03070001a sa nadIH parvatAMz caiva vanAni ca sarAMsi ca ' nala soon crossed rivers and mountains, and woods and lakes,
03070001c acireNAticakrAma khecaraH khe carann iva Like a bird coursing through the sky.
03070002a tathA prayAte tu rathe tadA bhAGgasvarir nRpaH And while the car was coursing thus, king bhAGgasvari,
03070002c uttarIyam athApazyad bhraSTamM parapuraJMjayaH saw his upper garment drop down on the ground, that conqueror of hostile cities.
03070003a tatasH sa tvaramANas tu paTe nipatite tadA And at soon as his garment had dropped down the high-minded monarch, without loss of time,
03070003c grahISyAmIti taM rAjA nalam Aha mahAmanAH told nala, 'I intend to recover it.
03070004a nigRhNISva mahAbuddhe hayAn etAn mahAjavAn O thou of profound intelligence, retain these steeds endued with exceeding swiftness
03070004c vArSNeyo yAvad etamM me paTam AnayatAm iti until Varshneya bringeth back my garment.'
03070005a nalas tamM pratyuvAcAtha dUre bhraSTaH paTas tava Thereupon nala replied unto him, 'The sheet is dropped down far away.
03070005c yojanaM samatikrAnto na sa zakyas tvayA punaH We have travelled one yojana thence. Therefore, it is incapable of being recovered.'
03070006a evam ukte nalenAtha tadA bhAGgasvarir nRpaH After nala had addressed him thus, O king, the royal son of Bhangasura
03070006c AsasAda vane rAjan phalavantamM bibhItakam came upon a Vibhitaka tree with fruits in a forest.
03070007a tanM dRSTvA bAhukaM rAjA tvaramANo 'bhyabhASata And seeing that tree, the king hastily said to bAhuka,
03070007c mamApi sUta pazya tvaM saGMkhyAne paramamM balam 'O charioteer, do thou also behold my high proficiency in calculation.
03070008a sarvasH sarvanM na jAnAti sarvajJo nAsti kaz cana All men do not know everything. There is no one that is versed in every science of art.
03070008c naikatra pariniSThAsti jJAnasya puruSe kva cit Knowledge in its entirety is not found in any one person,
03070009a vRkSe 'smin yAni parNAni phalAny api ca bAhuka O bAhuka, the leaves and fruits of this tree
03070009c patitAni ca yAny atra tatraikam adhikaM zatam that are lying on the ground respectively exceed
03070009e ekapatrAdhikamM patramM phalam ekaJM ca bAhuka those that are on it by one hundred and one.
03070010a paJca koTyo 'tha patrANAnM dvayor api ca zAkhayoH The two branches of the tree have fifty millions of leaves,
03070010c pracinuhy asya zAkhe dve yAz cApy anyAH prazAkhikAH
03070010e AbhyAmM phalasahasre dve paJconaM zatam eva ca and two thousand and ninety five fruits. Do thou examine these two branches and all their boughs.'
03070011a tato rathAd avaplutya rAjAnamM bAhuko 'bravIt Thereupon staying the car bAhuka addressed the king, saying,
03070011c parokSam iva me rAjan katthase zatrukarzana 'O crusher of foes, thou takest credit to thyself in a matter which is beyond my perception.
03070012a tathAtra gaNite rAjan vidyate na parokSatA But, o king, when I actually count, it will no longer be matter of speculation.
note: : atra gaNite = when this one is counted
note: : vidyate na parokSatA = there is no hearsay-ness
03070012c pratyakSanM te mahArAja gaNayiSye bibhItakam Therefore, in thy presence, O monarch, I will count the bibhItaka.
03070013a ahaM hi nAbhijAnAmi bhaved evanM na veti ca Because I do not know whether it be not (as thou hast said)...
03070013c saGMkhyAsyAmi phalAny asya pazyatas te janAdhipa in thy presence, O ruler of men, I will count its fruits.
03070013e muhUrtam iva vArSNeyo razmIn yacchatu vAjinAm Let Varshneya hold the reins of the horses for a while.'
03070014a tam abravIn nRpasH sUtanM nAyaGM kAlo vilambitum Unto the charioteer the king replied, 'There is no time to lose.'
