The Golden Swan Carries Word Between Nala and Damayanti

Verse 1 (3.50.1)

आसीद्राजा नलो नाम वीरसेनसुतो बली । उपपन्नो गुणैरिष्टै रूपवानश्वकोविदः ॥

āsīdrājā nalo nāma vīrasenasuto balī | upapanno guṇairiṣṭai rūpavānaśvakovidaḥ

There was a king named Nala, the mighty son of Virasena, endowed with every desirable quality, handsome and skilled with horses.

Verse 2 (3.50.2)

यज्वा दानपतिर्दक्षः सदा शीलपुरस्कृतः । अतिष्ठन्मनुजेन्द्राणां मूर्ध्नि देवपतिर्यथा । उपर्युपरि सर्वेषामादित्य इव तेजसा ॥

yajvā dānapatirdakṣaḥ sadā śīlapuraskṛtaḥ | atiṣṭhanmanujendrāṇāṃ mūrdhni devapatiryathā | uparyupari sarveṣāmāditya iva tejasā

A performer of sacrifices, a generous giver, capable and always devoted to good conduct, he stood at the head of all the lords of men as the lord of the gods stands, above them all like the sun in its brilliance.

Note on the text: Removed a stray backtick and quote mark. The first line is not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension; it appears in the apparatus as 3.50.1d*209); the second and third lines are the critical edition's 3.50.2, which the alignment missed.

Verse 3 (3.50.3)

ब्रह्मण्यो वेदविच्छूरो निषधेषु महीपतिः । अक्षप्रियः सत्यवादी महानक्षौहिणीपतिः ॥

brahmaṇyo vedavicchūro niṣadheṣu mahīpatiḥ | akṣapriyaḥ satyavādī mahānakṣauhiṇīpatiḥ

The lord of the Nishadhas was devoted to brahmins, learned in the Veda and brave; he was fond of dice, truthful, and a great commander of an akshauhini.

Note on the text: Corrected वेदविच्छ्ररो → वेदविच्छूरो (misprint in Wikisource; ्र for ू; वेदवित् + शूरः; the critical edition reads vedavic chūro).

Verse 4 (3.50.4)

ईप्सितो नरनारीणामुदारः संयतेन्द्रियः । रक्षिता धन्विनां श्रेष्ठः साक्षादिव मनुः स्वयम् ॥

īpsito naranārīṇāmudāraḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ | rakṣitā dhanvināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ sākṣādiva manuḥ svayam

Desired by men and women alike, noble, with his senses under control, a protector and the best of bowmen, he was like Manu himself in person.

Verse 5 (3.50.5)

तथैवासीद्विदर्भेषु भीमो भीमपराक्रमः । शूरः सर्वगुणैर्युक्तः प्रजाकामः स चाप्रजाः ॥

tathaivāsīdvidarbheṣu bhīmo bhīmaparākramaḥ | śūraḥ sarvaguṇairyuktaḥ prajākāmaḥ sa cāprajāḥ

In the same way, among the Vidarbhas there was Bhima, of fearsome prowess, brave and endowed with every virtue. He longed for children, but had none.

Verse 6 (3.50.6)

स प्रजार्थे परं यत्नमकरोत्सुसमाहितः । तमभ्यगच्छद्ब्रह्मर्षिर्दमनो नाम भारत ॥

sa prajārthe paraṃ yatnamakarotsusamāhitaḥ | tamabhyagacchadbrahmarṣirdamano nāma bhārata

With great concentration he made every effort to have children. Then a brahmin seer named Damana came to him, O Bharata.

Verse 7 (3.50.7)

तं स भीमः प्रजाकामस्तोषयामास धर्मवित् । महिष्या सह राजेन्द्र सत्कारेण सुवर्चसम् ॥

taṃ sa bhīmaḥ prajākāmastoṣayāmāsa dharmavit | mahiṣyā saha rājendra satkāreṇa suvarcasam

Bhima, who knew dharma and longed for children, together with his queen honoured that radiant seer with hospitality and pleased him, lord of kings.

