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नलोपाख्यानपर्वन् (nalopAkhyAnaparvan)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Nalopākhyānaparvan(ºva)]
(“the episode relating to Nala, ” the 35th of the minor parvans of the Mahābhāraṭa
cf. Nalopākhyāna).--§ 343: One day, when the Pāṇḍavas were grieving for Arjuna, Bhīma asked Yudhishṭhira to permit him to go and slay Duryodhana, interpreting the time to be complete (“as in the Veda a day is often equivalent to a year, when passed in suffering”) (kṛcchrataḥ), but he did not prevail upon Yudhishṭhira. While they were conversing the great ṛshi Bṛhadaśva came before them, and, asked by Yudhishṭhira if there was on earth a king more unfortunate than himself, he said that he would narrate a history of a prince more miserable than Yudhishṭhira, viz. Nala (the son of the Nishadha king Vīrasena), who, defeated deceitfully by Pushkara (the brother of Nala, v. 2296), dwelt in the woods with his spouse, having neither slaves nor chariots nor brothers nor friends with him (III, 52).-§ 344: Bṛhadaśva said: The Nishadha king Nala, the son of Vīrasena, was above all kings, etc., and fond of dice. The Vidarbha king Bhīma was granted by the Brahmarshi Damana a daughter, Damayantī, and three excellent sons, Dama, Dānta, and Damana. Both Nala and Damayantī had not their equals in beauty, and, continually hearing of each other's virtues, they conceived attachment to each other, though they had never seen each other. Once Nala in his garden saw a number of golden-winged swans and caught one of them, but let it loose, as it promised to speak well of him before Damayantī. The swans having arrived at the Vidarbha country, the one who had been caught by Nala led Damayantī to a secluded spot and fulfilled its mission. Damayantī caused it to speak to Nala of her (III, 53).--§ 345: As Damayantī became sick of love, her father invited all the kings to her svayaṃvara. At this time the ṛshis of the gods Nārada and Parvata, having arrived in course of their wanderings at the regions of Indra, told him that the kings did not now come to him because they were intent on the svayaṃvara of Damayantī. Hearing this, the Lokapālas set out on their vehicles for the svayaṃvara, but seeing Nala on the way and filled with astonishment at his beauty, they left their chariots in the sky and asked Nala to be their messenger (III, 54). Nala promised to do so, but when Indra told him to go to Damayantī and tell her that Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, and Yama desired her to choose one of them for her lord, he asked them to spare him as he had come with the same object
but, as they insisted that he should stand by his promise, he by their power entered without being perceived by the guardians into the apartments of Damayantī, and, saying his name, fulfilled his mission (III, 55). Damayantī declared that if she did not become the wife of Nala himself she would resort to poison, or fire, or water, or the rope. Nala advised her to choose one of the gods, maintaining that having come in a different mission he dared not seek his own interest. Damayantī then told him to come to her svayaṃvara in company with the gods, then she would choose him, at which no blame would be his, and Nala returned to the Lokapālas and told them what had happened (III, 56). At the sacred hour of the holy lunar day of the auspicious season Bhīma summoned the kings to the svayaṃvara, and that assembly of kings resembled the Bhogavatī swarming with Nāgas. Damayantī, beholding five persons all alike in appearance, and recollecting the marks of the celestials, of which she had heard from old people, was unable to distinguish which of them was Nala. Filled with grief, she then decided upon seeking the protection of the gods themselves, and prevailed upon them that they assumed their true shapes. Thereupon she beheld the gods unmoistened with perspiration, with unwinking eyes and unfading garlands, not stained with dust, and staying without touching the ground, while Nala was revealed by his shadow, his fading garlands, and by his being stained with dust and sweat, and resting on the ground with winking eyes. She then chose Nala, seizing the hem of his garment and placing a floral wreath round his neck. Nala promised Damayantī that he would remain hers as long as he lived, and she spoke words of like import to him. The Lokapālas bestowed each a couple of boons on Nala: Indra, that he should be able to behold his divine nature in sacrifices, and blessed regions thereafter (gatim anuttamāṃ)
Agni, his own presence wherever he wished and regions as bright as himself
Yama, subtle taste in food and pre-eminence in virtue
