Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स्वैरवृत्ता यथाकाममनुरूपमिवात्मन: । श्रुत्वैव चैवं त्वरितो भाड़ासुरिरुपस्थित:,“दमयन्ती स्वेच्छाचारिणी है और अपनी रुचिके अनुसार किसी अनुरूप पतिका वरण कर सकती है', यह सुनकर ही राजा ऋतुपर्ण बड़ी उतावलीके साथ यहाँ उपस्थित हुए हैं!

Transliteration

svairavṛttā yathākāmam anurūpam ivātmanaḥ | śrutvaiva caivaṃ tvarito bhāḍāsurir upasthitaḥ ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: “Hearing that Damayantī is free to act by her own choice and may select a husband suited to her liking, Bhāḍāsuri (King Ṛtupārṇa) has come here at once, in great haste.”

Word by Word

स्वैरवृत्ताfree-acting, self-willed (woman)

यथाकामम्as she wishes, at will

अनुरूपम्suitable, fitting

इवas if, like

आत्मनःof herself

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

एवindeed, just

चand

एवम्thus, in this way

त्वरितःhastened, in a hurry

भाण्डासुरिःBhāṇḍāsuri (a person; here the king’s name as given in the text)

उपस्थितःarrived, present

Speaker

बृहदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

Damayantī

Ṛ

Ṛtupārṇa (Bhāḍāsuri)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights personal agency in marriage choice (svaira-vṛtti) and how public reports about a person’s freedom and intent can rapidly influence others’ actions—raising ethical questions about haste, motive, and the social power of reputation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva explains that as soon as King Ṛtupārṇa heard the message that Damayantī could choose a suitable husband according to her own wish, he hurriedly came to the place, eager to respond to that news.