Part 9: Nala as king

One day King Niṣadha established Nala on the throne, Kūbara as heir-apparent, and took the vow himself. Nala guarded the people like his own family, happy at their happiness; unhappy at their unhappiness, always. No other king was able to conquer Nala endowed with intelligence and power, unrivaled in strength of arm.

One day Nala asked his hereditary vassals and others,

‘Do I rule just the territory handed over by my father or more?’ They said: ‘Niṣadha enjoyed half of Bharata, less three parts. All of it is enjoyed by you. It is fitting for the son to be superior to the father. However, two hundred yojanas from here in the city Takṣaśilā, Kadamba is king there and lie does not acknowledge your command. He alone, ill-disposed, attains the glory of a spot on you, the moon of the wonderful glory of victory over half of Bharata. Disregarded like a trifling ailment by you from carelessness, having reached prosperity at will, he has reached a stage of being hard to subdue. If your mind has been made harsh with anger, long-armed one, doubtless he will be crushed by you like a water-jar dropped from a mountain. First, having instructed a messenger, let him, arrogant, he enlightened in regard to submission and tribute; and after that he can do as he likes.’

After this advice, Naiṣadhi sent a messenger with instructions, who was a mountain of firmness, accompanied by a numerous retinue of soldiers. The messenger went quickly, haughty like Garutmat, and, not putting to shame his own master, declared to King Kadamba;

‘Serve my master, Nala, a forest-fire to a forest of enemies. (By so doing) prosper very much. Do not destroy your own splendor. I tell you what is to your own advantage, just as if I were supervised by your family-gods. Serve Nala. Reflect. Do not make a mistake.’

Biting his lower lip with his teeth, like Rāhu a digit of the moon, Kadamba, not knowing his own advantage like a child, said: ‘Is Nala a fool or insane, or asleep from wind?^[1] For who does not know me, a boar for the grass^[2] of enemies? Are there no family-ministers at your court by whom Naiṣadhi, stupid, was prevented from insulting me? Therefore go, messenger! If your lord is weary of his kingdom, let him be prepared. For I am his battle-guest.’

The messenger went and reported Kadamba’s speech, which was harsh from arrogance, to Nala, powerful. Then Naiṣadhi marched against the lord of Takṣaśilā, a mountain of arrogance, with full equipment. Nala invested all Takṣaśilā with an army, making a second wall, as it were, with elephants in close array. Kadamba put on armor and went outside with his army. For a lion can not endure for another one to approach the entrance of his den. The soldiers, their eyes red with anger, fought with each other, with pavilions made in the air by arrow against arrow, with cruel brilliance.

Nala said to Kadamba: ‘Why should the elephants, et cetera be killed? Let us, who are enemies, fight in single combat.’ Then Nala and Kadamba, like living mountains, fought in the best single combats, wrestling, et cetera. Kadamba, blind with arrogance, was defeated by Nala, victorious, in every kind of fight that he demanded from Nala.

‘The warrior’s conduct has been possessed in equal degree by me, but I have been brought to the point of death by powerful Nala. So, let me not die like a moth. I shall flee from him and take the vow. Even flight is better, the result of which is spotless.’

Reflecting thus, Kadamba fled. Disgusted with existence, he took the vow and stood in statuesque posture. When Nala saw that Kadamba had taken the vow, he said: ‘I am defeated. Devoted to another world, do not abandon (this) world. You have the appearance of a conqueror.’

The great muni, Kadamba, observing the great vows, resolute, made no reply to Nala. For what is a king to a man without desires? Nala, having praised Kadamba, shaking his head at his strength of character, installed his (Kadamba’s) son, Jayaśakti, on the throne. Then the induction of King Nala, victorious like Viṣṇu, into the lordship of half of Bharata was made by all the kings. All the kings, skilled in devotion, gave presents to the lord of Kośala who wished to go to Kośalā. His power celebrated in song by the Khecarīs also, sporting with Bhaimī, Nala ruled the earth for a long time.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

I.e., from an excess of the windy humor.

[2]:

‘Grass-eater’ (mustāḍa) is one of the words for ‘hog’, ‘wild board’.