Varuṇa, water wherever he desired and garlands of celestial fragrance. Then the gods went to heaven and the kings returned home. Nala, after the wedding, stayed there for a time, returned home, ruled righteously, and celebrated the horsesacrifice, etc. He begat the son Indrasena and the daughter Indrasenā upon Damayantī (III, 57).--§ 346: When the Lokapālas were returning they met Dvāpara with Kali going to the svayaṃvara, and Indra told Kali that Damayantī had already chosen Nala. As Kali threatened to avenge himself he was rebuked by the Lokapālas, as Nala had studied the four Vedas with the Ākhyāna as the fifth, etc. When the gods had gone to heaven, Kali said that he would take possession of Nala and deprive him of his kingdom, and asked Dvāpara to enter the dice (III, 58). Kali then went to the country of the Nishadhas and always watched for an opportunity. At last, in the twelfth year, when Nala, after answering a call of nature, touching water had said his twilight prayers without having washed his feet, Kali entered his person. Then Kali becoming Vṛsha (“vṛsho gavāṃ, ” the principal die, Nīl.) (PCR. thinks we ought to read that “Dvāpara also approached Pushkara becoming Vṛsha”) prevailed upon Pushkara, that he challenged Nala to a match of dice in order to acquire his kingdom. Nala and Pushkara gambled together for many months, Nala being always worsted
no one amongst his friends could succeed in dissuading him from the play
at last they came in a body, which was told by the sūta to Damayantī, who in vain represented it to Nala
he uttered not a word in reply (III, 59). Seeing that Nala had lost everything, Damayantī told her nurse and maidservant Bṛhatsenā to summon the councillors in the name of Nala and tell them what had been lost
the councillors approached Nala, and Damayantī informed him that the citizens had come again in a body, but he regarded her not. She then caused Bṛhatsenā to summon the sūta Vārshṇeya, who at her request yoked Nala's favourite horses and brought her two children to Kuṇḍina (the city of Bhīma, Nīl.). There he left the children, the chariot, and the horses, and went to Ayodhyā, where he entered the service of king Ṛtuparṇa (the king of Kośala, v. 2877) as a charioteer (III, 60).--§ 347: At last, when Pushkara had won all Nala's wealth and his kingdom, he proposed to him to stake Damayantī. But Nala, feeling as if his heart would burst and gazing at Pushkara in anguish without speaking a word, took all the ornaments off his body, and attired in a single piece of cloth left the city accompanied by Damayantī. They stayed for three nights in the outskirts of the city, living on water alone. Nobody showed him hospitable regards, as Pushkara had proclaimed through the city that he that should show any attention to Nala would be put to death. After many days Nala saw some birds of golden hue and covered them with his cloth in order to catch them, but they rose up to the sky taking away that garment of his, and then told him they were the dice that had come hither to take away even his cloth. Nala proposed to Damayantī to leave him, pointing out to her the roads to Avantī, Ṛkshavat, Vindhya, Payoshnī, Vidarbha, Kośala (C. Kośalāṃ, B. and Bopp Kośalān), and the south. But she would not leave him, but suggested that they should go to Vidarbha (III, 61). Nala refused to appear before Bhīma in his state of misery. They went on attired in the same piece of cloth. Once when Damayantī had fallen into a profound slumber in a shed for travellers (sabhā), Nala, influenced by Kali, resolved upon deserting Damayantī, as separated from him she might perchance wander to her relatives. With a sword that he found near the shed he cut off one half of the cloth and throwing the instrument away departed, having first returned again and again, dragged away by Kali, but drawn back by love (III, 62). When Damayantī awoke, she lamented and cursed the being through whose imprecation Nala suffered woe, saying that it should lead a still more miserable life. Thereupon, wandering on, she was seized by a gigantic serpent and rescued by a hunter
as the hunter, after comforting her, tried to force her to love him, he was cursed by her and fell down lifeless upon the ground (III, 63). Description of the forest, Damayantī's lamentations. She went in a northerly direction for three days and nights, then she came to an asylum of ascetics, who told her that she should again become happy together with Nala. Then the asylum disappeared. Sometime afterwards, having proceeded a long way, she met with a body of merchants landing on the banks of a river
its leader was Śuci (v. 2529, “so help us now, Maṇibhadra, the king of Yakshas”), and it was bound for the city of the Cedi king Subāhu (III, 64). Damayantī followed the caravan. Once, at midnight, the caravan was destroyed by wild elephants and many men were trodden to death, which some ascribed to their not having worshipped Maṇibhadra or Vaiśvavaṇa, the kings of Yakshas, others to their having received Damayantī, whom they thought to be a Rākshasa or Piśāca or Yaksha woman, and resolved upon killing her when they saw her. Hearing this Damayantī fled. The next day the remnant of the caravan left the place. Damayantī, with the brahmans that had survived the slaughter of the caravan, came towards evening to the city of the Cedi king Subāhu. The boys began to follow her
