत्राश्ष सर्वश:,'भीमकुमारी दमयन्ती पुनः स्वयंवर करेगी। वहाँ बहुत-से राजा और राजकुमार सब ओरसे जा रहे हैं
āsthāsyati punar bhūmiṃ damayantī svayaṃvaram | tatra gacchanti rājāno rājaputrāś ca sarvaśaḥ || bhīmakumārī damayantī punaḥ svayaṃvaraṃ kariṣyati | tatra bahavo rājānaḥ rājaputrāś ca sarvataḥ gacchanti ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “Damayantī will once again hold a svayaṃvara. To that gathering kings and princes from every direction are going.”
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Public rites like a svayaṃvara are not merely personal romance; they are dharmic institutions where intention, honor, and social legitimacy are tested. The verse highlights how individual choice operates within a framework of royal responsibility and public scrutiny.
Bṛhadaśva informs that Damayantī will conduct another svayaṃvara, and that many kings and princes are traveling from all directions to attend, setting the stage for a major turning point in the Nala–Damayantī episode.