Shloka 32
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
चन्द्रवर्मेति विख्यात: काम्बोजानां नराधिप: । अर्क इत्यभिविख्यातो यस्तु दानवपुड्रव:
candravarmeti vikhyātaḥ kāmbojānāṃ narādhipaḥ | arka ityabhivikhyāto yastu dānavapuṅgavaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Entre los Kāmbojas surgió un rey célebre con el nombre de Candravarman; y aquel conocido como Arka—el primero entre los Dānavas—nació aquí como un preeminente sabio real (rājarsi) entre los hombres».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage suggests that political history in the epic is not merely human: rulers may embody Asuric or Dānavic forces. This frames ethical vigilance—power and fame do not guarantee dharmic character—and prepares the reader to see later conflicts as driven by deep-seated cosmic tendencies.
Vaiśampāyana continues a genealogical account describing how certain powerful non-human beings (Asuras/Dānavas) take birth on earth as kings. In this verse he identifies Candravarman as a famed Kāmboja ruler and mentions Arka as a celebrated Dānava who becomes a foremost figure among human kings.