ततो युक्तं रथं राजा समारोहत्त्वरान्वितः। अथ पर्यपतन्भूमौ जानुभिस्ते हयोत्तमाः
Then the king, eager, mounted the chariot that had been yoked; and the best horses pawed the ground with their knees.
ततो नरवरः श्रीमान्नलो राजा विशांपते। सान्त्वयामास तानश्वांस्तेजोबलसमन्वितान्
Then the illustrious king Nala, best of men, comforted those horses endowed with energy and strength.
रश्मिभिश्च समुद्यम्य नलो यातुमियेष सः। सूतमारोप्य वार्ष्णेयं जवमास्थाय वै परम्
Nala, having gathered the reins, prepared to depart; he placed the Vrishni hero as charioteer and took up the utmost speed.
ते चोद्यमाना विधिवद्बाहुकेन हयोत्तमाः। समुत्पेतुरिवाकाशं रथिनं मोहयन्ति च
Those excellent horses, urged properly by his arms, sprang forth as if into the sky, bewildering the charioteer.
तथा तु दृष्ट्वा तानश्वान्वहतो वातरंहसः। अयोध्याधिपतिः श्रीमान्विस्मयं परमं ययौ
Seeing those horses running with the swiftness of the wind, the illustrious king of Ayodhya was struck with the highest wonder.
रथघोषं तु तं श्रुत्वा हयसंग्रहणं च तत्। वार्ष्णेयश्चिन्तयामास बाहुकस्य हयज्ञताम्
Hearing the sound of the chariot and the gathering of the horses, the Vrishni hero began to ponder Bahuka’s mastery over horses.
किंनु स्यान्मातलिरयं देवराजस्य सारथिः। तथा तल्लक्षणं वीरे बाहुके दृश्यते महत्
Could this be Mātali, the charioteer of the king of the gods? Such great signs are seen in the valiant Bahuka.
शालिहोत्रोऽथ किंतु स्याद्धयानां कुलतत्त्ववित्। मानुपं समनुप्राप्तो वपुः परमशोभनम्
Or perhaps it is Śālihotra, the expert in the lineage of horses, who has arrived in human form, possessing a most splendid appearance.
उताहोस्विद्भवेद्राजा नलः परपुरंजयः। सोयं नृपतिरायात इत्येवं समचिन्तयत्
Or could it be King Nala, the conqueror of enemy cities? This king has arrived—so he thought.
अथवाऽयंनलात्प्राप्तो विद्यां तामेव बाहुकः। तुल्यं हि लक्षये ज्ञानं बाहुकस्य नलस्य च
Or else, Bahuka has obtained that knowledge from Nala; for I observe equal skill in both Bahuka and Nala.
अपिचेदं वयस्तुल्यं बाहुकस्य नलस्य च। नायं नलो महावीर्यस्तद्विद्यश्च भविष्यति
Moreover, the age of Bahuka and Nala is the same; but this is not Nala, the mighty hero, though he will possess that knowledge.
प्रच्छन्ना हि महात्मानश्चरन्ति पृथिवीमिमाम्। दैवेन विधिना युक्ताः शास्त्रोक्तैश्च निरूपणैः
Great souls wander this earth concealed, endowed by destiny and recognized by the marks described in the scriptures.
भवेन्न मतिभेदो मे गात्रवैरूप्यता प्रति। प्रमाणात्परिहीनस्तु भवेदिति मतिर्मम
Let there not be confusion in my mind regarding his altered appearance; my thought is that he is diminished only in form.
वयःप्रमाणं तत्तुल्यं रूपेण तु विपर्ययः। नलं सर्वगुणैर्युक्तं मन्ये बाहुकमन्ततः
Their age is equal, but their appearance is opposite; I consider Nala to be endowed with all virtues, and Bahuka to be so as well.
एवं विचार्य बहुशो वार्ष्णोयः पर्यचिन्तयत्। हृदयेन महाराज पुण्यश्लोकस्य सारथिः
Thus, pondering repeatedly, the Vrishni hero reflected in his heart upon the charioteer of the illustrious king.
