Kali Vows to Ruin Nala

Verse 1 (3.55.1)

वृते तु नैषधे भैम्या लोकपाला महौजसः । यान्तो ददृशुरायान्तं द्वापरं कलिना सह ॥

vṛte tu naiṣadhe bhaimyā lokapālā mahaujasaḥ | yānto dadṛśurāyāntaṃ dvāparaṃ kalinā saha

When the Nishadha king had been chosen by the daughter of Bhima, the mighty guardians of the worlds, as they were going on their way, saw Dvapara coming, and Kali with him.

Verse 2 (3.55.2)

अथाब्रवीत्कलिं शक्रः संप्रेक्ष्य बलवृत्रहा । द्वापरेण सहायेन कले ब्रूहि क्व यास्यसि ॥

athābravītkaliṃ śakraḥ saṃprekṣya balavṛtrahā | dvāpareṇa sahāyena kale brūhi kva yāsyasi

Then Shakra, slayer of Bala and Vritra, catching sight of Kali, said to him: "With Dvapara as your companion, Kali, tell me, where are you going?"

Verse 3 (3.55.3)

ततोऽब्रवीत्कलिः शक्रं दमयन्त्याः स्वयंवरम् । गत्वा हि वरयिष्ये तां मनो हि मम तां गतम् ॥

tato'bravītkaliḥ śakraṃ damayantyāḥ svayaṃvaram | gatvā hi varayiṣye tāṃ mano hi mama tāṃ gatam

Then Kali said to Shakra: "I am going to Damayanti's svayamvara to choose her, for my heart has gone out to her."

Verse 4 (3.55.4)

तमब्रवीत्प्रहस्येन्द्रो निर्वृत्तः स स्वयंवरः । वृतस्तया नलो राजा पतिरस्मत्समीपतः ॥

tamabravītprahasyendro nirvṛttaḥ sa svayaṃvaraḥ | vṛtastayā nalo rājā patirasmatsamīpataḥ

Indra laughed and said to him: "That svayamvara is over. She has chosen King Nala as her husband, right in front of us."

Verse 5 (3.55.5)

एवमुक्तस्तु शक्रेण कलिः कोपसमन्वितः । देवानामन्त्र्य तान्सर्वानुवाचेदं वचस्तदा ॥

evamuktastu śakreṇa kaliḥ kopasamanvitaḥ | devānāmantrya tānsarvānuvācedaṃ vacastadā

Addressed thus by Shakra, Kali, filled with anger, called to all those gods and spoke these words:

Verse 6 (3.55.6)

देवानां मानुषं मध्ये यत्सा पतिमविन्दत । ननु तस्या भवेन्न्याय्यं विपुलं दण्डधारणम् ॥

devānāṃ mānuṣaṃ madhye yatsā patimavindata | nanu tasyā bhavennyāyyaṃ vipulaṃ daṇḍadhāraṇam

"Since she took a man for her husband in the midst of the gods, surely it is right that a heavy punishment be laid on her."

Verse 7 (3.55.7)

एवमुक्ते तु कलिना प्रत्यूचुस्ते दिवौकसः । अस्माभिः समनुज्ञाते दमयन्त्या नलो वृतः ॥

evamukte tu kalinā pratyūcuste divaukasaḥ | asmābhiḥ samanujñāte damayantyā nalo vṛtaḥ

When Kali had said this, the dwellers of heaven answered: "It was with our consent that Damayanti chose Nala.

Note on the text: Corrected सभनुज्ञाते → समनुज्ञाते (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म, critical edition samanujñāto).

Verse 8 (3.55.8)

का हि सर्वगुणोपेतं नाश्रयेत नलं नृपम् । यो वेद धर्मानखिलान्यथावच्चरितव्रतः ॥

kā hi sarvaguṇopetaṃ nāśrayeta nalaṃ nṛpam | yo veda dharmānakhilānyathāvaccaritavrataḥ

For what woman would not turn to King Nala, who has every virtue, who knows all the laws of dharma in full and keeps his vows as he should,

Verse 9 (3.55.9)

योऽधीते चतुरो वेदान्सर्वानाख्यानपञ्चमान् । अहिंसानिरतो यश्च सत्यवादी दृढव्रतः ॥

yo'dhīte caturo vedānsarvānākhyānapañcamān | ahiṃsānirato yaśca satyavādī dṛḍhavrataḥ

who has studied the four Vedas, with the ancient tales as the fifth, who is devoted to non-violence, speaks the truth and is firm in his vows,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); these are lines 1 and 3 of the passage the critical edition's apparatus gives as 3.55.8d*230.

