03.059
नल उवाच॥
Nala said.
यथा राज्यं पितुस्ते तत्तथा मम न संशयः। न तु तत्र गमिष्यामि विषमस्थः कथञ्चन ॥०३-५९-१॥
Just as your father's kingdom is yours, so it is mine too, without a doubt. But I will not go there at all while I am in hardship. (03-59-1)
कथं समृद्धो गत्वाहं तव हर्षविवर्धनः। परिद्यूनो गमिष्यामि तव शोकविवर्धनः ॥०३-५९-२॥
How, having gone prosperous, can I be your source of joy? Or, utterly depleted, how shall I go, becoming the source of your sorrow? (03-59-2)
बृहदश्व उवाच॥
Bṛhadaśva said.
इति ब्रुवन्नलो राजा दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः। सान्त्वयामास कल्याणीं वाससोऽर्धेन संवृताम् ॥०३-५९-३॥
Thus, King Nala, speaking again and again, consoled Damayanti, the auspicious lady, who was covered with half of his garment. (03-59-3)
तावेकवस्त्रसंवीतावटमानावितस्ततः। क्षुत्पिपासापरिश्रान्तौ सभां काञ्चिदुपेयतुः ॥०३-५९-४॥
The two of them, dressed in a single cloth and girdled, weary from hunger and thirst, approached an assembly hall. (03-59-4)
तां सभामुपसम्प्राप्य तदा स निषधाधिपः। वैदर्भ्या सहितो राजा निषसाद महीतले ॥०३-५९-५॥
Then the lord of Niṣadha, accompanied by the princess of Vidarbha, entered that assembly and sat down upon the ground. (03-59-5)
स वै विवस्त्रो मलिनो विकचः पांसुगुण्ठितः। दमयन्त्या सह श्रान्तः सुष्वाप धरणीतले ॥०३-५९-६॥
He, indeed, without clothes, soiled, disheveled, covered in dust, together with Damayantī, exhausted, slept upon the ground. (03-59-6)
दमयन्त्यपि कल्याणी निद्रयापहृता ततः। सहसा दुःखमासाद्य सुकुमारी तपस्विनी ॥०३-५९-७॥
Damayanti, the auspicious and delicate maiden, was also carried away by sleep and then, suddenly experiencing suffering, became an ascetic. (03-59-7)
सुप्तायां दमयन्त्यां तु नलो राजा विशां पते। शोकोन्मथितचित्तात्मा न स्म शेते यथा पुरा ॥०३-५९-८॥
But when Damayantī was asleep, King Nala, O lord of the people, whose mind was shaken by grief, indeed did not rest as he formerly did. (03-59-8)
स तद्राज्यापहरणं सुहृत्त्यागं च सर्वशः। वने च तं परिध्वंसं प्रेक्ष्य चिन्तामुपेयिवान् ॥०३-५९-९॥
He, having seen in the forest that total ruin—the taking away of his kingdom and abandonment by friends—fell into anxiety. (03-59-9)
किं नु मे स्यादिदं कृत्वा किं नु मे स्यादकुर्वतः। किं नु मे मरणं श्रेयः परित्यागो जनस्य वा ॥०३-५९-१०॥
What indeed will happen to me if I do this? What indeed will happen to me if I do not do it? Is death better for me, or abandoning people? (03-59-10)
मामियं ह्यनुरक्तेदं दुःखमाप्नोति मत्कृते। मद्विहीना त्वियं गच्छेत्कदाचित्स्वजनं प्रति ॥०३-५९-११॥
This woman, being attached to me, certainly undergoes this suffering for my sake. But if bereft of me, she might at some time return to her own people. (03-59-11)
मया निःसंशयं दुःखमियं प्राप्स्यत्यनुत्तमा। उत्सर्गे संशयः स्यात्तु विन्देतापि सुखं क्वचित् ॥०३-५९-१२॥
By me, this woman will certainly suffer the greatest misery. But if she is abandoned, there is some doubt—she might even find happiness somewhere. (03-59-12)
स विनिश्चित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुनः पुनः। उत्सर्गेऽमन्यत श्रेयो दमयन्त्या नराधिपः ॥०३-५९-१३॥
