03065001a hRtarAjye nale bhImasH sabhArye preSyatAGM gate 'After nala, despoiled of his kingdom, had, with his wife, become a bondsman,
03065001c dvijAn prasthApayAmAsa naladarzanakAGkSayA bhIma with the desire of seeing nala sent out brAhmaNas to search for him.
03065002a sanMdideza ca tAn bhImo vasu dattvA ca puSkalam And giving them profuse wealth, bhIma enjoined on them, saying,
03065002c mRgayadhvanM nalaJM caiva damayantIJM ca me sutAm 'Do ye search for nala, and also for my daughter damayantI.
03065003a asmin karmaNi niSpanne vijJAte niSadhAdhipe He who achieveth this task, viz., ascertaining where the ruler of the Nishadhas is,
03065003c gavAM sahasranM dAsyAmi yo vas tAv AnayiSyati bringeth him and my daughter hither, will obtain from me a thousand kine,
03065003e agrahAraJM ca dAsyAmi grAmanM nagarasamMmitam and fields, and a village resembling a town.
03065004a na cec chakyAv ihAnetunM damayantI nalo 'pi vA Even if failing to bring damayantI and nala here,
03065004c jJAtamAtre 'pi dAsyAmi gavAnM dazazatanM dhanam he that succeeds learning their whereabouts, will get from me the wealth represented by a thousand kine.'
03065005a ity uktAs te yayur hRSTA brAhmaNAsH sarvatodizam Thus addressed, the brAhmaNas cheerfully went out in all directions
03065005c purarASTrANi cinvanto naiSadhaM saha bhAryayA seeking nala and his wife in cities and provinces. But nala or his spouse they found not anywhere.
03065006a tataz cedipurIM ramyAM sudevo nAma vai dvijaH Until at length searching the beautiful city of the Chedis, a brAhmaNa named Sudeva,
03065006c vicinvAno 'tha vaidarbhIm apazyad rAjavezmani saw the princess of Vidarbha in the palace of the king,
03065006e puNyAhavAcane rAjJasH sunandAsahitAM sthitAm during the time of the king's prayers, seated with sunandA.
03065007a mandaprakhyAyamAnena rUpeNApratimena tAm And her incomparable beauty was slightly perceptible,
03065007c pinaddhAnM dhUmajAlena prabhAm iva vibhAvasoH like the brightness of a fire enveloped in curls of smoke.
03065008a tAM samIkSya vizAlAkSIm adhikamM malinAGM kRzAm And beholding that lady of large eyes, soiled and emaciated
03065008c tarkayAmAsa bhaimIti kAraNair upapAdayan she figured out she was damayantI, coming to that conclusion from various reasons.
03065009 sudeva uvAca And Sudeva said,
03065009a yatheyamM me purA dRSTA tathArUpeyam aGganA 'As I saw her before, this damsel is even so at present.
03065009c kRtArtho 'smy adya dRSTvemAM lokakAntAm iva zriyam O, I am blest, by casting my eyes on this fair one, like zrI herself delighting the worlds!
03065010a pUrNacandrAnanAM zyAmAJM cAruvRttapayodharAm Resembling the full moon, of unchanging youth, of well-rounded breasts,
03065010c kurvantImM prabhayA devIM sarvA vitimirA dizaH illumining all sides by her splendour,
03065011a cArupadmapalAzAkSImM manmathasya ratIm iva possessed of large eyes like beautiful lotuses, like unto manmatha's rati
03065011c iSTAM sarvasya jagataH pUrNacandraprabhAm iva herself the delight of all the worlds like the rays of the full moon,
03065012a vidarbhasarasas tasmAd daivadoSAd ivoddhRtAm From the Vidarbha lake and covered with mire in the process,
03065012c malapaGkAnuliptAGgImM mRNAlIm iva tAmM bhRzam O, she looketh like a lotus-stalk transplanted by adverse fortune.
03065013a paurNamAsIm iva nizAM rAhugrastanizAkarAm She looketh like the night of the full moon when Rahu hath swallowed that luminary,
03065013c patizokAkulAnM dInAM zuSkasrotAnM nadIm iva And oppressed with grief on account of her husband, and melancholy, or like a stream whose current hath dried up.
03065014a vidhvastaparNakamalAM vitrAsitavihaGMgamAm Her plight is very much like that of a ravaged lake with the leaves of its lotuses crushed
03065014c hastihastaparikliSTAM vyAkulAm iva padminIm by the trunks of elephants, and with its birds and fowls affrighted by the invasion.
03065015a sukumArIM sujAtAGgIM ratnagarbhagRhocitAm Indeed, this girl, of a delicate frame and of lovely limbs, and deserving to dwell in a mansion decked with gems,
03065015c dahyamAnAm ivoSNena mRNAlIm aciroddhRtAm is (now) like an uprooted lotus-stalk scorched by the sun.
03065016a rUpaudAryaguNopetAmM maNDanArhAm amaNDitAm Endued with beauty and generosity of nature, and destitute of ornaments, though deserving of them,
03065016c candralekhAm iva navAM vyomni nIlAbhrasaMvRtAm she looketh like the moon 'new bent in haven' but covered with black clouds.
03065017a kAmabhogaiH priyair hInAM hInAM bandhujanena ca Destitute of comforts and luxuries, separated from loved ones and friends,
03065017c dehanM dhArayatInM dInAmM bhartRdarzanakAGkSayA she liveth in distress, supported by the hope of beholding her lord.
03065018a bhartA nAma paranM nAryA bhUSaNamM bhUSaNair vinA Verily, the husband is the best ornament of a woman, however destitute of ornaments.
03065018c eSA virahitA tena zobhanApi na zobhate Without her husband beside her, this lady, though beautiful, shineth not.
