दमयन्त्युवाच गच्छ केशिनि जानीहि क एष रथवाहकः। उपविष्टो रथोपस्थे विकृतो हस्वबाहुकः॥
Damayanti said : OKeshini, do you go; and know who that charioteer is, sitting down on a side of the car, most unsightly and with short arms.
अभ्येत्य कुशलं भद्रे मृदुपूर्वं समाहिता। पृच्छेथाः पुरुषं ह्येनं यथातत्त्वमनिन्दिते॥
O gentle one, O blameless one, approaching him and becoming careful, do you ask his welfare; and do you enquire all the particulars about this person.
अत्र मे महती शङ्का भवेदेष नलो नृपः। यथा च मनसस्तुष्टिर्हदयस्य च निर्वृतिः॥
I am greatly afraid, lest this person be king Nala himself. For so great is the satisfaction of my mind, as also the easiness of my heart regarding this matter.
ब्रूयाश्चैनं कथान्ते त्वं पर्णादवचनं यथा। प्रतिवाक्यं च सुश्रोणि बुद्ध्येथास्त्वमनिन्दिते॥
O one of beautiful waist, unblameable one, after you have finished your enquiry, tell him the words of Parnada and understand his reply to them.
ततः समाहिता त्वा दूती बाहुकमब्रवीत्। दमयन्त्यपि कल्याणी प्रासादस्था [पैक्षत॥
Brihadashva said: Thereupon the female messenger carefully approached Bahuka and addressed him, while blessed Damayanti looked from her palace what would come to pass.
केशिन्युवाच स्वागतं ते मनुष्येन्द्र कुशलं ते ब्रवीम्यहम्। दमयन्त्या वचः साधु निबोध पुरुषर्षभ॥
Keshini said: O best of men, O excellent of persons, you are welcome! I wish you prosperity! Now listen to the words of Damayanti with attention.
कदा वै प्रस्थिता यूयं किमर्थमिह चागताः। तत् त्वं ब्रूहि यथान्यायं वैदर्भी श्रोतुमिच्छति॥
When did you start! What did you come here for? Tell me all the particulars; for the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas wishes to hear all about these.
बाहुक उवाच राज्ञा कोसलेन श्रुतः स्वयंवरो महात्मना। द्वितीयो दमयन्त्या वै भविता श्व इति द्विजात्॥
Bahuka said: The high-souled monarch of Koshala had learnt from a Brahmana that there would be held a second Svayamvara of Damayanti.
श्रुत्वैतत् प्रस्थितो राजा शतयोजनयायिभिः। हयैर्वातजवैर्मुख्यैरहमस्य च सारथिः॥
Hearing this, the monarch and myself as his charioteer, set out with excellent steeds, that are capable of travelling one hundred yojanas and that are as fleet as the wind itself.
केशिन्युवाच अथ योऽसौ तृतीयो व: स कुतः कस्य वा पुनः। त्वं च कस्य कथं चेदं त्वयि कर्म समाहितम्॥
Keshini said: Whence is the third among you come? And, again, whose (son) is he? Whose (son) are you and how has this work been performed by you?
बाहुक उवाच पुण्यश्लोकस्य वै सूतो वार्ष्णेय इति विश्रुतः। स नले विद्रुते भद्रे भाङ्गासुरिमुपस्थितः॥
Bahuka said : Indeed, he is the charioteer of righteous Nala; and is known by the name of Varshneya. O blessed one, after Nala had been deprived of his kingdom, he came to the royal son of Vangasura.
अहमण्यश्वकुशलः सूतत्वे च प्रतिष्ठितः। ऋतुपर्णेन सारथ्ये भोजने च वृतः स्वयम्॥
I am too, well versed in the management of horses, and hence I have been appointed as a charicteer. King Rituparna himself appointed me to be his charioteer as well as his cook.
केशिन्युवाच अथ जानाति वार्ष्णेयः क्व नु राजा नलो गतः। कथं च त्वयि वा तेन कथितं स्यात् तु बाहुक॥
Keshini said: O Bahuka, Varshneya perhaps knows where has king Nala gone. He also may have told you about him.
बाहुक उवाच इहैव पुत्रौ निक्षिप्य नलस्य शुभकर्मणः। गतस्ततो यथाकाम नैष जानाति नैषधम्॥
Bahuka said: Having brought here the children of Nala, of golden deeds, he (Varshneya) then repaired to wherever he wished. Indeed, he does not know where the king of the Nishadhas is.
न चान्यः पुरुषः कश्चिन्नलं वेत्ति यशस्विनि। गूढश्चरति लोकेऽस्मिन् नष्टरूपे महीपतिः॥
O glorious one, no other person knows the whereabouts of king Nala; for a king (in distress) roves about in the world unawares and with an unsightly appearance.
