Nala Deserts the Sleeping Damayanti

Verse 1 (3.59.1)

इत्युक्तः स तदा देव्या नलो वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

ityuktaḥ sa tadā devyā nalo vacanamabravīt

Thus addressed by the queen, Nala then spoke these words:

Note on the text: Split from Wikisource verse 1, which prints this narrative line (fenced off with a backtick and a quote mark, removed here as editorial marks) as the first of three lines, running it into Nala's reply; it is given its own verse so that the reply can carry Nala as speaker. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it, under a Brihadashva heading, as 3.59.0*0246.

Verse 2 (3.59.2)

यथा राज्यं तव पितुस्तथा मम न संशयः । न तु तत्र गमिष्यामि विषमस्थः कथंचन ॥

yathā rājyaṃ tava pitustathā mama na saṃśayaḥ | na tu tatra gamiṣyāmi viṣamasthaḥ kathaṃcana

"Your father's kingdom is no less mine than it is his; of that there is no doubt. But I will not go there in any way, now that I am fallen into misfortune.

Note on the text: Split from Wikisource verse 1 (see the previous verse); the critical edition prints a Nala heading here. Corrected राज्यंतव → राज्यं तव and नसंशयः → न संशयः (word-spacing slips in Wikisource; the critical edition has na saṃśayaḥ).

Verse 3 (3.59.3)

कथं समृद्धो गत्वाऽहं तव हर्षविवर्धनः । परिद्यूनो गमिष्यामि तव शोकविवर्धनः ॥

kathaṃ samṛddho gatvā'haṃ tava harṣavivardhanaḥ | paridyūno gamiṣyāmi tava śokavivardhanaḥ

Once I went there in prosperity, adding to your joy; how can I go there now, ruined, only to add to your grief?"

Verse 4 (3.59.4)

इति ब्रुवन्नलो राजा दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः । सान्त्वयामास कल्याणीं वाससोर्धेन संवृताम् ॥

iti bruvannalo rājā damayantīṃ punaḥ punaḥ | sāntvayāmāsa kalyāṇīṃ vāsasordhena saṃvṛtām

Speaking so again and again, King Nala comforted the gentle Damayanti, who was covered with half of his cloth.

Note on the text: Corrected सान्खयामास → सान्त्वयामास (misprint in Wikisource; a broken conjunct; the critical edition has sāntvayām āsa).

Verse 5 (3.59.5)

तावेकवस्त्रसंवीतावटमानावितस्ततः । क्षुत्पिपासापरिश्रान्तौ सभां कांचिदुपेयतुः ॥

tāvekavastrasaṃvītāvaṭamānāvitastataḥ | kṣutpipāsāpariśrāntau sabhāṃ kāṃcidupeyatuḥ

Wrapped together in one garment, wandering here and there, worn out with hunger and thirst, the two came to a rest-house.

Verse 6 (3.59.6)

तां सभामुपसंप्राप्य तदा स निषधाधिपः । वैदर्भ्या सहितो राजा निषसाद महीतले ॥

tāṃ sabhāmupasaṃprāpya tadā sa niṣadhādhipaḥ | vaidarbhyā sahito rājā niṣasāda mahītale

Reaching that rest-house, the lord of the Nishadhas sat down with Vaidarbhi on the bare ground.

Verse 7 (3.59.7)

स वै विवस्त्रो मलिनो विवर्णः पांसुगुण्ठितः । दमयन्त्या सह श्रान्तः सुष्वाप धरणीतले ॥

sa vai vivastro malino vivarṇaḥ pāṃsuguṇṭhitaḥ | damayantyā saha śrāntaḥ suṣvāpa dharaṇītale

Naked, filthy, pale and covered with dust, he lay down on the ground with Damayanti and slept, exhausted.

Verse 8 (3.59.8)

ततः स्ववसनस्यान्तं दमयन्ती विशांपते । भूमावास्तीर्य सुष्वाप पतिमालिङ्ग्य शोभना ॥

tataḥ svavasanasyāntaṃ damayantī viśāṃpate | bhūmāvāstīrya suṣvāpa patimāliṅgya śobhanā

Then lovely Damayanti, O lord of the people, spread the edge of her own garment on the ground and slept with her arms around her husband.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick, the quote mark and the inner double danda around this verse (editorial marks in Wikisource). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); it is not among the critical edition's apparatus passages for this adhyaya.

