Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 3.52
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3.52.1
तेभ्यः प्रतिज्ञाय नलः करिष्य इति भारत ।
अथैतान्परिपप्रच्छ कृताञ्जलिरुपस्थितः ॥ ३.५२.१ ॥
O Bhārata, having promised them, 'I will do it,' Nala, standing before them with folded hands, asked them thoroughly.
3.52.2
के वै भवन्तः कश्चासौ यस्याहं दूत ईप्सितः ।
किंच तत्रमया कार्यं कथयध्वं यथातथम् ॥ ३.५२.२ ॥
Who are you, and who is he whose messenger I am desired to be? And what am I to do there? Tell me exactly as it is.
3.52.3
एवमुक्ते नैषधेन मघवानभ्यभाषत ।
अमरान्वै निबोधास्मान्दमयन्त्यर्थमागतान् ॥ ३.५२.३ ॥
When the Naiṣadha had spoken thus, Maghavān (Indra) addressed him: 'Know us, O immortals, who have come for the sake of Damayantī.'
3.52.4
अहमिन्द्रोऽयमग्निश्च तथैवायमपांपतिः ।
शरीरान्तकरो नॄणां यमोऽयमपि पार्थिव ॥ ३.५२.४ ॥
I am Indra, this is Agni, and likewise this is the lord of the waters, and O king, this one is also Yama, the ender of men's bodies.
3.52.5
त्वं वै समागतानस्मान्दमयन्त्यै निवेदय ।
लोकपाला महेन्द्राद्याः समायान्ति दिदृक्षवः ॥ ३.५२.५ ॥
You should announce to Damayantī that we have come. The guardians of the worlds, led by great Indra, are coming, desiring to see her.
3.52.6
प्राप्तुमिच्छन्ति देवास्त्वां शक्रोऽग्निर्वरुणो यमः ।
तेषामन्यतमं देवं पतित्वे वरयस्व ह ॥ ३.५२.६ ॥
The gods desire to obtain you — Śakra (Indra), Agni, Varuṇa and Yama. Choose one of those gods as your husband.
3.52.7
एवमुक्तः स शक्रेण नलः प्राञ्जलिरब्रवीत् ।
एकार्थसमवेतं मां न प्रेषयितुमर्हथ ॥ ३.५२.७ ॥
Thus addressed by Śakra, Nala joined his palms and said: "I am bound to one purpose; you should not send me on this errand."
3.52.8
कथ हि जातसंकल्पः स्त्रियमुत्सृजते पुमान् ।
परार्थमीदृशं वक्तं तद्वै पश्यामरेश्वर ॥ ३.५२.८ ॥
"How can a man whose desire has arisen give up a woman? Look at this, lord of the immortals, that I should speak such words for another."
3.52.9
एवमुक्तो नैषधेन मघवान्पुनरब्रवीत् ।
करिष्य इतिसंश्रुत्य पूर्वमस्मासु नैषध।
न करिष्यसि कस्मात्त्वं व्रज नैषध माचिरम् ॥ ३.५२.९ ॥
Thus addressed by the Naiṣadha, Maghavān said again: "Naiṣadha, you promised us before that you would do it; why will you not do it? Go, Naiṣadha, without delay."
3.52.10
स वै त्वमागतानस्मान्दमयन्त्यै निवेदय ।
श्रेयसा योक्ष्यसे हि त्वं कुर्वन्नमरशासनम् ॥ ३.५२.१० ॥
"So go and tell Damayantī that we have come. By carrying out the command of the immortals you will be joined to good fortune."
3.52.11
एवमुक्तः स देवैस्तैर्नैषधः पुनरब्रवीत् ।
सुरक्षितानि वेश्मानि प्रवेष्टुं कथमुत्सहे ॥ ३.५२.११ ॥
Thus addressed by those gods, Nala spoke again: "How could I dare to enter houses so well guarded?"
3.52.12
प्रवेक्ष्यसीति तं शक्रः पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत ।
जगाम स तथेत्युक्त्वा दमयन्त्या निवेशनम् ॥ ३.५२.१२ ॥
"You will be able to enter," Indra said to him again. Saying "So be it," he went to Damayantī's dwelling.
3.52.13
ददर्श तत्र वैदर्भीं सखीगणसमावृताम् ।
देदीप्यमानां वपुषा श्रिया च वरवर्णिनीम् ॥ ३.५२.१३ ॥
There he saw the daughter of Vidarbha, surrounded by a host of her female companions, radiant in body and splendour, the fair-complexioned, excellent one.
