Damayanti, the Python and the Hunter

Verse 1 (3.60.1)

अपक्रान्ते नले राजन्दमयन्ती गतक्लमा । अबुध्यत वरारोहा संत्रस्ता विजने वने ॥

apakrānte nale rājandamayantī gataklamā | abudhyata varārohā saṃtrastā vijane vane

When Nala had stolen away, O king, Damayanti woke, her weariness gone. The fair lady found herself alone in the empty forest, and she was afraid.

Verse 2 (3.60.2)

अपश्यमाना भर्तारं शोकदुःखसमन्विता । प्राक्रोशदुच्चैः संत्रस्ता महाराजेति नैषधम् ॥

apaśyamānā bhartāraṃ śokaduḥkhasamanvitā | prākrośaduccaiḥ saṃtrastā mahārājeti naiṣadham

Not seeing her husband, overcome with grief and pain, she cried out loudly in terror to the Naishadha: "O great king!"

Verse 3 (3.60.3)

हा नाथ हा महाराज हा स्वामिन्किं जहासि माम् । हा हताऽस्मि विनष्टाऽस्मि भीताऽस्मि विजने वने ॥

hā nātha hā mahārāja hā svāminkiṃ jahāsi mām | hā hatā'smi vinaṣṭā'smi bhītā'smi vijane vane

"Ah, my lord! Ah, great king! Ah, my master, why do you forsake me? Alas, I am struck down, I am lost, I am afraid in this lonely forest.

Verse 4 (3.60.4)

ननु नाम महाराज धर्मज्ञः सत्यवागसि । कथंविधस्त्वं हि तथा सुप्तामुत्सृज्य मां गतः ॥

nanu nāma mahārāja dharmajñaḥ satyavāgasi | kathaṃvidhastvaṃ hi tathā suptāmutsṛjya māṃ gataḥ

Surely, great king, you know dharma and speak the truth. Then how could such a man as you abandon me while I slept, and go away?

Note on the text: Corrected महारज → महाराज (misprint in Wikisource; the pada is a syllable short and the critical edition reads mahārāja). Restored a missing word space (कथंविधस्त्वंहि → कथंविधस्त्वं हि).

Verse 5 (3.60.5)

कथमुत्सृज्यगन्ताऽसि वश्यां भार्यामनुव्रताम् । विशेषतो नापकृतः परेणापकृतो ह्यसि ॥

kathamutsṛjyagantā'si vaśyāṃ bhāryāmanuvratām | viśeṣato nāpakṛtaḥ pareṇāpakṛto hyasi

How can you leave your obedient and devoted wife and go, above all when you were never wronged by me? It is another who has wronged you.

Verse 6 (3.60.6)

शक्यसे न गिरः सत्याः कर्तुं मयि नरेश्वर । यास्त्वया लोकपालानां सन्निधौ कथिताः पुरा ॥

śakyase na giraḥ satyāḥ kartuṃ mayi nareśvara | yāstvayā lokapālānāṃ sannidhau kathitāḥ purā

Can you not keep with me, lord of men, the promises you once made in the presence of the guardians of the world?

Verse 7 (3.60.7)

नाकाले विहितो मृत्युर्मर्त्यानां पुरुषर्षभ । यत्र कान्ता त्वयोत्सृष्टा मुहूर्तमपि जीवति ॥

nākāle vihito mṛtyurmartyānāṃ puruṣarṣabha | yatra kāntā tvayotsṛṣṭā muhūrtamapi jīvati

Death does not come to mortals before its appointed time, bull among men; that is why your beloved, abandoned by you, still lives even for a moment.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text; it appears in the apparatus as 3.60.6d*249 (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 8 (3.60.8)

पर्याप्तः परिहासोऽयमेतावान्पुरुषर्षभ । भृशं भीतास्मि दुर्धर्ष दर्शयात्मानमीश्वर ॥

paryāptaḥ parihāso'yametāvānpuruṣarṣabha | bhṛśaṃ bhītāsmi durdharṣa darśayātmānamīśvara

This jest has gone far enough, bull among men. I am terribly afraid, unconquerable one. Show yourself, my lord.

