आसाद्य तु नलं वीरं पुष्करः परवीरहा ॥
दीव्यावेत्य् अब्रवीद् भ्राता वृषेणेति मुहुर् मुहुः ॥
न चक्षमे ततो राजा समाह्वानं महामनाः ॥
वैदर्भ्याः प्रेक्षमाणायाः पणकालम् अमन्यत ॥
हिरण्यस्य सुवर्णस्य यानयुग्यस्य वाससाम् ॥
आविष्टः कलिना द्यूते जीयते स्म नलस् तदा ॥
तम् अक्षमदसंमत्तं सुहृदां न तु कश् चन ॥
निवारणे ऽभवच् छक्तो दीव्यमानम् अचेतसम् ॥
ततः पौरजनः सर्वो मन्त्रिभिः सह भारत ॥
राजानं द्रष्टुम् आगच्छन् निवारयितुम् आतुरम् ॥
ततः सूत उपागम्य दमयन्त्यै न्यवेदयत् ॥
एष पौरजनः सर्वो द्वारि तिष्ठति कार्यवान् ॥
निवेद्यतां नैषधाय सर्वाः प्रकृतयः स्थिताः ॥
अमृष्यमाणा व्यसनं राज्ञो धर्मार्थदर्शिनः ॥
ततः सा बाष्पकलया वाचा दुःखेन कर्शिता ॥
उवाच नैषधं भैमी शोकोपहतचेतना ॥
राजन् पौरजनो द्वारि त्वां दिदृक्षुर् अवस्थितः ॥
मन्त्रिभिः सहितः सर्वै राजभक्तिपुरस्कृतः ॥
तं द्रष्टुम् अर्हसीत्य् एवं पुनः पुनर् अभाषत ॥
तां तथा रुचिरापाङ्गीं विलपन्तीं सुमध्यमाम् ॥
आविष्टः कलिना राजा नाभ्यभाषत किं चन ॥
ततस् ते मन्त्रिणः सर्वे ते चैव पुरवासिनः ॥
नायम् अस्तीति दुःखार्ता व्रीडिता जग्मुर् आलयान् ॥
तथा तद् अभवद् द्यूतं पुष्करस्य नलस्य च ॥
युधिष्ठिर बहून् मासान् पुण्यश्लोकस् त्व् अजीयत ॥
āsādya tu nalaṃ vīraṃ puṣkaraḥ paravīrahā ||
dīvyāvety abravīd bhrātā vṛṣeṇeti muhur muhuḥ ||
na cakṣame tato rājā samāhvānaṃ mahāmanāḥ ||
vaidarbhyāḥ prekṣamāṇāyāḥ paṇakālam amanyata ||
hiraṇyasya suvarṇasya yānayugyasya vāsasām ||
āviṣṭaḥ kalinā dyūte jīyate sma nalas tadā ||
tam akṣamadasaṃmattaṃ suhṛdāṃ na tu kaś cana ||
nivāraṇe 'bhavac chakto dīvyamānam acetasam ||
tataḥ paurajanaḥ sarvo mantribhiḥ saha bhārata ||
rājānaṃ draṣṭum āgacchan nivārayitum āturam ||
tataḥ sūta upāgamya damayantyai nyavedayat ||
eṣa paurajanaḥ sarvo dvāri tiṣṭhati kāryavān ||
nivedyatāṃ naiṣadhāya sarvāḥ prakṛtayaḥ sthitāḥ ||
amṛṣyamāṇā vyasanaṃ rājño dharmārthadarśinaḥ ||
tataḥ sā bāṣpakalayā vācā duḥkhena karśitā ||
uvāca naiṣadhaṃ bhaimī śokopahatacetanā ||
rājan paurajano dvāri tvāṃ didṛkṣur avasthitaḥ ||
mantribhiḥ sahitaḥ sarvai rājabhaktipuraskṛtaḥ ||
taṃ draṣṭum arhasīty evaṃ punaḥ punar abhāṣata ||
tāṃ tathā rucirāpāṅgīṃ vilapantīṃ sumadhyamām ||
āviṣṭaḥ kalinā rājā nābhyabhāṣata kiṃ cana ||
tatas te mantriṇaḥ sarve te caiva puravāsinaḥ ||
nāyam astīti duḥkhārtā vrīḍitā jagmur ālayān ||
tathā tad abhavad dyūtaṃ puṣkarasya nalasya ca ||
yudhiṣṭhira bahūn māsān puṇyaślokas tv ajīyata ||
Pushkara, brother of Nala and slayer of enemy heroes, came upon the hero Nala and said again and again: "Play, with the bull as the stake." The great-souled king could not bear the challenge before the eyes of Vaidarbhi, and decided that the time for wagering had come. Possessed by Kali, Nala began to lose at dice — gold, wealth, chariots, harness, and garments. None of his friends were able to restrain him, maddened by the game and bereft of clear mind. Then all the townsfolk, together with the ministers, O Bharata, came to see the king, eager to restrain him. The charioteer came to Damayanti and reported: "All the townsfolk stand at the gate on urgent business; let the Nishadhan be told that all his subjects stand there, unable to bear the calamity of the king who knows dharma and artha." Then Bhaimi, her mind struck down by grief, said to the Nishadhan in a voice choked with tears: "O King, the townsfolk stand at the gate wishing to see you, together with all the ministers, devoted to their king; you ought to see them." Thus she spoke again and again. But to her, the lovely-eyed, slender-waisted one, weeping so, the king, possessed by Kali, said nothing at all. Then all the ministers and all the townsfolk, afflicted with grief and ashamed, went to their homes, saying: "This is not him." Thus went on the game of Pushkara and Nala for many months, O Yudhishthira, and Punyashloka kept losing.
588b04f0cdb9 · publicado 16 jul 2026, 16:54:08 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Possession is known by deafness to those who love and warn. Nala is still alive, but his subjects already say, "This is not him," for the king's mind has ceased to be open to dharma.