ऋतुपर्णो ऽपि शुश्राव बाहुकच्छद्मिनं नलम् ॥
दमयन्त्या समायुक्तं जहृषे च नराधिपः ॥
तम् आनाय्य नलो राजा क्षमयाम् आस पार्थिवम् ॥
स च तं क्षमयाम् आस हेतुभिर् बुद्धिसंमतः ॥
स सत्कृतो महीपालो नैषधं विस्मयान्वितः ॥
दिष्ट्या समेतो दारैः स्वैर् भवान् इत्य् अभ्यनन्दत ॥
कच्चित् तु नापराधं ते कृतवान् अस्मि नैषध ॥
अज्ञातवासं वसतो मद्गृहे निषधाधिप ॥
यदि वा बुद्धिपूर्वाणि यद्य् अबुद्धानि कानि चित् ॥
मया कृतान्य् अकार्याणि तानि मे क्षन्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
नल उवाच
न मे ऽपराधं कृतवांस् त्वं स्वल्पम् अपि पार्थिव ॥
कृते ऽपि च न मे कोपः क्षन्तव्यं हि मया तव ॥
पूर्वं ह्य् असि सखा मे ऽसि संबन्धी च नराधिप ॥
अत ऊर्ध्वं तु भूयस् त्वं प्रीतिम् आहर्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
सर्वकामैः सुविहितः सुखम् अस्म्य् उषितस् त्वयि ॥
न तथा स्वगृहे राजन् यथा तव गृहे सदा ॥
इदं चैव हयज्ञानं त्वदीयं मयि तिष्ठति ॥
तद् उपाकर्तुम् इच्छामि मन्यसे यदि पार्थिव ॥
बृहदश्व उवाच
एवम् उक्त्वा ददौ विद्याम् ऋतुपर्णाय नैषधः ॥
स च तां प्रतिजग्राह विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा ॥
ततो गृह्याश्वहृदयं तदा भाङ्गस्वरिर् नृपः ॥
सूतम् अन्यम् उपादाय ययौ स्वपुरम् एव हि ॥
ऋतुपर्णे प्रतिगते नलो राजा विशां पते ॥
नगरे कुण्डिने कालं नातिदीर्घम् इवावसत् ॥
ṛtuparṇo 'pi śuśrāva bāhukacchadminaṃ nalam ||
damayantyā samāyuktaṃ jahṛṣe ca narādhipaḥ ||
tam ānāyya nalo rājā kṣamayām āsa pārthivam ||
sa ca taṃ kṣamayām āsa hetubhir buddhisaṃmataḥ ||
sa satkṛto mahīpālo naiṣadhaṃ vismayānvitaḥ ||
diṣṭyā sameto dāraiḥ svair bhavān ity abhyanandata ||
kaccit tu nāparādhaṃ te kṛtavān asmi naiṣadha ||
ajñātavāsaṃ vasato madgṛhe niṣadhādhipa ||
yadi vā buddhipūrvāṇi yady abuddhāni kāni cit ||
mayā kṛtāny akāryāṇi tāni me kṣantum arhasi ||
nala uvāca
na me 'parādhaṃ kṛtavāṃs tvaṃ svalpam api pārthiva ||
kṛte 'pi ca na me kopaḥ kṣantavyaṃ hi mayā tava ||
pūrvaṃ hy asi sakhā me 'si saṃbandhī ca narādhipa ||
ata ūrdhvaṃ tu bhūyas tvaṃ prītim āhartum arhasi ||
sarvakāmaiḥ suvihitaḥ sukham asmy uṣitas tvayi ||
na tathā svagṛhe rājan yathā tava gṛhe sadā ||
idaṃ caiva hayajñānaṃ tvadīyaṃ mayi tiṣṭhati ||
tad upākartum icchāmi manyase yadi pārthiva ||
bṛhadaśva uvāca
evam uktvā dadau vidyām ṛtuparṇāya naiṣadhaḥ ||
sa ca tāṃ pratijagrāha vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā ||
tato gṛhyāśvahṛdayaṃ tadā bhāṅgasvarir nṛpaḥ ||
sūtam anyam upādāya yayau svapuram eva hi ||
ṛtuparṇe pratigate nalo rājā viśāṃ pate ||
nagare kuṇḍine kālaṃ nātidīrgham ivāvasat ||
Rituparna, too, heard that Bahuka had been Nala, and that he was now united with Damayanti, and he rejoiced. Nala invited the king and asked his forgiveness; the wise Rituparna likewise asked forgiveness of Nala, offering reasoned grounds for it. Honored by the lord of the Nishadhas and filled with wonder, he said: "By good fortune you are united with your wife. Have I not done you some wrong, O Nishadha, while you lived unrecognized in my house, lord of the Nishadhas? Whatever I may have done amiss, knowingly or unknowingly, may you forgive it." Nala answered: "You have done me not the slightest wrong, O king. And even had you done so, I would not have been angry; it would rather be for me to ask your forgiveness. You were my friend before, and now you are bound to me by kinship as well. From now on you should bring me even greater joy. In your house I lived provided with everything I desired, in happiness—happier even than in my own home. This knowledge of horses, which is yours and abides in me, I wish to return to you, if you consent, O king." Having said this, the Nishadha gave the science to Rituparna, and he received it according to the prescribed rite. Then, having received the heart of horses, the king, son of Bhangasvari, took another charioteer and set out for his own city. When Rituparna had departed, King Nala, lord of the people, remained in the city of Kundina for no very long time.
07e8d4157688 · प्रकाशित 16 जुल॰ 2026, 5:01:59 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Their exchange ends not in a debt but in mutual forgiveness. Nala returns to royal dignity bearing no grudge against the one he had served in disguise.