एतद्वाक्यं नलो राजा दमयन्तीं समाहितः। उवाचासकृदार्तो हि भैमीमुद्दिश्य भारत
King Nala, intent and afflicted, spoke these words repeatedly to Damayanti, O Bhārata, addressing the daughter of Bhīma.
ततः सा वाष्पकलया वाचा दुःखेन कर्शिता। उवाच दमयन्ती तं नैषधं करुणं वचः
Then Damayanti, emaciated by sorrow, spoke to Niṣadha with a voice choked by tears, uttering these pitiful words.
उद्वेषते मे हृदयं सीदन्त्यङ्गानि सर्वशः। तव पार्थिव संकल्पं चिन्तयन्त्याः पुनः पुनः
My heart is troubled, my limbs are all weakened, as I think again and again, O king, upon your resolve.
हृतराज्यं हृतद्रव्यं विवस्त्रं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितम्। कथमुत्सृज्य गच्छेयमहं त्वां निर्जने वने
Deprived of your kingdom and wealth, unclothed and afflicted by hunger, how could I abandon you and go alone into this lonely forest?
श्रान्तस्य ते क्षुधार्तस्य चिन्तयानस्य तत्सुखम्। वने घोरे महाराज नाशयिष्याम्यहं क्लमम्
When you are weary, hungry, and anxious, O great king, I shall relieve your fatigue in this dreadful forest.
न च भार्यासमं किंचिन्नरस्यार्तस्य भेषजम्। नित्यं हि सर्वदुःखेषु सत्यमेतद्व्रवीमि ते ।।*
There is truly no remedy for a suffering man equal to his wife; in all sorrows, this is ever true—I speak this to you sincerely.
एवमेतद्यथाऽऽन्थ त्वं दमयन्ति सुमध्यमे। नास्ति बार्यासमं मित्रं नरस्यार्तस्य भेषजम्
It is just as you say, slender-waisted Damayanti; there is no friend or remedy for a suffering man equal to his wife.
न चाहं त्यक्तुकामस्त्वां किमलं भीरु शङ्कसे। त्यजेयमहमात्मानं न चैव त्वामनिन्दिते
Nor do I wish to abandon you—why do you fear so much, timid one? I might abandon my own self, but never you, blameless lady.
यदि मां त्वं महाराज न विहातुमिहच्छसि। तत्किमर्थं विदर्भाणां पन्थाः समुपदिश्यते
If, O king, you do not wish to abandon me, then why do you point out the path to Vidarbha?
अवैमि चाहं नृपते न तु मां त्यक्तुमर्हसि। चेतसा त्वपकृष्टेन मां त्यजेथा महीपते
I understand, O king, that you should not abandon me; yet, with your heart withdrawn, you might forsake me, O lord of the earth.
पन्थानं हि ममाभीक्ष्णमाख्यासि च नरोत्तम। अतो निमित्तं शोकं मे वर्धयस्यमरोपम
You keep telling me of the road again and again, best of men; by this, you only increase my incomparable sorrow.
यदि चायमभिप्रायस्तव राजन्भविष्यति। सहितावेव गच्छावो विदर्भान्यदि मन्यसे
If this is truly your intention, O king, then let us go together to Vidarbha, if you so desire.
विदर्भराजस्तत्र त्वां पूजयिष्यति मानद। तेन त्वं पूजितो राजन्सुखं वत्स्यसि नो गृहे
There the king of Vidarbha will honor you, giver of respect; honored by him, O king, you will dwell happily in our home.
इत्युक्तः स तदा देव्या नलो वचनमब्रवीत्।' यथा राज्यंतव पितुस्तथा मम नसंशयः। न तु तत्र गमिष्यामि विषमस्थः कथंचन
Thus addressed by the queen, Nala replied: 'As your father’s kingdom is to you, so is mine to me—of this there is no doubt. But in my misfortune, I will not go there under any circumstance.'
कथं समृद्धो गत्वाऽहं तव हर्षविवर्धनः। परिद्यूनो गमिष्यामि तव शोकविवर्धनः
How, having gone in prosperity, did I increase your joy; now, diminished, I will go, increasing your sorrow.