Verse 9 (3.59.9)

दमयन्त्यपि कल्याणी निद्रयाऽपहृता ततः । सहसा दुःखमासाद्य सुकुमारी तपस्विनी ॥

damayantyapi kalyāṇī nidrayā'pahṛtā tataḥ | sahasā duḥkhamāsādya sukumārī tapasvinī

And gentle Damayanti too, delicate and pitiable, was soon carried off by sleep, after the sorrow that had suddenly come upon her.

Note on the text: Corrected दमयनत्यपि → दमयन्त्यपि (misprint in Wikisource; a broken conjunct; the critical edition has damayanty api).

Verse 10 (3.59.10)

सुप्तायां दमयन्त्यां तु नलो राजा विशांपते । शोकोन्मथितचित्तः सन्न स्म शेते यथा पुरा ॥

suptāyāṃ damayantyāṃ tu nalo rājā viśāṃpate | śokonmathitacittaḥ sanna sma śete yathā purā

But when Damayanti was asleep, O lord of the people, King Nala, his mind churned up by grief, could not sleep as he used to.

Verse 11 (3.59.11)

स तद्राज्यापहरणं सुहृत्त्यागं च सर्वशः । वने च तं परिध्वंसं प्रेक्ष्य चिन्तामुपेयिवान् ॥

sa tadrājyāpaharaṇaṃ suhṛttyāgaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | vane ca taṃ paridhvaṃsaṃ prekṣya cintāmupeyivān

Looking at the loss of his kingdom, the desertion of all his friends and his ruin in the forest, he fell to thinking:

Verse 12 (3.59.12)

किं नु मे स्यादिदं कृत्वा किंनु मे स्यादकुर्वतः । किंनु मे मरणं श्रेयः परित्यागो जनस्य वा ॥

kiṃ nu me syādidaṃ kṛtvā kiṃnu me syādakurvataḥ | kiṃnu me maraṇaṃ śreyaḥ parityāgo janasya vā

"What will come to me if I do this, and what if I do not? Is death better for me, or to forsake my wife?

Verse 13 (3.59.13)

मामियं ह्यनुरक्तैवं दुःखमाप्नोति मत्कृते । मद्विहीना त्वियं गच्छेत्कदाचित्स्वजनं प्रति ॥

māmiyaṃ hyanuraktaivaṃ duḥkhamāpnoti matkṛte | madvihīnā tviyaṃ gacchetkadācitsvajanaṃ prati

She is so devoted to me that she suffers on my account; without me she might perhaps go back to her own people.

Verse 14 (3.59.14)

मया निःसंशयं दुःखमियं प्राप्स्यत्यनुव्रता । उत्सर्गे संशयः स्यात्तु विन्देतापि सुखं क्वचित् ॥

mayā niḥsaṃśayaṃ duḥkhamiyaṃ prāpsyatyanuvratā | utsarge saṃśayaḥ syāttu vindetāpi sukhaṃ kvacit

With me, this faithful wife will surely meet only sorrow; if I leave her, it may be that she will find happiness somewhere."

Note on the text: Corrected दुखमियं → दुःखमियं and उत्सर्गेसंशयः → उत्सर्गे संशयः (a dropped visarga and a word-spacing slip in Wikisource; the critical edition has duḥkham iyaṃ and utsarge saṃśayaḥ).

Verse 15 (3.59.15)

स विनिश्चित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुनःपुनः । उत्सर्गेऽमन्यत श्रेयो दमयन्त्या नराधिप ॥

sa viniścitya bahudhā vicārya ca punaḥpunaḥ | utsarge'manyata śreyo damayantyā narādhipa

Having weighed it many ways and thought it over again and again, he decided, O king, that it was best to abandon Damayanti.

Note on the text: Speaker heading printed as बृहदश्च in Wikisource (a misprint for बृहदश्व); corrected in the speaker field only.

