Critical Edition
बृहदश्व उवाच आसीद्राजा नलो नाम वीरसेनसुतो बली उपपन्नो गुणैरिष्टै रूपवानश्वकोविदः
M. N. Dutt: Brihadashva said: There was a heroic king, named Nala the son of Virasena. He was possessed of desirable attainments, handsome and well-acquainted with the management of horses.
Supplementary Passages:
3.50.1 After 1, S ins.: *209 यज्वा दानपतिर्दक्षः सदा शीलपुरस्कृतः
अतिष्ठन्मनुजेन्द्राणां मूर्ध्नि देवपतिर्यथा उपर्युपरि सर्वेषामादित्य इव तेजसा
AI Translation: He stood on the heads of the kings of men, like the lord of the gods, Above all, like the sun with its radiance.
ब्रह्मण्यो वेदविच्छूरो निषधेषु महीपतिः अक्षप्रियः सत्यवादी महानक्षौहिणीपतिः
AI Translation: The king of the Nishadhas, a brahmin, learned in the Vedas, a hero, A lover of dice, truthful, the great lord of a large army,
ईप्सितो वरनारीणामुदारः संयतेन्द्रियः रक्षिता धन्विनां श्रेष्ठः साक्षादिव मनुः स्वयम्
M. N. Dutt: He was beloved of women, high-souled and with all passions checked. He was also the refuge of all and the best of bowmen and was like Manu himself.
तथैवासीद्विदर्भेषु भीमो भीमपराक्रमः शूरः सर्वगुणैर्युक्तः प्रजाकामः स चाप्रजः
M. N. Dutt: Like him (Nala) there was a king among the Vidarbhas, named Bhima, who was warlike, possessor of immense power and all accomplishments and beloved of his subjects. But with all these virtues he was without an issue.
स प्रजार्थे परं यत्नमकरोत्सुसमाहितः तमभ्यगच्छद्ब्रह्मर्षिर्दमनो नाम भारत
M. N. Dutt: He, with a fixity of purpose, made great endeavour for obtaining issue. O Bharata, there came before him, a Brahmarishi named Damana.
तं स भीमः प्रजाकामस्तोषयामास धर्मवित् महिष्या सह राजेन्द्र सत्कारेण सुवर्चसम्
AI Translation: The knower of dharma, Bhima, pleased him, who was desirous of offspring, along with his wife, O Indra among kings, with due respect, O you of good lustre.
तस्मै प्रसन्नो दमनः सभार्याय वरं ददौ कन्यारत्नं कुमारांश्च त्रीनुदारान्महायशाः
AI Translation: The pleased Damanaka gave him a boon, along with his wife, the jewel of a daughter and three sons, who were noble and of great fame.
दमयन्तीं दमं दान्तं दमनं च सुवर्चसम् उपपन्नान्गुणैः सर्वैर्भीमान्भीमपराक्रमान्
M. N. Dutt: The daughter and the three sons were named Damayanti and Dama, Danta and the illustrious Damana. The latter were possessed of all the virtues, most fearful and of terrible might.
दमयन्ती तु रूपेण तेजसा यशसा श्रिया सौभाग्येन च लोकेषु यशः प्राप सुमध्यमा
M. N. Dutt: But Damayanti of slender waist, obtained celebrity all ever the world in beauty and brightness and in good name, luck and glory.
अथ तां वयसि प्राप्ते दासीनां समलंकृतम् शतं सखीनां च तथा पर्युपास्ते शचीमिव
M. N. Dutt: And when she attained to age, hundreds and hundreds of female servants and hand-raids, decked in ornaments, waited on her like Sachi herself.
तत्र स्म भ्राजते भैमी सर्वाभरणभूषिता सखीमध्येऽनवद्याङ्गी विद्युत्सौदामिनी यथा अतीव रूपसंपन्ना श्रीरिवायतलोचना
M. N. Dutt: There shone in the midst of her hand-maids the daughter of Bhima, of beautiful features and decked with all ornaments like the bright lightning of the sky.
न देवेषु न यक्षेषु तादृग्रूपवती क्वचित् मानुषेष्वपि चान्येषु दृष्टपूर्वा न च श्रुता चित्तप्रमाथिनी बाला देवानामपि सुन्दरी
M. N. Dutt: No body among men or others, was possessed of such beauty, seen or heard of. In fact, the damsel was most pleasant to look at and more handsome than the celestials.
नलश्च नरशार्दूलो रूपेणाप्रतिमो भुवि कन्दर्प इव रूपेण मूर्तिमानभवत्स्वयम्
M. N. Dutt: That foremost of men, Nala, was peerless in the worlds; because on earth he resembled in beauty Kandarpa (the god of love) himself in his embodied form.
तस्याः समीपे तु नलं प्रशशंसुः कुतूहलात् नैषधस्य समीपे तु दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः
M. N. Dutt: Moved with admiration, they (the heralds) again and again uttered the praises of Nala before her (Damayanti) and those of Damayanti before the king of the Nishadhas, Nala.
तयोरदृष्टकामोऽभूच्छृण्वतोः सततं गुणान् अन्योन्यं प्रति कौन्तेय स व्यवर्धत हृच्छयः
M. N. Dutt: Although they had not seen each other, yet they conceived a love (for each other) produced by their repeatedly hearing each other's accomplishments. O son of Kunti, that mutual attachment began to grow very strong.
