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.
एवं तु विलपन्ती सा राज्ञो भार्या महात्मनः। अन्वेषति स्म भर्तारं वने श्वापदसेविते
Thus lamenting, the wife of the great king searched for her husband in the forest frequented by wild beasts.
उन्मत्तवद्भीमसुता विलपन्ती ततस्ततः। हाहा राजन्निति मुहुरितश्चेतश्च धावति
Like one mad, the daughter of Bhīma wandered here and there, lamenting, crying out again and again, 'O king!' as she ran about.
तां शुष्यमाणामत्यर्थं कुररीमिव वाशतीम्। करुणं बहुशोचन्तीं विलपन्तीं सुमध्यमाम्
That slender-waisted one, drying up exceedingly, wailing like a female curlew, lamenting pitifully and much to be pitied—
सहसाऽभ्यागतां भैमीमभ्याशपरिवर्तिनीम्। जग्राहाजगरो ग्राहो महाकायः क्षुधान्वितः
Suddenly, as she wandered nearby, a great, hungry serpent seized Bhīmā’s daughter.
सा ग्रस्यमाना ग्रहेण शोकेन च पराजिता। नात्मानं शोचति तथा यथा शोचति नैषधम्
Being swallowed by the serpent and overcome by grief, she did not grieve so much for herself as she did for Nala.
द्वा नाथ मामिह वने ग्रस्यमानामनागसम्। ग्राहेणानेन विजने किमर्थं नानुधावसि
O protector, why do you not run to me here in the forest, as I am being devoured, innocent, by this serpent in this lonely place?
कथं भविष्यसि पुनर्मामनुस्मृत्य नैषध। [कथं भवाञ्जगामाद्य मामुत्सृज्य वने प्रभो।] पापान्मुक्तः पुनर्लब्ध्वा बुद्धिं चोतो धनानि च
How will you be, O Nala, remembering me again? [How did you go today, O lord, leaving me in the forest?] Freed from evil, regaining wisdom and wealth—
श्रान्तस्य ते क्षुधार्तस् परिग्लानस्य नैषध। कः श्रमं राजशार्दूल नाशयिष्यति तेऽनघ
O Nala, exhausted, hungry, and worn out, O tiger among kings, who will relieve your fatigue, O sinless one?
तां तु दृष्ट्वा तथा ग्रस्तामुरगेणायतेक्षणाम्। आक्रन्दमानां संश्रुत्य जवेनाभिससार ह
Seeing her, wide-eyed, thus seized by the serpent and hearing her cries, he rushed there at once.
तां तु दृष्ट्वा तथा ग्रस्तामुरगेणायतेक्षणाम्। त्वरमाणो मृगव्याधः संचरन्गहने वने। समभिक्रम्य वेगेन सत्वरः स वनेचरः
Beholding her so caught by the serpent, the hunter hastened, moving swiftly through the dense forest, and quickly approached her with speed.