Note on the text: Corrected राजेनद्‌र → राजेन्द्र (misprint in Wikisource; a broken conjunct written with a stray joiner; the critical edition reads rājendra).

Verse 8 (3.50.8)

तस्मै प्रसन्नो दमनः सभार्याय वरं ददौ । कन्यारत्नं कुमारांश्च त्रीनुदारान्महायशाः ॥

tasmai prasanno damanaḥ sabhāryāya varaṃ dadau | kanyāratnaṃ kumārāṃśca trīnudārānmahāyaśāḥ

Pleased, the illustrious Damana granted the king and his wife a boon: a jewel of a daughter and three noble sons,

Verse 9 (3.50.9)

दमयन्तीं दमं दान्तं दमनं च सुवर्चसम् । उपपन्नान्गुणैः सर्वैर्भीमान्भीमपराक्रमान् ॥

damayantīṃ damaṃ dāntaṃ damanaṃ ca suvarcasam | upapannānguṇaiḥ sarvairbhīmānbhīmaparākramān

Damayanti, Dama, Danta, and the radiant Damana, all endowed with every virtue, fearsome and of fearsome prowess.

Verse 10 (3.50.10)

दमयन्ती तु रूपेण तेजसा वपुषा श्रिया । सौभाग्येन च लोकेषु यशः प्राप सुमध्यमा ॥

damayantī tu rūpeṇa tejasā vapuṣā śriyā | saubhāgyena ca lokeṣu yaśaḥ prāpa sumadhyamā

Slender-waisted Damayanti won fame throughout the worlds for her beauty, her radiance, her form, her grace and her good fortune.

Verse 11 (3.50.11)

अथ तां वयसि प्राप्ते दासीनां समलंकृतम् । शतं सखीनां च तदा पर्युपास्ते शचीमिव ॥

atha tāṃ vayasi prāpte dāsīnāṃ samalaṃkṛtam | śataṃ sakhīnāṃ ca tadā paryupāste śacīmiva

When she came of age, a hundred finely adorned maidservants and a hundred companions waited on her, as on Shachi.

Note on the text: Dropped the bracketed line [शतं शतं सखीनां च पर्युपासच्छचीमिव], which Wikisource prints after this verse as an alternative reading of its second line. The verse is the critical edition's 3.50.11 (tathā for तदा); the alignment missed it.

Verse 12 (3.50.12)

तत्र स्म राजते भैमी सर्वाभरणभूषिता । सखीमध्येऽनवद्याङ्गी विद्युत्सौदामनी यथा ॥

tatra sma rājate bhaimī sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā | sakhīmadhye'navadyāṅgī vidyutsaudāmanī yathā

There Bhima's daughter shone, adorned with every ornament, flawless of limb among her companions, like lightning flashing from a rain cloud.

Note on the text: The critical edition's 3.50.12ab–cd (bhrājate for राजते, a variant, kept); the alignment missed it.

Verse 13 (3.50.13)

अतीव रूपसंपन्ना श्रीरिवायतलोचना । न देवेषु न यक्षेषु तादृग्रूपवती क्वचित् ॥

atīva rūpasaṃpannā śrīrivāyatalocanā | na deveṣu na yakṣeṣu tādṛgrūpavatī kvacit

She was surpassingly beautiful, large-eyed like Shri herself. Neither among the gods nor among the yakshas was there anyone so lovely,

Note on the text: The first line is the critical edition's 3.50.12ef, the second its 3.50.13ab; the alignment missed it.

Verse 14 (3.50.14)

मानुषेष्वपि चान्येषु दृष्टपूर्वाऽथवा श्रुता । चित्तप्रमाथिनी बाला देवानामपि सुन्दरी ॥

mānuṣeṣvapi cānyeṣu dṛṣṭapūrvā'thavā śrutā | cittapramāthinī bālā devānāmapi sundarī

nor had one been seen or heard of before among men or other beings: a maiden who stirred the heart, beautiful even in the eyes of the gods.