Verse 9 (3.60.9)

दृश्यसे दृश्यसे राजन्नेष तिष्ठसि नैषध । आवार्य गुल्मैरात्मानं किं मां न प्रतिभाषसे ॥

dṛśyase dṛśyase rājanneṣa tiṣṭhasi naiṣadha | āvārya gulmairātmānaṃ kiṃ māṃ na pratibhāṣase

I see you, I see you, king! There you stand, Naishadha. Why do you hide behind the bushes and give me no answer?

Verse 10 (3.60.10)

नृशंसं वत राजेन्द्र यन्मामेवंगतामिह । विलपन्तीं समालिङ्ग्य नाश्वासयसि पार्थिव ॥

nṛśaṃsaṃ vata rājendra yanmāmevaṃgatāmiha | vilapantīṃ samāliṅgya nāśvāsayasi pārthiva

How cruel, alas, lord of kings, that you do not take me in your arms and comfort me as I lament here in this plight, O ruler of the earth.

Note on the text: Corrected नृशंसां → नृशंसं (misprint in Wikisource; the feminine accusative has nothing to agree with and makes no sense, and the critical edition reads nṛśaṃsaṃ).

Verse 11 (3.60.11)

न शोचाम्यहमात्मानं न चान्यदपि किंचन । कथं नु भवितास्येक इति त्वां नृप शोचये ॥

na śocāmyahamātmānaṃ na cānyadapi kiṃcana | kathaṃ nu bhavitāsyeka iti tvāṃ nṛpa śocaye

I do not grieve for myself, nor for anything else. It is for you I grieve, O king, wondering how you will fare alone.

Verse 12 (3.60.12)

कथं नु राजंस्तृषितः क्षुधितः श्रमकर्शितः । सायाह्ने वृक्षमूलेषु मामपश्यन्भविष्यसि ॥

kathaṃ nu rājaṃstṛṣitaḥ kṣudhitaḥ śramakarśitaḥ | sāyāhne vṛkṣamūleṣu māmapaśyanbhaviṣyasi

How will you fare, O king, thirsty, hungry and worn out with toil, when at evening you rest at the foot of the trees and do not find me there?"

Note on the text: Corrected क्षुक्षितः → क्षुधितः (misprint in Wikisource; not a word, and the critical edition reads kṣudhitaḥ).

Verse 13 (3.60.13)

ततः सा तीव्रशोकार्ता प्रदीप्तेव च मन्युना । इतश्चेतश्च रुदती पर्यधावत दुःखिता ॥

tataḥ sā tīvraśokārtā pradīpteva ca manyunā | itaścetaśca rudatī paryadhāvata duḥkhitā

Then, racked by sharp grief and burning as if with sorrow, she ran this way and that, weeping in her distress.

Verse 14 (3.60.14)

मुहुरुत्पतते बाला मुहुः पतति विह्वला । मुहुरालीयते भीता मुहुः क्रोशति रोदिति ॥

muhurutpatate bālā muhuḥ patati vihvalā | muhurālīyate bhītā muhuḥ krośati roditi

Again and again the young woman started up; again and again she fell down, overwhelmed; again and again she cowered in fear; again and again she cried out and wept.

Verse 15 (3.60.15)

अतीव शोकसंतप्ता मुहुर्निःश्वस्य विह्वला । उवाच भैमी निःश्वस्य रोदमाना पतिव्रता ॥

atīva śokasaṃtaptā muhurniḥśvasya vihvalā | uvāca bhaimī niḥśvasya rodamānā pativratā

Burning with overwhelming grief, distraught and sighing again and again, Bhima's daughter, devoted to her husband, sighed and spoke through her tears:

Note on the text: Corrected निःश्वस् → निःश्वस्य, twice (misprint in Wikisource; the final य is dropped, leaving both padas a syllable short; the critical edition reads niḥśvasya in the first line).

Verse 16 (3.60.16)

यस्याभिशापाद्दुःखार्तो नैष नन्दति नैषधः । तस्य भूतस्य तद्दुःखाद्दुःखमभ्यधिकं भवेत् ॥

yasyābhiśāpādduḥkhārto naiṣa nandati naiṣadhaḥ | tasya bhūtasya tadduḥkhādduḥkhamabhyadhikaṃ bhavet

"May the being through whose curse this Naishadha, stricken with sorrow, has lost all joy suffer a sorrow greater than his!

