Damayanti when deserting—royal Nala fled, ere long
Blazing in the forest jungle—he a mighty fire beheld;
Thence as of a living being—from the midst a voice he heard:
"Hasten, Nala!" oft and loudly—"Punyasloka, haste," it cried.
"Fear thou not," king Nala answered—plunging in the ruddy flame;
There he saw the king of serpents—lying, coiled into a ring.
There with folded hands the serpent—trembling, thus to Nala spake:
"Me, Karkotaka, the Serpent—know, thou sovereign of men;
Narada, the famous hermit[102]—I deceived, the holy sage;
He in righteous indignation—smote me with this awful curse:
Stay thou there as one unmoving—till king Nala passing by,
Lead thee hence; save only Nala—none can free thee from this curse.
Through this potent execration—I no step have power to move;
I the way to bliss will show thee—if thou sav'st me from this fate.
I will show thee noble friendship—serpent none is like to me;
Lightly shall I weigh, uplift me—in thy hand, with speed, O king."
Thus when spake the king of serpents—to a finger's size he shrank;
Him when Nala lightly lifted—to the unburning space he passed.
To the air all cool and temperate—brought him, by the flame unreached.
As he fain on th' earth would place him—thus Karkotaka began.
"Move thou now, O king, and slowly—as thou movest, count thy steps.
Then the best of all good fortune—will I give thee, mighty armed!"
Ere the tenth step he had counted[103]—him the sudden serpent bit:
As he bit him, on the instant—all his kingly form was changed.
There he stood, and gazed in wonder—Nala, on his altered form.
In his proper shape the serpent—saw the sovereign of men.
Then Karkotaka the serpent—thus to Nala comfort spake:
"Through my power thy form is altered—lest thou should'st be known of men.
He through whom thou'rt thus afflicted—Nala, with intensest grief,
Through my poison, shall in anguish—ever dwell within thy soul.
All his body steeped in poison—till he free thee from thy woe,
Shall he dwell within thee prison'd—in the ecstacy of pain.
So from him, by whom, thou blameless!—sufferest such unworthy wrong,
By the curse I lay upon him—my deliverance shall be wrought.
Fear not thou the tusked wild boar—foeman fear not thou, O king,
Neither Brahmin fear, nor Sages[104]—safe through my prevailing power.
King, this salutary poison—gives to thee nor grief nor pain;
In the battle, chief of Rajas—victory is ever thine.
Go thou forth, thyself thus naming—Vahuca, the charioteer,
To the royal Rituparna—in the dice all-skilful he;
To Ayodhya's pleasant city—sovereign of Nishadha! go;
He his skill in dice will give thee—for thy skill in taming steeds:
Of IkshwÀku's noble lineage—he will be thy best of friends.
Thou the skill in dice possessing—soon wilt rise again to bliss;
With thy consort reunited—yield not up thy soul to grief.
Thou thy kingdom, thou thy children—wilt regain, the truth I speak.
When again thou would'st behold thee—in thy proper form, O king,
Summon me to thy remembrance—and this garment put thou on:
In this garment clad resum'st thou—instantly thy proper form."
Saying thus, of vests celestial—gave he to the king a pair.[105]
And king Nala, thus instructed—gifted with these magic robes,
Instantly the king of serpents—vanished from his sight away.