03.050
Core: Swan acts as a bridge between Nala and Damayanti and romance is in the air!
bṛhadaśva uvāca॥
Bṛhadaśva said.
āsīdrājā nalo nāma vīrasenasuto balī। upapanno guṇairiṣṭai rūpavānaśvakovidaḥ ॥3-50-1॥
There was a king named Nala, the son of Vīrasena, who was strong, endowed with desirable virtues, handsome, and skilled in the knowledge of horses. (3-50-1)
atiṣṭhan manujendrāṇāṃ mūrdhni devapatir yathā। uparyupari sarveṣām āditya iva tejasā ॥3-50-2॥
He stood on the heads of the kings of men like the lord of the gods, above all, like the sun by his brilliance. (3-50-2)
brahmaṇyo vedavicchūro niṣadheṣu mahīpatiḥ। akṣapriyaḥ satyavādī mahānakṣauhiṇīpatiḥ ॥3-50-3॥
He was devoted to Brahman, a knower of the Veda, heroic, and king among the Niṣadhas; fond of dice, a speaker of truth, great, and lord of mighty armies. (3-50-3)
īpsito varanārīṇām udāraḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ। rakṣitā dhanvināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ sākṣādiva manuḥ svayam॥3-50-4॥
He is desired by noble women, noble in character, self-controlled, a protector, the best among archers, and himself is like Manu incarnate. (3-50-4)
tathaivāsīd vidarbheṣu bhīmo bhīmaparākramaḥ। śūraḥ sarvaguṇair yuktaḥ prajākāmaḥ sa cāprajaḥ ॥3-50-5॥
Similarly, in Vidarbha, there was Bhima, a man of terrible prowess, heroic and endowed with all virtues, who desired children, but he was without offspring. (3-50-5)
sa prajā-arthe paraṃ yatnam akarot susamāhitaḥ। tam abhyagacchad brahmarṣir damano nāma bhārata ॥3-50-6॥
He, being well-concentrated, made supreme effort for the sake of progeny. Then, O Bhārata, the Brahmarṣi named Damana approached him. (3-50-6)
taṃ sa bhīmaḥ prajākāmaḥ toṣayām āsa dharmavit। mahiṣyā saha rājendra satkāreṇa suvarcasam ॥3-50-7॥
Bhīma, who desired progeny and knew dharma, honored Suvarcasa with his queen, O king, treating him with great respect. (3-50-7)
tasmai prasanno damanaḥ sabhāryāya varaṃ dadau. kanyāratnaṃ kumārāṃś ca trīn udārān mahāyaśāḥ ॥3-50-8॥
Pleased, Damana granted a boon to him and his wife: a jewel-like daughter and three noble, illustrious sons. (3-50-8)
damayantīṃ damaṃ dāntaṃ damanaṃ ca suvarcasam। upapannānguṇaiḥ sarvairbhīmānbhīmaparākrāmān ॥3-50-9॥
Damayantī, possessing self-restraint, control, the power to subdue, and great radiance, endowed with all virtues, mighty and of formidable valor. (3-50-9)
damayantī tu rūpeṇa tejasā yaśasā śriyā। saubhāgyena ca lokeṣu yaśaḥ prāpa sumadhyamā ॥3-50-10॥
But Damayantī, by her beauty, brilliance, fame, prosperity, and good fortune, attained fame among people as the graceful one. (3-50-10)
atha tāṃ vayasi prāpte dāsīnām samalaṅkṛtam। śataṃ sakhīnāṃ ca tathā paryupāste śacīm iva ॥3-50-11॥
Then, when she reached the proper age, a hundred well-adorned maidservants and companions attended upon her, just as Śacī is attended.
