प्रत्यक्षं ते महाराज् गणयिष्ये विभीतकम्। अहं हि नाभिजानामि भवेदेव नवेति वा
I will count the Bibhitaka fruits before you, O great king; for I do not know whether they are nine or not.
संख्यास्यामि फलान्यस्य पशय्तस्ते जनाधिप। मुहूर्तमपि वार्ष्णेयो रश्मीन्यच्छतु वाजिनाम्
I will count the fruits of this tree; let the king see for himself. For a moment, O Vārṣṇeya, restrain the reins of the horses.
तमब्रवीन्नृपः सूतं नायं कालो विलम्बितुम्। बाहुकस्त्वब्रवीदेनं परं यत्नं समास्थितः
The king said to the charioteer: 'This is not the time to delay.' But Bahuka replied to him, having taken up great effort:
प्रतीक्षस्व मुहूर्तं त्वमथवा त्वरते भवान्। एष याति शिवः पन्था याहि वार्ष्णेयसारथिः
Wait for a moment, or if you are in haste, proceed; this is a safe path—go, O charioteer of Vārṣṇeya.
अब्रवीदृतुपर्णस्तं सान्त्वयन्कुरुनन्दन। त्वभेव यन्ता नान्योस्ति पृथिव्यामपि बाहुक
Rituparna spoke to him, consoling him: 'You alone are the charioteer, O Bahuka; there is no other like you on earth.'
त्वत्कृतेयातुमिच्छामि विदर्भान्हयकोविद। शरणं त्वांप्रपन्नोस्मि न विघ्नं कर्तुमर्हसि
Because of you, O horse-expert, I wish to go to Vidarbha; I have taken refuge with you—do not cause any hindrance.
कामं च ते करिष्यामि यन्मां वक्ष्यसि बाहुक। विदर्भान्यदि यात्वाऽद्य सूर्यं दर्शयितासि मे
I will surely do whatever you ask of me, O Bahuka, if today, after reaching Vidarbha, you show me the sun.
अथाब्रवीद्बाहुकस्तं संख्यायच बिभीतकम्। ततो विदर्भान्यास्यामि कुरुष्वैवं वचो मम
Then Bahuka said to him, having counted the Bibhitaka fruits: 'After that, I will go to Vidarbha—do as I say.'
अकाम इव तं राजा गणयस्वेत्युवाच ह। एकदेशं च शाखायाः समादिष्टं मयाऽनघ
The king said to him, 'Count it as if you have no desire,' and, O faultless one, I instructed him to count only a single part of the branch.
गणयस्वाश्वतत्वज्ञ ततस्त्वंप्रीतिमावह। सोऽवतीर्य रथात्तूर्णं शातयामास तं द्रुमम्
Count, O knower of horses, and bring me satisfaction.' Then, swiftly descending from the chariot, he began to count that tree.
ततः स विस्मयाविष्टो राजानमिदमब्रवीत्। गणयित्वायथोक्तानि तावन्त्येव फलानि तु
Then, filled with amazement, he spoke to the king: 'Having counted as instructed, there are exactly that many fruits.'
अत्युद्भुतमिदं राजन्दृष्टवानस्मि ते बलम्। श्रोतुमिच्छामि तां विद्यां ययैतज्ज्ञायते नृप
This is truly extraordinary, O king; I have witnessed your power. I wish to hear of that knowledge by which this is known, O ruler.
तमुवाच ततो राजा त्वरितो गमने नृप। विद्ध्यक्षहृदयज्ञं मां संख्याने च विशारदम्
Then the king, eager to depart, said to him: 'Know me to be skilled in the heart of dice and expert in calculation.'
बाहुकस्तमुवाचाथ देहि विद्याद्वयं च मे। मत्तोऽपि चाश्वहृदयं गृहाण पुरुपर्पभ
Then Bahuka said to him: 'Grant me both knowledges, and also accept from me the knowledge of horses, O greatly illustrious one.'
ऋतुपर्णस्ततो राजा बाहुकं कार्यगौरवात्। हयज्ञानस्य लोभाच् तं तथेत्यब्रवीद्वचः
Then King Rituparna, out of respect for the task and out of desire for knowledge of horses, replied to him, 'So be it.'
यथोक्तं त्वं गृहाणेदमक्षाणां हृदयं परम्। निक्षेपो मेऽश्वहृदयं त्वयि तिष्ठतु बाहुक। एवमुक्त्वा ददौ विद्यामृतुपर्णो नलाय वै
As you have said, receive this supreme knowledge of dice; let my knowledge of horses remain with you, Bahuka. Having said this, Rituparna gave the knowledge to Nala.