Verse 16 (3.59.16)

न चैषा तेजसा शक्या कैश्चिद्धर्षयितुं पथि । यशस्विनी महाभागा मद्भक्तेयं पतिव्रता ॥

na caiṣā tejasā śakyā kaiściddharṣayituṃ pathi | yaśasvinī mahābhāgā madbhakteyaṃ pativratā

"Nor can anyone on the road do her violence, for her own splendour guards her; she is glorious and most fortunate, devoted to me, faithful to her husband."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 3.59.13d*0247, lines 1–2.

Verse 17 (3.59.17)

एवं तस्य तदा बुद्धिर्दमयन्त्यां न्यवर्तत । कलिना दुष्टभावेन दमयन्त्या विसर्जने ॥

evaṃ tasya tadā buddhirdamayantyāṃ nyavartata | kalinā duṣṭabhāvena damayantyā visarjane

So, through the malignant Kali, his thoughts about Damayanti turned toward forsaking her.

Note on the text: Corrected तस् → तस्य (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara; the apparatus has tasya). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 3.59.13d*0247, lines 3–4.

Verse 18 (3.59.18)

सोऽवस्त्रतामात्मनश्च तस्याश्चाप्येकवस्त्रताम् । चिन्तयित्वाऽध्यगाद्राजा वस्त्रार्धस्यावकर्तनम् ॥

so'vastratāmātmanaśca tasyāścāpyekavastratām | cintayitvā'dhyagādrājā vastrārdhasyāvakartanam

Thinking of his own nakedness and of her single garment, the king resolved to cut off half of that garment.

Verse 19 (3.59.19)

कथं वासो विकर्तेयं न च बुद्ध्येत मे प्रिया । विचिन्त्यैवं नलो राजा सभां पर्यचरत्तदा ॥

kathaṃ vāso vikarteyaṃ na ca buddhyeta me priyā | vicintyaivaṃ nalo rājā sabhāṃ paryacarattadā

"How can I cut the cloth without my beloved waking?" Thinking so, King Nala went round the rest-house.

Verse 20 (3.59.20)

परिधावन्नथ नल इतश्चेतश्च भारत । आससाद सभोद्देशे विकोशं खड्गमुत्तमम् ॥

paridhāvannatha nala itaścetaśca bhārata | āsasāda sabhoddeśe vikośaṃ khaḍgamuttamam

Running this way and that, O Bharata, Nala came upon a fine sword, out of its sheath, in one part of the rest-house.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वङ्गमुत्तमम् → खड्गमुत्तमम् (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition has khaḍgam uttamam).

Verse 21 (3.59.21)

तेनार्धं वाससश्छित्त्वा निवस्य च परंतपः । सुप्तामुत्सृज्य वैदर्भीं प्राद्रवद्गतचेतनाम् ॥

tenārdhaṃ vāsasaśchittvā nivasya ca paraṃtapaḥ | suptāmutsṛjya vaidarbhīṃ prādravadgatacetanām

With it the scorcher of foes cut off half the cloth and put it on; then, leaving Vaidarbhi asleep and unknowing, he ran away.

Note on the text: Corrected निवस् → निवस्य (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara; the critical edition has nivasya, and the Wikisource commentary glosses निवस्य).

Verse 22 (3.59.22)

ततो निबद्धहृदयः पुनरागम्य तां सभाम् । दमयन्तीं तदा दृष्ट्वा रुरोद निषधाधिपः ॥

tato nibaddhahṛdayaḥ punarāgamya tāṃ sabhām | damayantīṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā ruroda niṣadhādhipaḥ

Then, his heart still bound to her, he came back to the rest-house, and seeing Damayanti there, the lord of the Nishadhas wept.

Note on the text: Corrected पुनरागम् → पुनरागम्य (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara; the critical edition has punar āgamya).

Verse 23 (3.59.23)

यां न वायुर्न चादित्यः पुरा पश्यति मे प्रियाम् । सेयमद्य सभामध्ये शेते भूमावनाथवत् ॥

yāṃ na vāyurna cādityaḥ purā paśyati me priyām | seyamadya sabhāmadhye śete bhūmāvanāthavat

"My beloved, whom neither the wind nor the sun ever looked upon before, today lies on the ground in the middle of a rest-house, like a woman with no one to protect her.

