Manorama, with deep anguish in her heart, pleaded with her son Sudarshana, saying, “You have no other helper, so do not go, my son. I am utterly destitute, having only one son; you are my sole support, without whom I have no refuge.” Her voice trembled as she implored him not to abandon her to despair, reminding him that his father had been slain by Yudhajit, who was now present at the svayamvara. “If you go there alone,” she warned, “Yudhajit will kill you in battle.” But Sudarshana, calm and resolute, replied, “What must happen will surely happen; there is no need for deliberation here. By the command of the Mother of the Universe, I am going today to the svayamvara. Do not grieve, O auspicious one. You are a Kshatriya, O beautiful-faced lady. By the constant grace of the Blessed Goddess, I do not fear.” Having spoken thus, Sudarshana prepared to depart and mounted his chariot. Manorama, seeing her son ready to leave, blessed him fervently: “May Ambika protect you in front, may Parvati guard you from behind; may Parvati protect you on both sides, and Shiva everywhere at this time. May Varahi protect you on difficult paths, Durga in fortresses at any time, and the Supreme Goddess Kali in fierce battles. In the pavilion, may Matangi protect you, and Saumya at the svayamvara; among kings, may Bhavani, the liberator from worldly existence, protect you. May Girija protect you in mountain fortresses, and Chamunda at the crossroads; may Kamaga guard you in forests—thus may the Eternal Goddess protect you. In disputes, may the Vaishnavi Shakti protect you, O best of the Raghus; may Bhairavi, gentle at your feet, protect you in the assembly of enemies. May Bhuvaneshvari always protect you in all places—the Great Maya, the sustainer of the world, whose form is existence, consciousness, and bliss.” Manorama, trembling and overcome with fear, declared, “I will come with you in every way. Without you, even for half a moment, I cannot remain here. Take me with you, dear child, wherever you intend to go.” Having said this, she set out with her nurse, and all the Brahmins gave their blessings and departed, filled with joy. Sudarshana, accompanied by his mother, arrived at Varanasi in a single chariot. There, Subahu recognized him and honored him with offerings. A house was provided for his lodging, along with food and drink, and a servant was assigned for his service. Meanwhile, the kings assembled—rulers from various lands. Yudhajit arrived, accompanied by his grandson. The lord of Karusha, the king of Madra, the valiant king of Sindhu, the ruler of Mahishmati, the Panchala, the mountain king, mighty Kamaroopa, powerful Karnata, the ruler of Chola, and the strong king of Vidarbha—all gathered. At that time, sixty-three divisions of troops had assembled, surrounding the city on all sides. Many other kings, eager to witness the svayamvara, came with their finest elephants. As the princes gathered, they remarked among themselves, “Sudarsana, the prince, has arrived here, calm and untroubled. Alone, with only his mother, the wise Kakutstha has come, ascending his chariot, for the purpose of marriage—what now? Leaving aside these princes, all with armies and weapons, will the princess choose this mighty-armed prince?” Yudhajit then declared to the assembled rulers, “I will kill him for the sake of the maiden—there is no doubt about this.” At that moment, the wise king of Kerala addressed him, “O king, there should be no battle here, for this is a svayamvara by choice. There is no abduction by force here, nor is this a svayamvara with a bride-price; the selection is by the maiden’s wish—what dispute can there be? Previously, by injustice, you exiled him from his kingdom, O best of kings, and gave the realm to your grandson by force. This Kakutstha is the son of the king of Kosala; how will you kill this prince, who is without fault? You will surely reap the fruit of this wrongdoing, O best of kings; there is a ruler of this world, the Lord of all, who governs. Dharma prevails, not adharma; truth prevails, not falsehood. O king of kings, show respect and abandon your sinful intent. Your grandson has arrived, endowed with beauty, possessing a kingdom and prosperity—why would she not choose him? Other princes may indeed be stronger, but at the svayamvara, the maiden will choose as she wishes. Once the choice is made, what quarrel remains? Let the kings declare. There should be no conflict among the wise here.” While the king of Kerala spoke thus, the illustrious Yudhajit replied, “O king, what you say here is indeed proper conduct—spoken truthfully and with self-control among the assembly of kings. When suitable men are present, the jewel among maidens should be given to the best of the lineage. An unsuitable person, O king, is not worthy; this principle pleases you. How could a jackal deserve a lion’s share? Likewise, how is Sudarshana worthy of this jewel among maidens? The strength of Brahmins is the Veda, and the strength of kings is the bow. What injustice, O great king, am I now speaking here? As strength and bride-price are declared for kings in marriage, let only the strong take the bride, and never the weak.” Thus, the assembly was filled with debate and tension, as the fate of Sudarshana and the maiden hung in the balance, watched by all the gathered kings and their armies.