03.060
bṛhadaśva uvāca॥
Bṛhadaśva said.
apakrānte nale rājan damayantī gataklamā। abudhyata varārohā santrastā vijane vane ॥03-60-1॥
O king, when Nala had departed, Damayantī, whose fatigue had vanished, awoke—she of lovely hips, frightened, in the solitary forest. (03-60-1)
sāpaśyamānā bhartāraṃ duḥkhaśokasamanvitā। prākrośaduccaiḥ santrastā mahārājeti naiṣadham ॥03-60-2॥
Terrified and filled with sorrow and grief, she, upon seeing her husband, loudly cried out, 'O great king,' addressing the prince of the Nishadhas. (03-60-2)
hā nātha hā mahārāja hā svāmin kiṁ jahāsi mām। hā hatāsmi vinaṣṭāsmi bhītāsmi vijane vane ॥03-60-3॥
Alas, O lord, alas, O great king, alas, O master, why are you abandoning me? Alas, I am lost, ruined, and fearful here alone in the forest. (03-60-3)
nanu nāma mahārāja dharmajñaḥ satyavāg asi। katham uktvā tathāsatyaṃ suptām utsṛjya māṃ gataḥ॥03-60-4॥
Surely, O great king, you know righteousness and speak the truth. How could you, having spoken such an untruth, leave me sleeping and depart? (3-60-4)
katham utsṛjya gantāsi vaśyāṃ bhāryām anuvratām. viśeṣato'napakṛte pareṇāpakṛte sati ॥03-60-5॥
How will you go, having abandoned your obedient and devoted wife, especially when she has not been wronged by another, but only wronged now? (03-60-5)
śakṣyase tā giraḥ satyāḥ kartuṃ mayi nareśvara। yāstvayā lokapālānāṃ saṃnidhau kathitāḥ purā ॥03-60-6॥
O king, you will be able to keep true those words which you formerly spoke in the presence of the guardians of the worlds towards me. (03-60-6)
paryāptaḥ parihāso' yam etāvān puruṣarṣabha। bhītāham asmi durdharṣa darśay ātmānam īśvara ॥03-60-7॥
This jest is enough, O best of men. I am afraid, O unconquerable one; show yourself, O lord. (03-60-7)
dṛśyase dṛśyase rājanneṣa tiṣṭhasi naiṣadha। āvārya gulmairātmānaṃ kiṃ māṃ na pratibhāṣase ॥03-60-8॥
You are seen, you are seen, O king! You stand here, O prince of Nishaḍha! Why do you hide yourself with bushes and not speak to me? (03-60-8)
nṛśaṁsaṁ bata rājendra yan māṁ evaṁgatām iha। vilapantīṁ samāliṅgya nāśvāsayasi pārthiva॥03-60-9॥
How cruel it is, O king, that although I have fallen into such a condition here, and though I lament and cling to you, yet you do not comfort me, O king. (03-60-9)
na śocāmy aham ātmānaṃ na ca anyad api kiñcana। kathaṃ nu bhavitā asya eka iti tvāṃ nṛpa śocimi ॥03-60-10॥
I do not grieve for myself, nor for anything else; but thinking how this one will be alone, O king, for you I grieve. (03-60-10)
kathaṁ nu rājaṁs tṛṣitaḥ kṣudhitaḥ śramakarśitaḥ। sāyāhne vṛkṣamūleṣu mām apaśyan bhaviṣyasi ॥03-60-11॥
O king, how will you fare, being thirsty, hungry, and worn out by fatigue, in the evening, at the roots of trees, when you do not see me? (03-60-11)
tataḥ sā tīvraśokārtā pradīpteva ca manyunā। itaś cetaś ca rudatī paryadhāvata duḥkhitā ॥03-60-12॥
Then she, overwhelmed by intense grief and as if burning with anger, wept and ran about in distress here and there. (03-60-12)
muhur utpatate bālā muhuḥ patati vihvalā। muhur ālīyate bhītā muhuḥ krośati roditi॥03-60-13॥
