Shloka 7
यक्षोपाख्यान-प्रवेशः
Entry into the Yakṣa-Lake Episode
सावित्रयुवाच आसीच्छाल्वेषु धर्मात्मा क्षत्रिय: पृथिवीपति: । द्युमत्सेन इति ख्यात: पश्चाच्चान्धो बभूव ह,सावित्रीने कहा--पिताजी! शाल्वदेशमें द्युमत्सेन नामसे प्रसिद्ध एक धर्मात्मा क्षत्रिय राजा राज्य करते थे। पीछे वे अंधे हो गये
sāvitrīyuvāca āsīc chālveṣu dharmātmā kṣatriyaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | dyumatsena iti khyātaḥ paścāc cāndho babhūva ha ||
Sāvitrī said: In the land of the Śālvas there once ruled a righteous Kṣatriya king, a lord of the earth, renowned by the name Dyumatsena. In later time, it so happened that he became blind.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharmic kingship: even a famed, righteous ruler is subject to reversal of fortune, reminding the listener that virtue and worldly stability are not identical, and that dharma must be upheld amid adversity.
Sāvitrī begins recounting background: in the Śālva land there was a renowned righteous king named Dyumatsena, who later became blind—setting the stage for the ensuing events of the Sāvitrī episode.