नल उवाच यथा राज्यं तव पितुस्तथा मम न संशयः। न तु तत्र गमिष्यामि विषमस्थः कथंचन॥
Nala said: No doubt, your father's kingdom is the same as mine own. But thither by any means I will not go, being in embarrassed circumstances.
कथं समृद्धो गत्वाहं तव हर्षविवर्धनः। परिच्युतो गमिष्यामि तव शोकविवर्धनः॥
There was a time when repairing there in all my prosperity, I enhanced your delight. Shorn of it (prosperity) how can I now repair there to add to your sorrow?
बृहदश्व उवाच इति ब्रुवन् नलो राजा दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः। सान्त्वयामास कल्याणी वाससोऽर्धेन संवृताम्॥ तावेकवस्त्रसंवीतावटमानावितस्ततः। क्षुत्पिपासापरिश्रान्तौ सभां कांचिदुपेयतुः॥
Brihadhsava said: Thus repeatedly speaking unto Damayanti, used to all happiness, king Nala tried to console her, now clad only in half of her cloth. Both of them wrapped in a single piece of cloth, when wandering this way and that, arrived at an inn, worn out with hunger and thirst.
तां सभामुपसम्प्राप्य तदा स निषधाधिपः। वैदा सहितो राजा निषसाद महीतले॥
Then on reaching that inn, the ruler of the Nishadhas seated himself on the surface of the earth with the daughter of the king of Vidharbha.
स वै विवस्त्रो विकटो मलिनः पांसुगुण्ठितः। दमयन्त्या सह श्रान्तः सुष्वापधरणीतले॥
Destitute of his garments, unsightly, with his person unclean, covered with dust, he laid himself down with Damayanti on the surface of the earth in fatigue.
दमयन्त्यपि कल्याणी निद्रयापहृता ततः। सहसा दुःखमासाद्य सुकुमारी तपस्विनी॥
Then ever used to happiness, the comcly and innocent Damayanti, too, suddenly visited with misfortune, became unconscious in sleep.
सुप्तायां दमयन्त्यां तु नलो राजा विशाम्यते। शोकोन्मथितचित्तात्मा न स्म शेते तथा पुरा॥
O lord of your subjects! when Damayanti fell asleep, king Nala, owing to his heart and mind being agitated with grief, could not sleep as before (in his days of happiness).
स तद् राज्यापहरणं सुहृत्त्यागं च सर्वशः। वने च तं परिध्वंसं प्रेक्ष्य चिन्तामुपेयिवान्॥
He, musing over the loss of his kingdom, his abandonment by his friends, the disaster he met with in the forest and over his other misfortunes, began to reflect (in the following manner).
नु किं मे स्यादिदं कृत्वा किं नु मे स्यादकुर्वतः। किं नु मे मरणं श्रेयः परित्यागो जनस्य वा॥
“What will accrue from my doing this? And what from my not doing this? Which is preferable to me now, my death or the desertion of my wife?
मामियं हनुरक्तवं दुःखमाप्नोति मत्कृते। मद्विहीना त्वियं गच्छेत् कदाचित् स्वजनं प्रति॥
She is (fondly) attached unto myself. For this reason she suffer these afflictions for me. But (when) forsaken by me, she may possibly repair to her relatives.
मयि नि:संशयं दुःखमियं प्राप्स्यत्यनुव्रता। उत्सर्गे संशयः स्यात् तु विन्देतापि सुखं क्वचित्।।
Devoted as she is to me, she is sure to suffer distress if she accompanies me; but it is doubtful, whether she would suffer them or not, were I to forsake her. Perchance, she may sometime attain to happiness."
स विनिश्चित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुनः पुनः। उत्सर्ग मन्यते श्रेयो दमयन्त्या नराधिप॥
O Monarch! thus repeatedly cogitating over this subject and reflecting again and again about it, he (at last) decided the desertion of Damayanti to be the best course open to him.
न चैषा तेजसा शक्या कैश्चिद्धर्षयितुं पथि। यशस्विनी महाभागा मद्भक्तेयं पतिव्रता॥
For her spiritedness, nobody will be able to insult, on the way, this high-souled, chaste and illustrious lady who is (fondly) devoted to me.'