Verse 17 (3.60.17)

अपापचेतसं पापो य एवं कृतवान्नलम् । तस्माद्दुःखतरं प्राप्य जीवत्वसुखजीविकाम् ॥

apāpacetasaṃ pāpo ya evaṃ kṛtavānnalam | tasmādduḥkhataraṃ prāpya jīvatvasukhajīvikām

The wicked one who has brought Nala, whose heart is free of sin, to this pass: may he meet a sorrow harder still and live a joyless life!"

Note on the text: Corrected जीवत्वमसुखजीविकाम् → जीवत्वसुखजीविकाम् (misprint in Wikisource; the intrusive म makes the pada nine syllables and breaks jīvatu + asukha-; the critical edition reads jīvatv asukhajīvikām).

Verse 18 (3.60.18)

एवं तु विलपन्ती सा राज्ञो भार्या महात्मनः । अन्वेषति स्म भर्तारं वने श्वापदसेविते ॥

evaṃ tu vilapantī sā rājño bhāryā mahātmanaḥ | anveṣati sma bhartāraṃ vane śvāpadasevite

Lamenting in this way, the wife of the great-souled king searched for her husband through the forest haunted by beasts of prey.

Verse 19 (3.60.19)

उन्मत्तवद्भीमसुता विलपन्ती ततस्ततः । हाहा राजन्निति मुहुरितश्चेतश्च धावति ॥

unmattavadbhīmasutā vilapantī tatastataḥ | hāhā rājanniti muhuritaścetaśca dhāvati

Like one gone mad, Bhima's daughter wandered lamenting from place to place, crying again and again, "Ah, my king! Ah, my king!" as she ran this way and that.

Verse 20 (3.60.20)

तां शुष्यमाणामत्यर्थं कुररीमिव वाशतीम् । करुणं बहुशोचन्तीं विलपन्तीं सुमध्यमाम् ॥

tāṃ śuṣyamāṇāmatyarthaṃ kurarīmiva vāśatīm | karuṇaṃ bahuśocantīṃ vilapantīṃ sumadhyamām

She was wasting away with grief beyond measure, shrieking like a female osprey, mourning piteously and long: so the slender-waisted lady went on lamenting.

Verse 21 (3.60.21)

सहसाऽभ्यागतां भैमीमभ्याशपरिवर्तिनीम् । जग्राहाजगरो ग्राहो महाकायः क्षुधान्वितः ॥

sahasā'bhyāgatāṃ bhaimīmabhyāśaparivartinīm | jagrāhājagaro grāho mahākāyaḥ kṣudhānvitaḥ

Suddenly, as Bhima's daughter came near, moving close beside it, a huge and hungry python seized her.

Verse 22 (3.60.22)

सा ग्रस्यमाना ग्रहेण शोकेन च पराजिता । नात्मानं शोचति तथा यथा शोचति नैषधम् ॥

sā grasyamānā graheṇa śokena ca parājitā | nātmānaṃ śocati tathā yathā śocati naiṣadham

As the python began to swallow her, overcome by grief as well, she grieved less for herself than she grieved for the Naishadha.

Verse 23 (3.60.23)

हा नाथ मामिह वने ग्रस्यमानामनागसम् । ग्राहेणानेन विजने किमर्थं नानुधावसि ॥

hā nātha māmiha vane grasyamānāmanāgasam | grāheṇānena vijane kimarthaṃ nānudhāvasi

"Ah, my lord! Here in the forest this serpent is swallowing me, though I have done no wrong. Why do you not come running to me in this lonely place?

Note on the text: Corrected द्वा → हा (misprint in Wikisource; द्वा is no word here, and the critical edition reads hā).

Verse 24 (3.60.24)

कथं भविष्यसि पुनर्मामनुस्मृत्य नैषध । कथं भवाञ्जगामाद्य मामुत्सृज्य वने प्रभो । पापान्मुक्तः पुनर्लब्ध्वा बुद्धिं चेतो धनानि च ॥

kathaṃ bhaviṣyasi punarmāmanusmṛtya naiṣadha | kathaṃ bhavāñjagāmādya māmutsṛjya vane prabho | pāpānmuktaḥ punarlabdhvā buddhiṃ ceto dhanāni ca

How will you fare hereafter, Naishadha, when you remember me? How could you go today, my lord, and leave me in the forest? How will you fare when, freed from sin, you regain your reason, your mind and your wealth?

