बृहदश्व उवाच श्रुत्वा वचः सुदेवस्य ऋतुपर्णो नराधिपः। सान्त्वयश्लक्ष्णया वाचा बाहुकं प्रत्यभाषत॥
Brihadashva said : Hearing these words of Sudeva, king Rituparna comforted Bahuka with sweet speeches and addressed him thus,
विदर्भान् यातुमिच्छामि दमयन्त्याः स्वयंवरम्। एकाला हयतत्त्वज्ञ मन्यसे यदि बाहुक॥
"O Bahuka, O you who are well-versed in the knowledge of horses, if you are willing, I desire to go, in course of a day, to the country of the Vidharbhas, where will be held the Svayamvara of Damayanti."
एवमुक्तस्य कौन्तेय तेन राज्ञा नलस्य ह। व्यदीर्यत मनो दुःखात् प्रदध्यौ च महामनाः॥
O descendant of Kunti, thus addressed by that king, Nala had his mind bursting with grief and that lofty-minded one also burned with sorrow.
दमयन्ती वदेदेतत् कुर्याद् दुःखेन मोहिता। अस्मदर्थे भवेद् वायमुपायश्चिन्तितो महान्॥
He thought “It may be that Damayanti, afflicted by sorrow, does this; or, perhaps, by doing this, she has conceived a great policy for my sake.
नृशंसं बत वैदर्भी भर्तृकामा तपस्विनी। मया क्षुद्रेण निकृता कृपणा पापबुद्धिना॥ स्त्रीस्वभावश्चलो लोके मम दोषश्च दारुणः। स्यादेवभपि कुयात् सा विवासाद् गतसौहृदा॥
That virtuous lady, the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas, is willing to do this, is, indeed, very cruel; and that is for the reason of my deceiving her, who am an insignificant, sinful and senseless one. In this world, the nature of women is very subtle. My fault is also very great. She works out this end; for she no longer entertains any love for me, on account of my long separation from her.
मम शोकेन संविग्ना नैराश्यात् तनुमध्यमा। नैवं सा कर्हिचित् कुर्यात् सापत्या च विशेषतः॥
The lady, possessing slender waist, oppressed as she is by sorrow for me, will, as a matter of fact, not be able to do this; especially because she has got children (by me).
यदत्र सत्यं वासत्यं गत्वा वेत्स्यामि निश्चयम्। ऋतुपर्णस्य वै काममात्मार्थं च करोम्यहम्॥
I will go there and know for certain whether there is any truth in this; or the fact is unreal. I will surely fulfill the desire of Rituparna; for in doing this I will serve my own purpose."
इति निश्चित्य मनसा बाहुको दीनमानसः। कृताञ्जलिरुवाचेदमृतुपर्णं जनाधिपम्॥ प्रतिजानामि ते वाक्यं गमिष्यामि नराधिप। एकाह्रा पुरुषव्याघ्र विदर्भनगरी नृप॥
Having thus settled his mind, Bahuka, whose mind was filled with sorrow, folded his hands and said these words to king Rituparna, "O best of kings, O foremost of men, O monarch, I am determined at your command to go to the city of Ayodhya in course of a single day.”
ततः परीक्षामश्वानां चक्रे राजन् स बाहुकः। अश्वशालामुपागम्य भागासुरिनृपाज्ञया॥
O king, thereupon Bahuka went, at the behest of the royal son of Vangasura, to the stables; and there he examined the horses.
स त्वर्यमाणो बहुश ऋतुपर्णेन बाहुकः। अश्वाञ्जिज्ञासमानो वै विचार्य च पुनः पुनः। अभ्यगच्छत् कृशानश्वान् समर्थानध्वनि क्षमान्॥ तेजोबलसमायुक्तान् कुलशीलसमन्वितान्। वर्जिताँल्लक्षणैर्हनिः पृथुप्रोथान् महाहनून्॥
Bahuka, having been repeatedly asked by Rituparna, examined the horses and balanced in his mind over and over again. Then, at last, he selected such horses that were very lean but able; and also that are capable of bearing hardhips of a long journey and endued with strength and energy; well bred and gentle and unmarked by inauspicious marks; possessed of broad nostrils and swelling cheeks.
शुद्धान् दशभिरावर्तेः सिन्धुजान् वातरंहसः। दृष्ट्वा तानब्रवीद् राजा किंचित् कोपसमन्वितः॥
These horses were also faultless as regards 'the ten hairy curls' and born in the country called) Sindhu and swift as the wind. The king, seeing these steeds, became a little angry and said,
किमिदं प्रार्थितं कर्तुं प्रलब्धव्या न ते वयम्। कथमल्पबलप्राणा वक्ष्यन्तीमे हया मम। महदध्वानमपि च गन्तव्यं कथमीदृशैः॥
"What do you want to do? You should not jest with me. How these weak and breathless steeds will carry us? How this long way we would travel with the help of these horses?"
बाहुक उवाच एको ललाटे द्वौ मूर्ध्नि द्वौ द्वौ पार्थोपपार्श्वयोः। द्वौ द्वौ वक्षसि विज्ञेयौ प्रयाणे चैक एव तु॥ एते हया गमिष्यन्ति विदर्भान् नात्र संशयः॥ यानन्यान् मन्यसे राजन् ब्रूहि तान् योजयामि ते॥
Bahuka said: These horses, respectively bearing one curl on the forehead, two on the temples, four on the sides, four on the breast and one on the back, will, without doubt, reach the country of the Vidharbhas. But, O monarch, should you like others, tell me and I will yoke them for you.
