कथं वासो विकर्तेयं न च बुद्ध्येत मे प्रिया। विचिन्त्यैवं नलो राजा सभां पर्यचरत्तदा
How shall I cut the garment, so that my beloved does not notice? Thinking thus, King Nala wandered about the assembly.
परिधावन्नथ नल इतश्चेतश्च भारत। आससाद सभोद्देशे विकोशं स्वङ्गमुत्तमम्
Then Nala, running here and there, O Bharata, reached a place in the assembly where he found a knife for his purpose.
तेनार्धं वाससश्छित्त्वा निवस् च परंतपः। सुप्तामुत्सृज्य वैदर्भीं प्राद्रवद्गतचेतनाम्
Then, cutting off half of his garment, the tormentor of foes left the sleeping Vaidarbhi, unconscious, and fled.
ततो निबद्धहृदयः पुनरागम् तां सभाम्। दमयन्तीं तदा दृष्ट्वा रुरोद निषधाधिपः
Then, his heart bound with affection, he returned again to that assembly; seeing Damayanti there, the king of Nishadha wept.
यां न वायुर्न चादित्यः पुरा पश्यति मे प्रियाम्। सेयमद्य सभामध्ये शेते भूमावनाथवत्
She whom neither wind nor sun had ever seen before, my beloved—today she lies in the midst of the assembly, on the ground, as if without protector.
इयं वस्त्रावकर्तेन संवीता चारुहासिनी। उन्मत्तेव मया हीना कथं बुद्ध्वा भविष्यति
This one, with her lovely smile, is covered with a garment torn by me; deprived of me, how will she be when she wakes, like one distraught?
कथमेका सती भमी मया विरहिता शुभा। चरिष्यति वने घोरे मृगव्यालनिषेविते
How will this virtuous and beautiful woman, left alone by me, wander in the dreadful forest, inhabited by beasts and predators?
आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा अश्विनौ समरुद्गणौ। रक्षन्तु त्वां महाभागे धर्मेणासि समावृता
May the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Ashvins, and all the Maruts protect you, O noble lady, for you are enveloped in righteousness.
एवमुक्त्वा प्रियां भार्यां रूपेणाप्रतिमां भुषि। कलिनाऽपहृतज्ञानो नलः प्रातिपष्ठदुद्यतः
Having spoken thus to his beloved wife, unrivaled in beauty, Nala, whose mind had been seized by Kali, set out with resolve.
गत्वागत्वा नलो राजा पुनरेति सभां मुहुः। आकृष्यमाणः कलिना सौहृदेनावकृष्यते
Again and again King Nala went and returned to the assembly, drawn by affection but pulled away by Kali.
द्विधेव हृदयं तस्य दुःखितस्याभवत्तदा। दोलेव मुहुरायाति याति चैव मुहुर्मुहुः
Then, his heart, afflicted with sorrow, seemed to split in two; like a swing, it kept coming and going again and again.
अवकृष्टस्तु कलिना मोहितः प्राद्रवन्नलः। सुप्तामुत्सृज्य तां भार्यां विलप्य करुणं बहु
Overpowered and bewildered by Kali, Nala fled, leaving his sleeping wife behind, lamenting many pitiful words.
नष्टात्मा कलिनाऽऽविष्टस्तत्तद्विगणयन्मुहुः। जगामैकां वने शून्ये भार्यामुत्सृज्य मोहितः
His self lost, possessed by Kali, counting over and over his misfortunes, he went alone into the desolate forest, abandoning his wife, deluded.
अपक्रान्ते नले राजन्दमयन्ती गतक्लमा। अबुध्यत वरारोहा संत्रस्ता विजने वने
When Nala had departed, O king, Damayanti, her fatigue gone, awoke—she of lovely form—terrified in the lonely forest.
अपश्यमाना भर्तारं शोकदुःखसमन्विता। प्राक्रोशदुच्चैः संत्रस्ता महाराजेति नैषधम्
Not seeing her husband, filled with grief and sorrow, she cried out loudly in fear, 'O great king of the Nishadhas!'