एवं तस्य तदा बुद्धिर्दमयन्त्यां न्यवर्तत। कलिना दुष्टभावेन दमयन्त्या विसर्जने।॥
Thus through the instrumentality of the wicked Kali, his mind then ceased to dwell on Damayanti and he settled his purpose of abandoning her.
सोऽवस्त्रताममात्मनश्च तस्याश्चाप्येकवस्त्रताम्। चिन्तयित्वाध्यगाद् राजा वस्त्रार्धस्यावकर्तनम्॥
Thinking of his own want of garment and of Damayanti's being clad in a single piece of cloth, the King intended to pair off half of her cloth.
कथं वासो विकर्तेयं न च बुध्येत मे प्रिया। विचिन्त्यैवं नलो राजा सभां पर्यचरत्तदा॥
'How shall I cut off her cloth, so that my beloved may not awake.' Thus thinking, king Nala then began to wander about that inn.
परिधावनथ नल इतश्चेतश्च भारत। आससाद सभोद्देशे विकोशं खङ्गमुत्तमम्॥
O descendant of Bharata's race! walking with hasty steps up and down, Nala obtained, near the inn, an excellent unsheathed sword.
तेनार्धं वाससश्छित्त्वा निवस्य च परंतपः। सुप्तामुत्सृज्य वैदर्भी प्राद्रवद् गतचेतनाम्॥
That chastiser of his enemies, having with this sword cut off one half of her cloth, wore it. And then leaving the daughter of the Vidharbha king asleep and unconscious, he hurriedly went away.
ततो निवृत्तहृदयः पुनरागम्य तां सभाम्। दमयन्तीं तदा दृष्ट्वा सरोद निषधाधिपः॥
But then his heart being attracted towards Damayanti, the ruler of the Nishadhas, came back to that inn; and finding her in that condition he began to lament:
यां न वायुर्न चादित्यः पुरा पश्यति मे प्रियाम्। सेयमद्य सभामध्ये शेते भूमावनाथवत्॥
‘My dear-loved wife, whom even the winds or the sun could not sce before, is even now lying asleep like one helpless on the ground of this inn.
इयं वस्त्रावकर्तेन संवीता चारुहासिनी। उन्मत्तेव वरारोहा कथं बुद्ध्वा भविष्यति॥
How will this sweet smiling and slenderwaisted Damayanti live, when awaking, she shall find herself clothed, like one mad, in half a piece of cloth?
कथमेका सती भैमी मया विरहिता शुभा। चरिष्यति वने घोरे मृगव्यालनिषेविते॥
How will this blessed daughter of Bhima, the chaste Damayanti, roam, without me and all alone, in this dreary wilderness, inhabited by beasts and serpents.
आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा अश्विनौ समरुद्गणौ। रक्षन्तु त्वां महाभागेधर्मेणासि समावृता॥
O noble-hearted one! may the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the twin Asvinis together with the wind-gods, protect you! Or you are protected by yours own virtue!'
एवमुक्तवा प्रियां भार्यां रूपेणाप्रतिमां भुवि। कलिनापहतज्ञानो नलः प्रातिष्ठदुद्यतः॥
Thus speaking unto his dear-loved wife matchless on carih in beauty, king Nala, deprived of his senses by Kali, endeavoured to go away.
गत्वा गत्वा नलो राजा पुनरेति सभां मुहुः। आकृष्यमाणः कलिना सौहृदेनावकृष्यते॥
The royal Nala departing again and again, returned again and again to the inn, once dragged away by Kali and again drawn back by his love (to his wife).
द्विधेव हृदयं तस्य दुःखितस्याभवत् तदा। दोलेव मुहुरायाति याति चैव सभां प्रति॥
It seemed as if the heart of the distressed king was divided in twain, who like a rocking cradle repeatedly went away from and came back into the inn,
अवकृष्टस्तु कलिना मोहितः प्राद्रवन्नलः। सुप्तामुत्सृज्य तां भार्यां विलप्य करुणं बहु॥
Befooled and deprived of his reason by Kali, Nala ran away deserting his sleeping wife and lainenting profusely and plaintively for her.
नष्टात्मा कलिना स्पृष्टस्तत् तद् विगणयन् नृपः। जगामैकां वने शून्ये भार्यामुत्सृज्य दुःखितः॥
Losing his senses through the influence of Kali and ruminating over a variety of thoughts, the king went away with his heart full of sorrow, forsaking his wife, alone, in that solitary wilderness.