canto 1 anuṣṭubh
8 8 /
syllables
bṛhadaṣva uvāca 8 8
//
·
āsīt rājā nalas nāma vīrasenasutas balī /
was king Nala name Vīrasena-son mighty-one
ppp
there was a king
named Nala, the
son of the powerful Virasena
upapannas gunais iṣṭais
rūpavān aṣvakovidas //
provided-with
with-qualities-desired
possessing-form
horse-very-knowing
ppp ppp
ko =
intensive
endowed with desirable
qualities, possessing good looks,
he was very knowledgeable about horses
·
atiṣṭhan manujendrāṇām mūrdhni devapatis yathā /
stood of-men-king at-top-of god-lord as
he stood at the head of the kings of
men, like the lord of gods
upari upari sarveṣām
āditya
iva tejasā //
way-above of-all sun like with-brightness
and like the sun because
of his splendor
·
brahmaṇyas vedavid śūra: niṣadheṣu mahīpatis /
pious veda-learned hero
amoung-Nasadhas great-lord
pious, knower of Vedas, heroic,
king amoung
the Nasadhas
akṣapriyas satyavādī mahān akṣauhiṇīpatis //
dice-lover truth-speaking great complete-army-lord
he was fond of dice, a
speaker of truth,, and the great lord of a complete army
·
īpsitas naranārīṇām, udāras samyatendriyas
desired of-women excellent sense-restrained
desired by excellent women, noble,
whose senses were controlled
rakṣitā, dhanvinām śreṣṭhas, sākṣāt iva manus svayam
protector of-archers best from-appearance like
Manu himself
protector, and the best of archers, he was like Manu himself before the eyes
·
tathā iva āsīd vidarbheṣu bhīmas, bhīmaparākramas,
so
like was amoung-Vidarbhas Bhīma having-awesome-courage
similarly among
the Vidarbhas
there was Bhima of terrible courage,
śūras sarvaguṇāis yuktas, prajākāmas, sa ca
aprajas
hero with-all-qualities joined-to offspring-desire he without-offspring
a hero endowed with all good qualities desirous of offspring he
made effort to have offspring
·
sa prajārthe param yatnam akarot, susamāhitas
he in-the-matter-of foremost effort made very-intensive
oh Bharata , desirous of offspring,
tam abhyagacchat brahmarṣis, damanas nāma, bhārata
him went-towards brahmin-ṛṣi Damana Bhima
a Brahmin risi
named Damana
went towards him (Bhima)
·
tam sa bhīmas prajākāmas toṣayāmāsa dharmavit /
him
offspring-desirous made-glad dharma-knower
Bhima, knower of dharma, desirous
of offspring
mahiṣyā saha, rājendra, satkāreṇa, suvarcasam
with-his-queen
with-hospitality
splendor
along with his principle queen satisfied Damana
of great splendor with hospitality
·
tasmāi prasannas damanas sabhāryāya varam dadau
to-him pleased Damana with-his-wife boon gave
pleased Damana gave a boon
to him along with his wife.
kanyā-ratnam kumārān ca trīn udārān mahāyaśās
girl-jewel boys 3 noble of-great-splendour
a jewel of a girl and 3 noble,
renowned princes
·
damayantīṃ damam dāntam damanam ca suvarcasam
good-lustre
their names were Damayanti, Dama, Danta, and Damana
upapannān guṇais sarvais bhīmān bhīmaparākramān
approached-with with-all-qualities fierce of-awesome-courage
they were of great splendor, fierce and of
terrible courage and endowed with all good qualities
·
damayantī tu rūpeṇa tejasā yaśasā śriyā
but Damayantī by-form by-brilliance by-fame by-beauty
Damayantī,
having a slender waist, obtained fame in the world by her beauty
saubhāgyena ca lokeṣu yathas prāpa sumadhyamā
by-prosperity-charm amoung-folk so
obtained (perf.) slender-waist
splendor, fame, wealth and good
fortune
·
atha tām vayasi prāpte dāsīnām samalamkṛtam
now-then she
(when-the-period-of-life-was-come)
of-slaves well-adorned
when she had grown up 100 well adorned
slaves
śatam sakhīnām ca tathā paryupāste śavīm iva
100
and of-friends so attended-upon śavī like
100 friends served her like Sachi
·
tatra sma bhrājate bhaimī sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā
there shone Bhaimī adorned-with-all-ornaments
there,
the daughter of Bhima, of jaultless limbs,
adorned with ornaments
sakhīmadhye anavadyāṅgī vidyutsaudāminī yathā
in-friends-middle faultless-limbs lightening-shine as
shown in the midst of her friends like
lightening shines from the midst of clouds
·
atīva rūpasampannā śrīs iva ayatalocanā
very form-endowed Lakṣmī like
big-eyes
she was very beautiful with big eyes like Laksmi
na deveṣu na yakṣeṣu tādṛg rūpavatī kvacit
not
amoung-gods
not amoung-Yaksas that-like
possessing-form anywhere
not among the gods, not among Yaksas
·
mānuṣeṣu api ca anyeṣu dṛṣṭapūrvā na ca śrutā
amoung-men also
amoung-others
seen-before nor heard
also not among others had such a
beautiful one been seen or heard anywhere before
cittapramāthinī bālā devānām api sundarī
mind-churner girl of-gods even beautiful