आत्मैव त नलं वेद या चास्य तदनन्तरा। न हि वै स्वानि लिङ्गानि नलः शंसति कर्हिचित्॥
Nala's self only knows Nala; and she also knows him, who is his second self. Indeed, Nala never shows his own marks anywhere.
केशिन्युवाच योऽसावयोध्यां प्रथमं गतोऽसौ ब्राह्मणस्तदा। इमानि नारीवाक्यानि कथयानः पुनः पुनः॥
Keshini said : The Brahmana, who had first gone to the city of Ayodhya, uttered again and again these expressions, suitable to the lips of a female:
क्व नु त्वं कितवच्छित्त्वा वस्त्रार्धं प्रस्थितो मम। उत्सृज्य विपिने सुप्तामनुरक्तां प्रियां प्रिय॥
"O gambler, O dear one, where have you gone, tearing off half my garment and forsaking me, your devoted and beloved wife, asleep in the forest.
सा वै यथा समादिष्टा तथाऽऽस्ते त्वत्प्रतीक्षिणी दह्यमाना दिवा रात्रौ वस्त्रार्धेनाभिसंवृता॥
Indeed, she herself, enjoined by you, remains there, expecting to receive you, clad only in half a piece of cloth and burning whole day and night in sorrow.
तस्या रुदन्त्याः सततं तेन दुःखेन पार्थिव। प्रसादं कुरु मे वीर प्रतिवाक्यं वदस्व च॥
O monarch, O mighty one, as she is incessantly lamenting for that distress; so be you kind and give answer to her words.
तस्यास्तत् प्रियमाख्यानं प्रवदस्व महामते। तदेव वाक्यं वैदर्भी श्रोतुमिच्छत्यनिन्दिता॥
O high-minded one, do you recite that story agreeable to her, which words that blameless daughter of Vidharbha wishes to hear.”
एतच्छ्रुत्वा प्रतिवचस्तस्य दत्तं त्वया किल। यत् पुरा तत् पुनस्त्वत्तो वैदर्भी श्रोतुमिच्छति॥
Hearing these words (as above), you formerly gave answer to the Brahmanas. As you did before, so do now; for the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas wishes to hear them in detail.
बृहदश्व उवाच एवमुक्तस्य केशिन्या नलस्य कुरुनन्दन। हृदयं व्यथितं चासीदश्रुपूर्णे च लोचने॥
Brihadashva said : O descendant of the Kuru race, hearing these words of Keshini, Nala's heart became afflicted with grief; and his eyes, too, were filled with tears.
स निगृह्यात्मनो दुःखं दह्यमानो महीपतिः। वाष्पसंदिग्धया वाचा पुनरेवेदपद्रवीत्॥
Having suppressed his grief and burning with sorrow, the lord of the earth uttered again these words in a voice choked with tears.
बाहुक उवाच वैषम्यमपि सम्प्राप्ता गोपायन्ति कुलस्त्रियः। आत्मानमात्मना सत्यो जितः स्वर्गो न संशयः॥
Bahuka said: Chaste women, falling in distress, protect themselves by their own efforts and thus doubtlessly obtain heaven.
रहिता भर्तृभिश्चापि न क्रुध्यन्ति कदाचन। प्राणांश्चारित्रकवचान्धारयन्ति वरस्त्रियः॥
The women, that are the best, become never angry and hold their lives, protected by the armour of good character, even if they be left by their husbands.
विषमस्थेन मूढेन परिभ्रष्टसुखेन च। यत् सा तेन परित्यक्ता तत्र न क्रोधुमर्हति॥
Because she has been abandoned by one, who himself has fallen in distress and who is foolish and deprived of all happiness. She, therefore, should not be angry.
प्राणयात्रां परिप्रेप्सोः शकुनैर्हतवाससः। आधिभिर्दह्यमानस्य श्यामा न क्रोद्भुमर्हति॥
The lady of unchanging youth should not be angry with one, who deprived of his cloth by the birds, while seeking his food in the forest, is ever burning in grief.
सत्कृतासत्कृता वापि पतिं दृष्ट्वा तथाविधम्। राज्य भ्रष्टं श्रिया हीनं क्षुधितं व्यसनाप्लुतम्॥
Behaved well or badly, the lady should not be angry with her husband, when he is in that miserable condition (that he is deprived of his kingdom and happiness); and also he is overtaken by hunger and distress.
एवं ब्रुवाणस्तद् वाक्यं नलः परमदुर्मनाः। न वाष्यमशकत् सोढुं प्ररुरोद च भारत।॥
O Bharata, while speaking these words, Nala, afflicted with calamity, could not check the flow of his tears and began to weep bitterly.
ततः सा केशिनी गत्वा दमयन्त्यै न्यवेदयत्। तत् सर्वं कथितं चैव विकारं तस्य चैव तम्॥
Thereupon Keshini went away and informed everything to Damayanti regarding that discourse (between herself and Nala), as also the overtaking of his calamity.