आहूतश्च पुनर्द्यूते नास्मि शक्तो निवर्तितुम्। पणे च मम नात्यर्थं वसु किंचन विद्यते
And if I am summoned again to dice, I will not be able to refuse; yet I have no great wealth left to stake.
एतत्सर्वमनुध्यायंश्चिन्तयानो दिवानिशम्। न मत्तो दुःखिततरः पुमानस्तीह कश्चन
Thinking over all this, pondering day and night, I believe there is no man here more afflicted than I am.
नास्ति राजा मया कश्चिदल्पभाग्यतरो भुवि। भवता दृष्टपूर्वो वा श्रुतपूर्वोपि वा क्वचित्। न मत्तो दुःखिततरः पुमानस्तीति मे मतिः
There is no king on earth less fortunate than I; have you ever seen or heard of anyone more sorrowful than I am? This is my conviction.
एवं ब्रुवन्तं दुःखार्तमुवाच भगवानृषिः। शोकं व्यपनुदन्राज्ञो धर्मराजस्य धीमतः
As he spoke thus, overwhelmed by sorrow, the blessed sage addressed the wise king Yudhishthira, dispelling his grief.
न विषादे मनः त्वया बुद्धिमतांवर। आगमिष्यति बीभत्सुरमित्रांश्च विजेष्यते
Let not your mind be cast down, O best of the wise; Arjuna will return, and he will conquer your enemies.
यद्ब्रवीषि महाराज न मत्तो विद्ते क्वचित्। अल्पभाग्यतरः कश्चित्पुमानस्तीति पाण्डव
What you say, O great king—that there is no one less fortunate than you, O Pandava—
अत्र ते वर्णयिष्यामि यदि शुश्रूषसेऽनघ। यस्त्वत्तो दुःखिततरो राजाऽऽसीत्पृथिवीपते
Here I will tell you, if you wish to listen, O sinless one, of a king who was more afflicted than you, O lord of the earth.
अथैनमब्रवीद्राजा ब्रवीतु भगवानिति। इमामवस्थां संप्राप्तं श्रोतुमिच्छामि पार्थिवम्
Then the king said to him, 'Let the blessed one speak; I wish to hear of the king who came to such a state.'
शृणु राजन्नवहितः सह भ्रातृभिरच्युत। यस्त्वत्तो दुःखिततरो राजाऽऽसीत्पृथिवोपते
Hear attentively, O king, together with your brothers and Krishna, of the king who was more afflicted than you, O lord of the earth.
निषधेषु महीपालो वीरसेन इति श्रुतः। तस्य पुत्रोऽभवन्नाम्ना नलो धर्मार्तकोविदः
Among the Nishadhas there was a king named Virasena, it is said; his son was Nala, renowned for righteousness and knowledge of duty.
स निकृत्याजतो राजा पुष्करेणेति नः श्रुतम्। वनवासं सुदुःखार्तो भार्यया न्यवसत्सह
That king, as we have heard, was defeated by deceit by Pushkara, and, greatly afflicted, dwelt in the forest with his wife.
न तस्य दासा न रथो न भ्राता न च भान्धवाः। वने निवसतो राजन्नश्रूयन्त कदाचन
While he lived in the forest, O king, there were no servants, no chariot, no brother, nor any relatives ever heard of with him.
भवान्हि संवृतो वीरैर्भ्रातृभिर्देवसंमितैः। ब्रह्मकल्पैर्द्विजाग्र्यैश्च तस्मान्नार्हसि शोचितुम्
But you are surrounded by heroic brothers equal to the gods, and foremost Brahmins like those of old; therefore, you should not grieve.
विस्तरेणाहमिच्छामि नलस्य सुमहात्मनः। चरितं वदतांश्रेष्ठ तन्ममाख्यातुमर्हसि
I wish to recount in detail the deeds of the great-souled Nala; O best of speakers, please relate them to me.
आसीद्राजा नलो नाम वीरसेनसुतो बली। उपपन्नो गुणैरिष्टै रूपवानश्वकोविदः
There was a king named Nala, son of Virasena, mighty and endowed with all desirable virtues, handsome, and skilled in the knowledge of horses.
