बृहदश्व उवाच दमयन्ती तु तच्छ्रुत्वा भृशं शोकपरायणा। शङ्कमाना नलं तं वै केशिनीमिदमब्रवीत्॥
Brihadashva said : Having heard all these, Damayanti became afflicted with sorrow; and, suspecting that le must be Nala, addressed Keshini, saying,
गच्छ केशिनि भूयस्त्वं परीक्षां कुरु बाहुके। अब्रुवाणा समीपस्था चरितान्यस्य लक्षय॥
"O Keshini, do you go again and scrutinize the conduct of Bahuka; and keeping yourself in silence at his side, behold all his bevaviours.
यदा च किंचित् कुर्यात् स कारणं तत्र भामिनि। तत्र संचेष्टमानस्य लक्षयन्ती विचेष्टितम्॥
O beautiful one, find out the cause, whenever he does anything; and marks well whenever he performs anything skillful.
न चास्य प्रतिबन्धेन देयोऽग्निरपि केशिनि। याचते न जलं देयं सर्वथा त्वरमाणया॥
O Keshini, whenever he may ask fire or water, you will not be in a hurry to give it; and thus obstruct him.
एतत् सर्वं समीक्ष्य त्वं चरितं मे निवेदया निमित्तं यत् त्वया दृष्टं बाहुके दैवमानुषम्॥ यच्चान्यदपि पश्येथास्तच्चाख्येयं त्वया मम।
"Seeing all these, do you let me know his conduct, as also what human or super-human will be seen in Bahuka. Do you also report to me what else you will see in him."
दमयन्त्यैवमुक्ता सा जगामाथ च केशिनी॥ निशम्याथ हयज्ञस्य लिङ्गानि पुनरागमत्।
Thus spoken by Damayanti, Keshini went away. Having learnt the behaviours of that person, who was versed in the knowledge of horses, Keshini returned.
सा तत् सर्वं यथावृत्तं दमयन्त्यै न्यवेदयत्। निमित्तं यत् तया दृष्टं बाहुके दैवमानुषम्॥
She reported to Damayanti the whole history, mentioning what human superhuman she saw in Bahuka.
केशिन्युवाच दृढं शुच्युपचारोऽसौ न मया भानुषः क्वचित्। दृष्टपूर्वः श्रुतो वापि दमयन्ति तथाविधः॥
Keshini said: O Damayanti, I have never heard or seen before any person of his character, having so great a 'power over the elements.'
ह्रस्वमासाद्य संचारं नासौ विनमते क्वचित्। तं तु दृष्ट्वा यथासंगमुत्सर्पति यथासुखम्॥
Whenever he comes to a narrow hole, he never stoops low; rather the hole opens wide at his touch; and he easily passes through it.
संकटेऽप्यस्य सुमहान् विवरो जायतेऽधिकः। ऋतुपर्णस्य चार्थाय भोजनीयमनेकशः॥ प्रेषितं तत्र राज्ञा तु मांसं चैव प्रभूतवत्। तस्य प्रक्षालनार्थाय कुम्भास्तत्रोपकल्पिताः॥
Thus a small hole grows largely wide at his coming. There were sent by the king (Bhima) various sorts of food, as also flesh of many animals, for Rituparna. There were also many vessels sent for washing the flesh.
ते तेनावेक्षिताः कुम्भाः पूर्णा एवाभवंस्ततः। ततः प्रक्षालनं कृत्वा समधिश्रित्य बाहुकः॥ तृणमुष्टिं समादाय सवितुस्तं समादधत्। अथ प्रज्वलितस्तत्र सहसा हव्यवाहनः॥
Those vessels, whenever looked at by him (Bahuka), became at once filled with water. Thereupon Bahuka washed them and set himself to cooking. Then again he grasped a handful of grass and held it to the sun, where suddenly fire blazed up.
तदद्भुततमं दृष्ट्वा विस्मिताहमिहागता। अन्यच्च तस्मिन् सुमहदाश्चर्यं लक्षितं मया।॥
Beholding that greatest wonder, I was struck with astonishment and have come hither. Also another great wonder was marked by me in him.
यदग्निमपि संस्पृश्य नैवासौ दह्यते शुभे। छन्देन चोदकं तस्य वहत्यावर्जितं दुतम्॥
O beautiful one, although he touched fire, still he was not burnt. The water, falling at his command, flowed rapidly.