Note on the text: The critical edition's 3.50.13cd–ef (na ca śrutā for ऽथवा श्रुता, a variant, kept); the alignment missed it.

Verse 15 (3.50.15)

नलश्च नरशार्दूलो रूपेणाप्रतिमो भुवि । कंदर्प इव रूपेण मूर्तिमानभवत्स्वयम् ॥

nalaśca naraśārdūlo rūpeṇāpratimo bhuvi | kaṃdarpa iva rūpeṇa mūrtimānabhavatsvayam

And Nala, tiger among men, had no equal in beauty on earth; in his looks he was like Kandarpa, the god of love, in bodily form.

Verse 16 (3.50.16)

तस्याः समीपे तु नलं प्रशशंसुः कुतूहलात् । नैषधस्य समीपे तु दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः ॥

tasyāḥ samīpe tu nalaṃ praśaśaṃsuḥ kutūhalāt | naiṣadhasya samīpe tu damayantīṃ punaḥ punaḥ

Out of curiosity people praised Nala in her presence, and Damayanti again and again in the presence of the Naishadha.

Verse 17 (3.50.17)

तयोरदृष्टः कामोऽभूच्छृण्वतोः सततं गुणान् । अन्योन्यं प्रति कौन्तेय स व्यवर्धत हृच्छयः ॥

tayoradṛṣṭaḥ kāmo'bhūcchṛṇvatoḥ satataṃ guṇān | anyonyaṃ prati kaunteya sa vyavardhata hṛcchayaḥ

Hearing constantly of each other's virtues, they fell in love without ever having seen each other, son of Kunti, and the love in their hearts grew for each other.

Note on the text: Corrected व्वर्धत → व्यवर्धत (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads vyavardhata) and restored a missing word space (प्रतिकौन्तेय → प्रति कौन्तेय). अदृष्टः कामो for adṛṣṭakāmo is a variant and is kept.

Verse 18 (3.50.18)

अशक्नवन्नलः कामं तदा धारयितुं हृदा । अन्तःपुरसमीपस्थे वन आस्ते रहोगतः ॥

aśaknavannalaḥ kāmaṃ tadā dhārayituṃ hṛdā | antaḥpurasamīpasthe vana āste rahogataḥ

Unable to keep his longing within his heart any longer, Nala went off alone to a grove near the women's quarters.

Verse 19 (3.50.19)

स ददर्श ततो हंसाञ्जातरूपपरिच्छदान् । वने विचरतां तेषामेकं जग्राह पक्षिणम् ॥

sa dadarśa tato haṃsāñjātarūpaparicchadān | vane vicaratāṃ teṣāmekaṃ jagrāha pakṣiṇam

There he saw some swans with golden wings, and as they wandered through the grove he caught one of the birds.

Note on the text: Corrected ददर्शै → ददर्श and परिच्दान् → परिच्छदान् (misprints in Wikisource; a stray vowel sign and a dropped छ; the critical edition reads dadarśa … jātarūpaparicchadān, as does Wikisource's own note). ततो for tadā is a variant and is kept.

Verse 20 (3.50.20)

ततोऽन्तरिक्षगो वाचं व्याजहार नलं तदा । हन्तव्योऽस्मि न ते राजन्करिष्यामि तव प्रियम् ॥

tato'ntarikṣago vācaṃ vyājahāra nalaṃ tadā | hantavyo'smi na te rājankariṣyāmi tava priyam

Then the bird, the sky-farer, spoke to Nala: 'You should not kill me, O king. I will do you a kindness.'