The girl repeatedly rises up and repeatedly falls in confusion; again and again, frightened, she draws back, cries out, and weeps. (03-60-13)
sā tīvraśokasantaptā muhurniḥśvasya vihvalā। uvāca bhaimī niṣkramya rodamānā pativratā ॥03-60-14॥
Afflicted with intense grief, repeatedly sighing and overwhelmed, Bhimā's daughter, the faithful wife, went out and, while weeping, spoke. (03-60-14)
yasyābhiśāpād duḥkhārto duḥkhaṁ vindati naiṣadhaḥ। tasya bhūtasya tadduḥkhād duḥkham abhyadhikaṁ bhavet ॥03-60-15॥
By whose curse Naiṣadha (Nala) suffers pain, that being would suffer greater pain than that pain. (03-60-15)
apāpacetasam pāpo ya evaṃ kṛtvānnalam। tasmādduḥkhataraṃ prāpya jīvatvasukhajīvikām॥03-60-16॥
A wicked man, having acted thus toward one whose mind was free from evil, did a deed that was unfitting; therefore, he should experience a greater suffering and live on, maintaining his life with meager comfort. (03-60-16)
evaṃ tu vilapantī sā rājño bhāryā mahātmanaḥ। anveṣati sma bhartāraṃ vane śvāpadasevite ॥03-60-17॥
Thus, as she lamented, the wife of the great-souled king searched for her husband in the forest haunted by wild beasts. (03-60-17)
unmattavadbhīmasutā vilapantī tatastataḥ. hā hā rājanniti muhuritaścetaśca dhāvati ॥03-60-18॥
The son of Bhīma, acting like one mad, lamenting, wanders here and there, repeatedly crying, "Alas! Alas! O king!" and runs about wildly. (03-60-18)
tāṃ śuṣyamāṇāmatyarthaṃ kurarīm iva vāśatīm. karuṇaṃ bahu śocantīṃ vilapantīṃ muhurmuḥ ॥03-60-19॥
Seeing her, wasted away in grief, crying again and again in a pitiful voice like a female curlew, lamenting and wailing constantly. (03-60-19)
sahasābhyāgatāṃ bhaimīm abhyāśaparivartinīm। jagrāhājagaro grāho mahākāyaḥ kṣudhānvitaḥ॥03-60-20॥
Suddenly, as Bhīmī was moving nearby, the huge-bodied python, afflicted with hunger, seized her.
sā grasyamānā grāheṇa śokena ca parājitā। nātmānaṃ śocati tathā yathā śocati naiṣadham ॥03-60-21॥
She, seized by the crocodile and overcome by grief, does not grieve for herself as much as she grieves for Naiṣadha (Nala). (03-60-21)
hā nātha mām iha vane grasyamānām anāthavat। grāheṇa anena vipine kimartham na abhidhāvasi ॥03-60-22॥
O protector! Why do you not come to my rescue in this forest as I am being devoured by this crocodile, like one without a protector? (03-60-22)
kathaṁ bhaviṣyasi punarmāmanusmṛtya naiṣadha। pāpānmuktaḥ punarlabdhvā buddhiṁ ceto dhanāni ca ॥03-60-23॥
O Naiṣadha, how will you be after you have remembered me again, and after being freed from sin and regaining intelligence, mind, and wealth? (03-60-23)
śrāntasya te kṣudhārtasya pariglānasya naiṣadha। kaḥ śramaṃ rājaśārdūla nāśayiṣyati mānada ॥03-60-24॥
O Naisadha, O tiger among kings, you are wearied, afflicted by hunger, exhausted—who will remove your weariness, O bestower of honor? (03-60-24)
tāmakasmān mṛgavyādho vicaran gahane vane। ākrandatīm upaśrutya javena abhisasāra ha ॥03-60-25॥
Suddenly, the hunter wandering in the dense forest, having heard her crying, quickly approached. (03-60-25)
