Shloka 10
Parṇāda’s Report; Bāhuka’s Counsel; Damayantī’s Strategic Svayaṃvara Message (अध्याय ६८)
युदेव उवाच यथेयं मे पुरा दृष्टा तथारूपेयमज़ना । कृतार्थो<स्म्यद्य दृष्टवेमां लोककान्तामिव श्रियम्,सुदेव मन-ही-मन बोले--मैंने पहले जिस रूपमें इस कल्याणमयी राजकन्याको देखा है, वैसी ही यह आज भी है। लोककमनीय लक्ष्मीकी भाँति इस भीमकुमारीको देखकर आज मैं कृतार्थ हो गया हूँ
yudeva uvāca | yatheyaṃ me purā dṛṣṭā tathārūpeyam ajñā | kṛtārtho 'smy adya dṛṣṭvemāṃ lokakāntām iva śriyam |
Yudeva said: “Just as I saw this maiden earlier, so does she appear even now in the same form. Today I feel my purpose fulfilled on seeing her—like beholding Śrī (Fortune) herself, beloved of the world.” In context, the speaker expresses reverent admiration for the princess’s auspicious presence, framing beauty not as mere desire but as a sign of благоприятность (śubha) and a cause for gratitude and restraint within dharma.
युदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models a dharmic way of responding to beauty and auspiciousness: admiration is expressed as gratitude and reverence (seeing her as Śrī-like), not as possessiveness. Fulfillment (kṛtārthatā) is framed as the satisfaction of a rightful encounter rather than indulgence.
The speaker recognizes a maiden he had seen before and notes that she appears unchanged. He declares himself fulfilled upon seeing her again, comparing her to Śrī (Lakṣmī), the world-beloved embodiment of prosperity and auspicious splendor.