SECTION –LXXVIII
(Nalopakhyana Parva Continued)
"Vrihadaswa said, 'O son of Kunti, the ruler
of the Nishadhas having dwelt there for a month, set out from that city with
Bhima's permission and accompanied by only a few (followers) for the country of
the Nishadhas. With a single car white in hue, sixteen elephants, fifty horses,
and six hundred infantry, that illustrious king, causing the earth itself to
tremble, entered (the country of the Nishadhas) without loss of a moment and
swelling with rage. And the mighty son of Virasena, approaching his brothers
Pushkara said unto him, 'We will play again, for I have earned vast wealth. Let
Damayanti and all else that I have be my stake, let, O Pushkara, thy kingdom be
thy stake. Let the play begin again. This is my certain determination. Blessed
be thou, let us stake all we have along with our lives. Having won over and
acquired another's wealth or kingdom, it is a high duty, says the ordinance, to
stake it when the owner demands. Or, if thou dost not relish play with dice,
let the play with weapons begin. O king, let me or thyself have peace by a
single combat. That this ancestral kingdom should, under all circumstances and
by any means, be recovered, there is the authority of sages for holding. And, O
Pushkara, choose thou one of these two things--gambling with dice or bending
the bow in battle!' Thus addressed by Nishadha, Pushkara, sure of his own
success, laughingly answered that monarch, saying, 'O Naishadha, it is by good
fortune that thou hast earned wealth again to stake. It is by good fortune also
that Damayanti's ill-luck hath at last come to an end. And O king, it is by
good fortune that thou art still alive with thy wife, O thou of mighty arms! It
is evident that Damayanti, adorned with this wealth of thine that I will win,
will wait upon me like an Apsara in heaven upon Indra. O Naishadha, I daily
recollect thee and am even waiting for thee, since I derive no pleasure from gambling
with those that are not connected with me by blood. Winning over to-day the
beauteous Damayanti of faultless features, I shall regard myself fortunate,
indeed, since she it is that hath ever dwelt in my heart.' Hearing these words
of that incoherent braggart, Nala in anger desired to cut off his head with a
scimitar. With a smile, however, though his eyes were red in anger, king Nala
said, 'Let us play. Why do you speak so now? Having vanquished me, you can say
anything you like.' Then the play commenced between Pushkara and Nala. And
blessed be Nala who at a single throw won his wealth and treasures back along
with the life of his brother that also had been staked. And the king, having
won, smilingly said unto Pushkara, 'This whole kingdom without a thorn in its
side is now undisturbedly mine. And, O worst of kings, thou canst not now even
look at the princess of Vidarbha. With all thy family, thou art now, O fool,
reduced to the position of her slave. But my former defeat at thy hands was not
due to any act of thine. Thou knowest it not, O fool, that it was Kali who did
it all. I shall not, therefore, impute to thee the faults of others. Live
happily as thou choosest, I grant thee thy life. I also grant thee thy portion
(in the paternal kingdom) along with all necessaries. And, O hero, without
doubt, my affection towards thee is now the same as before. My fraternal love
also for thee will never know any diminution. O Pushkara, thou art my brother,
live thou for a hundred years!'"
"And Nala of unbaffled prowess, having
comforted his brother thus gave him permission to go to his own town, having
embraced him repeatedly. And Pushkara himself, thus comforted by the ruler of
the Nishadhas saluted that righteous king, and addressed him, O monarch, saying
these words with joined hands, 'Let thy fame be immortal and live thou happily
for ten thousand years, thou who grantest me, O king, both life and refuge. And
entertained by the king, Pushkara dwelt there for a month and then went to his
own town accompanied by large force and many obedient servants and his own
kindred, his heart filled with joy. And that bull among men all the while
blazed forth in beauty of person like a second Sun. And the blessed ruler of
the Nishadhas, having established Pushkara and made him wealthy and freed him
from troubles, entered his richly decorated palace. And the ruler of the
Nishadhas, having entered his palace, comforted the citizens. And all the
citizens and the subjects from the country horripilated in joy. And the people
headed by the officers of state said with joined hands, 'O king, we are truly
glad to-day throughout the city and the country. We have obtained to-day our
ruler, like the gods their chief of a hundred sacrifice!'"
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