Mahabharata 3.71: ekasaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.71.1

bṛhadaśva uvāca |
tato vidarbhānsaṃprāptaṃ sāyāhne satyavikramam |
ṛtuparṇaṃ janā rājñe bhīmāya pratyavedayan || 1 ||

"Vrihadaswa said, 'After Rituparna of prowess incapable of being baffled had, in the evening, arrived at the city of the Vidarbhas, the people brought unto king Bhima the tidings (of his arrival). And at the invitation of Bhima, the king (of Ayodhya) entered the city of Kundina, filling with the rattle of his car all the ten points, direct and transverse, of the horizon. And the steeds of Nala that were in that city heard that sound, and hearing it they became delighted as they used to be in the presence of Nala himself. And Damayanti also heard the sound of that car driven by Nala, like the deep roar of the clouds in the rainy season. And Bhima and the steeds (of Nala) regarded the clatter of that car to be like that which they used to hear in days of yore when king Nala himself urged his own steeds. And the peacocks on the terraces, and the elephants in the stables, and the horses also, all heard the rattle of Rituparna's car. And hearing the sound, so like the roar of the clouds, the elephants and the peacocks, O king, began to utter their cries, facing that direction, and filled with delight such as they experience when they hear the actual roar of the clouds. And Damayanti said, 'Because the rattle of his car filling the whole earth, gladdens my heart, it must be King Nala (that has come). If I do not see Nala, of face bright as the moon, that hero with countless virtues, I shall certainly die. If I am not clasped today in that hero's thrilling embrace, I shall certainly cease to be. If Naishadha with voice deep as that of the clouds doth not come to me today, I shall enter into a pyre of golden brilliance. If that foremost of kings, powerful as a lion and gifted with the strength of an infuriated elephant, doth not present himself before me, I shall certainly cease to live. I do not remember a single untruth in him, or a single wrong done by him to others. Never hath he spoken an untruth even in jest. Oh, my Nala is exalted and forgiving and heroic and magnificent and superior to all other kings, and faithful to his marriage vow and like unto a eunuch in respect of other females. Night and day dwelling upon his perceptions, my heart, in absence of that dear one, is about to burst in grief.'

3.71.2

sa bhīmavacanādrājā kuṇḍinaṃ prāviśatpuram |
nādayanrathaghoṣeṇa sarvāḥ sopadiśo daśa || 2 ||

3.71.3

tatastaṃ rathanirghoṣaṃ nalāśvāstatra śuśruvuḥ |
śrutvā ca samahṛṣyanta pureva nalasaṃnidhau || 3 ||

3.71.4

damayantī ca śuśrāva rathaghoṣaṃ nalasya tam |
yathā meghasya nadato gambhīraṃ jaladāgame || 4 ||

3.71.5

nalena saṃgṛhīteṣu pureva nalavājiṣu |
sadṛśaṃ rathanirghoṣaṃ mene bhaimī tathā hayāḥ || 5 ||

3.71.6

prāsādasthāśca śikhinaḥ śālāsthāścaiva vāraṇāḥ |
hayāśca śuśruvustatra rathaghoṣaṃ mahīpateḥ || 6 ||

3.71.7

te śrutvā rathanirghoṣaṃ vāraṇāḥ śikhinastathā |
praṇedurunmukhā rājanmeghodayamivekṣya ha || 7 ||

3.71.8

damayantyuvāca |
yathāsau rathanirghoṣaḥ pūrayanniva medinīm |
mama hlādayate ceto nala eṣa mahīpatiḥ || 8 ||

3.71.9

adya candrābhavaktraṃ taṃ na paśyāmi nalaṃ yadi |
asaṃkhyeyaguṇaṃ vīraṃ vinaśiṣyāmyasaṃśayam || 9 ||

3.71.10

yadi vai tasya vīrasya bāhvornādyāhamantaram |
praviśāmi sukhasparśaṃ vinaśiṣyāmyasaṃśayam || 10 ||

3.71.11

yadi māṃ meghanirghoṣo nopagacchati naiṣadhaḥ |
adya cāmīkaraprakhyo vinaśiṣyāmyasaṃśayam || 11 ||

3.71.12

yadi māṃ siṃhavikrānto mattavāraṇavāraṇaḥ |
nābhigacchati rājendro vinaśiṣyāmyasaṃśayam || 12 ||

3.71.13

na smarāmyanṛtaṃ kiṃcinna smarāmyanupākṛtam |
na ca paryuṣitaṃ vākyaṃ svaireṣvapi mahātmanaḥ || 13 ||

3.71.14

prabhuḥ kṣamāvānvīraśca mṛdurdānto jitendriyaḥ |
raho'nīcānuvartī ca klībavanmama naiṣadhaḥ || 14 ||

3.71.15

guṇāṃstasya smarantyā me tatparāyā divāniśam |
hṛdayaṃ dīryata idaṃ śokātpriyavinākṛtam || 15 ||

3.71.16

bṛhadaśva uvāca |
evaṃ vilapamānā sā naṣṭasaṃjñeva bhārata |
āruroha mahadveśma puṇyaślokadidṛkṣayā || 16 ||