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets (and a doubled danda) around the middle line, which Wikisource prints in brackets; that line is not in the critical edition's constituted text but appears in its apparatus as 3.60.23b*254. Corrected चोतो → चेतो (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads ceto).

Verse 25 (3.60.25)

श्रान्तस्य ते क्षुधार्तस्य परिग्लानस्य नैषध । कः श्रमं राजशार्दूल नाशयिष्यति तेऽनघ ॥

śrāntasya te kṣudhārtasya pariglānasya naiṣadha | kaḥ śramaṃ rājaśārdūla nāśayiṣyati te'nagha

When you are weary, tormented by hunger and exhausted, Naishadha, who will ease your weariness, tiger among kings, O sinless one?"

Note on the text: Corrected क्षुधार्तस् → क्षुधार्तस्य (misprint in Wikisource; the genitive ending is cut short, leaving the pada a syllable short; the critical edition reads kṣudhārtasya).

Verse 26 (3.60.26)

तामकस्मान्मृगव्याधो विचरन्गहने वने । आक्रन्दमानां संश्रुत्य जवेनाभिससार ह ॥

tāmakasmānmṛgavyādho vicarangahane vane | ākrandamānāṃ saṃśrutya javenābhisasāra ha

By chance a deer-hunter, roaming the deep forest, heard her crying out, and he ran swiftly toward her.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (3.60.25a): Wikisource repeats here, as this verse's first line, the first line of the next verse (तां तु दृष्ट्वा तथा ग्रस्तामुरगेणायतेक्षणाम्), leaving the verse without a subject; the lost line is restored as तामकस्मान्मृगव्याधो विचरन्गहने वने. The second line is Wikisource's own reading. Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 27 (3.60.27)

तां तु दृष्ट्वा तथा ग्रस्तामुरगेणायतेक्षणाम् । त्वरमाणो मृगव्याधः संचरन्गहने वने । समभिक्रम्य वेगेन सत्वरः स वनेचरः ॥

tāṃ tu dṛṣṭvā tathā grastāmurageṇāyatekṣaṇām | tvaramāṇo mṛgavyādhaḥ saṃcarangahane vane | samabhikramya vegena satvaraḥ sa vanecaraḥ

Seeing the long-eyed lady held fast by the serpent, the hunter, who had been ranging the dense forest, made haste; that forest-dweller rushed in at full speed.

Note on the text: The third line corresponds to the critical edition's apparatus passage 3.60.26d*255. Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 28 (3.60.28)

मुखे तं पाटयामास शस्त्रेण निशितेन च । निर्विचेष्टं भुजङ्गं तं विशस्य मृगजीवनः ॥

mukhe taṃ pāṭayāmāsa śastreṇa niśitena ca | nirviceṣṭaṃ bhujaṅgaṃ taṃ viśasya mṛgajīvanaḥ

With a sharp blade he split the serpent open at the mouth, and cutting it apart, the hunter left it lifeless.

Note on the text: Corrected विशस् → विशस्य (misprint in Wikisource; the gerund is cut short, and the critical edition and the commentary read viśasya). Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 29 (3.60.29)

मोक्षयित्वा स तां व्याधः प्रक्षाल्य सलिलेन ह । समाश्वास्य कृताहारामथ पप्रच्छ भारत ॥

mokṣayitvā sa tāṃ vyādhaḥ prakṣālya salilena ha | samāśvāsya kṛtāhārāmatha papraccha bhārata

When he had freed her, the hunter washed her with water, comforted her and gave her food. Then, O Bharata, he questioned her.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तांव्याधः → तां व्याधः). Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 30 (3.60.30)

कस्य त्वं मृगशावाक्षि कथं चास्यागता वनम् । कथं चेदं महत्कृच्छ्रं प्राप्तवत्यसि भामिनि ॥

kasya tvaṃ mṛgaśāvākṣi kathaṃ cāsyāgatā vanam | kathaṃ cedaṃ mahatkṛcchraṃ prāptavatyasi bhāmini

"Whose wife are you, fawn-eyed one? How have you come to this forest? And how, fair lady, have you fallen into such great distress?"

