बृहदश्व said :-
1-2. Having slain that hunter, that lotus- eyed lady entered the desolate and fearful forest, resounding with the sound of crickets, full of lions, leopards, deer, tigers, buffalos, and bears croweded with various sorts of birds and inhabited by barbarians thieves.
3. There the daughter of the king of the Vidharvhas beheld flocks of buffaloas , boars, bears and wild snakes.
4. Being possessed of Lustre, glory, beauty and great dignity that princes, the daughter of Bhima, did not fear anything.
5. O king having reached a dreadful forest, that daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas, greatly troubled and tornament by the calamity that befell her husband, lamented thus.
6. `` O broad-chested and long-armed king of the Nishadhas, where have you gone away, having forsaken me in this lonely forest?
7. O hero, the best amongst men, having performed the horse-sacrifice and many other sacrifices accompnied by ample gifts, how do you behave falsely to me?
8. O excellent person of great lustre, the best and blessed king, you should remember the words which you spoke in my presence.
9. O protector of the earth, you should pay regard to what the swans spoke before you to what they said in my presence.
10. O sinless warrior, is it indeed that I am dear to you? Then why do you not reply to me in this terrific forest?
11. This terrible king of the best forest, with his jaws opened, of frightful figure and affected by hunger; is eating me. Why do you not protect me?
12. You always used to say, ``There is no one dear to me except yourself.'' O blessed king, prove the truth of the words uttered before.
13. O king, why do you not answer to me, your dear wife, deprived of reason, lamenting even though you loved her and were loved by her?
14. O respected one, having large eyes, the repressor of enemies, why do you not respect me, who am weeping and resembling a female deer strayed out of the herd?
15. o lord, in this vast forest, I दमयन्ती, am speaking to you, why do you not answer me?
16. O the best amongst men, possessed of noble family and character, beautiful in all your limbs, I do not see you to-day on this mountain.
17-18. O king of the Nishadhas, in this dreadful forest inhabited by lions and tigers, whom shall I, sad and distressed with grief on your account, ask whether you are sitting, lying down sor staying? Or whom shall I ask, ``Have you happend to see Nala in this forest?''
19. ``Here is that king Nala, with eyes resembling a lotus whom you are seeking.'' from whose lips shall i get hear such sweet words?
20. Here comes from front a tiger, the beautiful lord of the forest, having four teeth and big jaws, I shall ask him fearlessly.
21. `` You are the lord of beasts, and the king of this forest; know sme to be दमयन्ती the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas.
22. O lord of the beasts, console me, who am all alone seeking my husband, distressed and filled with grief, if you have seen Nala.
23. Or, o Lord of the forest, the best among the beasts, if you do not tell me about Nala, then eat me and relieve me from this misery.''
24. Hearing my lamentation in this forest, this king of the forest himself is going to a river with its water pure and which flows into the sea.
25-26. I shall now ask for the news of the king to this king of mountains, looking bright by these various and pofty peaks of various colours, reaching the sky as it were, and which has risen up as it were as the banner of this vast forest.
27. ``O revered and excellent mountain having beautiful appearance, famous, the shelter of the distressed and the blessed. I salute thee.
28. Approaching i salute thee; know me to be the princes, the daughter-in-law of a king and a wife of a king,दमयन्ती by name.
29. The brave ruler of the Vidharbhas, named Bhima, the lord of the earth and the protector of four castes, is my father.
30. He is well-versed in the vedas, pions, truth-ful, free from jealousy, posssessed of good character, endowed with valour, possessing abundant wealth, religious and pure.
31. He is the lord who has defeated all his enemies and is the just protector of the people of Vidharbha; O revered sir, know me to be his daughter that has approached you.
32. My father-in-law, the best of men, is the well-known king of the Vidharbha, known by the name of Virsena.
33. The son of that king, brave, glorious and of truthful valour, who rules his father's kingdom, inherited from his father, is known by the name of Nala, the destroyer of enemies, who is of dark-blue complexion and possesses holy fame.