यज्वा दानपतिर्दक्षः सदा शीलपुरस्कृतः'। अतिष्ठन्मनुजेन्द्राणां मूर्ध्नि देवपतिर्यथा। उपर्युपरि सर्वेषामादित्य इव तेजसा
He was a performer of sacrifices, a lord of charity, adept, always upholding good conduct; he stood foremost among kings, like the lord of the gods himself, surpassing all in brilliance like the sun.
ब्रह्मण्यो वेदविच्छ्ररो निषधेषु महीपतिः। अक्षप्रियः सत्यवादी महानक्षौहिणीपतिः
Devoted to Brahmins, learned in the Vedas, he was the ruler of the Nishadhas, fond of dice, a speaker of truth, and the lord of a great army.
ईप्सितो नरनारीणामुदारः संयतेन्द्रियः। रक्षिता धन्विनां श्रेष्ठः साक्षादिव मनुः स्वयम्
Desired by men and women, generous, with senses under control, protector and best among archers, he was like Manu himself in person.
तथैवासीद्विदर्भेषु भीमो भीमपराक्रमः। शूरः सर्वगुणैर्युक्तः प्रजाकामः स चाप्रजाः
Likewise, in Vidarbha there was Bhima, of terrible prowess, heroic, endowed with all virtues, desiring offspring, yet without children.
स प्रजार्थे परं यत्नमकरोत्सुसमाहितः। तमभ्यगच्छद्ब्रह्मर्षिर्दमनो नाम भारत
He made great and earnest efforts for the sake of progeny; to him came the Brahmarshi named Damana, O Bharata.
तं स भीमः प्रजाकामस्तोषयामास धर्मवित्। महिष्या सह राजेनद्र सत्कारेण सुवर्चसम्
That Bhima, desiring children and versed in righteousness, honored the illustrious sage together with his queen, with great respect.
तस्मै प्रसन्नो दमनः सभार्याय वरं ददौ। कन्यारत्नं कुमारांश्च त्रीनुदारान्महायशाः
Pleased with him, Damana, of great fame, granted him a boon for himself and his wife: a jewel of a daughter and three noble sons.
दमयन्तीं दमं दान्तं दमनं च सुवर्चसम्। उपपन्नान्गुणैः सर्वैर्भीमान्भीमपराक्रमान्
Damayanti, Dama, Danta, and Damana, all endowed with every virtue, were born to Bhima, who was of terrible prowess.
दमयन्ती तु रूपेण तेजसा वपुषा श्रिया। सौभाग्येन च लोकेषु यशः प्राप सुमध्यमा
Damayanti, slender-waisted, attained fame among the worlds for her beauty, radiance, form, fortune, and auspiciousness.
अथ तां वयसि प्राप्ते दासीनां समलंकृतम्। शतं सखीनां च तदा पर्युपास्ते शचीमिव ।। [शतं शतं सखीनां च पर्युपासच्छचीमिव ।।]
Then, when she came of age, she was attended by a hundred ornamented maidservants and a hundred companions, just as Sachi is attended.
तत्र स्म राजते भैमी सर्वाभरणभूषिता। सखीमध्येऽनवद्याङ्गी विद्युत्सौदामनी यथा
There, Bhima's daughter shone, adorned with all ornaments, flawless among her companions, like a lightning flash among clouds.
अतीव रूपसंपन्ना श्रीरिवायतलोचना। न देवेषु न यक्षेषु तादृग्रूपवती क्वचित्
Exceedingly endowed with beauty, with large eyes like the goddess of fortune herself, there was none among gods or yakshas who possessed such beauty.
मानुषेष्वपि चान्येषु दृष्टपूर्वाऽथवा श्रुता। चित्तप्रमाथिनी बाला देवानामपि सुन्दरी
Nor among other humans, whether seen or heard of before, was there such a maiden, enchanting the minds even of the gods with her beauty.
नलश्च नरशार्दूलो रूपेणाप्रतिमो भुवि। कंदर्प इव रूपेण मूर्तिमानभवत्स्वयम्
And Nala, tiger among men, was unrivaled on earth in beauty, appearing in form as if embodied Kama himself.
तस्याः समीपे तु नलं प्रशशंसुः कुतूहलात्। नैषधस्य समीपे तु दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः
People praised Nala near her out of curiosity, and likewise, Damayanti near the Nishadha king, again and again.