03069001a zrutvA vacasH sudevasya RtuparNo narAdhipaH bRhadazva continued, 'Having heard the words of Sudeva, king RtuparNa,
03069001c sAntvayaJ zlakSNayA vAcA bAhukamM pratyabhASata soothing bAhuka with gentle words, said, 'O bAhuka,
03069002a vidarbhAn yAtum icchAmi damayantyAsH svayaMvaram I want to go to Damayanti's svayaMvara
03069002c ekAhnA hayatattvajJa manyase yadi bAhuka in course of a single day, if you think (that you can do it), bAhuka. Thou art well-skilled in training and guiding horses.
03069003a evam uktasya kaunteya tena rAjJA nalasya ha Thus addressed, O son of kuntI, by that king,
03069003c vyadIryata mano duHkhAt pradadhyau ca mahAmanAH nala felt his heart to be bursting in grief. And the high-souled king seemed to burn in sorrow. And he thought within himself,
03069004a damayantI bhaved etat kuryAd duHkhena mohitA 'Perhaps Damayanti in doing this is blinded by sorrow.
03069004c asmadarthe bhaved vAyam upAyaz cintito mahAn Or, perhaps, she hath conceived this magnificent scheme for my sake.
03069005a nRzaMsamM bata vaidarbhI kartukAmA tapasvinI Alas, cruel is the deed that the innocent princess of Vidarbha intends to do,
03069005c mayA kSudreNa nikRtA pApenAkRtabuddhinA having been deceived by my sinful and low self of little sense.
03069006a strIsvabhAvaz calo loke mama doSaz ca dAruNaH It is seen in the world that the nature of woman is inconstant. My offence also hath been great;
03069006c syAd evam api kuryAt sA vivazA gatasauhRdA perhaps she is acting so, because she hath no longer any love for me owing to my separation from her.
03069006e mama zokena saMvignA nairAzyAt tanumadhyamA Indeed, that girl of slender waist, afflicted with grief on my account and with despair,
03069007a na caivaGM karhi cit kuryAt sApatyA ca vizeSataH will not certainly do anything of the kind, when especially, she is the mother of offspring (by me).
03069007c yad atra satyaM vAsatyaGM gatvA vetsyAmi nizcayam However whether this is true or false, I shall ascertain with certitude by going thither.
03069007e RtuparNasya vai kAmam AtmArthaJM ca karomy aham I will, therefore, accomplish RtuparNa's and my own purpose also.'
03069008a iti nizcitya manasA bAhuko dInamAnasaH Having resolved thus in his mind, bAhuka, with his heart in sorrow,
03069008c kRtAJjalir uvAcedam RtuparNanM narAdhipam spake unto king RtuparNa, with joined hands, saying,
03069009a pratijAnAmi te vAkyaGM gamiSyAmi narAdhipa 'O monarch, I bow to thy behest, and, O tiger among men, I will go
03069009c ekAhnA puruSavyAghra vidarbhanagarInM nRpa to the city of the Vidarbhas in a single day. O king!'
03069010a tataH parIkSAm azvAnAM cakre rAjan sa bAhukaH
03069010c azvazAlAm upAgamya bhAGgasvarinRpAjJayA Then, O monarch, at the command of the royal son of Bhangasura, bAhuka went to the stables and began to examine the horses.
03069011a sa tvaryamANo bahuza RtuparNena bAhukaH And repeatedly urged by RtuparNa to make haste, bAhuka
03069011c adhyagacchat kRzAn azvAn samarthAn adhvani kSamAn after much scrutiny and careful deliberation, selected some steeds that were lean-fleshed, yet strong and capable of a long journey
03069012a tejobalasamAyuktAn kulazIlasamanvitAn and endued with energy and strength of high breed and docility,
03069012c varjitAl~ lakSaNair hInaiH pRthuprothAn mahAhanUn free from inauspicious marks, with wide nostrils and swelling cheeks,
03069012e zuddhAn dazabhir AvartaisH sindhujAn vAtaraMhasaH free from faults as regards the ten hairy curls, born in (the country of) Sindhu, and fleet as the winds.
03069013a dRSTvA tAn abravId rAjA kiJM cit kopasamanvitaH And seeing those horses, the king said somewhat angrily,
03069013c kim idamM prArthitaGM kartumM pralabdhavyA hi te vayam 'What is this, that thou wishest to do? Are you going to deceive us?
03069014a katham alpabalaprANA vakSyantIme hayA mama How can these horses of mine, weak in strength and breath, carry us?
03069014c mahAn adhvA ca turagair gantavyaH katham IdRzaiH And how shall we be able to go this long way by help of these?'
03069015 bAhuka uvAca bAhuka replied,
03069015e eko lalATe dvau mUrdhni dvau dvau pArzvopapArzvayoH 'one (curl) on the forehead, two on the temples, two on each flank,
03069015g dvau dvau vakSasi vijJeyau prayANe caika eva tu two on the chest, and one on the ass, (every one of these steeds has).
03069015a ete hayA gamiSyanti vidarbhAn nAtra saMzayaH Sure as hell these steeds will go to the country of the Vidarbhas.
03069015c athAnyAn manyase rAjan brUhi kAn yojayAmi te If, O king, you think of others, say which ones I'll yoke for you.'
