SECTION –LXVI
(Nalopakhyana Parva Continued)
"Vrihadaswa said, 'O monarch, having
deserted Damayanti, king Nala saw a mighty conflagration that was raging in
that dense forest. And in the midst of that conflagration, he heard the voice
of some creature, repeatedly crying aloud, 'O righteous Nala, come hither.' And
answering, 'Fear not,' he entered into the midst of the fire and beheld a
mighty Naga lying in coils. And the Naga with joined hands, and trembling,
spake unto Nala, saying, 'O king, that I am a snake, Karkotaka by name. I had deceived
the great Rishi Narada of high ascetic merit, and by him have I been cursed in
wrath, O king of men, even in words such as these: 'Stay thou here like an
immobile thing, until one Nala taketh thee hence. And, indeed, on the spot to
which he will carry thee, there shalt thou he freed from my curse. It is for
that curse of his that I am unable to stir one step. I will instruct thee in
respect of thy welfare. It behoveth thee to deliver me. I will be thy friend.
There is no snake equal to me. I will be light in thy hands. Taking me up, do
thou speedily go hence.' Having said this, that prince of snakes became as
small as the thumb. And taking him up, Nala went to a spot free from fire.
Having reached an open spot where there was no fire, Nala intended to drop the
serpent, upon which Karkotaka again addressed him, saying, 'O king of the
Nishadhas, proceed thou yet, counting a few steps of thine; meanwhile, O
mighty-armed one, I will do thee great good.' And as Nala began to count his
steps, the snake bit him at the tenth step. And, lo! As he was bit, his form
speedily underwent a change. And beholding his change of form, Nala was amazed.
And the king saw the snake also assume his own form. And the snake Karkotaka,
comforting Nala, spake unto him, 'I have deprived thee of thy beauty, so that
people may not recognise thee. And, O Nala, he by whom thou hast been deceived
and cast into distress, shall dwell in thee tortured by my venom. And, O
monarch, as long as he doth not leave thee, he will have to dwell in pain in
thy body with thee every limb filled with my venom. And, O ruler of men I have
saved from the hands of him who from anger and hate deceived thee, perfectly
innocent though thou art and undeserving of wrong. And, O tiger among men,
through my grace, thou shalt have (no longer) any fear from animals with fangs
from enemies, and from Brahmanas also versed in the Vedas, O king! Nor shalt
thou, O monarch, feel pain on account of my poison. And, O foremost of kings,
thou shalt be ever victorious in battle. This very day, O prince, O lord of
Nishadhas, go to the delightful city of Ayodhya, and present thyself before
Rituparna skilled in gambling, saying, 'I am a charioteer, Vahuka by name.' And
that king will give thee his skill in dice for thy knowledge of horses. Sprung
from the line of Ikswaku, and possessed of prosperity, he will be thy friend.
When thou wilt be an adept at dice, thou shalt then have prosperity. Thou wilt
also meet with thy wife and thy children, and regain thy kingdom. I tell thee
this truly. Therefore, let not thy mind be occupied by sorrow. And, O lord of
men, when thou shouldst desire to behold thy proper form, thou shouldst
remember me, and wear this garment. Upon wearing this, thou shalt get back thy
own form.' And saying this, that Naga then gave unto Nala two pieces of
celestial cloth. And, O son of the Kuru race, having thus instructed Nala, and
presented him with the attire, the king of snakes, O monarch, made himself
invisible there and then!'"
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