03074001a sarvaM vikAranM dRSTvA tu puNyazlokasya dhImataH
03074001c Agatya kezinI kSipranM damayantyai nyavedayat 'bRhadazva said, 'Beholding the agitation of the virtuous and wise nala, kezinI returned unto Damayanti and related everything unto her.
03074002a damayantI tato bhUyaH preSayAmAsa kezinIm And thereupon Damayanti with a sorrowful heart and eager to behold nala, again despatched kezinI
03074002c mAtusH sakAzanM duHkhArtA nalazaGkAsamutsukA to her mother, asking her to say on her behalf:
03074003a parIkSito me bahuzo bAhuko nalazaGkayA Suspecting bAhuka to be nala, I have tried him in various ways.
03074003c rUpe me saMzayas tv ekasH svayam icchAmi veditum My doubt now only relates to his appearance. I intend to examine him myself.
03074004a sa vA pravezyatAmM mAtar mAM vAnujJAtum arhasi O mother, either let him enter the palace, or give me permission to go to him.
03074004c viditaM vAtha vAjJAtamM pitur me saMvidhIyatAm And arrange this with the knowledge of my father or without it.
03074005a evam uktA tu vaidarbhyA sA devI bhImam abravIt And thus addressed to Damayanti, that lady communicated unto bhIma
03074005c duhitus tam abhiprAyam anvajAnAc ca pArthivaH the intention of his daughter, and upon learning it the king gave his consent.
03074006a sA vai pitrAbhyanujJAtA mAtrA ca bharatarSabha And, O bull of the bharata race, having obtained the consent both of her father and mother,
03074006c nalamM pravezayAmAsa yatra tasyAH pratizrayaH Damayanti caused nala to be brought to her apartments.
03074007a tanM tu dRSTvA tathAyuktanM damayantI nalanM tadA And as soon as he saw Damayanti unexpectedly,
03074007c tIvrazokasamAviSTA babhUva varavarNinI king nala was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, and bathed in tears. And that best of women, Damayanti, also, upon beholding king nala in that condition, was sorely afflicted with grief.
03074008a tataH kASAyavasanA jaTilA malapaGkinI And, O monarch, herself clad in a piece of red cloth, and wearing matted locks, and covered with dirt and dust,
03074009a dRSTapUrvas tvayA kaz cid dharmajJo nAma bAhuka 'O bAhuka, hast thou ever seen some person acquainted with duty, who hath gone away,
03074009c suptAm utsRjya vipine gato yaH puruSaH striyam deserting his sleeping wife in the forest?
03074010a anAgasamM priyAmM bhAryAM vijane zramamohitAm His dear and unoffending wife overcome with fatigue,
03074010c apahAya tu ko gacchet puNyazlokam Rte nalam who, except the virtuous nala, could go away, deserting her in the woods?
03074011a kinM nu tasya mayA kAryam aparAddhamM mahIpateH Of what offence was I guilty in the eyes of that monarch
03074011c yo mAm utsRjya vipine gatavAn nidrayA hRtAm since my early youth that he should go away deserting me in the woods while asleep overcome with fatigue?
03074012a sAkSAd devAn apAhAya vRto yasH sa mayA purA Why should he whom I formerly chose in preference to the gods themselves
03074012c anuvratAM sAbhikAmAmM putriNInM tyaktavAn katham abandon his ever-devoted and loving wife who had become the mother also of his children?
03074013a agnau pANigRhItAJM ca haMsAnAM vacane sthitAm Before the fire, and in presence also of the celestials,
03074013c bhariSyAmIti satyaJM ca pratizrutya kva tad gatam he had taken my hand, vowing, 'Verily I will be thine.' Oh, where was that vow when he deserted me. O represser of foes.'
03074014a damayantyA bruvantyAs tu sarvam etad arinMdama While Damayanti was saying all this,
03074014c zokajaM vAri netrAbhyAm asukhamM prAsravad bahu tears of sorrow began to flow plentifully from her eyes,
03074015a atIva kRSNatArAbhyAM raktAntAbhyAJM jalanM tu tat nala saw that water flowing out of her eyes with very black pupils and red ends
03074015c parisravan nalo dRSTvA zokArta idam abravIt and, afflicted with grief, said this --
03074016a mama rAjyamM pranaSTaM yan nAhanM tat kRtavAn svayam ``the loss of my kingdom was not my act.
03074016c kalinA tat kRtamM bhIru yac ca tvAm aham atyajam Both were due to kali, O timid one, neither that I deserted thee .
03074017a tvayA tu dharmabhRcchreSThe zApenAbhihataH purA Thou hadst in the woods cursed kali, O foremost of virtuous women,
03074017c vanasthayA duHkhitayA zocantyA mAM vivAsasam while lamenting for me day and night, and overcome with sorrow,
note: she cursed kali at 03060016a
03074018a sa maccharIre tvacchApAd dahyamAno 'vasat kaliH and so he began to dwell in my body, burning in consequence of thy curse.
03074018c tvacchApadagdhasH satataM so 'gnAv iva samAhitaH Indeed burning with thy curse, he lived within me like fire within fire.
03074019a mama ca vyavasAyena tapasA caiva nirjitaH That wretch have I overcome by my observances and austerities,
03074019c duHkhasyAntena cAnena bhavitavyaM hi nau zubhe O blessed girl, so that our sorrows might terminate.
03074020a vimucya mAGM gataH pApaH sa tato 'ham ihAgataH The sinful wretch hath already left me, and it is for this that I have come hither.
03074020c tvadarthaM vipulazroNi na hi me 'nyat prayojanam My presence here, O fair lady, is for thy sake. I have no other object.
03074021a kathanM nu nArI bhartAram anuraktam anuvratam But, O timid one, can any other woman, forsaking her loving and devoted husband,
03074021c utsRjya varayed anyaM yathA tvamM bhIru karhi cit ever choose a second lord like thee?
03074022a dUtAz caranti pRthivIGM kRtsnAnM nRpatizAsanAt At the command of the king, messengers are ranging this entire earth,
03074022c bhaimI kila sma bhartAranM dvitIyaM varayiSyati saying, 'bhIma's daughter will, of her own accord, choose
03074023a svairavRttA yathAkAmam anurUpam ivAtmanaH a second husband worthy of her.'
03074023c zrutvaiva caivanM tvarito bhAGgasvarir upasthitaH Immediately on hearing this, the son of Bhangasura hath arrived here.'
03074024a damayantI tu tac chrutvA nalasya paridevitam
03074024c prAJjalir vepamAnA ca bhItA vacanam abravIt Hearing these lamentations of nala, Damayanti, frightened and trembling, said with joined hands,