tatra sma bhrājate bhaimī sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā। sakhī-madhye'navadyāṅgī vidyut-saudāminī yathā॥ atīva rūpasampannā śrīr-ivāyata-locanā॥3-50-12॥
There, the daughter of Bhīma, adorned with all ornaments, shone among her companions, her limbs flawless, like a flash of lightning; she was exceedingly beautiful, with large eyes like the goddess Śrī (Lakṣmī). (3-50-12)
na deveṣu na yakṣeṣu tādṛgrūpavatī kvacit। mānuṣeṣvapi cānyeṣu dṛṣṭapūrvā na ca śrutā ॥ cittapramāthinī bālā devānāmapi sundarī ॥3-50-13॥
Such a beautiful young woman, who agitates the mind, has not been seen or heard of anywhere among the gods, yakṣas, humans, or others; even among the gods, she is a beauty. (3-50-13)
nalaś ca naraśārdūlo rūpeṇāpratimo bhuvi। kandarpa iva rūpeṇa mūrtimān abhavat svayam ॥3-50-14॥
Nala, the tiger among men, was unmatched in beauty on earth; he himself became the very embodiment of Kandarpa (Cupid) in form. (3-50-14)
tasyāḥ samīpe tu nalaṃ praśaśaṃsuḥ kutūhalāt। naiṣadhasya samīpe tu damayantīṃ punaḥ punaḥ ॥3-50-15॥
But near her, they praised Nala out of curiosity; and near the king of Niṣadha, they praised Damayantī again and again. (3-50-15)
tayor adṛṣṭakāmo'bhūc chṛṇvatoḥ satataṃ guṇān। anyonyaṃ prati kaunteya sa vyavardhata hṛcchayaḥ ॥3-50-16॥
O son of Kunti, as those two constantly heard about each other's qualities, a desire for the unseen arose in their hearts, and that longing in their hearts grew. (3-50-16)
aśaknuvannalaḥ kāmaṃ tadā dhārayituṃ hṛdā। antaḥpurasamīpasthe vana āste rahogataḥ ॥3-50-17॥
Unable to restrain his desire, the fire (of passion) then, by his heart, being near the inner apartments, he remains in the forest, having gone into solitude. (3-50-17)
sa dadarśa tadā haṃsāñjātarūpaparicchadān। vane vicaratāṃ teṣāmekam jagrāha pakṣiṇam ॥3-50-18॥
He then saw swans adorned with gold; among those wandering in the forest, he seized one bird. (3-50-18)
tato'ntarikṣago vācaṃ vyājahāra tadā nalam। na hantavyo'smi te rājan kariṣyāmi hi te priyam ॥3-50-19॥
Then, the celestial being spoke to Nala at that moment: "O king, I am not to be killed by you; indeed, I will do what is dear to you." (3-50-19)
damayantī-sakāśe tvāṃ kathayiṣyāmi naiṣadha। yathā tvad-anyaṃ puruṣaṃ na sā maṃsyati karhicit ॥3-50-20॥
O Naiṣadha, I will speak of you in Damayantī's presence in such a way that she will never consider any man other than you. (3-50-20)
evam-uktas-tato haṁsam-utsasarja mahīpatiḥ। te tu haṁsāḥ samutpatya vidarbhān-agamaṁs-tataḥ ॥3-50-21॥
Thus addressed, the king released the swan. The swans then rose up and went from there to the land of the Vidarbhas. (3-50-21)
vidarbhanagarīṃ gatvā damayantyās tadāntike। nipetus te garutmantaḥ sā dadarśa atha tān khagān ॥3-50-22॥
After reaching the city of Vidarbha, near Damayantī, those Garuḍa-like birds alighted; then she saw those birds. (3-50-22)
sā tān adbhutarūpān vai dṛṣṭvā sakhigaṇāvṛtā। hṛṣṭā grahītuṃ khagamāṃs tvaramāṇopacakrame ॥3-50-23॥
Seeing those of marvelous appearance, she, surrounded by her group of friends and delighted, hastily began to seize the bird-meats. (3-50-23)
atha haṃsā visasṛpuḥ sarvataḥ pramadāvane। ekaikaśas tataḥ kanyās tān haṃsān samupādravan ॥3-50-24॥
Then the swans dispersed in all directions throughout the pleasure-garden; after that, the maidens, one by one, approached those swans. (3-50-24)
damayantī tu yaṃ haṃsaṃ samupādhāvadantike। sa mānuṣīṃ giraṃ kṛtvā damayantīmathābravīt ॥3-50-25॥
But Damayantī approached the swan closely. He then, having assumed human speech, spoke to Damayantī. (3-50-25)
damayanti nalo nāma niṣadheṣu mahīpatiḥ। aśvinoḥ sadṛśo rūpe na samās tasya mānuṣāḥ ॥3-50-26॥
There was a king among the Niṣadhas named Nala, beloved of Damayanti; in form he was like the Aśvins, and no men were equal to him. (3-50-26)
tasya vai yadi bhāryā tvaṃ bhavethā varavarṇini। saphalaṃ te bhavejjanma rūpaṃ cedaṃ sumadhyame ॥3-50-27॥
O one of excellent complexion, if you were to become his wife, O slender-waisted one, then your birth and this form would indeed be fruitful. (3-50-27)
vayaṃ hi deva-gandharva-manuṣya-uraga-rākṣasān। dṛṣṭavanto na ca asmābhiḥ dṛṣṭapūrvas tathāvidhaḥ ॥3-50-28॥
We have indeed seen gods, gandharvas, humans, serpents, and rākṣasas; but never before have we seen anyone such as this. (3-50-28)
tvaṃ cāpi ratnaṃ nārīṇāṃ nareṣu ca nalo varaḥ। viśiṣṭāyā viśiṣṭena saṅgamo guṇavānbhavet ॥3-50-29॥
You are the jewel among women, and Nala is the best among men; the union of the distinguished woman with the distinguished man should be virtuous. (3-50-29)
evamuktā tu haṃsena damayantī viśāṃ pate। abravīttatra taṃ haṃsaṃ tamapyevaṃ nalaṃ vada ॥3-50-30॥
Thus, when addressed by the swan, Damayanti, O lord of men, said to the swan there: "Speak thus also to Nala." (3-50-30)
tathety uktvāṇḍajaḥ kanyāṃ vaidarbhasya viśāṃ pate। punar āgamya niṣadhān nale sarvaṃ nyavedayat ॥3-50-31॥
Having said this, the egg-born bird, taking the maiden of the king of Vidarbha, O lord of the people, returned again to Niṣadha and reported everything to Nala. (3-50-31)
