03056001a evaM sa samayaGM kRtvA dvApareNa kalisH saha 'Having made this compact with Dwapara, kali
03056001c AjagAma tatas tatra yatra rAjA sa naiSadhaH came to the place where the king of the Nishadhas was.
03056002a sa nityam antaraprekSI niSadheSv avasac ciram And always watching for a hole, he continued to dwell in the country of the Nishadhas for a long time.
03056002c athAsya dvAdaze varSe dadarza kalir antaram And it was in the twelfth year that kali saw a hole.
03056003a kRtvA mUtram upaspRzya sanMdhyAm Aste sma naiSadhaH For one day after answering the call of nature, Naishadha touching water said his twilight prayers,
03056003c akRtvA pAdayozH zaucanM tatrainaGM kalir Avizat without having previously washed his feet. And it was through this (omission) that kali entered his person.
03056004a sa samAvizya tu nalaM samIpamM puSkarasya ha And having possessed nala, he appeared before Pushkara,
03056004c gatvA puSkaram Ahedam ehi dIvya nalena vai and addressed him, saying, 'Come and play at dice with nala.
03056005a akSadyUte nalaJM jetA bhavAn hi sahito mayA Through my assistance thou wilt surely win at the play.
03056005c niSadhAn pratipadyasva jitvA rAjan nalanM nRpam And defeating king nala and acquiring his kingdom, do thou rule the Nishadhas.'
03056006a evam uktas tu kalinA puSkaro nalam abhyayAt Thus exhorted by kali, Pushkara went to nala.
03056006c kaliz caiva vRSo bhUtvA gavAmM puSkaram abhyayAt And Dwapara also approached Pushkara, becoming the principal die called vRSaka.
03056007a AsAdya tu nalaM vIramM puSkaraH paravIrahA And appearing before the warlike nala, that slayer of hostile heroes, Pushkara,
03056007c dIvyAvety abravId bhrAtA vRSeNeti muhur muhuH his brother, repeatedly said, 'Let us play together with dice'.
note: vRSeNa = with the die
03056008a na cakSame tato rAjA samAhvAnamM mahAmanAH Thus challenged in the presence of Damayanti, the lofty-minded king could not long decline it.
03056008c vaidarbhyAH prekSamANAyAH paNakAlam amanyata And he accordingly fixed the time for the play.
03056009c AviSTaH kalinA dyUte jIyate sma nalas tadA And possessed by kali, nala began to lose, in the game, his stakes in gold, and silver, and cars with the teams thereof, and robes.
03056010a tam akSamadasamMmattaM suhRdAnM na tu kaz cana And maddened at dice, no one amongst his friends
03056010c nivAraNe 'bhavac chakto dIvyamAnam acetasam could succeed in dissuading that represser of foes from the play that went on.
03056011a tataH paurajanAH sarve mantribhiH saha bhArata And thereupon, O bharata, the citizens in a body, with the chief councillors,
03056011c rAjAnanM draSTum Agacchan nivArayitum Aturam came thither to behold the distressed monarch and make him desist.
03056012a tatasH sUta upAgamya damayantyai nyavedayat And the charioteer coming to Damayanti spake to her of this, saying,
03056012c eSa paurajanasH sarvo dvAri tiSThati kAryavAn 'O lady, the citizens and officers of the state wait at the gate.
03056013a nivedyatAnM naiSadhAya sarvAH prakRtayaH sthitAH Do thou inform the king of the Nishadhas that the citizens have come here,
03056013c amRSyamANA vyasanaM rAjJo dharmArthadarzinaH unable to bear the calamity that hath befallen their king conversant with virtue and wealth.'
03056014a tatasH sA bASpakalayA vAcA duHkhena karzitA Thereupon bhIma's daughter, overwhelmed with grief
03056014c uvAca naiSadhamM bhaimI zokopahatacetanA and almost deprived of reason by it, spake unto nala in choked accents,
03056015a rAjan paurajano dvAri tvAnM didRkSur avasthitaH 'O king, the citizens stay at the gate desirous of beholding thee.
03056015c mantribhisH sahitasH sarvai rAjabhaktipuraskRtaH urged by loyalty, with the councillors of state.
03056015e tanM draSTum arhasIty evamM punaH punar abhASata It behoveth thee to grant them an interview.'
03056016a tAnM tathA rucirApAGgIM vilapantIM sumadhyamAm But unto his queen of graceful glances, uttering thus her lamentations,
03056016c AviSTaH kalinA rAjA nAbhyabhASata kiM cana the king, possessed by kali, uttered not a word in reply.
03056017a tatas te mantriNasH sarve te caiva puravAsinaH And at this, those councillors of state as also the citizens,
03056017c nAyam astIti duHkhArtA vrIDitA jagmur AlayAn afflicted with grief and shame, returned to their homes, saying, 'He liveth not.'
03056018a tathA tad abhavad dyUtamM puSkarasya nalasya ca And, it was thus that nala and Pushkara gambled together,
03056018c yudhiSThira bahUn mAsAn puNyazlokas tv ajIyata O yudhiSThira, for many months, the virtuous nala being always worsted.''
