Many noble kings, eager to witness the grand svayamvara, gathered together for the occasion, bringing with them their finest elephants and entourages. As the assembly of princes swelled, they spoke among themselves in wonder: "See, Sudarshana, the prince, has arrived here, calm and untroubled." They noted with surprise that the wise Kakutstha had come alone, accompanied only by his mother, riding his chariot for the purpose of marriage. They questioned, "What now? Will the princess truly choose this mighty-armed prince, leaving aside all these other rulers, who have come with armies and weapons?" Amidst this, Yudhajit, a powerful king, declared to the assembled rulers, "I will kill him for the sake of the maiden—there is no doubt about this." But at that very moment, the wise king of Kerala addressed Yudhajit, saying, "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?" The king of Kerala continued, reminding Yudhajit, "It was by injustice that you previously exiled him from his kingdom and gave the realm to your grandson by force. This Kakutstha, O fortunate one, 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, for there is a ruler of the 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 is here, 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." As the king of Kerala spoke these words, Vyasa tells us, the illustrious Yudhajit replied, "O king, what you say is indeed proper—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 is not worthy; this principle surely 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. Therefore, let the maiden be auctioned, and let this rule be established here. Otherwise, conflict will surely arise among the kings." With this dispute rising among the assembled rulers, Subahu, the foremost among kings, was summoned to the assembly. Those present, seeking to uphold righteousness, said to him, "O king, you must establish the proper rule for this marriage. What do you wish to do? Speak your intention clearly. To whom does your mind incline to give your daughter?" Subahu answered, "In her heart, my daughter has chosen Sudarshana. I have strongly forbidden her, but she does not heed my words. What can I do? My daughter's mind is not under my control. Sudarshana has arrived alone, undisturbed." Then Vyasa narrates that all the assembled kings summoned Sudarshana himself, who had come alone, calm and attentive. They addressed him: "O noble prince, by whom have you been called? You have come alone to this assembly of kings. You have neither an army, nor ministers, nor treasury, nor great strength. For what purpose have you come? Tell us the truth, O wise one. The kings gathered here desire battle, equipped with armies for the maiden's sake. What do you wish to do here? Your brother Subala, the valiant, has come with the intention to seize. The mighty-armed Yudhajit has arrived to assist him. Go or stay, O king, as has been declared. Since you are without an army, act as you wish, O virtuous one." Sudarshana replied humbly and truthfully, "I have neither strength nor allies, nor treasury nor fortress. I have no friends, no affection, nor kings to protect me. Having heard of the svayamvara, I have come here desiring to see it. In a dream, I was sent by the goddess, the blessed one—there is no doubt. Today, I desire nothing else; the Lady of the Universe has spoken to me. Whatever she has ordained, that will indeed come to pass today, without doubt." He continued, "There is no enemy in this world, nor are there any Lords of the Universe here. Everywhere I look today, I see Bhavani, the Mother of the World. Whoever acts as an enemy against me, O princes, the great Vidya will punish him; I myself do not know enmity. Whatever is destined to happen will surely occur, and not otherwise. What worry should there be here? I am entirely subject to fate. Among gods, among humans, among all beings, always, devotion arises in all through her actions, and not otherwise. Whomever she wishes to make king, she makes so, O rulers of men. Whether a man is poor or desires something, what concern is there for me then?" In this way, Sudarshana, filled with faith in the Goddess and surrender to destiny, stood before the assembly, his heart unwavering, as the fate of the svayamvara hung in the balance.