Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 3.50
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3.50.1
आसीद्राजा नलो नाम वीरसेनसुतो बली ।
उपपन्नो गुणैरिष्टै रूपवानश्वकोविदः ॥ ३.५०.१ ॥
There was a king named Nala, son of Vīrasena, mighty, endowed with desirable qualities, handsome, and skilled in horses.
3.50.2
यज्वा दानपतिर्दक्षः सदा शीलपुरस्कृतः ।
अतिष्ठन्मनुजेन्द्राणां मूर्ध्नि देवपतिर्यथा।
उपर्युपरि सर्वेषामादित्य इव तेजसा ॥ ३.५०.२ ॥
He was a sacrificer, lord of gifts, skilful, always honouring good conduct. He stood above all lords of men as the lord of the gods stands above the gods, and in splendour he was like the sun.
3.50.3
ब्रह्मण्यो वेदविच्छ्ररो निषधेषु महीपतिः ।
अक्षप्रियः सत्यवादी महानक्षौहिणीपतिः ॥ ३.५०.३ ॥
He was devoted to brahmins, a knower of the Vedas, brave, and king of the Niṣadhas. He was fond of dice, truthful, great, and lord of an akṣauhiṇī army.
3.50.4
ईप्सितो नरनारीणामुदारः संयतेन्द्रियः ।
रक्षिता धन्विनां श्रेष्ठः साक्षादिव मनुः स्वयम् ॥ ३.५०.४ ॥
Beloved of men and women, generous, self-restrained, the best protector among archers, he was as if Manu himself in person.
3.50.5
तथैवासीद्विदर्भेषु भीमो भीमपराक्रमः ।
शूरः सर्वगुणैर्युक्तः प्रजाकामः स चाप्रजाः ॥ ३.५०.५ ॥
Likewise, in the land of the Vidarbhas there was Bhīma, of terrible prowess, a hero endowed with every virtue. He desired offspring, but he was without children.
3.50.6
स प्रजार्थे परं यत्नमकरोत्सुसमाहितः ।
तमभ्यगच्छद्ब्रह्मर्षिर्दमनो नाम भारत ॥ ३.५०.६ ॥
He made a great effort for offspring, with well-composed mind. O Bhārata, then the brahmin-sage named Damana approached him.
3.50.7
तं स भीमः प्रजाकामस्तोषयामास धर्मवित् ।
महिष्या सह राजेनद्र सत्कारेण सुवर्चसम् ॥ ३.५०.७ ॥
O lord of kings, Bhīma, desiring offspring and knowing dharma, pleased that radiant sage with honour, together with his chief queen.
3.50.8
तस्मै प्रसन्नो दमनः सभार्याय वरं ददौ ।
कन्यारत्नं कुमारांश्च त्रीनुदारान्महायशाः ॥ ३.५०.८ ॥
Pleased, Damana of great fame granted a boon to him and his wife: a jewel of a daughter and three noble sons.
3.50.9
दमयन्तीं दमं दान्तं दमनं च सुवर्चसम् ।
उपपन्नान्गुणैः सर्वैर्भीमान्भीमपराक्रमान् ॥ ३.५०.९ ॥
Damayantī, Dama, Dānta and the radiant Damana — endowed with all good qualities, formidable and of formidable valour.
3.50.10
दमयन्ती तु रूपेण तेजसा वपुषा श्रिया ।
सौभाग्येन च लोकेषु यशः प्राप सुमध्यमा ॥ ३.५०.१० ॥
Damayantī, slender-waisted, attained fame among the worlds through her beauty, radiance, form, splendour and good fortune.
3.50.11
अथ तां वयसि प्राप्ते दासीनां समलंकृतम् ।
शतं सखीनां च तदा पर्युपास्ते शचीमिव
शतं शतं सखीनां च पर्युपासच्छचीमिव ॥ ३.५०.११ ॥
When she reached youth, a hundred adorned maidservants and a hundred female friends attended upon her, as they attend upon Śacī.
3.50.12
तत्र स्म राजते भैमी सर्वाभरणभूषिता ।
सखीमध्येऽनवद्याङ्गी विद्युत्सौदामनी यथा ॥ ३.५०.१२ ॥
There the daughter of Bhīma shone, adorned with all ornaments, faultless of limb, amid her friends, like lightning in a cloud.
3.50.13
अतीव रूपसंपन्ना श्रीरिवायतलोचना ।
न देवेषु न यक्षेषु तादृग्रूपवती क्वचित् ॥ ३.५०.१३ ॥
Exceedingly endowed with beauty, wide-eyed, like Śrī herself; nowhere among the gods or the yakṣas was there one so beautiful in form.
3.50.14
मानुषेष्वपि चान्येषु दृष्टपूर्वाऽथवा श्रुता ।
चित्तप्रमाथिनी बाला देवानामपि सुन्दरी ॥ ३.५०.१४ ॥
Never before seen or heard of among human beings or others, that young woman who stirs the heart was more beautiful even than the gods.
3.50.15
नलश्च नरशार्दूलो रूपेणाप्रतिमो भुवि ।
कंदर्प इव रूपेण मूर्तिमानभवत्स्वयम् ॥ ३.५०.१५ ॥
And Nala, the tiger among men, was unmatched in beauty on earth; it was as if Kandarpa himself had taken embodied form.
3.50.16
तस्याः समीपे तु नलं प्रशशंसुः कुतूहलात् ।
नैषधस्य समीपे तु दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः ॥ ३.५०.१६ ॥
In her presence they praised Nala out of curiosity, and in Naiṣadha's presence they praised Damayantī again and again.
