Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 3.59
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3.59.1
इत्युक्तः स तदा देव्या नलो वचनमब्रवीत् ।
यथा राज्यंतव पितुस्तथा मम नसंशयः।
न तु तत्र गमिष्यामि विषमस्थः कथंचन ॥ ३.५९.१ ॥
Thus addressed by the queen, Nala then spoke these words: "As your father's kingdom is, so is mine, without doubt. But I shall not go there in any way, being placed in misfortune."
3.59.2
कथं समृद्धो गत्वाऽहं तव हर्षविवर्धनः ।
परिद्यूनो गमिष्यामि तव शोकविवर्धनः ॥ ३.५९.२ ॥
"How could I go prosperous, increasing your joy? And if I go destitute, I shall increase your grief."
3.59.3
इति ब्रुवन्नलो राजा दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः ।
सान्खयामास कल्याणीं वाससोर्धेन संवृताम् ॥ ३.५९.३ ॥
Speaking thus, King Nala again and again consoled Damayantī, the auspicious one, who was covered with half of his garment.
3.59.4
तावेकवस्त्रसंवीतावटमानावितस्ततः ।
क्षुत्पिपासापरिश्रान्तौ सभां कांचिदुपेयतुः ॥ ३.५९.४ ॥
Clothed in one garment, wandering here and there, exhausted by hunger and thirst, the two of them came to a certain assembly hall.
3.59.5
तां सभामुपसंप्राप्य तदा स निषधाधिपः ।
वैदर्भ्या सहितो राजा निषसाद महीतले ॥ ३.५९.५ ॥
Having reached that assembly hall, King Nala, lord of the Niṣadhas, together with the princess of Vidarbha, sat down on the ground.
3.59.6
स वै विवस्त्रो मलिनो विवर्णः पांसुगुण्ठितः ।
दमयन्त्या सह श्रान्तः सुष्वाप धरणीतले ॥ ३.५९.६ ॥
He, unclothed, soiled, discolored and covered with dust, weary together with Damayantī, slept upon the bare ground.
3.59.7
ततः स्ववसनस्यान्तं दमयन्ती विशांपते ।
भूमावास्तीर्य सुष्वाप पतिमालिङ्ग्य शोभना ॥ ३.५९.७ ॥
Then, O lord of the people, Damayantī spread the edge of her own garment upon the ground and, embracing her husband, fell asleep, radiant as she was.
3.59.8
दमयनत्यपि कल्याणी निद्रयाऽपहृता ततः ।
सहसा दुःखमासाद्य सुकुमारी तपस्विनी ॥ ३.५९.८ ॥
And Damayantī, the auspicious one, too was overcome by sleep; suddenly struck by sorrow, the tender, austere woman fell asleep.
3.59.9
सुप्तायां दमयन्त्यां तु नलो राजा विशांपते ।
शोकोन्मथितचित्तः सन्न स्म शेते यथा पुरा ॥ ३.५९.९ ॥
While Damayantī slept, O lord of the people, King Nala, his mind churned by grief, did not lie down to sleep as he once had.
3.59.10
स तद्राज्यापहरणं सुहृत्त्यागं च सर्वशः ।
वने च तं परिध्वंसं प्रेक्ष्य चिन्तामुपेयिवान् ॥ ३.५९.१० ॥
Seeing the seizure of his kingdom, the complete abandonment by his friends, and his ruin in the forest, he fell into anxious thought.
3.59.11
किं नु मे स्यादिदं कृत्वा किंनु मे स्यादकुर्वतः ।
किंनु मे मरणं श्रेयः परित्यागो जनस्य वा ॥ ३.५९.११ ॥
What would become of me if I did this, and what would become of me if I did not? Is death better for me, or the abandonment of a person?
3.59.12
मामियं ह्यनुरक्तैवं दुःखमाप्नोति मत्कृते ।
मद्विहीना त्वियं गच्छेत्कदाचित्स्वजनं प्रति ॥ ३.५९.१२ ॥
She, so devoted to me, suffers this sorrow on my account; yet, deprived of me, she might one day go back to her own people.
3.59.13
मया निःसंशयं दुखमियं प्राप्स्यत्यनुव्रता ।
उत्सर्गेसंशयः स्यात्तु विन्देतापि सुखं क्वचित् ॥ ३.५९.१३ ॥
Because of me, this devoted one will surely suffer sorrow. If I abandon her there is doubt, but she might somewhere find happiness.
3.59.14
स विनिश्चित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुनःपुनः ।
उत्सर्गेऽमन्यत श्रेयो दमयन्त्या नराधिप ॥ ३.५९.१४ ॥
Having resolved after considering again and again in many ways, Nala, O lord of men, judged that abandoning Damayantī was the better course.
3.59.15
न चैषा तेजसा शक्या कैश्चिद्धर्षयितुं पथि ।
यशस्विनी महाभागा मद्भक्तेयं पतिव्रता ॥ ३.५९.१५ ॥
Nor on the road can anyone violate her by force. She is glorious, greatly fortunate, devoted to me, a faithful wife.
