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.
ततो गतज्वरो राजा नलोऽभूत्पृथिवीपतिः। विमुक्तः कलिना राजन्रूपमात्रवियोजितः
Then the king, lord of the earth, was freed from fever and released from Kali, O king, parted only from his outward form.
ततो विदर्भान्संप्राप्तं सायाह्ने सत्यविक्रमम्। ऋतुपर्णं जना राज्ञे भीमाय प्रत्यवेदयन्
Then, as evening fell, the people informed King Bhima that the valiant Rituparna had arrived in Vidarbha.
स भीमवचनाद्राजा कुण्डिनं प्राविशत्पुरम्। नादयन्रथघोषेण सर्वाः स विदिशो दिशः
At Bhima's command, the king entered the city of Kundina, the sound of his chariot filling all the directions.
ततस्तं रथनिर्घोषं नलाश्वास्तत्र शुश्रुवुः। श्रुत्वा तु समहृष्यन्त पुरेव नलसन्निधौ
Hearing the thunder of the chariot, Nala's horses rejoiced, for they recognized the sound as if Nala himself were present in the city.
दमयन्ती तु शुश्राव रथघोषं नलस्य तम्। यथा मेघस्य नदतो गम्भीरं जलदागमे
Damayanti too heard that deep chariot-rumble of Nala, like the roar of clouds at the coming of the rains.
परं विस्मयमापन्ना श्रुत्वा नादं महास्वनम्। नलेन संगृहीतेषु पुरेव नलवाजिषु। सदृशं रथनिर्घोषं मेने भैमी तथा हयाः
Struck with great wonder at that mighty sound, Bhaimi thought the chariot-noise and the horses were just as they had been when Nala held the reins in the city.
प्रासादस्थाश्च शिखिनः शालास्थाश्चैव वारणाः। हयाश्च शुश्रुवुस्तस्य रथघोषं महीपतेः
The peacocks on the palace roofs, the elephants in their stalls, and the horses too heard the king's chariot-thunder.
तच्छ्रुत्वा रथनिर्घोषं वारणाः शिखिनस्तथा। प्रवेदुरुन्मुखा राजन्दृष्ट्वेव जलदोदयम्
Hearing that chariot-sound, the elephants and peacocks turned their faces toward it, O king, as if beholding the rise of rain-clouds.
यथाऽसौ रथनिर्घोषः पूरयन्निव मेदिनीम्। ममाह्लादयते चेतो नल एव महीपतिः
Just as this chariot-thunder, filling the earth, delights my heart, so too does King Nala alone gladden me.
अद्य नन्द्राभवक्रं तं न पश्यामि नलं यदि। असंख्येयगुणं वीरं विनङ्क्ष्यामि न संशयः
If today I do not see Nala, that heroic one of countless virtues, I will surely perish—of this there is no doubt.