बृहद्श्च said :-
1. There was sa powerful king, named Nala the son of वीरसेन, possesed of desirable merits, handsome and skilled in managing horses.
2. He stood sat the head of the kings as the lord of Gods; and was above all in splendour like the sun.
3. He was the lord Naishadhas, well-disposed towards Brahmanas, well-versed in the Vedas, braver truthful, fond of playing at dice and a commander of a large army,
4. He was loved by both men and women, was generous and had kept his senses under control. He was also the protector, the best amongst the bowmen and was like Manu himself/
5. Like him there was a king of Vidarbha, named Bhima, possessing great valour and virtues, brave and was desirous of a progeny, being without an issue.
6. With his mind deeply fixed, he made great efforts to obtain an issue; O Bharata, to him there came a (Brahamanical) great sage named Damana.
7. Him of brilliant lustre, that virtuous king bhima, desirous of a progeny, together with his wife, satisfied with great hospitality.
8,9. Damana of great fame, being pleased, conferred upon the king and his wife, a boon of a very beautiful daughter named दमयन्ती and three sons, Dama, Danta, and the illustrious Damana, who were possessed of all the virtues, generous, most fearful and of terrible might.
10. But दमयन्ती, slender-waisted, obtained fame all over the word in point of her beauty, lustre, good name, glorry and luck.
11. And when she attained youth, hundreds of female friends and maid- servants, adorned with ornaments, waited upon her, who was like sachi(wife of Indra) herself.
12. There amongst her female friends, the daughter of Bhima, decked with all ornaments ans having faultless limbs, shone like the bright lightning.
13. She was exceedingly beautiful and had large eyes and was like Lakashmi (the Goddess of wealth) herself. Indeed, there was no one amongst the gods or the Yakshas so beautiful as she was.
14. No one amongst men or others, was seen or heard possessed of so much beauty; her beauty could agitate the hearts of gods even.
15. Nala, the excellent person, was unrivalled in th words; on the earth he was Madana incarnste in point of beauty.
16. Out of admiration (they) praised Nala i nher presence, again and again (they) extolled दमयन्ती before Nala, the king of Nishadhas.
17. By hearing repeatedly each other's virtues, a love, not experienced before, was produced in their minds, and that mutual love, O son of Kunti, began to increase.
18. Then Nala, being unable to hold that love in his heart, lived in solitude in the garden lying near the harem.
19. There he saw one day swans, adorned with gold and roving in that garden and he caught one of them.
20. There upon that bird spoke to Nala, ``O king, you should not kill me; I shall do something agreeable to you.
21. O king of Nishadhas, I will speak of you to दमयन्ती in such a manner that she will never think of any other person but you.''
22. The king, thus adressed, relesed the swan. Then the swans flew up and went to the country of Vidarbhas.
23. Arriving at the city of the Vidharbhas the birds alighted before दमयन्ती who also beheld them.
24. Having seen those birds of extra-ordinary beauty, she, surrounded by her female friends, proceeded quickly to catch them.
25. Thereupon the swans fled in all directions in that garden; and the ladies ran after them, each one following one.
26. That swan, whom दमयन्ती pursued, spoke to her in human speech as follows.
27. `` O दमयन्ती , there is a king among the Nishadhas, named Nala, resembling teh Ashwins in beauty, and there is no one amongst men equal to him.
28. O you of beautiful complexion and slender waist, if you become his wife, your birth and your beauty will become fruitful.
29. We have seen gods, Gandhaarvas, men, Nagas and Rakshasas but never we seen one like him.
30. As you are a jewel amongst women, so Nala is the best amongst men; the union of the best with the best will be of merit.''
31. O king दमयन्ती, thus addressed by the swan, spoke to him, ``you also spaek thus to Nala.''
32. `` so be it. '' said the bird to the daughter of Vidarbha, O king, and the he returned to the country of the Nishadhas and related everything to Nala.