Verse 10 (3.55.10)

यस्मिन्दाक्ष्यं धृतिर्ज्ञानं तपः शौचं दमः शमः । ध्रुवाणि पुरुषव्याघ्रे लोकपालसमे नृपे ॥

yasmindākṣyaṃ dhṛtirjñānaṃ tapaḥ śaucaṃ damaḥ śamaḥ | dhruvāṇi puruṣavyāghre lokapālasame nṛpe

and in whom skill, steadfastness, knowledge, austerity, purity, self-control and calm are firmly established — that tiger among men, a king equal to the guardians of the worlds?

Verse 11 (3.55.11)

एवंरूपं नलं यो वै कामयेच्छपितुं कले । आत्मानं स शपेन्मूढो हन्यादात्मानमात्मना ॥

evaṃrūpaṃ nalaṃ yo vai kāmayecchapituṃ kale | ātmānaṃ sa śapenmūḍho hanyādātmānamātmanā

Whoever, Kali, would wish to curse such a Nala curses himself, the fool, and destroys himself by his own hand.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; apparatus 3.55.9d*231); the second line = 3.55.10ab. From here to verse 15 Wikisource's verse division runs half a verse out of step with the critical edition's.

Verse 12 (3.55.12)

एवंगुणं नलं यो वै कामयेच्छपितुं कले । कृच्छ्रे स नरके मज्जेदगाधे विपुले ह्रदे ॥

evaṃguṇaṃ nalaṃ yo vai kāmayecchapituṃ kale | kṛcchre sa narake majjedagādhe vipule hrade

Whoever, Kali, would wish to curse Nala, a man of such virtues, would sink into a cruel hell, a vast and bottomless lake."

Note on the text: Corrected मञ्जेत् → मज्जेत् (misprint in Wikisource; the verb is मज्ज्, to sink, critical edition majjed). = 3.55.10cd and 11ab (critical edition 'plave for ह्रदे).

Verse 13 (3.55.13)

एवमुक्त्वा कलिं देवा द्वापरं च दिवं ययुः । ततो गतेषु देवेषु कलिर्द्वापरमब्रवीत् ॥

evamuktvā kaliṃ devā dvāparaṃ ca divaṃ yayuḥ | tato gateṣu deveṣu kalirdvāparamabravīt

Having said this to Kali and Dvapara, the gods went to heaven. Then, when the gods had gone, Kali said to Dvapara:

Note on the text: = 3.55.11cd and 12ab.

Verse 14 (3.55.14)

संयन्तुं नोत्सहे कोपं नले वत्स्यामि द्वापर । भ्रंशयिष्यामि तं राज्यान्न भैम्या सह रंस्यते ॥

saṃyantuṃ notsahe kopaṃ nale vatsyāmi dvāpara | bhraṃśayiṣyāmi taṃ rājyānna bhaimyā saha raṃsyate

"I cannot hold back my anger. I will dwell in Nala, Dvapara. I will cast him down from his kingdom, and he will no longer take his pleasure with the daughter of Bhima.

Note on the text: = 3.55.12cd (critical edition saṃhartuṃ for संयन्तुं) and 13ab.

Verse 15 (3.55.15)

त्वमप्यक्षान्समाविश्य साहाय्यं कर्तुमर्हसि । मम प्रियकृते ह्यस्मिन्कृतवांश्च भविष्यसि ॥

tvamapyakṣānsamāviśya sāhāyyaṃ kartumarhasi | mama priyakṛte hyasminkṛtavāṃśca bhaviṣyasi

You too should enter the dice and give me your help. When this favour to me is done, you will have done your part as well."

Note on the text: Removed the backquote and quote marks around the second line (editorial marks in Wikisource) and corrected ह्यस्मन् → ह्यस्मिन् (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped vowel sign in the pronoun अस्मिन्). The first line = 3.55.13cd; the second is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; apparatus 3.55.13d*232, reading mama priye kṛte tasmin).