अशक्नुवन्नलः कामं तदा धारयितुं हृदा अन्तःपुरसमीपस्थे वन आस्ते रहोगतः
M. N. Dutt: And then Nala, incapable of holding it in his bosom, passed much of his time in solitude in the gardens adjacent to the inner apartments (of his palace).
Supplementary Passages:
3.50.17 After 17, M2 ins.: *210 कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य नलः पार्थिवसत्तमः
स ददर्श तदा हंसाञ्जातरूपपरिच्छदान् वने विचरतां तेषामेकं जग्राह पक्षिणम्
M. N. Dutt: There he saw, one day, a lot of swans, with golden wings, roving in those woods. Of them he caught one with his hands.
ततोऽन्तरिक्षगो वाचं व्याजहार तदा नलम् न हन्तव्योऽस्मि ते राजन्करिष्यामि हि ते प्रियम्
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon that sky-roving one spoke unto Nala. "O king, it behoves you not to kill me. I will render some good to you.
दमयन्तीसकाशे त्वां कथयिष्यामि नैषध यथा त्वदन्यं पुरुषं न सा मंस्यति कर्हिचित्
M. N. Dutt: O prince of the Nishadhas, I will speak of you before Damayanti and in such a manner that she will never mind to have any other person (for her lord) but yourself."
Supplementary Passages:
3.50.20 After 20, Dc1 D5 S (except M2) ins.: *211 तव चैव यथा भार्या भविष्यति तथानघ विधास्यामि नरव्याघ्र सोऽनुजानातु मा भवान्
एवमुक्तस्ततो हंसमुत्ससर्ज महीपतिः ते तु हंसाः समुत्पत्य विदर्भानगमंस्ततः
M. N. Dutt: Thus spoken, the king liberated the swan. Thereafter the swans, spreading their wings, betook themselves to the country of the Vidharbhas.
विदर्भनगरीं गत्वा दमयन्त्यास्तदान्तिके निपेतुस्ते गरुत्मन्तः सा ददर्शाथ तान्खगान्
M. N. Dutt: Arriving at the city of the Vidharbhas the birds alighted from heaven before Damayanti, who also beheld them.
सा तानद्भुतरूपान्वै दृष्ट्वा सखिगणावृता हृष्टा ग्रहीतुं खगमांस्त्वरमाणोपचक्रमे
M. N. Dutt: Damayanti surrounded by her hand-maids, having seen those birds of extraordinary beauty, desired to catch those rovers of the skies without loss of time.
अथ हंसा विससृपुः सर्वतः प्रमदावने एकैकशस्ततः कन्यास्तान्हंसान्समुपाद्रवन्
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon the swans fled in all directions in that charming forcst; and the ladies ran after them, each pursuing one.
दमयन्ती तु यं हंसं समुपाधावदन्तिके स मानुषीं गिरं कृत्वा दमयन्तीमथाब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: The swan which Damayanti pursued, led her into a solitary corner of the gardens and addressed her a human speech the following words,
दमयन्ति नलो नाम निषधेषु महीपतिः अश्विनोः सदृशो रूपे न समास्तस्य मानुषाः
M. N. Dutt: “O Damayanti, there is a prince among the Nishadhas, named Nala, who is in beauty, like the Ashvins; and he has not his equal among men.
तस्य वै यदि भार्या त्वं भवेथा वरवर्णिनि सफलं ते भवेज्जन्म रूपं चेदं सुमध्यमे
AI Translation: If you were to be his wife, O you of beautiful complexion, Your life would be fruitful, O you of beautiful figure.
वयं हि देवगन्धर्वमनुष्योरगराक्षसान् दृष्टवन्तो न चास्माभिर्दृष्टपूर्वस्तथाविधः
AI Translation: We have seen gods, gandharvas, humans, nagas, and rakshasas, but we have never seen such a one before.
त्वं चापि रत्नं नारीणां नरेषु च नलो वरः विशिष्टाया विशिष्टेन संगमो गुणवान्भवेत्
AI Translation: You are a jewel among women, and Nala is the best of men. The union of the superior with the superior is virtuous.
एवमुक्ता तु हंसेन दमयन्ती विशां पते अब्रवीत्तत्र तं हंसं तमप्येवं नलं वद
AI Translation: Thus addressed by the swan, Damayanti, lord of the people, said to the swan, "Tell him too, Nala, thus:"
तथेत्युक्त्वाण्डजः कन्यां वैदर्भस्य विशां पते पुनरागम्य निषधान्नले सर्वं न्यवेदयत्
AI Translation: Having said "so be it", the egg-born one, the daughter of the lord of the earth, the Vidarbha king, having returned to the Nishadas, reported everything to Agni.
Supplementary Passages:
3.50.31 After 31, D1 ins.: *212 वयं हि देवगन्धर्वाः शप्ताश्चेन्द्रेण कारणात् अस्मान्संस्पृश्य पाणिभ्यां यथा मोक्षे व्रजामहे एवमुक्तस्ततो हंसान्प्रममज्जाथ नैषधः नैषधेन तु संस्पृष्टा इन्द्रलोकं पुनर्गताः