Shloka 23
दमयन्तीस्वयंवरः — देववेषधारणं, सत्यप्रार्थना, नलवरणम्
Damayantī’s Svayaṃvara: Divine Disguises, Truth-Vow, and Choosing Nala
तां रत्नभूतां लोकस्य प्रार्थयन्तो महीक्षित: । काड्क्षन्ति सम विशेषेण बलवृत्रनिष्दन,बल और वृत्रासुरके नाशक इन्द्र! दमयन्ती सम्पूर्ण जगत्का एक अद्धुत रत्न है। इसलिये सब राजा उसे पानेकी विशेष अभिलाषा रखते हैं
tāṁ ratnabhūtāṁ lokasya prārthayanto mahīkṣitaḥ | kāṅkṣanti sama-viśeṣeṇa balavṛtra-niṣūdana ||
Nārada berkata: “Wahai Indra, pembunuh Bala dan Vṛtra! Damayantī ialah permata ajaib bagi seluruh dunia. Maka raja-raja di mana-mana menuntut tangannya dan merinduinya dengan keghairahan yang luar biasa.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
True excellence—virtue, beauty, and reputation grounded in dharma—naturally draws the attention of rulers and the powerful; the verse frames Damayantī’s worth as a ‘jewel’ that inspires widespread aspiration, while reminding that desire should be oriented toward worthy qualities.
Nārada is describing Damayantī to Indra, emphasizing her extraordinary renown and desirability: kings across the earth actively seek her, and their longing is portrayed as especially intense because she is considered a rare treasure of the world.