एवम् उक्तस् तु वैदर्भ्या नलो राजा विशां पते ॥
आजगाम पुनस् तत्र यत्र देवाः समागताः ॥
तम् अपश्यंस् तथायान्तं लोकपालाः सहेश्वराः ॥
दृष्ट्वा चैनं ततो ऽपृच्छन् वृत्तान्तं सर्वम् एव तत् ॥
देवा ऊचुः
कच्चिद् दृष्टा त्वया राजन् दमयन्ती शुचिस्मिता ॥
किम् अब्रवीच् च नः सर्वान् वद भूमिपते ऽनघ ॥
नल उवाच
भवद्भिर् अहम् आदिष्टो दमयन्त्या निवेशनम् ॥
प्रविष्टः सुमहाकक्ष्यं दण्डिभिः स्थविरैर् वृतम् ॥
प्रविशन्तं च मां तत्र न कश् चिद् दृष्टवान् नरः ॥
ऋते तां पार्थिवसुतां भवताम् एव तेजसा ॥
सख्यश् चास्या मया दृष्टास् ताभिश् चाप्य् उपलक्षितः ॥
विस्मिताश् चाभवन् दृष्ट्वा सर्वा मां विबुधेश्वराः ॥
वर्ण्यमानेषु च मया भवत्सु रुचिरानना ॥
माम् एव गतसंकल्पा वृणीते सुरसत्तमाः ॥
अब्रवीच् चैव मां बाला आयान्तु सहिताः सुराः ॥
त्वया सह नरश्रेष्ठ मम यत्र स्वयंवरः ॥
तेषाम् अहं संनिधौ त्वां वरयिष्ये नरोत्तम ॥
एवं तव महाबाहो दोषो न भवितेति ह ॥
एतावद् एव विबुधा यथावृत्तम् उदाहृतम् ॥
मयाशेषं प्रमाणं तु भवन्तस् त्रिदशेश्वराः ॥
evam uktas tu vaidarbhyā nalo rājā viśāṃ pate ||
ājagāma punas tatra yatra devāḥ samāgatāḥ ||
tam apaśyaṃs tathāyāntaṃ lokapālāḥ saheśvarāḥ ||
dṛṣṭvā cainaṃ tato 'pṛcchan vṛttāntaṃ sarvam eva tat ||
devā ūcuḥ
kaccid dṛṣṭā tvayā rājan damayantī śucismitā ||
kim abravīc ca naḥ sarvān vada bhūmipate 'nagha ||
nala uvāca
bhavadbhir aham ādiṣṭo damayantyā niveśanam ||
praviṣṭaḥ sumahākakṣyaṃ daṇḍibhiḥ sthavirair vṛtam ||
praviśantaṃ ca māṃ tatra na kaś cid dṛṣṭavān naraḥ ||
ṛte tāṃ pārthivasutāṃ bhavatām eva tejasā ||
sakhyaś cāsyā mayā dṛṣṭās tābhiś cāpy upalakṣitaḥ ||
vismitāś cābhavan dṛṣṭvā sarvā māṃ vibudheśvarāḥ ||
varṇyamāneṣu ca mayā bhavatsu rucirānanā ||
mām eva gatasaṃkalpā vṛṇīte surasattamāḥ ||
abravīc caiva māṃ bālā āyāntu sahitāḥ surāḥ ||
tvayā saha naraśreṣṭha mama yatra svayaṃvaraḥ ||
teṣām ahaṃ saṃnidhau tvāṃ varayiṣye narottama ||
evaṃ tava mahābāho doṣo na bhaviteti ha ||
etāvad eva vibudhā yathāvṛttam udāhṛtam ||
mayāśeṣaṃ pramāṇaṃ tu bhavantas tridaśeśvarāḥ ||
So addressed by the daughter of Vidarbha, King Nala, lord of men, went back again to where the gods had gathered. Seeing him arrive, the world-guardians together with their lord asked him the whole account of what had happened. The gods said: "Did you indeed see Damayanti of the pure smile, O king? What did she say to all of us? Speak, blameless lord of the earth." Nala said: "By your command I entered Damayanti's dwelling, its vast enclosure guarded by staff-bearing elders. As I entered, no man there saw me, except the king's daughter herself, by your very power. I saw her companions too, and they took note of me; all of them were astonished at the sight of me. And as I described you to her, that lovely-faced one, her resolve fixed on me alone, chose me among the best of the gods. And the maiden said to me: 'Let the gods come together with you, best of men, to the place of my svayamvara. In their presence I will choose you, best of men, and thus, mighty-armed one, there will be no fault in it.' This alone, O gods, is what took place, just as it happened; the rest is for you, lords of the thirty, to judge."
22198277d753 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:54:08 PM UTC
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Nala does not embellish his account in his own favor, nor does he conceal Damayanti's choice. His honesty before the gods becomes a second test, after his meeting with her.