Note on the text: Corrected ततो।डन्तरिक्षगो → ततोऽन्तरिक्षगो and हन्तव्योस्मि → हन्तव्योऽस्मि (misprints in Wikisource; a danda and ड printed for the avagraha, and a missing avagraha; the critical edition reads tato 'ntarikṣago … hantavyo 'smi), and restored two missing word spaces (तेराजन् → ते राजन्, तवप्रियम् → तव प्रियम्). The verse mixes narration and the swan's words, so it stays with Brihadashva.

Verse 21 (3.50.21)

दमयन्तीसकाशे त्वां कथयिष्यामि नैषध । यथा त्वदन्यं पुरुषं न सा मंस्यति कर्हिचित् ॥

damayantīsakāśe tvāṃ kathayiṣyāmi naiṣadha | yathā tvadanyaṃ puruṣaṃ na sā maṃsyati karhicit

I will speak of you in Damayanti's presence, Naishadha, so that she will never think of any other man than you.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints no speaker heading; the swan's words fill this verse, so it is given to the swan rather than to Brihadashva, who is narrating.

Verse 22 (3.50.22)

तव चैव यथा भार्या भविष्यति तथाऽनघ । विधास्यामि नरव्याघ्र सोऽनुजानातु मां भवान् ॥

tava caiva yathā bhāryā bhaviṣyati tathā'nagha | vidhāsyāmi naravyāghra so'nujānātu māṃ bhavān

And I will bring it about, tiger among men, sinless one, that she becomes your wife. Give me leave to go.

Note on the text: Removed a stray backtick, a quote mark and a doubled danda. Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); it appears in the apparatus as 3.50.20d*211. Wikisource prints no speaker heading; the swan's words fill this verse, so it is given to the swan rather than to Brihadashva, who is narrating.

Verse 23 (3.50.23)

एवमुक्तस्ततो हंसमुत्ससर्ज महीपतिः । ते तु हंसाः समुत्पत्य विदर्भानगमंस्ततः ॥

evamuktastato haṃsamutsasarja mahīpatiḥ | te tu haṃsāḥ samutpatya vidarbhānagamaṃstataḥ

So addressed, the king let the swan go; and the swans flew up and went off to the land of the Vidarbhas.

Verse 24 (3.50.24)

विदर्भनगरीं गत्वा दमयन्त्यास्तदान्तिके । निपेतुस्ते गरुत्मन्तः सा ददर्शाथ तान्खगान् ॥

vidarbhanagarīṃ gatvā damayantyāstadāntike | nipetuste garutmantaḥ sā dadarśātha tānkhagān

Reaching the city of Vidarbha, the winged ones came down near Damayanti, and she saw the birds.

Verse 25 (3.50.25)

सा तानद्भुतरूपान्वै दृष्ट्वा सखिगणावृता । हृष्टा ग्रहीतुं खगमांस्त्वरमाणोपचक्रमे ॥

sā tānadbhutarūpānvai dṛṣṭvā sakhigaṇāvṛtā | hṛṣṭā grahītuṃ khagamāṃstvaramāṇopacakrame

Seeing those birds of wonderful form, she, surrounded by her companions, was delighted and hurried to catch them.

Verse 26 (3.50.26)

अथ हंसा विससृपुः सर्वतः प्रमदावने । एकैकशस्तदा कन्यास्तान्हंसान्समुपाद्रवन् ॥

atha haṃsā visasṛpuḥ sarvataḥ pramadāvane | ekaikaśastadā kanyāstānhaṃsānsamupādravan

Then the swans scattered in every direction through the pleasure garden, and the maidens each ran after one of the swans.

Verse 27 (3.50.27)

दमयन्ती तु यं हंसं समुपाधावदन्तिके । स मानुषीं गिरं कृत्वा दमयन्तीमथाब्रवीत् ॥

damayantī tu yaṃ haṃsaṃ samupādhāvadantike | sa mānuṣīṃ giraṃ kṛtvā damayantīmathābravīt

The swan that Damayanti ran after, close by her, spoke in a human voice and said to Damayanti:

Verse 28 (3.50.28)

दमयन्ति नलो नाम निषधेषु महीपतिः । अश्विनोः सदृशो रूपे न समास्तस्य मानुषाः ॥

damayanti nalo nāma niṣadheṣu mahīpatiḥ | aśvinoḥ sadṛśo rūpe na samāstasya mānuṣāḥ

Damayanti, there is a king among the Nishadhas named Nala. In beauty he is like the Ashvins; no men are his equal.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints no speaker heading; the swan's words fill this verse, so it is given to the swan rather than to Brihadashva, who is narrating.

