दमयन्त्यास् तु तद् वाक्यं वार्ष्णेयो नलसारथिः ॥
न्यवेदयद् अशेषेण नलामात्येषु मुख्यशः ॥
तैः समेत्य विनिश्चित्य सो ऽनुज्ञातो महीपते ॥
ययौ मिथुनम् आरोप्य विदर्भांस् तेन वाहिना ॥
हयांस् तत्र विनिक्षिप्य सूतो रथवरं च तम् ॥
इन्द्रसेनां च तां कन्याम् इन्द्रसेनं च बालकम् ॥
आमन्त्र्य भीमं राजानम् आर्तः शोचन् नलं नृपम् ॥
अटमानस् ततो ऽयोध्यां जगाम नगरीं तदा ॥
ऋतुपर्णं स राजानम् उपतस्थे सुदुःखितः ॥
भृतिं चोपययौ तस्य सारथ्येन महीपते ॥
damayantyās tu tad vākyaṃ vārṣṇeyo nalasārathiḥ ||
nyavedayad aśeṣeṇa nalāmātyeṣu mukhyaśaḥ ||
taiḥ sametya viniścitya so 'nujñāto mahīpate ||
yayau mithunam āropya vidarbhāṃs tena vāhinā ||
hayāṃs tatra vinikṣipya sūto rathavaraṃ ca tam ||
indrasenāṃ ca tāṃ kanyām indrasenaṃ ca bālakam ||
āmantrya bhīmaṃ rājānam ārtaḥ śocan nalaṃ nṛpam ||
aṭamānas tato 'yodhyāṃ jagāma nagarīṃ tadā ||
ṛtuparṇaṃ sa rājānam upatasthe suduḥkhitaḥ ||
bhṛtiṃ copayayau tasya sārathyena mahīpate ||
Brihadashva said: Varshneya, Nala's charioteer, reported Damayanti's words in full to the chief ministers of Nala. Having taken counsel together, they gave him leave. He set the children upon the chariot and drove them to Vidarbha. There he left the horses, the finest of chariots, the girl Indrasena, and the boy Indrasena, took leave of King Bhima, and, afflicted and grieving for Nala, set out to wander. Then he came to the city of Ayodhya, and, in great distress, presented himself before King Rituparna, and entered his service as a charioteer.
a7c916bdb2c2 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:54:08 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Nala's fate now begins to scatter along separate paths: the children are sheltered, the charioteer departs to serve Rituparna, while the king himself sinks ever deeper into the consequences of the game.