बृहदश्व उवाच ततस्तु याते वार्ष्णेये पुण्यश्लोकस्य दीव्यतः। पुष्करेण हृतं राज्यं यच्चान्यद् वसु किंचन॥
Brihadashva said: After Varshneya had gone away, his kingdom and what else of wealth he possessed, were won by Pushkara from Nala of good fame, who was engaged at dice.
हृतराज्यं नलं राजन् प्रहसन् पुष्करोऽब्रवीत्। द्यूतं प्रवर्ततां भूयः प्रतिपाणोऽस्ति कस्तव॥
O king! Pushkara said to Nala whose kingdom had been won from him, with a (sinister) smile:-'Let our game at dice commence anew, but what else to stake you have got now?'
शिष्टा ते दमयन्त्येका सर्वमन्यज्जितं मया। दमयन्त्याः पणः साधु वर्ततां यदि मन्यसे॥
Damayanti alone is left to you; everything else has been won by me. Well if you think it right hold Damayanti as your stake now?
पुष्करेणैवमुक्तस्य पुण्यश्लोकस्य मन्युना। व्यदीर्यतेव हृदयं न चैनं किंचिदब्रवीत्॥
Thus spoken to by Pushkara Nala of holy fame felt as if his heart would burst in grief. Neither did he speak a syllable to him.
ततः पुष्करमालोक्य नलः परममन्युमान्। उत्सृज्य सर्वगात्रेभ्यो भूषणानि महायशाः॥ एकवासा ह्यसंवीतः सुहृच्छोकविवर्धनः। निश्चक्राम ततो राजा त्यक्त्वा सुविपुलां श्रियम्॥
Thereafter Nala of high renown, possessed with extreme anguish, looking at Pushkara, began to take all the ornaments off every part of his body. Then wearing a single piece of cloth, with his person uncovered enhancing the gricſ of his friends and forsaking his vast wealth the king went out.
दमयन्त्येकवस्त्राथ गच्छन्तं पृष्ठतोऽन्वगात्। स तया बाह्यतः सार्धं त्रिरात्रं नैषधोऽवसत्॥
Also Damayanti, attired in a single piece of cloth, followed the departing king behind. With her the king of Naishadha, passed three nights outside the precincts of the town.
पुष्करस्तु महाराज घोषयामास वै पुरे। नले यः सम्यगातिष्ठेत् स गच्छेद् वध्यतां मम॥
O mighty king in the meantime Pushkara had it proclaimed within the city, that any body that should regardfully (hospitably) behave towards Nala would become his victim.
पुष्करस्य तु वाक्येन तस्य विद्वेषणेन च। पौरा न तस्य सत्कारं कृतवन्तो युधिष्ठिर॥
O Yudhishthira! in consequence of this proclamation of Pushkara and his malice towards Nala, the citizens offered no respectful conduct towards him.
स तथा नगराभ्याशे सत्कारार्हो न सत्कृतः। त्रिरात्रमुषितो राजा जलमात्रेण वर्तयन्॥
Thus unregarded, though worthy of their (citizen's) regards, that king stayed three nights outside the precincts of the city living, all the while solely on water.
पीड्यमानः क्षुधा तत्र फलमूलानि कर्षयन्। प्रातिष्ठत ततो राजा दमयन्ती तमन्वगात्॥
Oppressed with hunger, the king started from the vicinity of the city with the object of collecting fruits and roots while Damayanti followed him (closely).
क्षुधया पीड्यमानस्तु नलो बहुतिथेऽहनि। अपश्यच्छकुनान् कांश्चिद्धिरण्यसदृशच्छदान्॥
Afflicted sore with (the pangs of) hunger, after the lapse of many days, Nala saw some birds, the colour of whose plumage resembled that of gold.
स चिन्तयामास तदा निषधाधिपतिर्बली। अस्ति भक्ष्यो ममाद्यायं वसु चेदं भविष्यति॥
Thereupon the powerful ruler of the Nishadhas, thought (within himself)-My food today will consist of these and afterwards their plumage shall be my wealth.
ततस्तान् परिधानेन वाससा स समावृणोत्। तस्य तद् वस्त्रामादाय सर्वे जग्मुर्विहायसा॥
Then he covered them with the piece of cloth he was wearing. Taking on their back that piece of cloth belonging to him, those rangers of the sky flew to the heavens.
उत्पदन्तः खगा वाक्यमेतदाहुस्ततो नलम्। दृष्ट्वा दिग्वाससं भूमौ स्थितं दीनमधोमुखम्॥
When rising up (to the sky) the birds of the earth seeing Nala sorrowful and seated on the car with his person nude and countenance down towards the ground, addressed these words to him.
वयमक्षाः सुदुर्बुद्धे तव वासो जिहीर्षवः। आगता न हि नः प्रीतिः सवाससि गते त्वयि॥
'O greatly foolish one! we are even those dice. We had come hither desirous of robbing your cloth. For surely we feel no pleasure, even if you depart wearing your cloth.'
तान् समीपगतानक्षानात्मानं च विवाससम्। पुण्यश्लोकस्तदा राजन् दमयन्तीमथाब्रवीत्॥ येषां प्रकोपादैश्वर्यात् प्रच्युतोऽहमनिन्दिते। प्राणयात्रां न विन्देयं दुःखितः क्षुधयान्वितः॥ येषां कृते न सत्कारमकुर्वन् मयि नैषधाः। इमे ते शकुना भूत्वा वासो भीरु हरन्ति मे॥
O king! then Nala of holy fame beholding the dice depart and himself naked, thus spoke of Damayanti. O unblameable lady! they, in consequence of whose wrath I have been deprived of my (royal) fortune and being distressed and oppressed with hunger I cannot procure my livelihood, they through whose (malign) influence the citizens of Naishadha paid me no regard, O timid one! those very dice have assumed the form of birds and are even now fiying away with my cloth.