when she came before the palace of the king, the queen-mother let the nurse take her in. Damayantī agreed to stay there on the conditions that she should not eat remnants, not wash anyone's feet, nor speak with other men, but be protected against all aspirations. The queen gave her as a sairindhrī to her daughter Sunandā (III, 65).--§ 348: Nala, having deserted Damayantī, saw a conflagration in the forest and therefrom heard a voice calling him by name and saw the Nāga Karkoṭaka, who unable to stir, told him that he had deceived the great ṛshi Nārada and been cursed by him with the words: “Stay thou here immobile until Nala takes thee hence, then thou shalt be freed from my curse, ” and asked him to deliver him and promised to instruct him in respect of his welfare. The snake then became as small as a thumb, and Nala taking him up went to a spot free from fire. Karkoṭaka let him proceed yet counting his steps, and bit him at the tenth step (adaśad daśame pade) (see Nīl. and PCR.). Then the form of Nala was changed, in order that people might not recognize him, and Karkoṭaka assumed his own form, and said that Kali dwelling in Nala should be tortured by his venom, and that Nala should have no fear from animals with fangs, from enemies, and from men versed in the Veda (brahmavidbhyaḥ), and told him to go to Ayodhyā and present himself as a sūta Bāhuka before Ṛtuparṇa (of the race of Ikshvāku), who would give Nala his skill in dice (akshahṛdaya) in exchange for Nala's knowledge of horses (aśvahṛdaya), and when he had become an adept at dice he should have prosperity and meet with his wife and children and regain his kingdom. The Nāga king then gave Nala two pieces of celestial cloth, saying that when he desired to get back his own form he should remember him and wear this garment. Then he disappeared (III, 66).--§ 349: On the tenth day Nala entered the city of Ṛtuparṇa
he approached the king and named himself Bāhuka, and said that he surpassed everybody in managing steeds and might be consulted in matters of difficulty (arthakṛcchreshu) and affairs of skill (naipuṇeshu), and that he was versed in the art of cooking. Then he was appointed superintendent of Ṛtuparṇa's horses on a pay of 10, 000, and Vārshṇeya and Jīvala should be under his direction. Every evening he recited the śloka, “Where lies that helpless one (tapasvinī) afflicted with hunger and thirst and worn with toil (śrāntā), or upon whom does she now wait (upatishṭhati)?” Once Jīvala asked him who she was, and Nala related to him the main features of his story without naming her or himself (III, 67).--§ 350: Bhīma sent out brahmans in all directions to search for Nala and Damayantī, promising 1, 000 kine, etc., to him that should find them. At length the brahman Sudeva, the friend of Damayantī's brother, recognized Damayantī in the city of the Cedis, seated with Sunandā during the time of the king's prayers (puṇyāhavācane rājñaḥ), and told her who he was and that her relatives and children were well. Beholding Damayantī weeping and conversing in private with Sudeva, Sunandā caused her mother to question Sudeva (III, 68). Sudeva told the story of Damayantī, and that he had recognized her by a mole between her eyebrows, which was now almost covered with dust as her whole body. Then Sunandā washed away the dust and the queen-mother recognized her by the mole as the daughter of her sister, as she and Damayantī's mother were both daughters of the Daśārṇa king Sudāman, and she herself had been bestowed on Vīrabāhu and her sister on Bhīma
she had witnessed Damayantī's birth in the palace of her father in the Daśārṇa country. At her own request Damayantī was brought in a litter carried by men and protected by a large escort to the city of Bhīma, and was received with respect and worshipped the gods and brahmans. Bhīma gave unto Sudeva 1, 000 kine, etc. The next day Damayantī let her mother cause Bhīma to send brahmans out in all directions to seek for Nala. Damayantī ordered them everywhere to recite the ślokas: “O beloved gambler, where hast thou gone, cutting off half of my garment, ” etc., but to take care that no one knew that it was on her command (III, 69).--§ 351: After a long time the brahman Parṇāda told that he had in Ayodhyā visited Bhāṅgāsuri (i.e. Ṛtuparṇa), and that Bāhuka had been affected by hearing his śloka, and had said to him: “Chaste women, though overtaken by calamity, yet protect themselves, ” etc. Damayantī then thanked Parṇāda and promised him great wealth and consulted with her mother, and, without Bhīma's knowing it, sent Sudeva, who told Ṛtuparṇa that to-morrow Damayantī would hold another svayaṃvara (III, 70). When ordered by Ṛtuparṇa to conduct him to the svayaṃvara of Damayantī, Bāhuka felt his heart bursting with grief, but promised to go there in a single day
