बृहदश्व उवाच
दमयन्ती तु तच् छ्रुत्वा पुण्यश्लोकस्य चेष्टितम् ॥
अमन्यत नलं प्राप्तं कर्मचेष्टाभिसूचितम् ॥
सा शङ्कमाना भर्तारं नलं बाहुकरूपिणम् ॥
केशिनीं श्लक्ष्णया वाचा रुदती पुनर् अब्रवीत् ॥
पुनर् गच्छ प्रमत्तस्य बाहुकस्योपसंस्कृतम् ॥
महानसाच् छृतं मांसं समादायैहि भामिनि ॥
सा गत्वा बाहुके व्यग्रे तन् मांसम् अपकृष्य च ॥
अत्युष्णम् एव त्वरिता तत्क्षणं प्रियकारिणी ॥
दमयन्त्यै ततः प्रादात् केशिनी कुरुनन्दन ॥
सोचिता नलसिद्धस्य मांसस्य बहुशः पुरा ॥
प्राश्य मत्वा नलं सूदं प्राक्रोशद् भृशदुःखिता ॥
वैक्लव्यं च परं गत्वा प्रक्षाल्य च मुखं ततः ॥
मिथुनं प्रेषयाम् आस केशिन्या सह भारत ॥
इन्द्रसेनां सह भ्रात्रा समभिज्ञाय बाहुकः ॥
अभिद्रुत्य ततो राजा परिष्वज्याङ्कम् आनयत् ॥
बाहुकस् तु समासाद्य सुतौ सुरसुतोपमौ ॥
भृशं दुःखपरीतात्मा सस्वरं प्ररुदोद ह ॥
नैषधो दर्शयित्वा तु विकारम् असकृत् तदा ॥
उत्सृज्य सहसा पुत्रौ केशिनीम् इदम् अब्रवीत् ॥
इदं सुसदृशं भद्रे मिथुनं मम पुत्रयोः ॥
ततो दृष्ट्वैव सहसा बाष्पम् उत्सृष्टवान् अहम् ॥
बहुशः संपतन्तीं त्वां जनः शङ्केत दोषतः ॥
वयं च देशातिथयो गच्छ भद्रे नमो ऽस्तु ते ॥
bṛhadaśva uvāca
damayantī tu tac chrutvā puṇyaślokasya ceṣṭitam ||
amanyata nalaṃ prāptaṃ karmaceṣṭābhisūcitam ||
sā śaṅkamānā bhartāraṃ nalaṃ bāhukarūpiṇam ||
keśinīṃ ślakṣṇayā vācā rudatī punar abravīt ||
punar gaccha pramattasya bāhukasyopasaṃskṛtam ||
mahānasāc chṛtaṃ māṃsaṃ samādāyaihi bhāmini ||
sā gatvā bāhuke vyagre tan māṃsam apakṛṣya ca ||
atyuṣṇam eva tvaritā tatkṣaṇaṃ priyakāriṇī ||
damayantyai tataḥ prādāt keśinī kurunandana ||
socitā nalasiddhasya māṃsasya bahuśaḥ purā ||
prāśya matvā nalaṃ sūdaṃ prākrośad bhṛśaduḥkhitā ||
vaiklavyaṃ ca paraṃ gatvā prakṣālya ca mukhaṃ tataḥ ||
mithunaṃ preṣayām āsa keśinyā saha bhārata ||
indrasenāṃ saha bhrātrā samabhijñāya bāhukaḥ ||
abhidrutya tato rājā pariṣvajyāṅkam ānayat ||
bāhukas tu samāsādya sutau surasutopamau ||
bhṛśaṃ duḥkhaparītātmā sasvaraṃ prarudoda ha ||
naiṣadho darśayitvā tu vikāram asakṛt tadā ||
utsṛjya sahasā putrau keśinīm idam abravīt ||
idaṃ susadṛśaṃ bhadre mithunaṃ mama putrayoḥ ||
tato dṛṣṭvaiva sahasā bāṣpam utsṛṣṭavān aham ||
bahuśaḥ saṃpatantīṃ tvāṃ janaḥ śaṅketa doṣataḥ ||
vayaṃ ca deśātithayo gaccha bhadre namo 'stu te ||
Brihadashva said: "Hearing of the deeds of Punyashloka, Damayanti concluded that Nala had been found, revealed by the signs of his conduct. Suspecting that Bahuka in his form was her own husband Nala, she wept and again said to Keshini in a gentle voice: 'Go once more and bring me, gracious one, from the kitchen some meat cooked by the heedless Bahuka.' Keshini went while Bahuka was occupied, drew out that meat, still very hot, and, being quick and eager to please, brought it at once to Damayanti, O joy of the Kurus. Damayanti, who had many times before tasted meat prepared by Nala, tasted it, and, realizing that the cook was Nala, cried out loudly in her great grief. Falling into extreme distress, she then washed her face and, together with Keshini, sent the pair of children, O descendant of Bharata. Bahuka, recognizing Indrasena together with her brother, ran to them, embraced them, and set them on his lap. Having come upon the two children, like children of the gods, the lord of Nishadha, his heart overwhelmed with grief, wept aloud with sobbing voice. But having thus betrayed his feelings more than once, he suddenly let the children go and said to Keshini: 'This pair, gracious one, closely resembles my own two children; seeing them, I suddenly burst into tears. If you come here often, people might suspect something amiss; we are but guests from another land. Go now, gracious one, and my greetings to you.'"
c041238caf33 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:01:58 PM UTC
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The taste of the food and the meeting with the children complete the inner recognition. Nala still hides, but a father's love no longer obeys the mask.