ऋतुपर्णश्च राजेनद्रो बाहुकस्य हयज्ञताम्। चिन्तयन्मुमुदे राजा सहवार्ष्णेयसारथिः
King Rituparna, thinking about Bahuka’s mastery over horses, rejoiced together with the Vrishni charioteer.
ऐकाग्र्यं च तथोत्साहं हयसंग्रहणं च तत्। कौशलं चापि संप्रेक्ष्य परां सुदमवाप ह
Observing his concentration, enthusiasm, and skill in gathering the horses, Sudama attained supreme delight.
स नदीः पर्वतांश्चैव वनानि च सरांसि च। अचिरेणातिचक्राम स्वेचरः खे चरन्निव
He swiftly crossed rivers, mountains, forests, and lakes, moving freely as if traveling through the sky.
तथा प्रयाते तु रथे तदा भागस्वरिर्नृपः। उत्तरीयमधोपश्यद्धष्टं परपुरंजयः
As the chariot advanced, the king, Bhāgasvari, saw his upper garment fall, and the conqueror of cities noticed it.
ततः स त्वरमाणस्तु पटे निपतिते तदा। ग्रहीष्यामीति तं राजा नलमाह महामनाः
Then, as it fell quickly to the ground, the great-minded king said to Nala, 'I will retrieve it.'
निगृह्णीष्व महाबुद्धे हयानेतान्महाजवान्। वार्ष्णेयो यावदेनं मे पटमानयतामिह
Restrain these swift horses, O wise one, until Vārṣṇeya brings me back that cloth here.
नलस्तं प्रत्युवाचाथ दूरे भ्रष्टः पटस्तव। योजनं समतिक्रान्तो नाहर्तुं शक्यते पुनः
Then Nala replied to him: Your cloth has fallen far away, beyond a yojana; it cannot be retrieved again.
एवमुक्ते नलेनाथ नातिप्रीतमना नृपः। आससाद वने राजन्फलवन्तं बिभीतकम्
When Nala had spoken thus, the king, not very pleased in mind, approached in the forest a Bibhitaka tree bearing fruit.
तं दृष्ट्वा बाहुकं राजा त्वरमाणोऽभ्यभापत। ममापि सूत पश्य त्वं संख्याने परमं बलम्
Seeing Bahuka, the king hurried toward him and said: 'O charioteer, behold also my supreme skill in calculation.'
सर्वः सर्वं न जानाति सर्वज्ञो नास्ति कश्चन। नैकत्र परिनिष्ठाऽस्ति ज्ञानस्य पुरुषे क्वचित्
No one knows everything about everything; there is no one who is all-knowing. Nowhere in any person is knowledge found to be complete in all respects.
वृक्षेऽस्मिन्यानि पर्णानि फलामेकं च बाहुक। पतितान्यपि यान्यत्रतत्रैकमधिकं कृतम्
On this tree, O Bahuka, there are so many leaves and a single fruit; though many have fallen here and there, one more has been made.
एवपत्राधिकं चात्र फलमेकं च बाहुक। फलकोट्यपि पत्राणां द्वयोरपि च शाखयोः। `प्रवक्ष्यामि फलान्यत्र यानि संख्यास्यते भवान्
Here, there is one fruit more than the number of leaves, O Bahuka; and on both branches, the number of fruits exceeds the number of leaves by two. I will tell you, as you count, how many fruits there are.
प्रचिनुह्यस्य शाखे द्वे याश्चाप्यन्याः प्रशाखिकाः। आभ्यां फलसहस्रे द्वे पञ्चोनं शतमेव च
Count the two main branches of this tree, and also the other offshoots; on these, there are two thousand fruits, less by five hundred.
ततो रथादवप्लुत्य राजानं बाहुकोऽब्रवीत्। परोक्षमिव मे राजन्कत्थसे शत्रुकर्शन
Then, leaping down from the chariot, Bahuka spoke to the king: 'O subduer of foes, you boast as if indirectly before me.'
प्रत्यक्षमेतत्कर्ताऽस्मि शातयित्वा विभीतकम्। अथ ते गणिते राजन्द्विजामाम्यपरोक्षताम्
I will do this before your eyes, O king, by stripping the Bibhitaka tree; and when I have counted them, you shall know my directness.