Mahabharata 3.74: catuḥsaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.74.1

bṛhadaśva uvāca |
sarvaṃ vikāraṃ dṛṣṭvā tu puṇyaślokasya dhīmataḥ |
āgatya keśinī kṣipraṃ damayantyai nyavedayat || 1 ||

"Vrihadaswa said, 'Beholding the agitation of the virtuous and wise Nala, Kesini returned unto Damayanti and related everything unto her. And thereupon Damayanti with a sorrowful heart and eager to behold Nala, again despatched Kesini to her mother, asking her to say on her behalf: Suspecting Vahuka to be Nala, I have tried him in various ways. My doubt now only relates to his appearance. I intend to examine him myself. O mother, either let him enter the palace, or give me permission to go to him. And arrange this with the knowledge of my father or without it. And thus addressed to Damayanti, that lady communicated unto Bhima the intention of his daughter, and upon learning it the king gave his consent. And, O bull of the Bharata race, having obtained the consent both of her father and mother, Damayanti caused Nala to be brought to her apartments. And as soon as he saw Damayanti unexpectedly, king Nala was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, and bathed in tears. And that best of women, Damayanti, also, upon beholding king Nala in that condition, was sorely afflicted with grief. And, O monarch, herself clad in a piece of red cloth, and wearing matted locks, and covered with dirt and dust, Damayanti then addressed Vahuka, saying, 'O Vahuka, hast thou ever seen any person acquainted with duty, who hath gone away, deserting his sleeping wife in the forest? Who, except the virtuous Nala, could go away, deserting in the woods, his dear and unoffending wife overcome with fatigue?

3.74.2

damayantī tato bhūyaḥ preṣayāmāsa keśinīm |
mātuḥ sakāśaṃ duḥkhārtā nalaśaṅkāsamutsukā || 2 ||

3.74.3

parīkṣito me bahuśo bāhuko nalaśaṅkayā |
rūpe me saṃśayastvekaḥ svayamicchāmi veditum || 3 ||

3.74.4

sa vā praveśyatāṃ mātarmāṃ vānujñātumarhasi |
viditaṃ vātha vājñātaṃ piturme saṃvidhīyatām || 4 ||

3.74.5

evamuktā tu vaidarbhyā sā devī bhīmamabravīt |
duhitustamabhiprāyamanvajānācca pārthivaḥ || 5 ||

3.74.6

sā vai pitrābhyanujñātā mātrā ca bharatarṣabha |
nalaṃ praveśayāmāsa yatra tasyāḥ pratiśrayaḥ || 6 ||

3.74.7

taṃ tu dṛṣṭvā tathāyuktaṃ damayantī nalaṃ tadā |
tīvraśokasamāviṣṭā babhūva varavarṇinī || 7 ||

3.74.8

tataḥ kāṣāyavasanā jaṭilā malapaṅkinī |
damayantī mahārāja bāhukaṃ vākyamabravīt || 8 ||

3.74.9

dṛṣṭapūrvastvayā kaściddharmajño nāma bāhuka |
suptāmutsṛjya vipine gato yaḥ puruṣaḥ striyam || 9 ||

3.74.10

anāgasaṃ priyāṃ bhāryāṃ vijane śramamohitām |
apahāya tu ko gacchetpuṇyaślokamṛte nalam || 10 ||

3.74.11

kiṃ nu tasya mayā kāryamaparāddhaṃ mahīpateḥ |
yo māmutsṛjya vipine gatavānnidrayā hṛtām || 11 ||

Of what offence was I guilty in the eyes of that monarch since my early youth that he should go away deserting me in the woods while asleep overcome with fatigue? Why should he whom I formerly chose in preference to the gods themselves abandon his ever-devoted and loving wife who had become the mother also of his children? Before the fire, and in presence also of the celestials, he had taken my hand, vowing, 'Verily I will be thine.' Oh, where was that vow when he deserted me. O represser of foes.' While Damayanti was saying all this, tears of sorrow began to flow plentifully from her eyes. And beholding her thus afflicted with grief, Nala also, shedding tears, black of those of the gazelle with extremities of reddish hue, said, 'O timid one, neither the loss of my kingdom nor my desertion of thee was my act. Both were due to Kali. And, O foremost of virtuous women, lamenting for me day and night, and overcome with sorrow, thou hadst in the woods cursed Kali, and so he began to dwell in my body, burning in consequence of thy curse. Indeed burning with thy curse, he lived within me like fire within fire. O blessed girl, that our sorrows might terminate, that wretch have I overcome by my observances and austerities. The sinful wretch hath already left me, and it is for this that I have come hither. My presence here, O fair lady, is for thy sake. I have no other object.

