नैषधेनैवम् उक्तस् तु पुष्करः प्रहसन्न् इव ॥
ध्रुवम् आत्मजयं मत्वा प्रत्याह पृथिवीपतिम् ॥
दिष्ट्या त्वयार्जितं वित्तं प्रतिपाणाय नैषध ॥
दिष्ट्या च दुष्कृतं कर्म दमयन्त्याः क्षयं गतम् ॥
दिष्ट्या च ध्रियसे राजन् सदारो ऽरिनिबर्हण ॥
धनेनानेन वैदर्भी जितेन समलंकृता ॥
माम् उपस्थास्यति व्यक्तं दिवि शक्रम् इवाप्सराः ॥
नित्यशो हि स्मरामि त्वां प्रतीक्षामि च नैषध ॥
देवने च मम प्रीतिर् न भवत्य् असुहृद्गणैः ॥
जित्वा त्व् अद्य वरारोहां दमयन्तीम् अनिन्दिताम् ॥
कृतकृत्यो भविष्यामि सा हि मे नित्यशो हृदि ॥
श्रुत्वा तु तस्य ता वाचो बह्वबद्धप्रलापिनः ॥
इयेष स शिरश् छेत्तुं खड्गेन कुपितो नलः ॥
स्मयंस् तु रोषताम्राक्षस् तम् उवाच ततो नृपः ॥
पणावः किं व्याहरसे जित्वा वै व्याहरिष्यसि ॥
ततः प्रावर्तत द्यूतं पुष्करस्य नलस्य च ॥
एकपाणेन भद्रं ते नलेन स पराजितः ॥
सरत्नकोशनिचयः प्राणेन पणितो ऽपि च ॥
naiṣadhenaivam uktas tu puṣkaraḥ prahasann iva ||
dhruvam ātmajayaṃ matvā pratyāha pṛthivīpatim ||
diṣṭyā tvayārjitaṃ vittaṃ pratipāṇāya naiṣadha ||
diṣṭyā ca duṣkṛtaṃ karma damayantyāḥ kṣayaṃ gatam ||
diṣṭyā ca dhriyase rājan sadāro 'rinibarhaṇa ||
dhanenānena vaidarbhī jitena samalaṃkṛtā ||
mām upasthāsyati vyaktaṃ divi śakram ivāpsarāḥ ||
nityaśo hi smarāmi tvāṃ pratīkṣāmi ca naiṣadha ||
devane ca mama prītir na bhavaty asuhṛdgaṇaiḥ ||
jitvā tv adya varārohāṃ damayantīm aninditām ||
kṛtakṛtyo bhaviṣyāmi sā hi me nityaśo hṛdi ||
śrutvā tu tasya tā vāco bahvabaddhapralāpinaḥ ||
iyeṣa sa śiraś chettuṃ khaḍgena kupito nalaḥ ||
smayaṃs tu roṣatāmrākṣas tam uvāca tato nṛpaḥ ||
paṇāvaḥ kiṃ vyāharase jitvā vai vyāhariṣyasi ||
tataḥ prāvartata dyūtaṃ puṣkarasya nalasya ca ||
ekapāṇena bhadraṃ te nalena sa parājitaḥ ||
saratnakośanicayaḥ prāṇena paṇito 'pi ca ||
Thus addressed by the Nishadha, Pushkara, as though laughing, certain of his own victory, replied to the lord of the earth: "Fortunately you have won wealth for the counter-stake, Nishadha; fortunately Damayanti's wicked deed has come to nothing; fortunately you remain alive with your wife, slayer of foes. Adorned with this won wealth, Vaidarbhi will come to wait upon me, as the apsaras wait upon Shakra in heaven. I have thought of you constantly and awaited you, Nishadha; my delight in dicing found no joy among unfriendly companions. Having won today the fair-hipped, blameless Damayanti, I shall have accomplished my purpose, for she is ever in my heart." Hearing these rambling, incoherent words, Nala, enraged, wished to cut off his head with his sword. But smiling, his eyes red with fury, the king then said to him: "Why do you speak of stakes? When you have won, then speak." Then the game between Pushkara and Nala began. With a single throw Nala defeated him, together with his hoard of jewels and treasuries, and even the life that had been staked.
b8cc8669d8f5 · प्रकाशित 16 जुल॰ 2026, 5:01:59 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Once more Pushkara betrays his own fall through his words about Damayanti as spoils. Nala conquers not only the dice but also his own sudden anger.