the beautiful girl
confused the minds even of the gods
·
nalas ca naraśārdūlas rūpeṇa apratimas bhuvi
man-tiger
with-form
having-no-equal on-earth
Nala, a tiger amoung men because
of his beauty
kandarpa iva rūpeṇa mūrtimān abhavat svayam
cupid like
with-form possessing-shape was himself
was incamparable
like tha god of love himself
·
tasyās samīpe tu nalam praśaśamsu: kutūhalāt
of-her in-the-presence but
Nala praise eagerly
they praise Nala
in her (Damayanti)
vicinity eagerly
naiṣadhasya
samīpe tu damayantīṃ punar puna
of-Naiṣadha in-the-presense
likewise, they praised
Damayantī in the presence of Nala
·
tayos adṛṣṭakāma:s abhūs śṛṇvatos satatam guṇān
of-each-other unseen-love upon hearing continuous qualities
hey son of Kunti,
upon hearing the praise of each other
anyonyam prati kaunteya sa vyavardhata hṛcchayas
one-towards-the-other towards
Kaunteya
it grew lying-in-heart
an unseen love developed between the two
and the reciprocal love which abides in heart grew strong
·
aśaknuvan nalas kāmam tadā dhārayitum hṛdā
unable Nala love then to-endure with-heart
Nala, unable to bear his desire of the heart
antas purasamīpasthe
vane āste rahas gatas
near-his private forest in-home secretly sat
secretly sat in the forest near
his private chambers
·
sa dadarśa tadā hamsāṅ jātarūpaparicchadān
he saw then birds gold-adorned
after that, he saw birds that were
adorned in gold
vane vicaratām teṣām ekam jagrāha pakṣiṇam
in-forest of-those-going-around 1 grasped (perf) bird
he grasped at one of the birds that
was going around in the forest
·
tatas antarikṣagas vācam vyājahāra nalam tadā
thence sky-goer speech uttered Nala then
then the bird uttered a speech to Nala
na hantavyas asmi na te rājan kariṣyāmi hi te priyam
not
to-be-slain I-am not
by-you King I-will-do indeed for-you
dear
King, I am not to be killed by
you. I will do what is dear to you
·
damayantīsakāśe tvām kathayiṣyāmi
naiṣadha
Damayantī in-the-pressence you
i-will-talk
O king-of-the-Nisadhas
oh king of the Nisadhas. I will talk about you in the vicinity of Damayantī
yathā tvad anyam puruṣam na sā mamsyati karhi cit
she will never think of any other man
but you
·
evam uktas tatas hamsam utsasarja mahīpatis
thus
addressed, the king released the bird
te tu hamsās samutpatya vidarbhān agamans tatas
then those birds having flown up together
went to Vidarbha
·
vidarbhanagarīm gatvā damayantyās tadāntike
having gone to the city of Vidarbha , those birds flew near Damayantī
nipetus te garutmantas sā dadarśa ca tān gaṇān
and she saw the flock of birds
·
sā tān adbhutarūpān cai dṛṣṭvā sakhigaṇāvṛtā
surrounded by a group of
friends, having seen those who possess
an amazing form
hṛṣṭā grahītum khagamāns tvaramāṇopacakrame
she ecitedly
approached the birds rushing to grab them
·
atha hamsā visasṛpus sarvatas pramadāne
now the birds spread out in all
directions in the pleasure garden
ekaikaśas tatas kanyas tān hamsān samupādravan
and the girls ran towards them one
by one
·
damayantī tu yam hamsam samupādhāvad
antike
the bird that Damayantī
ran after assumed human speech
sa mānuṣīm giram kṛtvā damayantīm athābravīt
and then spoke to Damayantī
·
damayantī nalas nāma niṣadheṣu mahīpati:
Damayantī, there is a king named Nala
amoung the Nisadhas
aśvinos sadṛśas rūpe na samās tasya mānuṣās
he is as handsome as the Asvins , there are no men like him
·
tasya vai yadi bhāryā tvam bhavethā varavarṇini
oh woman of a beautiful complexion, if
you are to become his wife
saphalam te bhavet janma rūpam cedam sumadhyame
then oh fair waisted
one, our birth and beauty would be fruitful
·
vayam hi
deva-gandharva-mānuṣyoraga-rākṣasān
for we have seen gods, gandharvas, men, snakes and demons
dṛṣṭavantas na ca asmābhis dṛṣṭapūrvas tathāvidhas
but such a one (Nala) has not been
seen by us before
·
tvam ca api ratnam nārīṇām nareṣu ca nalas varas
you are a jwewl
among women and he is the best among men
viśiṣṭāyā viśiṣṭena samgamas guṇavān bhavet
the coming together of an
exceptional woman with an exceptional man would be good
·
evam uktā tu hansena damayantī viśām pate
oh king, thus addressed b
the bird, Damayantī said to that bird
abravīt tatra tam
hansam
tvam api evam nalam vada
you also say he same thing to Nala
·
tatha iti uktvāṇḍajas kanyām vaidarbhasya viṣām pate
oh king, having said
‘yes’ to the daughter of Vidarbha, the bird
punar āgamya niṣadhān nale sarvam nyavedayat
having come again to the ñisadhas informed Nala of
all of this
iti nalopākhyāne prathamas sargas
this is the first chapter of
the story of Nala