हा नाथ हा महाराज हा स्वामिन्किं जहासि माम्। हा हताऽस्मि विनष्टाऽस्मि भीताऽस्मि विजने वने
'Alas, lord! Alas, great king! Alas, my master, why have you abandoned me? Alas, I am ruined, I am lost, I am afraid in this lonely forest!'
ननु नाम महारज धर्मज्ञः सत्यवागसि। कथंविधस्त्वंहि तथा सुप्तामुत्सृज्य मां गतः
'Surely, O great king, you are righteous and speak the truth; how is it that you, such as you are, have left me sleeping and gone?'
कथमुत्सृज्यगन्ताऽसि वश्यां भार्यामनुव्रताम्। विशेषतो नापकृतः परेणापकृतो ह्यसि
'How could you abandon your devoted wife, who is obedient, especially since you have not been wronged by another?'
शक्यसे न गिरः सत्याः कर्तुं मयि नरेश्वर। यास्त्वया लोकपालानां सन्निधौ कथिताः पुरा
'O lord of men, you are not able to keep your words true to me, those words you once spoke before the guardians of the world.'
नाकाले विहितो मृत्युर्मर्त्यानां पुरुषर्षभ। यत्र कान्ता त्वयोत्सृष्टा मुहूर्तमपि जीवति
'Death does not come to mortals before their time, O bull among men, when the beloved you have abandoned still lives, even for a moment.'
पर्याप्तः परिहासोऽयमेतावान्पुरुषर्षभ। भृशं भीतास्मि दुर्धर्ष दर्शयात्मानमीश्वर
Enough of this jesting, O best of men; I am greatly afraid, mighty one. Reveal yourself, O lord.
दृश्यसे दृश्यसे राजन्नेष तिष्ठसि नैषध। आवार्य गुल्मैरात्मानं किं मां न प्रतिभाषसे
You are visible, you are visible, O king, and yet you stand there, O son of Nala. Concealed by the thickets, why do you not speak to me?
नृशंसां वत राजेन्द्र यन्मामेवंगतामिह। विलपन्तीं समालिङ्ग्य नाश्वासयसि पार्थिव
Alas, O king, how cruel it is that, seeing me in such a state, lamenting and embracing you, you do not comfort me, O ruler.
न शोचाम्यहमात्मानं न चान्यदपि किंचन। कथं नु भवितास्येक इति त्वां नृप शोचये
I do not grieve for myself, nor for anything else; but, O king, I grieve for you, wondering how you will fare alone.
कथं नु राजंस्तृषितः क्षुक्षितः श्रमकर्शितः। सायाह्ने वृक्षमूलेषु मामपश्यन्भविष्यसि
How will you, O king, thirsty, hungry, and worn by fatigue, in the late afternoon, be without me under the roots of trees?
ततः सा तीव्रशोकार्ता प्रदीप्तेव च मन्युना। इतश्चेतश्च रुदती पर्यधावत दुःखिता
Then, tormented by intense sorrow and burning with anger, she, weeping here and there, wandered about in distress.
मुहुरुत्पतते बाला मुहुः पतति विह्वला। मुहुरालीयते भीता मुहुः क्रोशति रोदिति
At times the young woman leaps up, at times she falls down in confusion; at times she hides in fear, at times she cries out and weeps.
अतीव शोकसंतप्ता मुहुर्निःश्वस् विह्वला। उवाच भैमी निःश्वस् रोदमाना पतिव्रता
Greatly afflicted by grief, again and again sighing in distress, the devoted Bhīmā’s daughter spoke, sighing and weeping.
यस्याभिशापाद्दुःखार्तो नैष नन्दति नैषधः। तस्य भूतस्य तद्दुःखाद्दुःखमभ्यधिकं भवेत्
By whose curse Nala suffers and does not rejoice, let that being’s suffering become even greater than his own.
अपापचेतसं पापो य एवं कृतवान्नलम्। तस्माद्दुःखतरं प्राप्य जीवत्वमसुखजीविकाम्
The one who, with evil mind, has done this to Nala—may he, attaining a misery even greater, live a wretched life.