03064001a tasminn antarhite nAge prayayau naiSadho nalaH 'bRhadazva said, 'After the snake had vanished, nala, the ruler of the Nishadhas, proceeded,
03064001c RtuparNasya nagaramM prAvizad dazame 'hani and on the tenth day entered the city of RtuparNa.
03064002a sa rAjAnam upAtiSThad bAhuko 'ham iti bruvan And he approached the king, saying, 'My name is bAhuka.
03064002c azvAnAM vAhane yuktaH pRthivyAM nAsti matsamaH There is no one in this world equal to me in managing steeds.
03064003a arthakRcchreSu caivAhamM praSTavyo naipuNeSu ca My counsel also should be sought in matters of difficulty and in all affairs of skill.
03064003c annasaMskAram api ca jAnAmy anyair vizeSataH I also surpass others in the art of cooking.
03064004a yAni zilpAni loke 'smin yac cApy anyat suduSkaram In all those arts that exists in this world, and also in every thing difficult of accomplishment,
03064004c sarvaM yatiSye tat kartum RtuparNa bharasva mAm I will strive to attain success, O RtuparNa, do thou maintain me.'
03064005 RtuparNa uvAca And RtuparNa replied,
03064005a vasa bAhuka bhadranM te sarvam etat kariSyasi 'O bAhuka, stay with me! May good happen to thee. Thou wilt even perform all this.
03064005c zIghrayAne sadA buddhir dhIyate me vizeSataH I have always particularly desired to be driven fast.
03064006a sa tvam AtiSTha yoganM taM yena zIghrA hayA mama Do thou concert such measures that my steeds may become fleet.
03064006c bhaveyur azvAdhyakSo 'si vetananM te zataM zatAH I appoint thee the superintendent of my stables. Thy pay shall be ten thousand (coins).
03064007a tvAm upasthAsyataz cemau nityaM vArSNeyajIvalau Both Varshneya and Jivala shall always be under thy direction.
03064007c etAbhyAM raMsyase sArdhaM vasa vai mayi bAhuka Thou wilt live pleasantly in their company. Therefore, O bAhuka, stay thou with me.''
03064008 bRhadazva uvAca 'bRhadazva continued,
03064008a evam ukto nalas tena nyavasat tatra pUjitaH
03064008c RtuparNasya nagare sahavArSNeyajIvalaH 'Thus addressed by the king, nala began to dwell in the city of RtuparNa, treated with respect and with Varshneya and Jivala as his companions.
03064009a sa tatra nivasan rAjA vaidarbhIm anucintayan And residing there, the king (nala), remembering the princess of Vidarbha,
03064009c sAyaM sAyaM sadA cemaM zlokam ekaJM jagAda ha recited every evening the following sloka:
03064010a kva nu sA kSutpipAsArtA zrAntA zete tapasvinI 'Where lieth that helpless one afflicted with hunger and thirst and worn with toil,
03064010c smarantI tasya mandasya kaM vA sAdyopatiSThati thinking of that wretch? And upon whom also doth she now wait?'
03064011a evamM bruvantaM rAjAnanM nizAyAJM jIvalo 'bravIt And once as the king was reciting this in the night, Jivala asked him saying,
03064011c kAm enAM zocase nityaM zrotum icchAmi bAhuka 'O bAhuka, whom dost thou lament thus daily? I am curious to hear it.
03064011e AyuSmAn kasya vA nArI yAm evam anuzocasi O thou blest with length of days, whose spouse is she whom thus lamentest?'
03064012a tam uvAca nalo rAjA mandaprajJasya kasya cit Thus questioned, king nala answered him, saying, 'A certain person devoid of sense
03064012c AsId bahumatA nArI tasyA dRDhataraJM ca saH had a well-respected wife. That wretch was false in his promises.
03064013a sa vai kena cid arthena tayA mando vyayujyata For some reason that wicked person was separated from her.
03064013c viprayuktaz ca mandAtmA bhramaty asukhapIDitaH Separated from her, that wretch wandered about oppressed with pain,
03064014a dahyamAnasH sa zokena divArAtram atandritaH and burning with grief he resteth not by day or night.
03064014c nizAkAle smaraMs tasyAzH zlokam ekaM sma gAyati And at night, remembering her, he singeth this sloka.
03064015a sa vai bhraman mahIM sarvAGM kva cid AsAdya kiJM cana Having wandered over the entire world, he hath at last found a refuge,
03064015c vasaty anarhas tad duHkhaM bhUya evAnusaMsmaran and undeserving of the distress that hath befallen him, passeth his days, thus remembering his wife.
03064016a sA tu tamM puruSanM nArI kRcchre 'py anugatA vane When calamity had overtaken this man, his wife followed him into the woods.
03064016c tyaktA tenAlpapuNyena duSkaraM yadi jIvati Deserted by that man of little virtue, her life itself is in danger.
03064017a ekA bAlAnabhijJA ca mArgANAm atathocitA Alone, without knowledge of ways, ill able to bear distress,
03064017c kSutpipAsAparItA ca duSkaraM yadi jIvati and fainting with hunger and thirst, the girl can hardly protect her life.
03064018a zvApadAcarite nityaM vane mahati dAruNe In the wide and terrible forest, ever abounding in beasts of prey
03064018c tyaktA tenAlpapuNyena mandaprajJena mAriSa she was deserted by that man of small fortune and having little sense, o friend.
03064019a ity evanM naiSadho rAjA damayantIm anusmaran 'Thus remembering Damayanti, the king of the Nishadhas
03064019c ajJAtavAsam avasad rAjJas tasya nivezane continued to live unknown in the abode of that monarch.'
