Daśārṇa was an ancient kingdom of Bhāratavarsha (the land of Bharata). The Nala–Damayantī Upākhyāna of the Mahābhārata names it as one of the kingdoms through which the searching brāhmaṇas travelled when they looked for Damayantī after she vanished during the forest exile. King Sudāmana is named as its ruler. The region is generally placed in present-day Madhya Pradesh.

Daśārṇa in the search for Damayantī

Damayantī’s father, Bhīma of Vidarbha, organised the search for his daughter. The brāhmaṇas went through many kingdoms, and Daśārṇa was one of the places on the way. They looked for any trace of Damayantī, and for news of a woman who matched her description and was living in poor circumstances. King Sudāmana is the ruler named for Daśārṇa at that time. The Mahābhārata tells this in the Vana Parva, Chapters 63–64.

Sources

Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 63–64 (Nala–Damayantī Upākhyāna)