The king, having firmly decided and considered in many ways again and again, thought that abandoning Damayantī was the better course. (03-59-13)
सोऽवस्त्रतामात्मनश्च तस्याश्चाप्येकवस्त्रताम्। चिन्तयित्वाध्यगाद्राजा वस्त्रार्धस्यावकर्तनम् ॥०३-५९-१४॥
He thought about himself being without clothes and her being with only one garment, and the king realized (the impropriety of) cutting off half the cloth. (03-59-14)
कथं वासो विकर्तेयं न च बुध्येत मे प्रिया। चिन्त्यैवं नैषधो राजा सभां पर्यचरत्तदा ॥०३-५९-१५॥
How might I cut the clothing so that my beloved would not notice; thinking thus, King Nala of Nishadha then roamed about the assembly (03-59-15)
परिधावन्नथ नल इतश्चेतश्च भारत। आससाद सभोद्देशे विकोशं खड्गमुत्तमम् ॥०३-५९-१६॥
O Bhārata, then Nala, running here and there, found an excellent drawn sword in the assembly area. (03-59-16)
तेनार्धं वाससश्छित्त्वा निवस्य च परन्तपः। सुप्तामुत्सृज्य वैदर्भीं प्राद्रवद्गतचेतनः ॥०३-५९-१७॥
Having torn half of his garment and put it on, the enemy-scorcher, leaving the sleeping princess of Vidarbha, fled away in a state of unconsciousness. (03-59-17)
ततो निबद्धहृदयः पुनरागम्य तां सभाम्। दमयन्तीं तथा दृष्ट्वा रुरोद निषधाधिपः ॥०३-५९-१८॥
Then, his heart tightly bound, having returned again to that assembly and seeing Damayantī there, the king of Niṣadha wept. (03-59-18)
यां न वायुर्न चादित्यः पुरा पश्यति मे प्रियाम्। सेयमद्य सभामध्ये शेते भूमावनाथवत् ॥०३-५९-१९॥
She whom neither the wind nor the sun had seen before, my beloved—today she lies on the ground in the midst of the assembly like one without protector. (03-59-19)
इयं वस्त्रावकर्तेन संवीता चारुहासिनी। उन्मत्तेव वरारोहा कथं बुद्ध्वा भविष्यति ॥०३-५९-२०॥
How will this lovely-smiling, excellently-figured woman, clad only in a garment and behaving as if maddened, regain awareness? (03-59-20)
कथमेका सती भैमी मया विरहिता शुभा। चरिष्यति वने घोरे मृगव्यालनिषेविते ॥०३-५९-२१॥
How will the virtuous Bhīma's daughter, left alone and separated from me, survive in that dreadful forest haunted by wild beasts? (03-59-21)
गत्वा गत्वा नलो राजा पुनरेति सभां मुहुः। आकृष्यमाणः कलिना सौहृदेनापकृष्यते ॥०३-५९-२२॥
Again and again, king Nala goes and comes back to the assembly, repeatedly drawn by Kali and then, by friendship, pulled away. (3-59-22)
द्विधेव हृदयं तस्य दुःखितस्याभवत्तदा। दोलेव मुहुरायाति याति चैव सभां मुहुः ॥०३-५९-२३॥
At that moment, the heart of the sorrowful man seemed split in two. Like a swing, again and again, he kept coming and going to the assembly. (03-59-23)
सोऽपकृष्टस्तु कलिना मोहितः प्राद्रवन्नलः। सुप्तामुत्सृज्य तां भार्यां विलप्य करुणं बहु ॥०३-५९-२४॥
He, dragged away and deluded by Kali, ran away in distress, alas! Having abandoned his sleeping wife, he lamented pitifully and at length. (03-59-24)
नष्टात्मा कलिना स्पृष्टस्तत्तद्विगणयन्नृपः। जगामैव वने शून्ये भार्यामुत्सृज्य दुःखितः ॥०३-५९-२५॥
His self ruined, touched by Kali, reflecting on various things, the sorrowful king abandoned his wife and went into the empty forest. (03-59-25)