3.59.16
एवं तस् तदा बुद्धिर्दमयन्त्यां न्यवर्तत ।
कलिना दुष्टभावेन दमयन्त्या विसर्जने ॥ ३.५९.१६ ॥
Thus at that time his resolve turned away from abandoning Damayantī, under the influence of Kali, of wicked disposition, in the matter of her abandonment.
3.59.17
सोऽवस्त्रतामात्मनश्च तस्याश्चाप्येकवस्त्रताम् ।
चिन्तयित्वाऽध्यगाद्राजा वस्त्रार्धस्यावकर्तनम् ॥ ३.५९.१७ ॥
The king, considering that he and she had only one garment each, resolved upon cutting off half of the cloth.
3.59.18
कथं वासो विकर्तेयं न च बुद्ध्येत मे प्रिया ।
विचिन्त्यैवं नलो राजा सभां पर्यचरत्तदा ॥ ३.५९.१८ ॥
"How shall I cut this garment so that my beloved does not wake?" Thinking thus, King Nala then paced about the hall.
3.59.19
परिधावन्नथ नल इतश्चेतश्च भारत ।
आससाद सभोद्देशे विकोशं स्वङ्गमुत्तमम् ॥ ३.५९.१९ ॥
O Bhārata, then Nala, running here and there, came upon a fine sword, drawn from its sheath, in a part of the assembly hall.
3.59.20
तेनार्धं वाससश्छित्त्वा निवस् च परंतपः ।
सुप्तामुत्सृज्य वैदर्भीं प्राद्रवद्गतचेतनाम् ॥ ३.५९.२० ॥
Using it, he cut half the garment and wrapped himself in it; the foe-scorcher abandoned the sleeping, unconscious Vaidarbhī and fled.
3.59.21
ततो निबद्धहृदयः पुनरागम् तां सभाम् ।
दमयन्तीं तदा दृष्ट्वा रुरोद निषधाधिपः ॥ ३.५९.२१ ॥
Then Nala, his heart in bonds, returned again to that assembly hall; seeing Damayantī there, the lord of the Niṣadhas wept.
3.59.22
यां न वायुर्न चादित्यः पुरा पश्यति मे प्रियाम् ।
सेयमद्य सभामध्ये शेते भूमावनाथवत् ॥ ३.५९.२२ ॥
She whom neither the wind nor the sun once beheld, my beloved, now lies on the ground in the middle of the assembly like one without a protector.
3.59.23
इयं वस्त्रावकर्तेन संवीता चारुहासिनी ।
उन्मत्तेव मया हीना कथं बुद्ध्वा भविष्यति ॥ ३.५९.२३ ॥
This sweet-smiling woman, covered with a cut garment, bereft of me, is like one mad; how will she be when she wakes?
3.59.24
कथमेका सती भमी मया विरहिता शुभा ।
चरिष्यति वने घोरे मृगव्यालनिषेविते ॥ ३.५९.२४ ॥
How will Damayantī, auspicious and faithful, separated from me and alone, wander the terrible forest frequented by deer and wild beasts?
3.59.25
आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा अश्विनौ समरुद्गणौ ।
रक्षन्तु त्वां महाभागे धर्मेणासि समावृता ॥ ३.५९.२५ ॥
May the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, and the two Aśvins together with the host of Maruts protect you; O greatly fortunate one, you are enveloped by dharma.
3.59.26
एवमुक्त्वा प्रियां भार्यां रूपेणाप्रतिमां भुषि ।
कलिनाऽपहृतज्ञानो नलः प्रातिपष्ठदुद्यतः ॥ ३.५९.२६ ॥
Having spoken thus to his beloved wife, unequalled in beauty on earth, Nala, whose understanding had been stolen by Kali, made ready to depart.
3.59.27
गत्वागत्वा नलो राजा पुनरेति सभां मुहुः ।
आकृष्यमाणः कलिना सौहृदेनावकृष्यते ॥ ३.५९.२७ ॥
King Nala goes away again and again, yet again returns to the assembly hall; dragged by Kali, he is pulled back once more by the pretence of friendship.
3.59.28
द्विधेव हृदयं तस्य दुःखितस्याभवत्तदा ।
दोलेव मुहुरायाति याति चैव मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ ३.५९.२८ ॥
Then the heart of that grieving king was as if split in two; like a swing, he comes again and again, and goes again and again.
3.59.29
अवकृष्टस्तु कलिना मोहितः प्राद्रवन्नलः ।
सुप्तामुत्सृज्य तां भार्यां विलप्य करुणं बहु ॥ ३.५९.२९ ॥
Dragged away and deluded by Kali, Nala fled, abandoning his wife as she slept, lamenting piteously and at length.
3.59.30
नष्टात्मा कलिनाऽऽविष्टस्तत्तद्विगणयन्मुहुः ।
जगामैकां वने शून्ये भार्यामुत्सृज्य मोहितः ॥ ३.५९.३० ॥
His self lost, possessed by Kali, Nala, reflecting again and again on this and that, deluded, abandoned his wife and went alone into the desolate forest.