वृहदश्व उवाच तस्मिन्नन्तहिते नागे प्रययौ नैषधो नलः। ऋतुपर्णस्य नगरं प्राविशद् दशमेऽहनि॥
Brihadashva said : After the disappearance of the Naga, Nala, the prince of the Nishadhas, repaired to the city of Rituparna on the tenth day.
स राजानमुपातिष्ठद् बाहुकोऽहमिति ब्रुवन्। अश्वानां वाहने युक्तः पृथिव्यां नास्ति मत्समः॥
He approached the king with these words: “I am Bahuka, skilled in the management of horses. I have not a peer in this earth.
अर्थकृच्छ्रेषु चैवाहं प्रष्टव्यो नैपुणेषु च। अन्नसंस्कारमपि च जानाम्यन्यैर्विशेषतः॥
I may be referred to on the matters of pecuniary difficulty, as well as on those of skill. I know the art of cooking, in which I am unsurpassed by others.
यानि शिल्पानि लोकेऽस्मिन् यच्चैवान्यत् सुदुष्करम् सर्वं यतिष्ये तत् कर्तुमृतुपर्ण भरस्व माम्॥
O Rituparna, I will take care to bring under operation all the arts, that rest in the world and also other matters difficult of accomplishment. Therefore, do you maintain me.”
ऋतुपर्ण उवाच वस बाहुक भद्रं ते सर्वमेतत् करिष्यसि। शीघ्रयाने सदा बुद्धिर्धियते मे विशेषतः॥
Rituparna said : O Bahuka! stay with me! All hail unto you! Shall you perform all this. Always my mind particularly turns to this, viz., to be driven very fast.
स त्वमातिष्ठ योगं तं येन शीघ्रा हया ममा भवेयुरश्वाध्यक्षोऽसि वेतनं ते शतं शतम्॥
Do you adopt some such means that my horses may become very fast. Be then the superintendent of my stables, on a salary of ten thousand coins.
त्वामुपस्थास्यतश्चैव नित्यं वार्ष्णेयजीवलौ। एताभ्यां रंस्यसे सार्धं वस वै मयि बाहुक॥
Varshneya and Jivala shall always be guided by you; and in whose company shall you pass your days in joy. O Bahuka! do you, therefore, stay with me.
बृहदश्व उवाच एवमुक्तो नलस्तेन न्यवसत् तत्र पूजितः। ऋतुपर्णस्य नगरे सहवार्ष्णेयजीवलः॥
Brihadashya said : Having been thus addressed, Nala, thus received, lived there in the city of Rituparna in company with Varshneya and Jivala.
स वै तत्रावसद् राजा वैदर्भीमनुचिन्तयन्। सायं सायं सदा चेमं श्लोकमेकं जगाद ह॥
That king continued to live there in anxiety for the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas; and every evening he repeated a verse which runs thus:
क्व नु सा क्षुत्पिपासार्ता श्रान्ता शेते तपस्विनी। स्मरन्ती तस्य मन्दस्य कं वा साद्योपतिष्ठति॥
Where does lie that glorious one, oppressed with hunger and thirst and fatigued with toil; and always meditating upon that miserable one, to whom does she now attach herself?"
एवं ब्रुवन्तं राजानं निशायां जीवलोऽब्रवीत्। कामेनां शोचसे नित्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि बाहुक॥
Jivala asked the king, while he was muttering the above verse in the night, saying: 'O Bahuka! I desire to learn about the person, for whom do you mourn every day.
आयुष्मन् कस्य वा नारी यामेवमनुशोचसि। तमुवाच नलो राजा मन्दप्रज्ञस्य कस्यचित्॥ आसीद् बहुमता नारी तस्यादृढतरं वचः। स वै केनचिदर्थेन तया मन्दो व्ययुज्यत॥
O you blessed with longevity! whose is that lady, for whom do you lament every day?” Thus spoken, king Nala answered him, saying, There was a wretch, who had lost all his senses. He had a spouse known to many. He was false in his promises (to her). For a certain cause he was separated from her.
विप्रयुक्तः स मन्दात्मा भ्रमत्यसुखपीडितः। दह्यमानः स शोकेन दिवारानमतन्द्रितः॥
Being thus separated (from her), that wicked person roved about. He was repressed with sorrow; and burning with grief, he never slept either by day or night.
निशाकाले स्मरंस्तस्याः श्लोकमेकं स्म गायति। स विभ्रमन् महीं सर्वां क्वचिदासाद्य किंचन॥ वसत्यनहर्हस्तद् दुःखं भूय एवानुसंस्मरन्।
Remembering her during the night, he sings the above verse. Then having wandered over the whole world and at last coming to a place where he, undeserving of the calamity that has overtaken him, resides always remembering his wife.
सा तु तं पुरुषं नारी कृच्छ्रेऽप्यनुगता वने।॥ त्यक्ता तेनाल्पपुण्येन दुष्करं यदि जीवति। एका बालानभिज्ञा च मार्गाणामतथोचिता॥
Having fallen into distress, the person was followed by his wife into the forest. Forsaken by that man of little virtue, the lady, aftlicted with sorrow, hardly lives. That solitary girl, having no knowledge of the forest paths, saves her life with difficulty.
क्षुत्पिपासापरीताङ्गी दुष्करं यदि जीवति। श्वापदाचरिते नित्यं वने महति दारुणे॥ त्यक्ता तेनाल्पभाग्यन मन्दप्रज्ञेन मारिष। इत्येवं नैषधो राजा दमयन्तीमनुस्मरन्। अज्ञातवासं न्यवसद् राज्ञस्तस्य निवेशने॥
As she, fatigued with hunger and thirst, is quite unfit to wander about in that dreadful and dense forest, always haunted by fierce animals. Cfriend! having left her in that dreadful forest, the stupid king of the Nishadhas of little fortune thus remembered Damayanti, while he was living an unknown life in the house of that king.''