Note on the text: Direct speech of the hunter, with no printed heading; given to him. Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 31 (3.60.31)

दमयन्ती तथा तेन पृच्छ्यमाना विशांपते । सर्वमेतद्यथावृत्तमाचचक्षेऽस्य भारत ॥

damayantī tathā tena pṛcchyamānā viśāṃpate | sarvametadyathāvṛttamācacakṣe'sya bhārata

Questioned in this way by him, lord of the people, Damayanti told him everything just as it had happened, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 32 (3.60.32)

तामर्धवस्त्रसंवीतां पीनश्रोणिपयोधराम् । सुकुमारानवद्याङ्गीं पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाम् ॥

tāmardhavastrasaṃvītāṃ pīnaśroṇipayodharām | sukumārānavadyāṅgīṃ pūrṇacandranibhānanām

She was clad in half a garment, full of hip and breast, delicate and flawless of limb, her face like the full moon;

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 33 (3.60.33)

अरालपक्ष्मनयनां तथा मधुरभाषिणीम् । लक्षयित्वा मृगव्याधः कामस्य वशमीयिवान् ॥

arālapakṣmanayanāṃ tathā madhurabhāṣiṇīm | lakṣayitvā mṛgavyādhaḥ kāmasya vaśamīyivān

her eyes were fringed with curving lashes, and her speech was sweet. Seeing all this, the hunter fell under the sway of desire.

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 34 (3.60.34)

तामथ श्लक्ष्णया वाचा लुब्धको मृदुपूर्वया । सान्त्वयामास कामार्तस्तदबुध्यत भामिनी ॥

tāmatha ślakṣṇayā vācā lubdhako mṛdupūrvayā | sāntvayāmāsa kāmārtastadabudhyata bhāminī

Then the hunter, tormented by lust, began to coax her with smooth and gentle words, and the lady understood his intent.

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 35 (3.60.35)

दमयन्त्यपि तं दुष्टमुपलभ्य पतिव्रता । तीव्ररोषसमाविष्टा प्रजज्वालेव मन्युना ॥

damayantyapi taṃ duṣṭamupalabhya pativratā | tīvraroṣasamāviṣṭā prajajvāleva manyunā

Damayanti, faithful to her husband, saw what a villain he was; seized with fierce anger, she seemed to blaze with wrath.

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 36 (3.60.36)

स तु पापमतिः क्षुद्रः प्रधर्षयितुमातुरः । दुर्धर्षां तर्कयामास दीप्तामग्निशिखामिव ॥

sa tu pāpamatiḥ kṣudraḥ pradharṣayitumāturaḥ | durdharṣāṃ tarkayāmāsa dīptāmagniśikhāmiva

But that base wretch, his mind set on evil and burning to take her by force, set his thoughts on her, though she was as unassailable as a blazing tongue of fire.

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 37 (3.60.37)

दमयन्ती तु दुःखार्ता पतिराज्यविनाकृता । अतीतवाक्पथे काले शशापैनं रुषा किल ॥

damayantī tu duḥkhārtā patirājyavinākṛtā | atītavākpathe kāle śaśāpainaṃ ruṣā kila

Damayanti, stricken with sorrow and bereft of husband and kingdom, when the moment had gone beyond the reach of words, cursed him in her fury.

Note on the text: Corrected दुःखार्था → दुःखार्ता (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads duḥkhārtā) and अतीतवाक्यथे → अतीतवाक्पथे (misprint in Wikisource; the commentary glosses अतीतवाक्पथे and the critical edition reads atītavākpathe). Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 38 (3.60.38)

यथाऽहं नैषधादन्यं मनसाऽपि न चिन्तये । तथाऽयं पततां क्षुद्रः परासुर्मृगजीवनः ॥

yathā'haṃ naiṣadhādanyaṃ manasā'pi na cintaye | tathā'yaṃ patatāṃ kṣudraḥ parāsurmṛgajīvanaḥ

"As surely as I do not think of any man but the Naishadha, even in my mind, so surely may this base hunter fall down dead!"

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.

Verse 39 (3.60.39)

उक्तमात्रे तु वचने तया स मृगजीवनः । व्यसुः पपात मेदिन्यामग्निदग्ध इव द्रुमः ॥

uktamātre tu vacane tayā sa mṛgajīvanaḥ | vyasuḥ papāta medinyāmagnidagdha iva drumaḥ

No sooner had she spoken the words than the hunter fell lifeless to the ground, like a tree consumed by fire.

Note on the text: Speaker heading misprinted बृहदश्च in Wikisource; read बृहदश्व.