3.50.17
तयोरदृष्टः कामोऽभूच्छृण्वतोः सततं गुणान् ।
अन्योन्यं प्रतिकौन्तेय स व्वर्धत हृच्छयः ॥ ३.५०.१७ ॥
In those two, who constantly heard of each other's qualities, desire arose without their having seen each other; O son of Kuntī, that love lying hidden in the heart grew between them.
3.50.18
अशक्नवन्नलः कामं तदा धारयितुं हृदा ।
अन्तःपुरसमीपस्थे वन आस्ते रहोगतः ॥ ३.५०.१८ ॥
Unable then to restrain that desire in his heart, Nala went off alone and stayed in the forest near the inner apartments.
3.50.19
स ददर्शै ततो हंसाञ्जातरूपपरिच्दान् ।
वने विचरतां तेषामेकं जग्राह पक्षिणम् ॥ ३.५०.१९ ॥
Then he saw swans with golden ornaments wandering in the forest, and he seized one of them.
3.50.20
ततो।डन्तरिक्षगो वाचं व्याजहार नलं तदा ।
हन्तव्योस्मि न तेराजन्करिष्यामि तवप्रियम् ॥ ३.५०.२० ॥
Then the swan that moved in the sky spoke to Nala: 'O king, do not kill me; I will do what is dear to you.'
3.50.21
दमयन्तीसकाशे त्वां कथयिष्यामि नैषध ।
यथा त्वदन्यं पुरुषं न सा मंस्यति कर्हिचित् ॥ ३.५०.२१ ॥
O Naiṣadha, I will speak of you in Damayantī's presence, so that she will never think of any other man than you.
3.50.22
तव चैव यथा भार्या भविष्यति तथाऽनघ ।
विधास्यामि नरव्याघ्र सोऽनुजानातु मां भवान् ॥ ३.५०.२२ ॥
O sinless one, I will bring it about that she becomes your wife. O tiger among men, let your honour grant me leave.
3.50.23
एवमुक्तस्ततो हंसमुत्ससर्ज महीपतिः ।
ते तु हंसाः समुत्पत्य विदर्भानगमंस्ततः ॥ ३.५०.२३ ॥
Thus addressed, the king released the swan, and those swans rose into flight and went to Vidarbha.
3.50.24
विदर्भनगरीं गत्वा दमयन्त्यास्तदान्तिके ।
निपेतुस्ते गरुत्मन्तः सा ददर्शाथ तान्खगान् ॥ ३.५०.२४ ॥
Having gone to the city of Vidarbha, those winged swans alighted near Damayantī; then she saw those birds.
3.50.25
सा तानद्भुतरूपान्वै दृष्ट्वा सखिगणावृता ।
हृष्टा ग्रहीतुं खगमांस्त्वरमाणोपचक्रमे ॥ ३.५०.२५ ॥
Seeing those wondrously formed swans, she, surrounded by her companions, rejoiced and hastened forward to catch the birds.
3.50.26
अथ हंसा विससृपुः सर्वतः प्रमदावने ।
एकैकशस्तदा कन्यास्तान्हंसान्समुपाद्रवन् ॥ ३.५०.२६ ॥
Then the swans scattered in every direction through the pleasure grove, and the maidens, one by one, ran after those swans.
3.50.27
दमयन्ती तु यं हंसं समुपाधावदन्तिके ।
स मानुषीं गिरं कृत्वा दमयन्तीमथाब्रवीत् ॥ ३.५०.२७ ॥
But the swan that Damayantī ran up close to spoke in human speech and addressed Damayantī.
3.50.28
दमयन्ति नलो नाम निषधेषु महीपतिः ।
अश्विनोः सदृशो रूपे न समास्तस्य मानुषाः ॥ ३.५०.२८ ॥
O Damayantī, there is a king named Nala in the land of Niṣadha. In beauty he is like the Aśvins, and men are not his equals.
3.50.29
कन्दर्प इव रूपेण मूर्तिमानभवत्स्वयम् ।
तस्य वै यदिभार्या त्वं भवेथा वरवर्णिनि।
सफलंते भवेज्जन्म रूपं चेदं सुमध्यमे ॥ ३.५०.२९ ॥
He seems to have become embodied himself, in beauty like Kandarpa. If you were to become his wife, O fair-complexioned one, your birth would be fruitful and this beauty of yours too, O slender-waisted one.
3.50.30
वयं हि देवगन्धर्वमनुष्योरगराक्षसान् ।
दृष्टवन्तो न चास्माभिर्दृष्टपूर्वस्तथाविधः ॥ ३.५०.३० ॥
We have seen gods, gandharvas, men, serpents and rākṣasas, yet we have never before seen anyone of such a kind as he.
3.50.31
त्वं चापि रत्नं नारीणां नरेषु च नलो वरः ।
विशिष्टाया विशिष्टेन संगमो गुणवान्भवेत् ॥ ३.५०.३१ ॥
You too are a jewel among women, and Nala is the best among men. The union of the excellent with the excellent will be virtuous.
3.50.32
एवमुक्ता तु हंसेन दमयन्ती विशांपते ।
अब्रवीत्तत्र तं हंसं त्वमप्येवं नलं वद ॥ ३.५०.३२ ॥
Thus addressed by the swan, O lord of men, Damayantī said to that swan there: "You too, speak thus to Nala."
3.50.33
तथेत्युक्त्वाऽण्डजः कन्यां विदर्भस्य विशांपते ।
पुनरागम्य निषधान्नले सर्वं न्यवेदयत् ॥ ३.५०.३३ ॥
Saying "So be it," O lord of men, the egg-born swan went to the daughter of Vidarbha; then returning from Niṣadha, it reported everything to Nala.