Shloka 29
अक्षद्यूतप्रवेशः — Kali’s Entry and the Initiation of the Dice-Contest
अब्रवीच्चैव मां बाला आयान्तु सहिता: सुरा: । त्वया सह नरव्याप्र मम यत्र स्वयंवर:,उस बालाने मुझसे यह भी कहा कि “नरव्याप्र! सब देवता आपके साथ उस स्थानपर पधारें, जहाँ मेरा स्वयंवर होनेवाला है
abravīc caiva māṁ bālā āyāntu sahitāḥ surāḥ | tvayā saha naravyāghra mama yatra svayaṁvaraḥ ||
Nala said: “The maiden also told me, ‘O tiger among men, let the gods come together with you to the place where my svayaṃvara is to be held.’” The line underscores the public, dharmic character of the svayaṃvara and the extraordinary pressure created when divine powers enter a human choice.
नल उवाच
Educational Q&A
A svayaṃvara is a socially sanctioned, dharmic setting for personal choice; yet the verse hints at an ethical tension when divine forces participate in human decisions, testing integrity and freedom of choice.
Damayantī, through her message to Nala, asks that the gods come along with him to the venue of her forthcoming svayaṃvara, setting the stage for the famous episode where divine suitors complicate her selection.