he yoked four horses born in Sindhu (description of their marks), made Vārshṇeya sit on the chariot, and set out with so great speed that Vārshṇeya thought he must be Mātali or Śālihotra, who had taken a human shape, or Nala (III, 71).--§ 352: As the chariot was coursing thus, Ṛtuparṇa lost his upper garment, and Nala declared that it was impossible to recover it, as they had already travelled one yojana thence. As Ṛtuparṇa rightly indicated the number of fruits of a vibhītaka-tree (Terminalia bellerica), and said he was skilled in dice as in numbers, Nala prevailed upon him to teach him the science and in future receive instead his science of horses. Then Kali came out from the body of Nala, vomiting the poison of Karkoṭaka, and assumed his own shape, as the fire of Damayantī's curse had left him, but remained invisible to others except Nala. Kali prevailed upon Nala that he should not curse him, promising that those men who would attentively recite his history should be free from fear of him, and entered the vibhītaka-tree till Nala had gone far away. Then Kali returned to his abode. From the touch of Kali the vibhītaka-tree from that hour fell into disrepute. Nala now became free from calamity, though he did not assume his original form (III, 72).-§ 353: At night they arrived at Kuṇḍina, having passed 100 yojanas. The steeds of Nala that were in that city, and peacocks and elephants and Damayantī recognized the sound of Nala's chariot
Damayantī ascended the terrace with the desire of seeing Nala. The Kośala king (Ṛtuparṇa) wondered, as he did not hear any talk of the svayaṃvara, etc., and Bhīma thought that he had come simply to pay his respects. When Ṛtuparṇa had gone to his appointed quarters with Vārshṇeya, and Bāhuka, having tended the horses, was sitting at the side of the chariot, Damayantī sent a female messenger in search of Nala (III, 73). The female messenger Keśinī asked Bāhuka about Vārshṇeya and himself
he said that Vārshṇeya was the charioteer of Nala, that nobody knew Nala except Nala himself and his wife, as he did not discover his marks of identity anywhere, and that he himself was the charioteer and cook of king Ṛtuparṇa
at last she repeated the śloka of Parṇāda: “O beloved gambler, ” etc., and said that Damayantī wished again to hear the reply he had given Parṇāda
then Bāhuka, weeping, said: “Chaste women, though overtaken by calamity, ” etc., and Keśinī went to Damayantī and acquainted her with everything (III, 74). Damayantī again sent Keśinī to stay in silence at Bāhuka's side and mark his conduct
she related that low passages grew in height so that he might pass through them easily, that when he approached narrow holes opened wide, that only by his looking upon them the vessels became filled with water, that when he held a handful of grass in the sun the fire blazed up all of a sudden, that he touched fire and was not hurt, that water falling at his will flowed in a stream, and that flowers pressed with his hands became gayer and more fragrant than before. Damayantī then caused Keśinī without Bāhuka's knowledge to bring her some meat that had been boiled and dressed by him, from the kitchen, and recognized the taste. She then sent her two children with Keśinī. Bāhuka embraced them crying aloud, saying they were like his own children, and sent Keśinī away lest people might think “evil” (III, 75). Having obtained the consent both of her father and mother, Damayantī caused Nala to be brought to her apartments
it came to an explication
Damayantī declared that she had feigned to hold a second svayaṃvara because no one except Nala could in one day manage 100 yojanas with horses, and swore by the Air, Sun, and Moon (“who dwells as a witness within every creature, ” v. 2989), who had been her protector for these three years, and Vāyu bore witness to the truth of her words. Then a floral shower fell there, and the celestial kettledrum began to play. Nala then wore the garment he had received from the serpent king and regained his old form. Thus Nala in the fourth year was reunited with his wife (III, 76). The next day they presented themselves before Bhīma. The citizens were in great joy and adorned (arcitāni) the temples (devatāyatanāni), etc. Ṛtuparṇa asked Nala's forgiveness, and Nala also asked Ṛtuparṇa's forgiveness, and made over to him his horselore, having obtained from him the mystery of dice. Then Ṛtuparṇa went away to his own city, employing another person as his charioteer (III, 77).--§ 354: Having dwelt for a month at Kuṇḍina, Nala set out for the Nishadha country with a single white chariot, sixteen elephants, fifty horses, and 600 infantry, and proposed to Pushkara that they should gamble again, as Nala had won great wealth
the stake should be Damayantī, wealth and kingdom, and their lives
if not, he proposed a single combat. Pushkara, hoping to win Damayantī, whom he loved, gladly consented to gamble, and lost at a single throw. Nala, declaring that it was Kali who had done it all, forgave his brother and granted him his portion, and after a month let him go to his own town. All the citizens and subjects rejoiced at Nala's return (III, 78). Then Nala with a large force brought Damayantī and his children home, and passed his days in joy and performed numerous sacrifices with abundant gifts to brahmans.--§ 355: “So thou also, O Yudhishṭhira, wilt blaze forth in effulgence soon. They that will repeatedly recite this history of Nala and they that will hear it recited will never be touched by adversity.” As Yudhishṭhira feared that some one skilled in dice might summon him, Bṛhadaśva taught him the science of dice (akshahṛdaya) and then went to Aśvaśiras for a bathe. Yudhishṭhira then learnt from brahmans and ascetics from various directions that Arjuna was still engaged in ascetie penances, and Yudhishṭhira grieved for him (III, 79).