ऋतुपर्ण उवाच त्वमेव हयतत्त्वज्ञः कुशलो ह्यसि बाहुक। यान् मन्यसे समर्थांस्त्वं क्षिप्रं तानेव योजय॥
Rituparna said: O Bahuka, you are well conversant with the knowledge and guiding of horses. Soon yoke those that you think fit.
ततः सदश्वांश्चतुरु कुलशीलसमन्वितान्। योजयामास कुशलो जवयुक्तान् रथे नलः॥
Thereupon clever and skillful Nala yoked to the car high-bred, gentle and swift steeds.
ततो युक्तं रथं राजा समारोहत् त्वरान्वितः। अथ पर्यपतन् भूमौ जानुभिस्ते हयोत्तमाः॥
Then the monarch most speedily mounted the car, to which such horses had been yoked. But these best of horses fell down upon the ground on their knees.
ततो नरवरः श्रीमान् नलो राजा विशाम्पते। सान्त्वयामास तानश्वांस्तेजोबलसमन्वितान्॥
O monarch, thereupon that most auspicious and best of men, king Nala, comforted the horse, that were endued with strength and energy.
रश्मिभिश्च समुद्यम्य नलो यातुमियेष सः। सूतमारोप्य वार्ष्णेयं जवमास्थाय वै परम्॥ ते चोद्यमाना विधिवद् बाहुकेन हयोत्तमाः। समुत्पेतुरथाकाशं रथिनं मोहयन्निव॥
Nala, then raising the steeds by the reins and making Varshneya, the charioteer, sit on the car, commanded great speed and set out. Thereafter those foremost of horses, having been conducted by Bahuka according to the rules, rose to the sky and confounded the occupant of the car.
तथा तु दृष्ट्वा तानश्वान् वहतो वातरंहसः। अयोध्याधिपतिः श्रीमान् विस्मयं परमं ययौ॥
The blessed king of Ayodhya, having seen these horses carrying him with the speed of winds, was struck with great astonishment.
रथघोषं तु तं श्रुत्वा हयसंग्रहणं च तत्। वार्ष्णेयश्चिन्तयामास बाहुकस्य हयज्ञताम्॥ किं नु स्यान्मातलिरयं देवराजस्य सारथिः। तथा तल्लक्षणं वीरे बाहुके दृश्यते महत्॥
Varshneya, hearing the sound of the car (of its wheels) and witnessing the management of the horses, was set to thinking on the knowledge of Bahuka in the science of steeds. He said, “Was he not Matali, the charioteer of the king of the gods? That auspicious mark is seen in heroic Bahuka.
शालिहोत्रोऽथ किं नु स्याद्धयानां कुलतत्त्ववित्। मानुषं समनुप्राप्तो वपुः परमशोभनम्॥
Is he not Salihotra, who is conversant with the knowledge of horses? Or Salihotra has taken this beautiful human form?"
उताहोस्विद् भवेद् राजा नल: परपुरंजयः। सोऽयं नृपतिरायात इत्येवं समचिन्तयत्॥
He continued to think, “That he might be king Nala, the reducer of hostile cities, who has come here.
अथ चेह नलो विद्यां वेत्ति तामेव बाहुकः। तुल्यं हि लक्षये ज्ञानं बाहुकस्य नलस्य च॥
Or it might be that Bahuka knew the science with which Nala was conversant; for Nala's knowledge seemed to be identical with that of Bahuka.
अपि चेदं वयस्तुल्यं बाहुकस्य नलस्य च। नायं नलो महावीर्यस्तद्धिद्यश्च भविष्यति॥
Again, both Nala and Bahuka seem to be of the same age. This person may not be identical with Nala of great energy; but he must be somebody of equal knowledge.
प्रच्छन्ना हि महात्मानश्चरन्ति पृथिवीमिमाम्। दैवेन विधिना युक्ताः शास्त्रोक्तैश्च निरूपणैः॥
Sometimes, indeed, great men rove over this world in disguise either ordained by mishap or in obedience to the dictates of the Shastras.
भवेन्न मतिभेदो मे गात्रवैरूप्यतां प्रति। प्रमाणात् परिहीनस्तु भवेदिति मतिर्मम॥
There should be no change of my opinion on account of his ugly appearance; rather my opinion is that this one has under gone some change in the body.
वय:प्रमाणं तत्तुल्यं रूपेण तु विपर्ययः। नलं सर्वगुणैर्युक्तं मन्ये बाहुकमन्ततः॥
This one is of the same age with him but there is some difference in the form. Again, he Bahuka gifted with all the accomplishments? Therefore I think he is Nala."
एवं विचार्य बहुशो वार्ष्णेयः पर्यचिन्तयत्। हृदयेन महाराज पुण्यश्लोकस्य सारथिः॥
O the foremost of kings, having deliberated upon this over and over again, Varshneya, the charioteer of virtuous Nala, went on thinking in his mind.
ऋतुपर्णश्च राजेन्द्रो बाहुकस्य हयज्ञताम्। चिन्तयन् मुमुदे राजा सहवार्ष्णेयसारथिः॥
Along with his charioteer, Varshneya, the excellent king Rituparna, highly delighted, was absorbed in the thought, regarding Bahuka's knowledge in the management of horses.
ऐकाग्र्यं च तथोत्साहं हयसंग्रहणं च तत्। परं यत्नं च सम्प्रेक्ष्य परां मुदमवाप ह॥
Also he was greatly delighted to behold the attentiveness and zeal of Bahuka, as also his manner of holding the reins and his skill in it. nin TCY ATT VTTTTTTTTTTT