03052001a tebhyaH pratijJAya nalaH kariSya iti bhArata 'O bharata, nala granted their request saying, 'I will do it.'
03052001c athainAn paripapraccha kRtAJjalir avasthitaH And then approaching these, he asked with folded hands.
03052002a ke vai bhavantaH kaz cAsau yasyAhaM dUta IpsitaH 'Who are ye? And who also is he that desireth me to be his messenger?
03052002c kiJM ca tatra mayA kAryaGM kathayadhvaM yathAtatham And what, further, shall I have to do for you? O tell me truly!'--
03052003a evam ukte naiSadhena maghavAn pratyabhASata When the king of the niSadhas spoke thus, Maghavat replied,
03052003c amarAn vai nibodhAsmAn damayantyartham AgatAn saying, 'Know us as the immortals come hither for damayantI's sake.
03052004a aham indro 'yam agniz ca tathaivAyam apAmMpatiH I am indra, this one is agni, and this the lord of waters,
03052004c zarIrAntakaro nRRNAM yamo 'yam api pArthiva and this, O king, is even yama the destroyer of the bodies of men.
03052005a sa vai tvam AgatAn asmAn damayantyai nivedaya Do thou inform damayantI of our arrival, saying,
03052005c lokapAlAsH sahendrAs tvAM samAyAnti didRkSavaH 'The guardians of the world, (consisting of) the great indra and the others, are coming to the assembly, desirous of beholding (the svayaMvara).
03052006a prAptum icchanti devAs tvAM zakro 'gnir varuNo yamaH The gods, zakra and agni and Varuna and yama, desire to obtain thee.
03052006c teSAm anyatamanM devamM patitve varayasva ha Do thou, therefore, choose one of them for thy lord.'
03052007a evam uktasH sa zakreNa nalaH prAJjalir abravIt Thus addressed by zakra, nala said with joined hands,
03052007c ekArthasamavetamM mAnM na preSayitum arhatha 'I have come here with the self same object. It behoveth thee not to send me (on this errand). ****hmmmm How can a person who is himself under the influence of love bring himself to speak thus unto a lady on behalf of others? Therefore, spare me, ye gods'
03052008 devA UcuH
03052008a kariSya iti saMzrutya pUrvam asmAsu naiSadha The gods, however, said, 'O ruler of the niSadhas, having promised first, saying, 'I will!
03052008c na kariSyasi kasmAt tvaM vraja naiSadha mAciram why wilt thou not act accordingly now? O ruler of the niSadhas, go without delay!'
03052009 bRhadazva uvAca 'bRhadazva continued,
03052009a evam uktasH sa devais tair naiSadhaH punar abravIt 'Thus addressed by those celestials, the ruler of niSadhas spake again,
03052009c surakSitAni vezmAni praveSTuGM katham utsahe saying, 'Those mansions are well-guarded. How can I hope to enter them?'
03052010a pravekSyasIti taM zakraH punar evAbhyabhASata indra replied, 'Thou shalt be able to enter.'
03052010c jagAma sa tathety uktvA damayantyA nivezanam And, saying, So be it.' nala thereupon went to the palace of damayantI.
03052011a dadarza tatra vaidarbhIM sakhIgaNasamAvRtAm And having arrived there, he beheld the daughter of the king of Vidarbha surrounded by her hand-maids,
03052011c dedIpyamAnAM vapuSA zriyA ca varavarNinIm blazing in beauty and excelling in symmetry of form,
03052012a atIva sukumArAGgInM tanumadhyAM sulocanAm of limbs exceedingly delicate, of slender waist and fair eyes
03052012c AkSipantIm iva ca bhAzH zazinasH svena tejasA And she seemed to rebuke the light of the moon by her own splendour.
03052013a tasya dRSTvaiva vavRdhe kAmas tAJM cAruhAsinIm And as he gazed on that lady of sweet smiles, nala's love increased,
03052013c satyaJM cikIrSamANas tu dhArayAmAsa hRcchayam but desirous of keeping his truth, he suppressed his passion.
03052014a tatas tA naiSadhanM dRSTvA samMbhrAntAH paramAGganAH And at the sight of naiSadha, in amazement, those first of women
03052014c AsanebhyasH samutpetus tejasA tasya dharSitAH sprang up from their seats overpowered by his effulgence.
03052015a prazazaMsuz ca suprItA nalanM tA vismayAnvitAH And filled with wonder (at his sight), they praised nala in gladness of heart.
03052015c na cainam abhyabhASanta manobhis tv abhyacintayan And without saying anything, they mentally paid him homage,
03052016a aho rUpam aho kAntir aho dhairyamM mahAtmanaH 'Oh, what comeliness! Oh, what gentleness belongeth to this high-souled one!
03052016c ko 'yanM devo nu yakSo nu gandharvo nu bhaviSyati Who is he? Is he some deva or yakSa or gandharva?'
03052017a na tv enaM zaknuvanti sma vyAhartum api kiJM cana And those foremost of women, would not accost him at all in speech,
03052018a athainaM smayamAneva smitapUrvAbhibhASiNI And damayantI although herself struck with amazement,
03052018c damayantI nalaM vIram abhyabhASata vismitA smilingly addressed the warlike nala who also gently smiled at her, saying,
03052019a kas tvaM sarvAnavadyAGga mama hRcchayavardhana 'What art thou, O thou of faultless features, that hast come here awakening my love?
03052019c prApto 'sy amaravad vIra jJAtum icchAmi te 'nagha O sinless one, O hero of celestial form, I am anxious to know who thou art that hast come hither.
03052020a katham AgamanaJM ceha kathaJM cAsi na lakSitaH And why hast thou come hither? And how is it that thou hast not been discovered by any one,
03052020c surakSitaM hi me vezma rAjA caivograzAsanaH considering that my apartments are well-guarded and the king's mandates are stern.'
03052021a evam uktas tu vaidarbhyA nalas tAmM pratyuvAca ha Thus addressed by the daughter of the king of the Vidarbhas, nala replied,
03052021c nalamM mAM viddhi kalyANi devadUtam ihAgatam 'O beauteous lady, know that my name is nala. I come here as the messenger of the gods.
03052022a devAs tvAmM prAptum icchanti zakro 'gnir varuNo yamaH The celestials, zakra, agni, varuNa and yama, desire to have thee.
03052022c teSAm anyatamanM devamM patiM varaya zobhane O beautiful lady, do thou choose one of them for thy lord.
03052023a teSAm eva prabhAvena praviSTo 'ham alakSitaH
03052023c pravizantaM hi mAGM kaz cin nApazyan nApy avArayat It is through their power that I have entered here unperceived, and it is for this reason that none saw me on my way or obstructed my entrance.
03052024a etadartham ahamM bhadre preSitasH surasattamaiH O gentle one, I have been sent by the foremost of the celestials even for this object.
03052024c etac chrutvA zubhe buddhimM prakuruSva yathecchasi Hearing this, O fortunate one, do what thou pleasest.''