"Thus bewailing as if devoid of sense, Damayanti, O Bharata, ascended the terrace (of her mansion) with the desire of seeing the righteous Nala. And in the yard of the central mansion she beheld king Rituparna on the car with Varshneya and Vahuka. And Varshneya and Vahuka, descending for that excellent vehicle, unyoked the steeds, and kept the vehicle itself in a proper place. And king Rituparna also, descending from the car, presented himself before king Bhima possessed of terrible prowess. And Bhima received him with great respect, for in the absence of a proper occasion, a great person cannot be had (as a guest). And honoured by Bhima, king Rituparna looked about him again and again, but saw no traces of the Swayamvara. And the ruler of the Vidarbhas, O Bharata, approaching Rituparna, said, 'Welcome! What is the occasion of this thy visit?' And king Bhima asked this without knowing that Rituparna had come to obtain the hand of his daughter. And king Rituparna, of unbaffled prowess and gifted with intelligence, saw that there were no other kings or princes. Nor did he hear any talk relating to the Swayamvara, nor saw any concourse of Brahmanas. And at this, the king of Kosala reflected a while and at length said, 'I have come here to pay my respects to thee.' And the king Bhima was struck with astonishment, and reflected upon the (probable) cause of Rituparna's coming, having passed over a hundred yojanas. And he reflected, 'That passing by other sovereigns, and leaving behind him innumerable countries, he should come simply to pay his respect to me is scarcely the reason of his arrival. What he assigneth to be the cause of his coming appeareth to be a trifle. However, I shall learn the true reason in the future.' And although king Bhima thought so, he did not dismiss Rituparna summarily, but said unto him again and again, 'Rest, thou art weary.' And honoured thus by the pleased Bhima, king Rituparna was satisfied, and with a delighted heart, he went to his appointed quarters followed by the servants of the royal household."

3.71.17

tato madhyamakakṣāyāṃ dadarśa rathamāsthitam |
ṛtuparṇaṃ mahīpālaṃ sahavārṣṇeyabāhukam || 17 ||

3.71.18

tato'vatīrya vārṣṇeyo bāhukaśca rathottamāt |
hayāṃstānavamucyātha sthāpayāmāsatū ratham || 18 ||

3.71.19

so'vatīrya rathopasthādṛtuparṇo narādhipaḥ |
upatasthe mahārāja bhīmaṃ bhīmaparākramam || 19 ||

3.71.20

taṃ bhīmaḥ pratijagrāha pūjayā parayā tataḥ |
akasmātsahasā prāptaṃ strīmantraṃ na sma vindati || 20 ||

3.71.21

kiṃ kāryaṃ svāgataṃ te'stu rājñā pṛṣṭaśca bhārata |
nābhijajñe sa nṛpatirduhitrarthe samāgatam || 21 ||

3.71.22

ṛtuparṇo'pi rājā sa dhīmānsatyaparākramaḥ |
rājānaṃ rājaputraṃ vā na sma paśyati kaṃcana |
naiva svayaṃvarakathāṃ na ca viprasamāgamam || 22 ||

3.71.23

tato vigaṇayanrājā manasā kosalādhipaḥ |
āgato'smītyuvācainaṃ bhavantamabhivādakaḥ || 23 ||

3.71.24

rājāpi ca smayanbhīmo manasābhivicintayat |
adhikaṃ yojanaśataṃ tasyāgamanakāraṇam || 24 ||

3.71.25

grāmānbahūnatikramya nādhyagacchadyathātatham |
alpakāryaṃ vinirdiṣṭaṃ tasyāgamanakāraṇam || 25 ||

3.71.26

naitadevaṃ sa nṛpatistaṃ satkṛtya vyasarjayat |
viśrāmyatāmiti vadanklānto'sīti punaḥ punaḥ || 26 ||

3.71.27

sa satkṛtaḥ prahṛṣṭātmā prītaḥ prītena pārthivaḥ |
rājapreṣyairanugato diṣṭaṃ veśma samāviśat || 27 ||

3.71.28

ṛtuparṇe gate rājanvārṣṇeyasahite nṛpe |
bāhuko rathamāsthāya rathaśālāmupāgamat || 28 ||

"Vrihadaswa continued, 'And, O king, after Rituparna had gone away with Varshneya, Vahuka took the car to the stables. And there freeing the steeds, and tending them according to rule, and soothing them himself, sat down on a side of the car. Meanwhile, the princess of Vidharva, Damayanti, afflicted with grief, having beheld the royal son of Bhangasura, and Varshneya of the Suta race, and also Vahuka in that guise, asked herself, 'Whose is this car-rattle? It was loud as that of Nala, but I do not see the ruler of the Nishadhas. Certainly, Varshneya hath learnt the art from Nala, and it is for this the rattle of the car driven by him hath been even like that of Nala. Or, is Rituparna equally skilled with Nala so that the rattle of his car seemeth to be like that of Nala?' And reflecting thus, O monarch, the blessed and beauteous girl sent a female messenger in search of Nishada."

3.71.29

sa mocayitvā tānaśvānparicārya ca śāstrataḥ |
svayaṃ caitānsamāśvāsya rathopastha upāviśat || 29 ||

3.71.30

damayantī tu śokārtā dṛṣṭvā bhāṅgasvariṃ nṛpam |
sūtaputraṃ ca vārṣṇeyaṃ bāhukaṃ ca tathāvidham || 30 ||

3.71.31

cintayāmāsa vaidarbhī kasyaiṣa rathanisvanaḥ |
nalasyeva mahānāsīnna ca paśyāmi naiṣadham || 31 ||

3.71.32

vārṣṇeyena bhavennūnaṃ vidyā saivopaśikṣitā |
tenāsya rathanirghoṣo nalasyeva mahānabhūt || 32 ||

3.71.33

āhosvidṛtuparṇo'pi yathā rājā nalastathā |
tato'yaṃ rathanirghoṣo naiṣadhasyeva lakṣyate || 33 ||

3.71.34

evaṃ vitarkayitvā tu damayantī viśāṃ pate |
dūtīṃ prasthāpayāmāsa naiṣadhānveṣaṇe nṛpa || 34 ||