वैषम्यं परमं प्राप्तो दुःखितो गतचेतनः। भर्ता तेऽहं निबोधेदं वचनं हितमात्मनः॥
I, your husband, have met with a great catastrophe. I am afflicted with sorrow and am devoid of my consciousness. Listen to my words, which (when acted upon) shall conduce to your good.
एते गच्छन्ति बहवः पन्थानो दक्षिणापथम्। अवन्तीमृक्षवन्तं च समतिक्रम्य पर्वतम्॥
These various roads before you, passing by the (city of) Avanti and crossing the Rikshavat mountain lead to the Deccan.
एष विन्ध्यो महाशैलः पयोष्णी च समुद्रगा। आश्रमाश्च महर्षीणां बहुमूलफलान्विताः॥ एष पन्था विदर्भाणामसौ गच्छति कोसलान्। अतः परं च देशोऽयं दक्षिणे दक्षिणापथः॥
Yonder is the mighty range of mountains known under the name of Vindhya; there is the river Payashini flowing toward the sea and you lie the hermitages of the illustrious sages replete with many kinds of fruits and roots. This road leads to Vidharbha, the other one proceeds towards the country of the Kosalas; beyond them in the southern direction lies the Deccan.
बृहदश्व उवाच एतद् वाक्यं नलो राजा दमयन्तीं समाहितः। उवाचासकृदातॊ हि भैमीमुद्दिश्य भारत।॥
Brihdashva said: O descendant of Bharata's race! addressing the daughter of Bhima, king Nala sorely afflicted with grief, carefully spoke these words to Damayanti, over and over again.
ततः सा बाष्पकलया वाचा दुःखेन कर्शिता। उवाच दमयन्ती तं नैषधं करुणं वचः॥
Thereupon distressed with sorrow and in a voice choked with the vapour of grief, Damayanti spoke to Nala these piteous words.
उद्वेजते मे हृदयं सीदन्त्यङ्गानि सर्वशः। तव पार्थिव संकल्पं चिन्तयन्त्याः पुनः पुनः॥ हृतराज्यं हृतद्रव्यं विवस्त्रं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितम्। कथमुत्सृज्य गच्छेयमहं त्वां निर्जने वने।॥
Damayanti said : O ruler of the earth! on continuous thinking of your intention, my heart trembles and all my limbs are sinking. How can I depart leaving you in this lonely forest, deprived of your kingdom despoiled of your wealth, yourself not covered even with a single piece of cloth and afflicted with hunger and toil?
श्रान्तस्य ते क्षुधार्तस्य चिन्तयानस्य तत् सुखम्। वने घोरे महाराज नाशयिष्याम्यहं क्लमम्॥
O illustrious sovereign! when fatigued with toil and oppressed with hunger in the midst of this dreary wilderness, you shall remember your former happiness, then shall I solace you in your troubles.
न च भार्यासमं किंचिद् विद्यते भिषजां मतम्। औषधं सर्वदुःखेषु सत्यमेतद् ब्रवीमि ते॥
'In all descriptions of misery there is no medicine similar to a wife, this is the opinion of all the physicians, I tell the forsooth.
नल उवाच एवमेतद् यथाऽऽत्य त्वं दमयन्ति सुमध्यमे। नास्ति भार्यासमं मित्रं नरस्यार्तस्य भेषजम्॥
Nala said: O you of delicate loins! O Damayanti, what you have said, is indeed true; to a man aggrieved there is no friend equal to a wife that serves as a remedy.
न चाहं त्यक्त कामस्त्वां किमलं भीरु शङ्कसे। त्यजेयमहमात्मानं न चैव त्वामनिन्दिते॥
O timid one! why are you afraid? I do not intend to forsake you; O faultless one, I can part with myself, but not with you.
दमयन्त्युवाच यदि मां त्वं महाराज न विहातुमिहेच्छसि। तत् किमर्थं विदर्भाणां पन्थाः समुपदिश्यते॥
Damayanti said : O great monarch! if you seek not to desert me, why then do you instruct, (point out to) me, about the road that leads to the dominion of the Vidharbhas?
अवैमि चाहं नृपते न तु मां त्यक्तुमर्हसि। चेतसा त्वपकृष्टेन मां त्यजेथा महीपते।॥
O protector of your subjects! I know also that you cannot leave me. But, O ruler of the earth! you may renounce me, as your mind (reason) is spoiled (distracted) by Kali.
पन्थानं हि ममाभीक्ष्णमाख्यासि च नरोत्तम। अतो निमित्तं शोकं मे वर्धयस्यमरोपम॥
O foremost of men! you are repeatedly instructing me about the road. O divine one! it is in this way that you are adding to my sorrow.
यदि चायमभिप्रायस्तव ज्ञातीन् व्रजेदिति। सहितावेव गच्छावो विदर्भान् यदि मन्यसे॥
If it be your wish that I should go back to my kinsmen, then if it list you, we both together shall repair to the kingdom of Vidharbha.
विदर्भराजस्तत्र त्वां पूजयिष्यति मानद। तेन त्वं पूजितो राजन् सुखं वत्स्यसि नो गृहे॥
O bestower of honor! there, the king of the Vidharbhas shall worship you. Thus held in great respect by him, you shall live in happiness in our residence.