03070014c bAhukas tv abravId enamM paraM yatnaM samAsthitaH But bAhuka answered with humility,
03070015a pratIkSasva muhUrtanM tvam atha vA tvarate bhavAn 'Stay thou a short while, or, if thou art in a hurry,
03070015c eSa yAti zivaH panthA yAhi vArSNeyasArathiH See, the road lies direct and even. Go, making Varshneya thy charioteer. '
03070016a abravId RtuparNas taM sAntvayan kurunandana And at this, O son of the kuru race, soothing bAhuka, RtuparNa said,
03070016c tvam eva yantA nAnyo 'sti pRthivyAm api bAhuka 'O bAhuka, thou art the only charioteer, there is none other in this world.
03070017a tvatkRte yAtum icchAmi vidarbhAn hayakovida And, O thou versed in horse lore, it is through thy help that I expect to go to the Vidarbhas.
03070017c zaraNanM tvAmM prapanno 'smi na vighnaGM kartum arhasi I place myself in thy hands. It behoveth thee not to cause any obstacle.
03070018a kAmaJM ca te kariSyAmi yan mAM vakSyasi bAhuka And, O bAhuka, whatever thy wish, I will grant it
03070018c vidarbhAn yadi yAtvAdya sUryanM darzayitAsi me if taking me to the country of the Vidarbhas to-day, thou makest me see the sun rise.'
03070019a athAbravId bAhukas taM saGMkhyAyemamM bibhItakam At this, bAhuka answered him, saying, 'After having counted (the leaves and fruits of the) Vibhitaka,
03070019c tato vidarbhAn yAsyAmi kuruSvedaM vaco mama I shall proceed to Vidarbha, do thou agree to my words.
03070020a akAma iva taM rAjA gaNayasvety uvAca ha Then the king reluctantly told him, 'Count, ...
03070020e ekadezaJM ca zAkhAyAsH samAdiSTamM mayAnagha And on counting the leaves and fruits of a portion of this branch,
03070020g gaNayasvAzvatattvajJa tatas tvamM prItim Avaha thou wilt be satisfied of the truth of my assertion.'
03070020c so 'vatIrya rathAt tUrNaM zAtayAmAsa tanM drumam And thereupon bAhuka speedily alighted from the car, and felled that tree.
03070021a tatasH sa vismayAviSTo rAjAnam idam abravIt And struck with amazement ,he addressed the king, saying,
03070021c gaNayitvA yathoktAni tAvanty eva phalAni ca (upon finding the fruits, after calculation, to be what the king had said, )
03070022a atyadbhutam idaM rAjan dRSTavAn asmi te balam 'O monarch, I have seen that this thy power is wonderful.
03070022c zrotum icchAmi tAM vidyAM yathaitaj jJAyate nRpa I desire, O king, to know the art by which thou hast ascertained this.
03070023a tam uvAca tato rAjA tvarito gamane tadA And at this king, intent upon proceeding speedily, said unto bAhuka.
03070023c viddhy akSahRdayajJamM mAM saGMkhyAne ca vizAradam 'Know that I am proficient at dice besides being versed in numbers'.
03070024a bAhukas tam uvAcAtha dehi vidyAm imAmM mama And bAhuka said unto him, 'Impart unto me this knowledge
03070024c matto 'pi cAzvahRdayaGM gRhANa puruSarSabha and, o bull among men, take from me my knowledge of horses.'
03070025a RtuparNas tato rAjA bAhukaGM kAryagauravAt And then king RtuparNa, as he was in a hurry
03070025c hayajJAnasya lobhAc ca tathety evAbravId vacaH and from greed of the horse-lore, told bAhuka, 'Deal!'.
note: : kAryagauravAt, according to Sir Monier Monier, means "because of the urgency of his business". gaGguli says that kArya-gauravAt means "having regard to the importance of the act that depended upon bAhuka's good-will". Either way, the kArya was getting to the vidarbhas in time, and the point here is that RtuparNa accepted quickly because he had the carrot in front and the stick at his back.
03070026a yatheSTanM tvaGM gRhANedam akSANAM hRdayamM param As solicited by thee, receive this science of dice from me, and,
03070026c nikSepo me 'zvahRdayanM tvayi tiSThatu bAhuka O bAhuka, let my equine science remain with thee in trust.'
