Shloka 196
दमयन्तीस्वयंवरः — देववेषधारणं, सत्यप्रार्थना, नलवरणम्
Damayantī’s Svayaṃvara: Divine Disguises, Truth-Vow, and Choosing Nala
एवमुक्तस्तु शक्रेण नारद: प्रत्यभाषत । “वे शूरवीर क्षत्रिय कहाँ हैं? अपने उन प्रिय अतिथियोंको आजकल मैं यहाँ आते नहीं देख रहा हूँ इन्द्रके ऐसा पूछनेपर नारदजीने उत्तर दिया
evam uktas tu śakreṇa nāradaḥ pratyabhāṣata |
Setelah disapa demikian oleh Śakra (Indra), Nārada menjawab. Menanggapi pertanyaan Indra—“Di manakah para Kṣatriya yang gagah itu? Kini aku tidak lagi melihat tetamu-tetamu kesayanganku datang ke sini”—Nārada mula menerangkan sebabnya, membuka ruang renungan tentang perubahan nasib para pahlawan dan tertib moral yang mengatur naik turunnya mereka.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral inquiry: the presence or absence of heroic Kṣatriyas in Indra’s realm is tied to dharma and merit. It implies that heavenly reward and honor are not constant; they depend on righteous conduct and the shifting outcomes of human action.
Indra (Śakra) questions Nārada about why the brave Kṣatriya warriors—described as his ‘dear guests’—are no longer arriving. Nārada begins his reply, which leads into an explanation of events affecting warriors and their destinies.