तस्याक्षहृदयज्ञस्य शरीरान्निःसृतः कलिः। कर्कोटकविषं तीक्ष्णं मुखात्सततमुद्वमन्। कलेस्तस्य तदार्तस्य शापाग्निः स विनिःसृतः
As Nala received the knowledge of the heart of dice, Kali departed from his body, constantly emitting the sharp poison of Karkotaka from his mouth; the fire of the curse left Kali, who was thus afflicted.
सातेन कर्शितो राजादीर्घकालमनात्मवान्
By that, the king, deprived of himself, was tormented for a long time.
तं भ्राम्तरूपं निःशोभं संक्लिष्टमकरोत्कलिः'। ततो विषविमुक्तात्मा स्वंरूपमकरोत्कलिः। तं शप्तुमैच्छत्कुपितो निषधाधिपतिर्नलः
Kali made him, in his distorted form, devoid of beauty and afflicted; then, freed from the poison, Kali regained his own form. The enraged king Nala of Nishadha wished to curse him.
तमुवाच कलिर्भीतो वेपमानः कृताञ्जलिः। कोपं संयच्छ नृपते कीर्तिं दास्यामि ते पराम्
Kali, trembling and fearful, with joined palms, said to him: 'Restrain your anger, O king; I will grant you great fame.'
इन्द्रसेनस्य जननी कुपिता माऽशपत्पुरा। यदा त्वया परित्यक्ता ततोऽहं भृशपीडितः
The mother of Indrasena, once angered, did not curse me; but when you were abandoned, I was greatly tormented.
अवसं त्वयि राजेन्द्र सुदुःखभपराजित। विषेण नागराजस्य दह्यमानो दिवानिशम्
I dwelled in you, O king, overcome by great suffering, burned day and night by the poison of the serpent king.
शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नोस्मि शृणु चेदं वचो मम। ये च त्वां मनुजा लोके कीर्तयिष्यन्त्यतन्द्रिताः। मत्प्रत्सूतं भयं तेषां न कदाचिद्भविष्यति
I have taken refuge in you; listen to these words of mine. Those people in the world who tirelessly praise you—no fear born from me will ever befall them.
न तेषां मानसं किंचिच्छारीरं वाचिकं तथा। भविष्यति महाराज कीर्तयिष्यन्ति ये नलम्'। भयार्तं शरणं यातं यदि मां त्वं न शप्स्यसे
Nothing mental, physical, or verbal will befall those, O great king, who praise Nala, who came to me for refuge in fear, if you do not curse me.
एवमुक्तो नलो राजा न्ययच्छत्कोपमात्मनः। ततो बीतः कलिः क्षिप्रं प्रविवेश विभीतकम्। कलिस्त्वन्येन नो दृष्टः कथयन्नैषधेन वै
Thus addressed, King Nala restrained his anger; then Kali, afraid, quickly entered the Vibhitaka tree. Kali was not seen by anyone else, as told by the Nishadhan.
ततो गतत्वरो राजा नैषधः परवीरहा। संप्रनष्टे कलौ राजा संख्यायास्य फलान्युत
Then the king of Nishadha, destroyer of enemy heroes, hastened on; when Kali had vanished, the king counted its fruits.
मुदा परमया युक्तस्तेजसाऽथ परेण वै। रथमारुह्य तेजस्वी प्रययौ जवनैर्हयैः
Filled with supreme joy and radiant energy, the illustrious one mounted his chariot and set out, his swift horses carrying him onward.
बिभीतकश्चाप्रशस्तः संवृत्तः कलिसंश्रयात्। `ततः प्रभृतिराजेन्द्र लोकेऽस्मिन्पाण्डुनन्दन
Because of Kali's influence, Bibhitaka became infamous; from that time on, O king, the world called the son of Pandu by that name.
हयोत्तभानुत्पततो द्विजानिव पुनः पुनः। नलः संचोदयामास प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना
As the noble steeds leapt up again and again, like twice-born sages, Nala urged them on with delight in his heart.
विदर्भाभिमुखो राजा प्रययौ स महायशाः। नले तु समतिक्रान्ते कलिरप्यगमद्गृहम्
The renowned king journeyed toward Vidarbha; and when Nala had departed, Kali too returned to his own abode.