03070026e evam uktvA dadau vidyAm RtuparNo nalAya vai And saying this, RtuparNa imparted unto nala the science (he desired).
03070027a tasyAkSahRdayajJasya zarIrAn nisHsRtaH kaliH And nala upon becoming acquainted with the science of dice, kali came out of his body,
03070027c karkoTakaviSanM tIkSNamM mukhAt satatam udvaman incessantly vomiting from his mouth the virulent poison of Karkotaka.
03070028a kales tasya tadArtasya zApAgnisH sa vinisHsRtaH Then that curse-fire of that distressed kali came out.
03070028c sa tena karzito rAjA dIrghakAlam anAtmavAn That king had been afflicted with craziness by it for a long time.
03070029a tato viSavimuktAtmA svarUpam akarot kaliH And then kali, freed from the venom, took back his own shape.
03070029c taM zaptum aicchat kupito niSadhAdhipatir nalaH And nala the ruler of the Nishadhas, in wrath, was bent upon cursing him,
note: : aicchat "wanted to" may also mean "was about to".
03070030a tam uvAca kalir bhIto vepamAnaH kRtAJjaliH kali, frightened and trembling, told him, with joined hands,
03070030c kopaM saMyaccha nRpate kIrtinM dAsyAmi te parAm 'Control thy wrath, O king! I will render thee illustrious.
03070031a indrasenasya jananI kupitA mAzapat purA Indrasena's mother cursed me in anger long ago
03070031c yadA tvayA parityaktA tato 'hamM bhRzapIDitaH when she had been deserted by thee.
03070032a avasanM tvayi rAjendra suduHkham aparAjita I resided in thee, O mighty monarch, undergoing sore affliction , O unconquered one,
03070032c viSeNa nAgarAjasya dahyamAno divAnizam and burning night and day with the venom of the prince of snakes. I seek thy protection. If thou dost not curse me who am affrighted and seek thy protection,
03070033a ye ca tvAmM manujA loke kIrtayiSyanty atandritAH then those men that will attentively recite thy history,
03070033c matprasUtamM bhayanM teSAnM na kadA cid bhaviSyati shall be even free from fear on my account.'
03070034a evam ukto nalo rAjA nyayacchat kopam AtmanaH And thus addressed by kali, king nala controlled his wrath.
03070034c tato bhItaH kaliH kSipraM praviveza bibhItakam And thereupon the frightened kali speedily entered into the Vibhitaka tree.
03070034e kalis tv anyena nAdRzyat kathayan naiSadhena vai And while the kali was conversing with Naishadha, he was invisible to others.
note: : dRzyati is a zyan verb meaning disappear or be invisible. Or, adRzyat is a grammar mistake for adRzyata, take your pick.
03070035a tato gatajvaro rAjA naiSadhaH paravIrahA And delivered from his afflictions,
03070035c samMpranaSTe kalau rAjan saGMkhyAyAtha phalAny uta and having counted the fruits of that tree, the king,
03070036a mudA paramayA yuktas tejasA ca pareNa ha filled with great joy and high energy,
03070036c ratham Aruhya tejasvI prayayau javanair hayaiH mounted on the car and proceeded with energy, urging those fleet horses.
03070036e bibhItakaz cAprazastasH saMvRttaH kalisaMzrayAt And from the touch of kali the Vibhitaka tree from that hour fell into disrepute.
note: : And that's why, to this day, Hindus that know this story never rest under the shadow of that tree.
03070037c nalasH saJMcodayAmAsa prahRSTenAntarAtmanA And nala, with a glad heart, began to urge those foremost of steeds which sprang into the air once and again, like creatures endued with wings.
03070038a vidarbhAbhimukho rAjA prayayau sa mahAmanAH And the illustrious monarch drove (the car) in the direction of the Vidarbhas.
03070038c nale tu samatikrAnte kalir apy agamad gRhAn And after nala had gone far away, kali also returned to his abode.
03070039a tato gatajvaro rAjA nalo 'bhUt pRthivIpate Then, the royal nala, became freed from calamity, o lord of earth
03070039c vimuktaH kalinA rAjan rUpamAtraviyojitaH abandoned by kali, deprived only of his beauty.''