03065019a duSkaraGM kurute 'tyarthaM hIno yad anayA nalaH
03065019c dhArayaty Atmano dehanM na zokenAvasIdati It is a hard feat achieved by Nala in that he liveth without succumbing to grief, though separated from such a wife.
03065020a imAm asitakezAntAM zatapatrAyatekSaNAm Beholding this damsel possessed of black hair and of eyes like lotus-leaves,
03065020c sukhArhAnM duHkhitAM dRSTvA mamApi vyathate manaH in woe though deserving of bliss, even my heart is pained.
03065021a kadA nu khalu duHkhasya pAraM yAsyati vai zubhA Alas! when shall this girl graced with auspicious marks
03065021c bhartusH samAgamAt sAdhvI rohiNI zazino yathA and devoted to her husband, crossing this ocean of woe, regain the company of her lord, like Rohini regaining the Moon's?
03065022a asyA nUnamM punar lAbhAn naiSadhaH prItim eSyati Surely, the king of the Nishadhas will experience in regaining her the delight
03065022c rAjA rAjyaparibhraSTaH punar labdhveva medinIm that a king deprived of his kingdom experienceth in regaining his kingdom.
03065023c naiSadho 'rhati vaidarbhInM taJM ceyam asitekSaNA Equal to her in nature and age and extraction, Nala deserveth the daughter of Vidarbha, and this damsel of black eyes also deserveth him.
03065024a yuktanM tasyAprameyasya vIryasattvavato mayA It behoveth me to comfort the queen of that hero of immeasurable prowess and endued with energy and might,
03065024c samAzvAsayitumM bhAryAmM patidarzanalAlasAm (since) she is so eager to meet her husband.
03065025a ayam AzvAsayAmy enAmM pUrNacandranibhAnanAm I will console this afflicted girl of face like the full moon,
03065025c adRSTapUrvAnM duHkhasya duHkhArtAM dhyAnatatparAm and suffering distress that she had never before endured, and ever meditating on her lord.'
03065026 bRhadazva uvAca 'Vrihadaswa continued,
03065026a evaM vimRzya vividhaiH kAraNair lakSaNaiz ca tAm 'Having thus reflected on these various circumstances and signs,
03065026c upagamya tato bhaimIM sudevo brAhmaNo 'bravIt the brAhmaNa, Sudeva, approached damayantI, and addressed her, saying,
03065027a ahaM sudevo vaidarbhi bhrAtus te dayitasH sakhA 'O princess of Vidarbha, I am sudeva, the dear friend of thy brother.
03065027c bhImasya vacanAd rAjJas tvAm anveSTum ihAgataH I have come here, seeking thee, at the desire of king bhIma.
03065028a kuzalI te pitA rAjJi janitrI bhrAtaraz ca te Thy father is well, and also thy mother, and thy brothers.
03065028c AyuSmantau kuzalinau tatrasthau dArakau ca te And thy son and daughter, blessed with length of days, are living in peace.
03065028e tvatkRte bandhuvargAz ca gatasattvA ivAsate Thy relatives, though alive, are almost dead on thy account, and hundreds of brAhmaNas are ranging the world in search of thee.'
03065029a abhijJAya sudevanM tu damayantI yudhiSThira 'Vrihadaswa continued, 'O yudhiSThira, damayantI recognising sudeva,
03065029c paryapRcchat tatasH sarvAn krameNa suhRdasH svakAn asked him respecting all her relatives and kinsmen one after another.
03065030a ruroda ca bhRzaM rAjan vaidarbhI zokakarzitA And, O monarch, oppressed with grief, the princess of Vidarbha began to weep bitterly,
03065030c dRSTvA sudevaM sahasA bhrAtur iSTanM dvijottamam at the unexpected sight of sudeva, that foremost of brAhmaNas and the friend of her brother.
03065031a tato rudantInM tAnM dRSTvA sunandA zokakarzitAm
03065031c sudevena sahaikAnte kathayantIJM ca bhArata And, O bharata, beholding damayantI weeping, and conversing in private with Sudeva, Sunanda was distressed, and going to her mother informed her, saying,
03065032a janitryai preSayAmAsa sairandhrI rudate bhRzam 'sairandhrI is weeping bitterly
03065032c brAhmaNena samAgamya tAM veda yadi manyase in the presence of a brAhmaNa. If thou likest, satisfy thyself.'
03065033a atha cedipater mAtA rAjJaz cAntaHpurAt tadA And thereupon the mother of the king of the Chedis, issuing from the inner apartments of the palace,
03065033c jagAma yatra sA bAlA brAhmaNena sahAbhavat came to the place where the girl (damayantI) was with that brAhmaNa.
03065034c papraccha bhAryA kasyeyaM sutA vA kasya bhAminI Then calling sudeva, O king, the queen-mother asked him, 'Whose wife is this fair one, and whose daughter?
03065035a kathaJM ca naSTA jJAtibhyo bhartur vA vAmalocanA How hath this lady of beautiful eyes been deprived of the company of her relatives and of her husband as well?
03065035c tvayA ca viditA vipra katham evaGMgatA satI And how also hast thou come to know this lady fallen into such a plight?
03065036a etad icchAmy ahanM tvatto jJAtuM sarvam azeSataH I wish to hear all this in detail from thee.
03065036c tattvena hi mamAcakSva pRcchantyA devarUpiNIm Do truly relate unto me who am asking thee about this damsel of celestial beauty.'
03065037a evam uktas tayA rAjan sudevo dvijasattamaH Then, O king, thus addressed by the queen-mother, sudeva, that best of brAhmaNas,
03065037c sukhopaviSTa AcaSTa damayantyA yathAtatham sat at his ease, and began to relate the true history of damayantI.''
