03.060
Bṛhadaśva said.
O king, when Nala had departed, Damayantī, whose fatigue had vanished, awoke—she of lovely hips, frightened, in the solitary forest. (03-60-1)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
This jest is enough, O best of men. I am afraid, O unconquerable one; show yourself, O lord. (03-60-7)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Then she, overwhelmed by intense grief and as if burning with anger, wept and ran about in distress here and there. (03-60-12)
The girl repeatedly rises up and repeatedly falls in confusion; again and again, frightened, she draws back, cries out, and weeps. (03-60-13)
Afflicted with intense grief, repeatedly sighing and overwhelmed, Bhimā's daughter, the faithful wife, went out and, while weeping, spoke. (03-60-14)
By whose curse Naiṣadha (Nala) suffers pain, that being would suffer greater pain than that pain. (03-60-15)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Suddenly, as Bhīmī was moving nearby, the huge-bodied python, afflicted with hunger, seized her.
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)
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)
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)
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)
Suddenly, the hunter wandering in the dense forest, having heard her crying, quickly approached. (03-60-25)
Seeing her, wide-eyed and thus seized by the serpent, the hunter quickly approached with speed. (03-60-26)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Having noticed the woman with curved eyelashes and sweet speech, the hunter became subject to desire. (03-60-32)
Then the hunter, distressed by desire, soothed her with gentle and soft words; the beautiful woman became aware of it. (03-60-33)
But Damayanti, the chaste wife, perceiving that wicked man, was filled with intense anger and blazed up as if with wrath. (03-60-34)
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)
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)
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)
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)
