Mahabharata 3.75: pañcasaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.75.1

damayantyuvāca |
na māmarhasi kalyāṇa pāpena pariśaṅkitum |
mayā hi devānutsṛjya vṛtastvaṃ niṣadhādhipa || 1 ||

3.75.2

tavābhigamanārthaṃ tu sarvato brāhmaṇā gatāḥ |
vākyāni mama gāthābhirgāyamānā diśo daśa || 2 ||

3.75.3

tatastvāṃ brāhmaṇo vidvānparṇādo nāma pārthiva |
abhyagacchatkosalāyāmṛtuparṇaniveśane || 3 ||

3.75.4

tena vākye hṛte samyakprativākye tathāhṛte |
upāyo'yaṃ mayā dṛṣṭo naiṣadhānayane tava || 4 ||

3.75.5

tvāmṛte na hi loke'nya ekāhnā pṛthivīpate |
samartho yojanaśataṃ gantumaśvairnarādhipa || 5 ||

3.75.6

tathā cemau mahīpāla bhaje'haṃ caraṇau tava |
yathā nāsatkṛtaṃ kiṃcinmanasāpi carāmyaham || 6 ||

3.75.7

ayaṃ carati loke'sminbhūtasākṣī sadāgatiḥ |
eṣa muñcatu me prāṇānyadi pāpaṃ carāmyaham || 7 ||

3.75.8

tathā carati tigmāṃśuḥ pareṇa bhuvanaṃ sadā |
sa vimuñcatu me prāṇānyadi pāpaṃ carāmyaham || 8 ||

3.75.9

candramāḥ sarvabhūtānāmantaścarati sākṣivat |
sa vimuñcatu me prāṇānyadi pāpaṃ carāmyaham || 9 ||

May the Moon, that dwelleth within every creature as a witness, take my life, if I have committed any sin. Let the three gods that sustain the triple worlds in their entirety, declare truly, or let them forsake me today.' And thus addressed by her, the Wind-god said from the sky, 'O Nala, I tell thee truly that she hath done no wrong. O king, Damayanti, well guarding the honour of thy family, hath enhanced it. Of this we are the witnesses, as we have been her protectors for these three years. It is for thy sky that she hath devised this unrivalled scheme, for, except thee, none on earth is capable of travelling in a single day a hundred yojanas. O monarch, thou hast obtained Bhima's daughter, and she hath also obtained thee. Thou needst not entertain any suspicion but be united with thy partner.' And after the Wind-god had said this, a floral shower fell there and the celestial kettle-drum began to play, and auspicious breezes began to blow. And beholding those wonders, O Bharata, king Nala, the represser of foes, cast away all his doubts in respect of Damayanti. And then that lord of earth, remembering the king of serpents, wore that pure garment and regained his native form. And beholding her righteous lord in his own form, Bhima's daughter of faultless limbs embraced him, and began to weep aloud. And king Nala also embraced Bhima's daughter devoted to him, as before, and also his children, and experienced great delight.

3.75.10

ete devāstrayaḥ kṛtsnaṃ trailokyaṃ dhārayanti vai |
vibruvantu yathāsatyamete vādya tyajantu mām || 10 ||

3.75.11

evamukte tato vāyurantarikṣādabhāṣata |
naiṣā kṛtavatī pāpaṃ nala satyaṃ bravīmi te || 11 ||

3.75.12

rājañśīlanidhiḥ sphīto damayantyā surakṣitaḥ |
sākṣiṇo rakṣiṇaścāsyā vayaṃ trīnparivatsarān || 12 ||

3.75.13

upāyo vihitaścāyaṃ tvadarthamatulo'nayā |
na hyekāhnā śataṃ gantā tvadṛte'nyaḥ pumāniha || 13 ||

3.75.14

upapannā tvayā bhaimī tvaṃ ca bhaimyā mahīpate |
nātra śaṅkā tvayā kāryā saṃgaccha saha bhāryayā || 14 ||

3.75.15

tathā bruvati vāyau tu puṣpavṛṣṭiḥ papāta ha |
devadundubhayo nedurvavau ca pavanaḥ śivaḥ || 15 ||

3.75.16

tadadbhutatamaṃ dṛṣṭvā nalo rājātha bhārata |
damayantyāṃ viśaṅkāṃ tāṃ vyapākarṣadariṃdamaḥ || 16 ||

3.75.17

tatastadvastramarajaḥ prāvṛṇodvasudhādhipaḥ |
saṃsmṛtya nāgarājānaṃ tato lebhe vapuḥ svakam || 17 ||

3.75.18

svarūpiṇaṃ tu bhartāraṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīmasutā tadā |
prākrośaduccairāliṅgya puṇyaślokamaninditā || 18 ||

3.75.19

bhaimīmapi nalo rājā bhrājamāno yathā purā |
sasvaje svasutau cāpi yathāvatpratyanandata || 19 ||

3.75.20

tataḥ svorasi vinyasya vaktraṃ tasya śubhānanā |
parītā tena duḥkhena niśaśvāsāyatekṣaṇā || 20 ||

And burying her face in his bosom, the beauteous Damayanti of large eyes began to sigh heavily, remembering her griefs. And overwhelmed with sorrow, that tiger among men stood for some time, clasping the dust-covered Damayanti of sweet smiles. And, O king, the queen-mother then, with a glad heart, told Bhima all that had passed between Nala and Damayanti. And the mighty monarch answered, 'Let Nala pass this day in peace, to-morrow I shall see him after his bath and prayers, with Damayanti by his side.' And, O king, they passed that night pleasantly, in relating to each other the past incidents of their life in the forest. And with hearts filled with joy, the princess of Vidarbha and Nala began to pass their days in the palace of king Bhima, intent upon making each other happy. And it was in the fourth year (after the loss of his kingdom) that Nala was re-united with his wife, and all his desires gratified, once more experienced the highest bliss. And Damayanti rejoiced exceedingly in having recovered her lord even as fields of tender plants on receiving a shower. And Bhima's daughter, thus recovering her lord, obtained her wish, and blazed forth in beauty, her weariness gone, her anxieties dispelled and herself swelling with joy, ever like a night that is lit by the bright disc of the moon!"

3.75.21

tathaiva maladigdhāṅgī pariṣvajya śucismitā |
suciraṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ tasthau sāśrupariplutā || 21 ||

3.75.22

tataḥ sarvaṃ yathāvṛttaṃ damayantyā nalasya ca |
bhīmāyākathayatprītyā vaidarbhyā jananī nṛpa || 22 ||

3.75.23

tato'bravīnmahārājaḥ kṛtaśaucamahaṃ nalam |
damayantyā sahopetaṃ kālyaṃ draṣṭā sukhoṣitam || 23 ||

3.75.24

tatastau sahitau rātriṃ kathayantau purātanam |
vane vicaritaṃ sarvamūṣaturmuditau nṛpa || 24 ||

3.75.25

sa caturthe tato varṣe saṃgamya saha bhāryayā |
sarvakāmaiḥ susiddhārtho labdhavānparamāṃ mudam || 25 ||

3.75.26

damayantyapi bhartāramavāpyāpyāyitā bhṛśam |
ardhasaṃjātasasyeva toyaṃ prāpya vasuṃdharā || 26 ||

3.75.27

saivaṃ sametya vyapanītatandrī śāntajvarā harṣavivṛddhasattvā |
rarāja bhaimī samavāptakāmā śītāṃśunā rātririvoditena || 27 ||