3.52.14
अतीव सुकुमाराङ्गीं तनुमध्यां सुलोचनाम् ।
आक्षिपन्तीमिव च तां शशिनं स्वेन तेजसा ॥ ३.५२.१४ ॥
Exceedingly delicate of limb, slender-waisted and beautiful-eyed, she seemed to outshine the moon by her own radiance.
3.52.15
तस्य दृष्ट्वैव ववृधे कामस्तां चारुहासिनीम् ।
सत्यं चिकीर्षमाणस्तुधारयामास हृच्छयम् ॥ ३.५२.१५ ॥
No sooner had he seen her than desire for that sweet-smiling woman grew; yet, wishing to keep faith with truth, he held back the love that lay in his heart.
3.52.16
ततस्ता नैषधं दृष्ट्वा संभ्रान्ताः परमाङ्गनाः ।
आसनेभ्यः समुत्पेतुस्तेजसा तस्य धर्षिताः ॥ ३.५२.१६ ॥
Then those excellent women, seeing the Niṣadha king, were thrown into confusion; overwhelmed by his radiance, they sprang up from their seats.
3.52.17
प्रशशंसुश्च मुप्रीता नलं ता विस्मयान्विताः ।
न चैनमभ्यभाषन्त मनोभिस्त्वभ्यपूजयन् ॥ ३.५२.१७ ॥
Greatly pleased and filled with wonder, they praised Nala; they did not speak to him, but in their minds they honoured him.
3.52.18
अहो रूपमहो कान्तिरहो धैर्यं महात्मनः ।
कोऽयं देवोऽथवा यक्षो गन्धर्वो वा भविष्यति ॥ ३.५२.१८ ॥
Oh, the beauty of this great-souled one! Oh, the splendour! Oh, the steadfastness! Who can this be—a god, a yaksha, or a gandharva?
3.52.19
न तास्तं शक्नुवन्ति स्म व्याहर्तुमपि किंचन ।
तेजसा धर्षितास्तस्य लज्जावत्यो वराङ्गनाः ॥ ३.५२.१९ ॥
Overwhelmed by his radiance, the modest, excellent women could not bring themselves to say anything to him.
3.52.20
अथैनं स्मयमानेव स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिणी ।
दमयन्ती नलं वीरमभ्यभाषत विस्मिता ॥ ३.५२.२० ॥
Then Damayantī, astonished and as if smiling, first offered a smile and addressed the hero Nala.
3.52.21
कस्त्वं सर्वानवद्याङ्ग मम हृच्छयवर्धन ।
प्राप्तोस्यमरवद्वीर ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तेऽनघ ॥ ३.५२.२१ ॥
O you of faultless limbs, increaser of my heart's desire, who are you? You have come like an immortal, O hero; O sinless one, I wish to know who you are.
3.52.22
कथमागमनं चेह कथं चासि न लक्षितः ।
सुरक्षितं हि मे वेश्म राजा चैवोग्रशासनः ॥ ३.५२.२२ ॥
How did you come here, and how did you go unnoticed? My dwelling is well guarded, and the king is one of stern rule.
3.52.23
एवमुक्तस्तु वैदर्भ्या नलस्तां प्रत्युवाच ह ।
नलं मां विद्धि कल्याणि देवदूतमिहागतम् ॥ ३.५२.२३ ॥
When the Vidarbha princess had spoken thus, Nala replied to her: Know me, O auspicious one, as a messenger of the gods who has come here.
3.52.24
देवास्त्वां प्राप्तुमिच्छन्ति शक्रोऽग्निर्वरुणो यमः ।
तेषामन्यतमं देवं पतिं वरय शोभने ॥ ३.५२.२४ ॥
The gods desire to win you: Indra, Agni, Varuṇa and Yama. O radiant one, choose one of these gods as your husband.
3.52.25
तेषामेव प्रभावेण प्रविष्टोऽहमलक्षितः ।
प्रविशन्तं न मां कश्चिदपश्यन्नाप्यवारयत् ॥ ३.५२.२५ ॥
By their very power I entered unseen; no one saw me entering, nor did anyone stop me.
3.52.26
एतदर्थमहं भद्रे प्रेषितः सुरसत्तमैः ।
एतच्छ्रुत्वा शुभे बुद्धिं प्रकुरुष्व यथेच्छसि ॥ ३.५२.२६ ॥
For this very purpose I have been sent by the best of gods. Having heard this, O auspicious one, make up your mind as you wish.