Shloka 26
दमयन्त्याः व्याकुलता — स्वयंवरसंनिपातः — देवदूतयाचनम्
Damayantī’s Distress, Proclamation of the Svayaṃvara, and the Gods’ Request
केकयान् मालवांश्वैव तथा काश्मीरकानपि । अद्राक्षमहमाहूतान् यज्ञे ते परिवेषकान्,“उस समय सब भूमिपाल पाण्डवोंके शस्त्रोंके तेजसे भयभीत थे। अंग, वंग, पुण्ड्र, उड़, चोल, द्राविड़, आन्ध्र, सागरतटवर्ती द्वीप तथा समुद्रके समीप निवास करनेवाले जो राजा थे, वे सभी राजसूययज्ञमें उपस्थित थे। सिंहल, बर्बर, म्लेच्छ, लंकानिवासी, पश्चिमके राष्ट्र सागरके निकटवर्ती सैकड़ों प्रदेश, पह्लव, दरद, समस्त किरात, यवन, शक, हारहूण, चीन, तुषार, सैन्धव, जागुड़, रामठ, मुण्ड, स्त्रीराज्य, तंगण, केकय, मालव तथा काश्मीरदेशके नरेश भी राजसूययज्ञमें बुलाये गये थे और मैंने उन सबको आपके यज्ञमें रसोई परोसते देखा था
kekayān mālavāṁś caiva tathā kāśmīrakān api | adrākṣam aham āhūtān yajñe te pariveṣakān |
Sañjaya said: “I saw the Kekayas, the Mālavas, and the Kāśmīras as well—summoned to your sacrifice—serving as attendants who distributed the offerings and food.” In context, the line underscores the extraordinary reach of the Pāṇḍavas’ imperial rite (rājasūya): even distant kings, once autonomous, are depicted as participating in a subordinate role, highlighting the political and moral tension between rightful sovereignty, ritual supremacy, and the humiliation that can seed future conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ritual and political supremacy can reorder social hierarchies: kings from renowned regions are portrayed as serving at the sacrifice. Ethically, it points to the fragile boundary between legitimate sovereignty expressed through dharmic rites and the resentment produced when power is displayed as others’ humiliation.
Sañjaya reports to the king that he personally witnessed various regional rulers—Kekayas, Mālavas, and Kāśmīras—having been summoned to ‘your sacrifice,’ acting as attendants who served and distributed at the ritual, emphasizing the scale and dominance associated with the rājasūya setting.