O monarch! Sudeva, the foremost of the Brahmanas, thus addressed by the Queenmother, sat at his ease and began to relate the true account of Damayanti.
एवमुक्तस्तया राजन् सुदेवो द्विजसत्तमः। सुखोपविष्ट आचष्ट दमयन्त्या यथातथम्॥