34. He is versed in the Vedas, eloquent, the performer of meritorious deeds, he drinks soma juice, worships the fire, is a sacrifficer, a donor, a warrior and a just ruler.
35. O best mountain, know me to be his wife that has come here, searching for my husband, the best among the kings.
36. O excellent mountain, by your hundred peaks reaching the sky, have you ever seen the king Nala in this fearful forest?
37. Have you ever seen Nala, the king of Nishadhas, whose mode of walking is like that of a lordlydhas elephant, possessed of great intellect, having long arms and who is intolerant?
38. O excellent mountain, why do you not console me. distressed and lamenting, by words like your own afflicted daughter?
39. When shall I hear the words of the king of the Nishadhas, sweet and deep-sounding, resembling the sound of a cloud and sweet like nector?''
40. Having thus addresed to that excellent mountain, दमयन्ती, the daughter of the king, again started towards. the northen quarter.
41. That beautiful woman, having wandered for three days and nights, saw a beautiful penance-grove as beautiful as the heavenly garden.
42. Having seen the penance-grove, inhabited by ascetics, self-restrained, temperate in food, possessed of self-control and purity, she was comforted.
43. दमयन्ती, the beloved wife of the son of Virsena, the jewel amongst women, fortunate and innocent, entered into the hermitage.
44. Having saluted those sages, advanced in penance, she stood bent down through modesty and all those ascetics welcomed her.
45. Then those ascetics, offering proper adoration to her, said ``please, sit down; and tell us what we should do for you.''
46. That lady of beautiful hair answered to them, ``Is everthing progressing well regarding your penance, the sacred fire and the performance of religious rites?
47. They answered her saying, ``O good lady; O blessed one, we are prospering in every way; O one of faultless limbs, tell us, who re you and what do you desire?
48. By seeing your great beauty and your boundless (extreme) lustre, we are greatly amazed; take courage and do not be sorry.
49. O blessed and faultless one, are you the presiding deity of this forest or of this mountain or or this rever? speak the truth.
50. She then replied to those sages, ``O Brahmins, I am neither the deity of this foregt, nor of this mountain nor of this forest, nor of this river
51. O you all sages, know me to be a human being; I relate to you everthing in detail; listen to it attentively.
52. There is a king named Bhima, the ruler of the Vidharbhas; O the best among the Brahamins, know me as his daughter.
53. The illustritious and talented lord of the Nishadhas, named Nala, brave learned and evervictiorious in the battle. is my husnand.
54. He is absorbed in worshipping the gods, and is kind to the twice-born; he is the protector of the race of the Nishadhas and possesses great lustre and power.
55. That king, the ruler of the earth and devoted to truthfulness, was invited to play at dice by some mean- minded, wretched and deceitful men, not purified in their soul and skilful in gambling; he was defeated and thus lost his wealth and kingdom.
56. Know me to be the wife of that excellent king famous by the name of दमयन्ती and anxious to see my lord.
57. That I being distressed, am wandering here through the woods and over the mountains in search of my lord, Nala, who is skilled in war.
58. Has the king Nala, the ruler of the Nishadhas, visited this beautiful penance-grove of your reverence?
59. On whose account I am wandering in this dreadful and deep forest, frequented by tigers and beasts.
60. If I do not see the king Nala within a few days and nights, I shall secure my own welfare by abandoning this body.
61. What is the use of my life to me without him, the best amongst men? Being afflicted with grief for my husband, how shall I live today?
62. Then those ascetics, truth-seers spoke to दमयन्ती, the daughter of भीम, who was lamenting in that way in the forest.
63.``O blessed and fortunate lady, you will obtain happiness in the end; as we see by our ascetic merits, you shall soon see the king of the Nishadhas.