03069016 RtuparNa uvAca RtuparNa rejoined,
03069016a tvam eva hayatattvajJaH kuzalaz cAsi bAhuka 'You are the one that knows of horses, you are skilful, bAhuka,
03069016c yAn manyase samarthAMs tvaGM kSipranM tAn eva yojaya Hurry up and yoke whichever horses you think are good.'
03069017 bRhadazva uvAca
03069017a tatasH sadazvAMz caturaH kulazIlasamanvitAn Thereupon four excellent steeds of good breed that were, besides, docile and fleet.
03069017c yojayAmAsa kuzalo javayuktAn rathe nalaH the skillful nala yoked upon the car .
03069018a tato yuktaM rathaM rAjA samArohat tvarAnvitaH And after the chariot had been yoked, the king without loss of time mounted upon the car,
03069018c atha paryapatan bhUmau jAnubhis te hayottamAH when those best of horses fell down upon the ground on their knees.
03069019a tato naravarazH zrImAn nalo rAjA vizAmM pate Then, O king, that foremost of men, the blessed king nala
03069019c sAntvayAmAsa tAn azvAMs tejobalasamanvitAn began to soothe those horses endued with energy and strength.
03069020a razmibhiz ca samudyamya nalo yAtum iyeSa saH And raising them up with the reins, nala prepared to set out,
03069020c sUtam Aropya vArSNeyaJM javam AsthAya vai param after making the charioteer Varshneya sit on the car, with great speed.
03069021a te codyamAnA vidhinA bAhukena hayottamAH And those best of steeds, duly urged by bAhuka,
03069021c samutpetur ivAkAzaM rathinamM mohayann iva sort of like rose to the sky, confounding the owner of the vehicle.
03069022a tathA tu dRSTvA tAn azvAn vahato vAtaraMhasaH And beholding those steeds gifted with the speed of the wind thus drawing the car,
03069022c ayodhyAdhipatir dhImAn vismayamM paramaM yayau the wise king of Ayodhaya was exceedingly amazed.
03069023a rathaghoSanM tu taM zrutvA hayasaGMgrahaNaJM ca tat And noticing the rattle of the car and also the management of the steeds,
03069023c vArSNeyaz cintayAmAsa bAhukasya hayajJatAm Varshneya reflected upon bAhuka's skill in guiding horses. And he thought,
03069024a kinM nu syAn mAtalir ayanM devarAjasya sArathiH 'Is he mAtali, the charioteer of the king of the celestials?
03069024c tathA hi lakSaNaM vIre bAhuke dRzyate mahat I find the same magnificent indications in the heroic bAhuka.
03069025a zAlihotro 'tha kinM nu syAd dhayAnAGM kulatattvavit Or, hath Salihotra versed in the science of horses
03069025c mAnuSaM samanuprApto vapuH paramazobhanam taken this human shape so beautiful?
03069026a utAhosvid bhaved rAjA nalaH parapuraMjayaH Or, is it king nala the reducer of hostile towns
03069026c so 'yanM nRpatir AyAta ity evaM samacintayat that hath come here?
03069027a atha vA yAnM nalo veda vidyAnM tAm eva bAhukaH Or, it may be that this bAhuka knoweth the science that nala knoweth,
03069027c tulyaM hi lakSaye jJAnamM bAhukasya nalasya ca for I perceive that the knowledge of bAhuka is equal to that of nala.
03069028a api cedaM vayas tulyam asya manye nalasya ca Further, bAhuka and nala are of the same age.
03069028c nAyanM nalo mahAvIryas tadvidyas tu bhaviSyati This one, again, may not be nala of high prowess, but somebody of equal knowledge.
03069029a pracchannA hi mahAtmAnaz caranti pRthivIm imAm Illustrious persons, however, walk this earth in disguise
03069029c daivena vidhinA yuktAzH zAstroktaiz ca virUpaNaiH in consequence of misfortune, or agreeably to the ordinance of the scriptures.
03069030a bhavet tu matibhedo me gAtravairUpyatAmM prati That this person is of unsightly appearance need not change my opinion;
03069030c pramANAt parihInas tu bhaved iti hi me matiH for nala, I think, may even be despoiled of his personal features.
03069031a vayaHpramANaM tattulyaM rUpeNa tu viparyayaH In respect of age this one equals nala. There is difference, however, in personal appearance.
03069031c nalaM sarvaguNair yuktamM manye bAhukam antataH bAhuka, again is endued with every accomplishment. I think, therefore, he is nala.'
03069032a evaM vicArya bahuzo vArSNeyaH paryacintayat Having thus reasoned long in his mind, O mighty monarch, Varshneya,
03069032c hRdayena mahArAja puNyazlokasya sArathiH the (former) charioteer of the righteous nala, became absorbed in thought.
03069033a RtuparNas tu rAjendra bAhukasya hayajJatAm And that foremost of kings RtuparNa, also, beholding the skill of bAhuka in equestrian science
03069033c cintayan mumude rAjA sahavArSNeyasArathiH experienced great delight, along with his charioteer Varshneya.
03069034a balaM vIryanM tathotsAhaM hayasaGMgrahaNaJM ca tat And thinking of bAhuka's application and ardour and the manner of his holding the reins,
03069034c paraM yatnaJM ca samMprekSya parAmM mudam avApa ha the king felt exceedingly glad.''