इति ब्रुवन्नलो राजा दमयन्तीं पुनः पुनः। सान्खयामास कल्याणीं वाससोर्धेन संवृताम्
Thus King Nala, speaking again and again to Damayanti, began to count the virtuous lady, covered only by half a garment.
तावेकवस्त्रसंवीतावटमानावितस्ततः। क्षुत्पिपासापरिश्रान्तौ सभां कांचिदुपेयतुः
Clad in a single garment, trembling and measuring out the path, exhausted by hunger and thirst, they approached a certain assembly.
तां सभामुपसंप्राप्य तदा स निषधाधिपः। वैदर्भ्या सहितो राजा निषसाद महीतले
Having reached that assembly, then the king of Nishadha, together with the princess of Vidarbha, sat down upon the earth.
स वै विवस्त्रो मलिनो विवर्णः पांसुगुण्ठितः। दमयन्त्या सह श्रान्तः सुष्वाप धरणीतले
He, stripped of his garment, dirty, pale, covered in dust, weary together with Damayanti, slept upon the ground.
ततः स्ववसनस्यान्तं दमयन्ती विशांपते। भूमावास्तीर्य सुष्वाप पतिमालिङ्ग्य शोभना
Then Damayanti, O lord of men, spreading the end of her own garment upon the ground, beautiful, slept embracing her husband.
दमयनत्यपि कल्याणी निद्रयाऽपहृता ततः। सहसा दुःखमासाद्य सुकुमारी तपस्विनी
Damayanti, the virtuous lady, was then seized by sleep; suddenly, the delicate ascetic encountered suffering.
सुप्तायां दमयन्त्यां तु नलो राजा विशांपते। शोकोन्मथितचित्तः सन्न स्म शेते यथा पुरा
While Damayanti slept, King Nala, O lord of men, his mind agitated by sorrow, lay down as before.
स तद्राज्यापहरणं सुहृत्त्यागं च सर्वशः। वने च तं परिध्वंसं प्रेक्ष्य चिन्तामुपेयिवान्
He, recalling the loss of his kingdom and the abandonment by friends, and seeing their ruin in the forest, fell into deep thought.
किं नु मे स्यादिदं कृत्वा किंनु मे स्यादकुर्वतः। किंनु मे मरणं श्रेयः परित्यागो जनस्य वा
What would happen to me if I did this? What if I did not? Would death be better for me, or abandonment of people?
मामियं ह्यनुरक्तैवं दुःखमाप्नोति मत्कृते। मद्विहीना त्वियं गच्छेत्कदाचित्स्वजनं प्रति
This woman, so devoted, suffers because of me; yet, deprived of me, she might someday return to her own people.
मया निःसंशयं दुखमियं प्राप्स्यत्यनुव्रता। उत्सर्गेसंशयः स्यात्तु विन्देतापि सुखं क्वचित्
Undoubtedly, this faithful woman will suffer because of me; but if I abandon her, perhaps she may find happiness somewhere.
स विनिश्चित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुनःपुनः। उत्सर्गेऽमन्यत श्रेयो दमयन्त्या नराधिप
Having considered and reflected in many ways, the king thought that abandoning Damayanti would be better.
न चैषा तेजसा शक्या कैश्चिद्धर्षयितुं पथि। यशस्विनी महाभागा मद्भक्तेयं पतिव्रता
Nor could anyone violate her on the road by force; she is renowned, greatly fortunate, devoted to me, and faithful to her husband.
एवं तस् तदा बुद्धिर्दमयन्त्यां न्यवर्तत। कलिना दुष्टभावेन दमयन्त्या विसर्जने
Thus, at that time, his mind turned toward abandoning Damayanti, influenced by Kali's evil nature.
सोऽवस्त्रतामात्मनश्च तस्याश्चाप्येकवस्त्रताम्। चिन्तयित्वाऽध्यगाद्राजा वस्त्रार्धस्यावकर्तनम्
Thinking of his own lack of clothing and hers, the king resolved to cut off half of the garment.