Mahabharata 3.67: saptaṣaṣṭitamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.67.1

damayantyuvāca |
māṃ cedicchasi jīvantīṃ mātaḥ satyaṃ bravīmi te |
naravīrasya vai tasya nalasyānayane yata || 1 ||

3.67.2

bṛhadaśva uvāca |
damayantyā tathoktā tu sā devī bhṛśaduḥkhitā |
bāṣpeṇa pihitā rājannottaraṃ kiṃcidabravīt || 2 ||

3.67.3

tadavasthāṃ tu tāṃ dṛṣṭvā sarvamantaḥpuraṃ tadā |
hāhābhūtamatīvāsīdbhṛśaṃ ca praruroda ha || 3 ||

3.67.4

tato bhīmaṃ mahārāja bhāryā vacanamabravīt |
damayantī tava sutā bhartāramanuśocati || 4 ||

And then the queen addressed the mighty monarch Bhima, saying, 'Thy daughter Damayanti mourneth on account of her husband. Nay, banishing away all bashfulness, she hath herself, O king, declared her mind to me. Let thy men strive to find out (Nala) the righteous.' Thus informed by her the king sent the Brahmanas under him in all directions, saying, 'Exert ye to discover Nala.' And those Brahmanas, commanded by the ruler of the Vidarbhas (to seek Nala) appeared before Damayanti and told her of the journey they were about to undertake. And Bhima's daughter spake unto them saying, 'Do ye cry in every realm and in every assembly, 'O beloved gambler, where hast thou gone cutting off half of my garment, and deserting the dear and devoted wife asleep in the forest? And that girl, as commanded by thee stayeth expecting thee, clad in half a piece of cloth and burning with grief! O king, O hero, relent towards, and answer, her who incessantly weepeth for that grief. This and more ye will say, so that he may be inclined to pity me. Assisted by the wind, fire consumeth the forest. (Further, ye will say that) the wife is always to be protected and maintained by the husband. Why then, good as thou art and acquainted with every duty, hast thou neglected both the duties? Possessed of fame and wisdom, and lineage, and kindness, why hast thou be unkind? I fear, this is owing to the loss of my good luck! Therefore, O tiger among men, have pity on me. O bull among men!

3.67.5

apakṛṣya ca lajjāṃ māṃ svayamuktavatī nṛpa |
prayatantu tava preṣyāḥ puṇyaślokasya darśane || 5 ||

3.67.6

tayā pracodito rājā brāhmaṇānvaśavartinaḥ |
prāsthāpayaddiśaḥ sarvā yatadhvaṃ naladarśane || 6 ||

3.67.7

tato vidarbhādhipaterniyogādbrāhmaṇarṣabhāḥ |
damayantīmatho dṛṣṭvā prasthitāḥ smetyathābruvan || 7 ||

3.67.8

atha tānabravīdbhaimī sarvarāṣṭreṣvidaṃ vacaḥ |
bruvadhvaṃ janasaṃsatsu tatra tatra punaḥ punaḥ || 8 ||

3.67.9

kva nu tvaṃ kitava chittvā vastrārdhaṃ prasthito mama |
utsṛjya vipine suptāmanuraktāṃ priyāṃ priya || 9 ||

3.67.10

sā vai yathā samādiṣṭā tatrāste tvatpratīkṣiṇī |
dahyamānā bhṛśaṃ bālā vastrārdhenābhisaṃvṛtā || 10 ||

3.67.11

tasyā rudantyāḥ satataṃ tena śokena pārthiva |
prasādaṃ kuru vai vīra prativākyaṃ dadasva ca || 11 ||

3.67.12

etadanyacca vaktavyaṃ kṛpāṃ kuryādyathā mayi |
vāyunā dhūyamāno hi vanaṃ dahati pāvakaḥ || 12 ||

3.67.13

bhartavyā rakṣaṇīyā ca patnī hi patinā sadā |
tannaṣṭamubhayaṃ kasmāddharmajñasya satastava || 13 ||

3.67.14

khyātaḥ prājñaḥ kulīnaśca sānukrośaśca tvaṃ sadā |
saṃvṛtto niranukrośaḥ śaṅke madbhāgyasaṃkṣayāt || 14 ||

3.67.15

sa kuruṣva maheṣvāsa dayāṃ mayi nararṣabha |
ānṛśaṃsyaṃ paro dharmastvatta eva hi me śrutam || 15 ||

I have heard it from thee that kindness is the highest virtue. Speaking so, if anybody answereth you, that person should by all means, be known, and ye should learn who he is, and where he dwelleth. And ye foremost of regenerate ones, do ye bring me the words of him who hearing this your speech will chance to answer. Ye should also act with such care that no one may know the words ye utter to be at my command, nor that ye will come back to me. And ye should also learn whether that answers is wealthy, or poor, or destitute of power, in fact all about him.'

3.67.16

evaṃ bruvāṇānyadi vaḥ pratibrūyāddhi kaścana |
sa naraḥ sarvathā jñeyaḥ kaścāsau kva ca vartate || 16 ||

3.67.17

yacca vo vacanaṃ śrutvā brūyātprativaco naraḥ |
tadādāya vacaḥ kṣipraṃ mamāvedyaṃ dvijottamāḥ || 17 ||

3.67.18

yathā ca vo na jānīyāccarato bhīmaśāsanāt |
punarāgamanaṃ caiva tathā kāryamatandritaiḥ || 18 ||

3.67.19

yadi vāsau samṛddhaḥ syādyadi vāpyadhano bhavet |
yadi vāpyarthakāmaḥ syājjñeyamasya cikīrṣitam || 19 ||

3.67.20

evamuktāstvagacchaṃste brāhmaṇāḥ sarvatodiśam |
nalaṃ mṛgayituṃ rājaṃstathā vyasaninaṃ tadā || 20 ||

"Thus instructed by Damayanti, O king, the Brahmanas set out in all directions in search of Nala overtaken with such disaster. And the Brahmanas, O king, searched for him in cities and kingdoms and villages, and retreats of ascetics, and places inhabited by cow-herds. And, O monarch, wherever they went they recited the speeches that Damayanti had directed them to do."

3.67.21

te purāṇi sarāṣṭrāṇi grāmānghoṣāṃstathāśramān |
anveṣanto nalaṃ rājannādhijagmurdvijātayaḥ || 21 ||

3.67.22

tacca vākyaṃ tathā sarve tatra tatra viśāṃ pate |
śrāvayāṃ cakrire viprā damayantyā yatheritam || 22 ||