tāṃ sa dṛṣṭvā tathā grastām urageṇa āyatekṣaṇām। tvaramāṇo mṛgavyādhaḥ samabhikramya vegitaḥ॥03-60-26॥
Seeing her, wide-eyed and thus seized by the serpent, the hunter quickly approached with speed. (03-60-26)
mukhataḥ pātayāmāsa śastreṇa niśitena ha। nirviceṣṭaṃ bhujaṅgaṃ taṃ viśasya mṛgajīvanaḥ ॥03-60-27॥
The hunter, having pierced the motionless serpent with his sharp weapon, struck it from the mouth and caused it to fall down. (03-60-27)
mokṣayitvā ca tāṃ vyādhaḥ prakṣālya salilena ca। samāśvāsya kṛtāhārām atha papraccha bhārata ॥03-60-28॥
Having released her, and the hunter, after washing with water and consoling her who had finished her meal, then asked her, O Bhārata. (03-60-28)
kasya tvaṃ mṛgaśāvākṣi kathaṃ cābhyāgatā vanam। kathaṃ cedaṃ mahatkṛcchraṃ prāptavatyasi bhāmini॥03-60-29॥
O fawn-eyed lady, whose are you? How have you come to the forest, and how have you encountered this great difficulty, O beautiful one? (3-60-29)
damayantī tathā tena pṛcchyamānā viśāṃ pate। sarvam etad yathā vṛttam ācacakṣe'sya bhārata॥03-60-30॥
O Bhārata, Damayantī, thus being asked by him, related all this as it had happened to him, O lord of the people. (03-60-30)
tām ardha-vastra-saṁvītām pīna-śroṇi-payodharām। sukumārānavadyāṅgīṁ pūrṇa-candra-nibhānanām॥03-60-31॥
Her, wrapped in a half garment, with full hips and breasts, delicate in form, flawless of limb, with a face like the full moon. (03-60-31)
arālapakṣmanayanāṃ tathā madhurabhāṣiṇīm। lakṣayitvā mṛgavyādhaḥ kāmasya vaśameyivān ॥03-60-32॥
Having noticed the woman with curved eyelashes and sweet speech, the hunter became subject to desire. (03-60-32)
tām atha ślakṣṇayā vācā lubdhakaḥ mṛdu-pūrvayā। sāntvayām āsa kāma-ārtaḥ tad abudhyata bhāminī॥03-60-33॥
Then the hunter, distressed by desire, soothed her with gentle and soft words; the beautiful woman became aware of it. (03-60-33)
damayantī tu taṁ duṣṭam-upalabhya pativratā। tīvra-roṣa-samāviṣṭā prajajvāla iva manyunā॥03-60-34॥
But Damayanti, the chaste wife, perceiving that wicked man, was filled with intense anger and blazed up as if with wrath. (03-60-34)
sa tu pāpamatiḥ kṣudraḥ pradharṣayitum-āturaḥ। durdharṣāṃ tarkayāmāsa dīptām agniśikhām iva॥03-60-35॥
But he, wicked-minded and vile, eager to violate, attempted to attack her—who was unassailable—just as one might try to touch a blazing flame of fire. (03-60-35)
damayantī tu duḥkhārtā patirājyavinākṛtā। atītavākpathe kāle śaśāpainaṃ ruṣā kila॥03-60-36॥
But Damayanti, afflicted by sorrow and deprived of husband and kingdom, at that time, in the course of earlier words, indeed cursed him in anger. (03-60-36)
yathāhaṃ naiṣadhād anyaṃ manasāpi na cintaye। tathāyaṃ patatāṃ kṣudraḥ parāsur mṛgajīvanaḥ॥03-60-37॥
Just as I do not even think of anyone other than Naisadha (Nala), even in my mind, so too is this mean, beast-like creature among the fallen who lives at the expense of others. (03-60-37)
uktamātre tu vacane tayā sa mṛgajīvanaḥ। vyasuḥ papāta medinyām agnidagdha iva drumaḥ ॥03-60-38॥
But as soon as those words were said by her, Mṛgajīvana fell lifeless to the ground like a tree scorched by fire. (03-60-38)