Verse 24 (3.59.24)

इयं वस्त्रावकर्तेन संवीता चारुहासिनी । उन्मत्तेव मया हीना कथं बुद्ध्वा भविष्यति ॥

iyaṃ vastrāvakartena saṃvītā cāruhāsinī | unmatteva mayā hīnā kathaṃ buddhvā bhaviṣyati

Clothed in a cut-off piece of cloth, with me gone, how will this sweetly smiling woman fare when she wakes? She will be like one gone mad.

Verse 25 (3.59.25)

कथमेका सती भैमी मया विरहिता शुभा । चरिष्यति वने घोरे मृगव्यालनिषेविते ॥

kathamekā satī bhaimī mayā virahitā śubhā | cariṣyati vane ghore mṛgavyālaniṣevite

How will the lovely, virtuous Bhaimi, parted from me, wander alone in this dreadful forest, haunted by wild beasts and serpents?

Note on the text: Corrected भमी → भैमी (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped vowel sign; the critical edition has bhaimī).

Verse 26 (3.59.26)

आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा अश्विनौ समरुद्गणौ । रक्षन्तु त्वां महाभागे धर्मेणासि समावृता ॥

ādityā vasavo rudrā aśvinau samarudgaṇau | rakṣantu tvāṃ mahābhāge dharmeṇāsi samāvṛtā

May the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Ashvins and the hosts of the Maruts protect you, most fortunate one; you are shielded by your dharma."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 3.59.21d*0248, lines 1–2.

Verse 27 (3.59.27)

एवमुक्त्वा प्रियां भार्यां रूपेणाप्रतिमां भुवि । कलिनाऽपहृतज्ञानो नलः प्रातिष्ठदुद्यतः ॥

evamuktvā priyāṃ bhāryāṃ rūpeṇāpratimāṃ bhuvi | kalinā'pahṛtajñāno nalaḥ prātiṣṭhadudyataḥ

Speaking so to his dear wife, unequalled in beauty on earth, Nala, his understanding stolen by Kali, rose and set out.

Note on the text: Corrected भुषि → भुवि and प्रातिपष्ठदुद्यतः → प्रातिष्ठदुद्यतः (misprints in Wikisource; ष for व, and a stray akshara; the apparatus has bhuvi and prātiṣṭhad udyataḥ). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 3.59.21d*0248, lines 3–4.

Verse 28 (3.59.28)

गत्वागत्वा नलो राजा पुनरेति सभां मुहुः । आकृष्यमाणः कलिना सौहृदेनावकृष्यते ॥

gatvāgatvā nalo rājā punareti sabhāṃ muhuḥ | ākṛṣyamāṇaḥ kalinā sauhṛdenāvakṛṣyate

Again and again King Nala went off and came back to the rest-house, dragged away by Kali and drawn back by love.

Verse 29 (3.59.29)

द्विधेव हृदयं तस्य दुःखितस्याभवत्तदा । दोलेव मुहुरायाति याति चैव मुहुर्मुहुः ॥

dvidheva hṛdayaṃ tasya duḥkhitasyābhavattadā | doleva muhurāyāti yāti caiva muhurmuhuḥ

The grieving king's heart was split in two; like a swing, it kept coming and going, again and again.

Verse 30 (3.59.30)

अवकृष्टस्तु कलिना मोहितः प्राद्रवन्नलः । सुप्तामुत्सृज्य तां भार्यां विलप्य करुणं बहु ॥

avakṛṣṭastu kalinā mohitaḥ prādravannalaḥ | suptāmutsṛjya tāṃ bhāryāṃ vilapya karuṇaṃ bahu

But at last, dragged away by Kali and bewildered, Nala ran off, leaving his wife asleep, after lamenting long and piteously.

Verse 31 (3.59.31)

नष्टात्मा कलिनाऽऽविष्टस्तत्तद्विगणयन्मुहुः । जगामैकां वने शून्ये भार्यामुत्सृज्य मोहितः ॥

naṣṭātmā kalinā''viṣṭastattadvigaṇayanmuhuḥ | jagāmaikāṃ vane śūnye bhāryāmutsṛjya mohitaḥ

Lost to himself, possessed by Kali, brooding on it all again and again, he left his wife alone in the empty forest and went away, bewildered.