64. O daughter of Bhima, you shall see Nala, the lord of the Nishadhas, the destroyer of the enemy, the best among the protectors of rightousness, free from missery.
65. O blessed one, you shall see the king, your husband, the terror to his enemies, the destroyer of the grief of his friend and who is of noble descent.
66. Having thus addressed to the daughther of the king, the beloved wife of Nala, all the ascetics, together with sacrificial fires and the hermitage, disappeared from view.
67. Having seen this wonder, दमयन्ती of faultless limbs and the daughter of the king of the vidharbhas thought to herself, ``What was it that I saw?
68. Was it a dream that I saw? What event took place here? Where are all those ascetics? And where is the hermitage?"
69. Having thought thus for a long while, दमयन्ती, the daughter of Bhima, of pure smile, absorbed in grief for the husband and pitiable turned pale.
70. Then she went further to another part and beholding there the asoka tree, she began to lament with her voice chocked with grief and her eyes filled with tears.
71. oh, this charming tree the middle of the forest with fruits and flowers appears like the glorious king of mountains. 72. Have you seen the king Nala, freed from all griefs and fear, the subbuer of his foes and the beloved husband of दमयन्ती?
73. (The king Nala) wearing half the piece of cloth, of delicate body and skin, a warrior, who tornament by calamity, has come to this forest.
74. O Asoka tree, manage in such a manner that I may go free from all grief; O Asoka, be true to your name for Asoka means one who destroys grief."
75. That excellent woman, the daughter of Bhima, afflicted with pain went round the Asoka tree and then entered a more terrible part of the forest.
76. She then saw many trees, many rivers, many beautiful mountains and many birds and forest.
77. After दमयन्ती of pure smile had walked a long way, she saw a large caravan containing cool and clear water, and covered with reeds.
79-80. That illustrious wife of Nala, with beautiful hips, insane in appearance, afflicted with grief, wearing only half of the cloth, emaciated, pale, soiled, with her hair covered with dust, having seen the caravan, approached it and entered into the midst of men.
81. Seeing her there, some men began to run away in fear, some became greatly anxious and some began to cry aloud.
82. Some laughed at her, some began to hate her, O Bharata, some showed kindness to her and some questioned to cry aloud.
83. ``O blessed woman, who are you? whose are you? what do you seek in the forest? having seen you, we are greatly anxious; are you human?
84. O blessed one, tell us the truth, whether you are the presiding deity of this forest, or of this mountain or of the qarters? We submit ourselves to you.
85. Are you a female Yaksha, or a domonness, or a celestial damsel? Do good to us and protect us, O blameless one.
86. O blessed one, manage in such a manner that the caravan would start from this place attended by prosperity and that welfare may wait upon us.''
87. Then that virtuous दमयन्ती, distressed with the calamity of her husband, spoke in reply to the caravan and to the leader of the caravan.
88. `` know me to be human, the daughter of a king, the daughter-in-law of a king, the wife of a king also, extremely eager to see my husband.
89. The king of the Vidharbhas is my father; the blessed king of the Nishadhas, named Nala, is my husband, I am seeking him-an unconqurable one.
90. Tell me quickly if you have seen my beloved husband, Nala, the best amongst men and the destroyer of the enemies.''
91. Then the lord of that great caravan, the leader, named Suchi, spoke to her of faultless limbs, ``O blessed one, listen to my words.
92. O one of pure smile, I am a merchant and the leader of the caravan, O famous lady. I have not seen any person named Nala.
93. In this vast forest uninahbited by men, I see only elephants, tigers buffaloes, leopards, bears, and beasts.
94. I do not see any mortal being except you in this great forest. So मणिभद्र, the king of the Yakshas may favour us today. "
95. Thereupon she asked the merchants and the leader ofthe caravan, ``You please, tell me where the caravan is going.''
The leader said :-
96. O daughter of the best of men, this caravan is going i haste for profit to the country of सुबाहु, the truth-seeking king of the chedis.