st his kingdom, Pushkara laughingly said,
"Let the play go on. But what stake hast thou now? Damayanti only
remaineth; all else of thine hath been won by me. Well, if thou likest,
that Damayanti be our stake now." Hearing these words of Pushkara the
virtuous king felt as if his heart would burst in rage, but he spake not
a word. And gazing at Pushkara in anguish, king Nala of great fame took
all the ornaments off every part of his body. And attired in a single
piece of cloth, his body uncovered, renouncing all his wealth, and
enhancing the grief of friends, the king set out. And Damayanti, clad in
one piece of cloth, followed him behind as he was leaving the city. And
coming to the outskirts of the city, Nala stayed there for three nights
with his wife. But Pushkara, O king, proclaimed through the city that
_he that should show any attention to Nala, would be doomed to death_.
And on account of these words of Pushkara and knowing his malice towards
Nala, the citizens, O Yudhishthira, no longer showed him hospitable
regards. And unregarded though deserving of hospitable regards, Nala
passed three nights in the outskirts of the city, living on water alone.
And afflicted with hunger, the king went away in search of fruit and
roots, Damayanti following him behind. And in agony of famine, after
many days, Nala saw some birds with plumage of golden hue. And thereupon
the mighty lord of the Nishadhas thought within himself, "These will be
my banquet today and also my wealth." And then he covered them with the
cloth he had on--when bearing up that garment of his, the birds rose up
to the sky. And beholding Nala nude and melancholy, and standing with
face turned towards the ground, those rangers of the sky addressed him,
saying, "O thou of small sense, we are even those dice. We had come
hither wishing to take away thy cloth, for it pleased us not that thou
shouldst depart even with thy cloth on." And finding himself deprived of
his attire, and knowing also that the dice were departing (with it), the
virtuous Nala, O king, thus spake unto Damayanti, "O faultless one, they
through whose anger I have been despoiled of my kingdom, they through
whose influence distressed and afflicted with hunger, I am unable to
procure sustenance, they for whom the Nishadhas offered me not any
hospitality, they, O timid one, are carrying off my cloth, assuming the
form of birds. Fallen into this dire disaster, I am afflicted with grief
and deprived o