अतीव चान्यत् सुमहदाश्चर्यं दृष्टवत्यहम्। यत् स पुष्पाण्युपादाय हस्ताभ्यां ममृदे शनैः॥ मृद्यमानानि पाणिभ्यां तेन पुष्पाणि नान्यथा। भूय एव सुगन्धीनि हृषितानि भवन्ति हि। एतान्यद्भुतलिङ्गानि दृष्ट्वाहं दुतमागता॥
I have marked another wonder, which was extraordinarily great, that he took some flowers in his hands and pressed them slowly. Although these flowers were pressed by him with the hands, yet they, instead of losing their original forms, became more fragrant and beautiful than before. Observing those marks of wonder, I have hastily come here.
बृहदश्व उवाच दमयन्ती तु तच्छ्रुत्वा पुण्यश्लोकस्य चेष्टितम्। अमन्यत नलं प्राप्तं कर्मचेष्टाभिसूचितम्॥
Brihadashva said : Having heard of those wonderful behaviours of that righteous one and having known him by his acts, Damayanti considered that Nala was obtained.
सा शङ्कमाना भर्तारं बाहुकं पुनरिङ्गितैः। केशिनीं श्लक्ष्णया वाचा रुदती पुनरब्रवीत्॥ पुनर्गच्छ प्रमत्तस्य बाहुकस्योपसंस्कृतम्। महानसाद् द्रुतं मांसमानयस्वेह भाविनि॥ सा गत्वा बाहुकस्याचे तन्मांसमपकृष्य च। अत्युष्णमेव त्वरिता तत्क्षणात् प्रियकारिणी॥
Again, by these marks suspecting Bahuka to be her husband, Damayanti wept and again addressed Keshini in a sweet speech, "O handsome one, do you go again and fetch here from the kitchen, without the knowledge of Bahuka, some meat cooked by him." The beneficent lady instantly went to Bahuka; and immediately returned, taking some hot meat therefrom.
दमयन्त्यै ततः प्रादात् केशिनी कुरुनन्दन। सो चिता नलसिद्धस्य मांसस्य बहुशः पुरा॥
O descendant of the Kuru race, thereupon Keshini gave the meat to Damayanti, who had, during the past days, very often tasted meat boiled by Nala.
प्राश्य मत्वा नलं सूतं प्राक्रोशद् भृशदुःखिता। वैक्लव्यं परमं गत्वा प्रक्षाल्य च मुखं ततः॥ मिथुनं प्रेषयामास केशिन्या सह भारत। इन्द्रसेनां सह भ्रात्रा समभिज्ञाय बाहुकः॥ अभिद्रुत्य ततो राजा परिष्वज्याङ्कमानयत्। बाहुकस्तु समासाद्य सुतौ सुरसुतोपमौ॥ भृशं दुःखपरीतात्मा सुस्वरं प्ररुरोद ह। नैषधो दर्शयित्वा तु विकारमसकृत् तदा। उत्सृज्य सहसा पुत्रौ केशिनीमिदमब्रवीत्॥
Thus tasting the meat brought by her female servant, she decided the charioteer to be Nala himself; and, inuch aggrieved, she wept bitterly. Overtaken by great calamity, she then washed her face. O Bharata, thereafter she sent her two children with Keshini. Bahuka recognised Indrasena with her brother. Thereupon the monarch (in the guise of Bahuka) came up speedily and, embracing his children, placed them on his lap. Then again, embracing his children, who were like the children of the celestials, Bahuka became filled with the greatest misery and wept bitterly in a soft voice. Thus having cxprcsscd his mental derangement over and over again, the prince of the Nishadhas left the children all on a sudden and spoke Keshini there words,
इदं च सदृशं भद्रे मिथुनं मम पुत्रयोः। अतो दृष्ट्वैव सहसा बाष्पमुत्सृष्टवानहम्॥
"O beauteous one, these twins are like iny own children. Hence seeing them suddenly, I shed tears.
बहुशः सम्पतन्तीं त्वां जनः संकेतदोषतः। वयं च देशातिथयो गच्छ भद्रे यथासुखम्॥
If you come to me very often, people may think evil; because we are men of other country. So, O handsome one, do you go away hence with ease."