3.74.12

sākṣāddevānapāhāya vṛto yaḥ sa mayā purā |
anuvratāṃ sābhikāmāṃ putriṇīṃ tyaktavānkatham || 12 ||

3.74.13

agnau pāṇigṛhītāṃ ca haṃsānāṃ vacane sthitām |
bhariṣyāmīti satyaṃ ca pratiśrutya kva tadgatam || 13 ||

3.74.14

damayantyā bruvantyāstu sarvametadariṃdama |
śokajaṃ vāri netrābhyāmasukhaṃ prāsravadbahu || 14 ||

3.74.15

atīva kṛṣṇatārābhyāṃ raktāntābhyāṃ jalaṃ tu tat |
parisravannalo dṛṣṭvā śokārta idamabravīt || 15 ||

3.74.16

mama rājyaṃ pranaṣṭaṃ yannāhaṃ tatkṛtavānsvayam |
kalinā tatkṛtaṃ bhīru yacca tvāmahamatyajam || 16 ||

3.74.17

tvayā tu dharmabhṛcchreṣṭhe śāpenābhihataḥ purā |
vanasthayā duḥkhitayā śocantyā māṃ vivāsasam || 17 ||

3.74.18

sa maccharīre tvacchāpāddahyamāno'vasatkaliḥ |
tvacchāpadagdhaḥ satataṃ so'gnāviva samāhitaḥ || 18 ||

3.74.19

mama ca vyavasāyena tapasā caiva nirjitaḥ |
duḥkhasyāntena cānena bhavitavyaṃ hi nau śubhe || 19 ||

3.74.20

vimucya māṃ gataḥ pāpaḥ sa tato'hamihāgataḥ |
tvadarthaṃ vipulaśroṇi na hi me'nyatprayojanam || 20 ||

3.74.21

kathaṃ nu nārī bhartāramanuraktamanuvratam |
utsṛjya varayedanyaṃ yathā tvaṃ bhīru karhicit || 21 ||

But, O timid one, can any other woman, forsaking her loving and devoted husband, ever choose a second lord like thee? At the command of the king, messengers are ranging this entire earth, saying, 'Bhima's daughter will, of her own accord, choose a second husband worthy of her.' Immediately on hearing this, the son of Bhangasura hath arrived here.' Hearing these lamentations of Nala, Damayanti, frightened and trembling, said with joined hand, 'It behoveth thee not, O blessed one, to suspect any fault in me. O ruler of the Nishadhas, passing over the celestials themselves, I choose thee as my lord. It was to bring thee hither that the Brahmanas had gone out in all directions, even to all the sides of the horizon, singing my words, in the form of ballads. At last, O king, a learned Brahmana named Parnada had found thee in Kosala in the palace of Rituparna. When thou hadst returned a fit answer to those words of his, it was then, O Naishadha, that I devised this scheme to recover thee. Except thee, O lord of earth, there is no one in this world, who in one day can clear, O King, a hundred yojanas with horses. O monarch, touching thy feet I can swear truly that I have not, even in thought, committed any sin. May the all-witnessing Air that courseth through this world, take my life, if I have committed any sin. May the Sun that ever courseth through the sky take my life, if I have committed any sin.

3.74.22

dūtāścaranti pṛthivīṃ kṛtsnāṃ nṛpatiśāsanāt |
bhaimī kila sma bhartāraṃ dvitīyaṃ varayiṣyati || 22 ||

3.74.23

svairavṛttā yathākāmamanurūpamivātmanaḥ |
śrutvaiva caivaṃ tvarito bhāṅgasvarirupasthitaḥ || 23 ||

3.74.24

damayantī tu tacchrutvā nalasya paridevitam |
prāñjalirvepamānā ca bhītā vacanamabravīt || 24 ||