Verse 29 (3.50.29)

कन्दर्प इव रूपेण मूर्तिमानभवत्स्वयम् । तस्य वै यदि भार्या त्वं भवेथा वरवर्णिनि । सफलं ते भवेज्जन्म रूपं चेदं सुमध्यमे ॥

kandarpa iva rūpeṇa mūrtimānabhavatsvayam | tasya vai yadi bhāryā tvaṃ bhavethā varavarṇini | saphalaṃ te bhavejjanma rūpaṃ cedaṃ sumadhyame

He is like Kandarpa, the god of love, in bodily form. If you were to become his wife, fair one, your birth and this beauty of yours would bear fruit, slender-waisted one.

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets with which Wikisource marks the first line as doubtful (it repeats the second line of verse 15) and restored two missing word spaces (यदिभार्या → यदि भार्या, सफलंते → सफलं ते). The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the other two lines are its 3.50.27, which the alignment missed. Wikisource prints no speaker heading; the swan's words fill this verse, so it is given to the swan rather than to Brihadashva, who is narrating.

Verse 30 (3.50.30)

वयं हि देवगन्धर्वमनुष्योरगराक्षसान् । दृष्टवन्तो न चास्माभिर्दृष्टपूर्वस्तथाविधः ॥

vayaṃ hi devagandharvamanuṣyoragarākṣasān | dṛṣṭavanto na cāsmābhirdṛṣṭapūrvastathāvidhaḥ

For we have seen gods, gandharvas, men, serpents and rakshasas, yet never before have we seen anyone like him.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints no speaker heading; the swan's words fill this verse, so it is given to the swan rather than to Brihadashva, who is narrating.

Verse 31 (3.50.31)

त्वं चापि रत्नं नारीणां नरेषु च नलो वरः । विशिष्टाया विशिष्टेन संगमो गुणवान्भवेत् ॥

tvaṃ cāpi ratnaṃ nārīṇāṃ nareṣu ca nalo varaḥ | viśiṣṭāyā viśiṣṭena saṃgamo guṇavānbhavet

You are a jewel among women, and Nala is the best of men. The union of a distinguished woman with a distinguished man would be a fine one.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints no speaker heading; the swan's words fill this verse, so it is given to the swan rather than to Brihadashva, who is narrating.

Verse 32 (3.50.32)

एवमुक्ता तु हंसेन दमयन्ती विशांपते । अब्रवीत्तत्र तं हंसं त्वमप्येवं नलं वद ॥

evamuktā tu haṃsena damayantī viśāṃpate | abravīttatra taṃ haṃsaṃ tvamapyevaṃ nalaṃ vada

So addressed by the swan, lord of the people, Damayanti said to the swan there, 'You too speak in this way to Nala.'

Note on the text: The verse mixes narration and Damayanti's reply, so it stays with Brihadashva. त्वमप्येवं for tam apy evaṃ is a variant and is kept.

Verse 33 (3.50.33)

तथेत्युक्त्वाऽण्डजः कन्यां विदर्भस्य विशांपते । पुनरागम्य निषधान्नले सर्वं न्यवेदयत् ॥

tathetyuktvā'ṇḍajaḥ kanyāṃ vidarbhasya viśāṃpate | punarāgamya niṣadhānnale sarvaṃ nyavedayat

Saying 'So be it' to the maiden of Vidarbha, the bird, lord of the people, returned to the Nishadhas and told Nala everything.