This is a popular love story that was originally written in Sanskrit By Poet Harsha of North India under the title ‘Naishadam.’ It was later translated into Tamil by Poet Pugazhendi of South India in the name of ‘Nala Venba’ somewhere between 9th and 13th century AD. Apart from the story value, the poetic style in which it was written in Tamil was very much unique and unparallel in its presentation. Though the English rendering of the contents in the poetry form has not been that much easy, the author has tried his best to present here the story, as written in Tamil to the extent possible. This series containing 32 episodes will reveal the life style and the culture of the people of those time to the present generation. The author welcomes any comments on this version to his email address: rajaram1931@gmail.com
Chapter 1 – Self-Chosen Wedding
1. A Story was born
The Sad faced King Dharman
It was the King Dharman,
Among Pandavas, the first born,
Who, in a gamble, lost his wisdom.
As a result, he lost his kingdom.
The Lord Krishna was chosen,
The best among all the men,
From his side, as a messenger,
Who went as a peace maker.
In the court of Duryodan,
The Lord asked him to return
Back to the King Dharman,
The kingdom he had taken.
Duryodan refused to return
Back a piece of land even,
That led to a serious situation,
A-fight-to-end confrontation.
On the Pandava’s side.
The Lord took up the lead.
For days the war went on.
Massacring men after men.
One day, in the forest,
Dharman sat quite upset,
O’er the events of the past,
With a sense of deep regret.
Friendly Visitors Came
He sat among the holy men,
Who left royal place of their own,
Learnt the four Vedas by heart,
And chose a life of the forest.
Befitting royal visitors came,
Who held him in high esteem,
And paid due respects to him,
Even during that adverse time.
The arrival of Veda Vysa
To remove the ignorance,
And build a world of peace,
Sage Vyasa gave Vedas four
Rig, Sama, Atarvana, Yajur.
To console the king in distress
The Sage came there to discuss.
It was a blessing in disguise
He met such a sage, the wise.
Dharman Praised the Sage
Lord Kannan was so kind,
Just to go on an errand,
At the invitation of Dharman,
As a messenger to Duryodan
Dharman felt it a great honour,
To receive the sage at that hour.
In the Sage’s holy presence,
He paid his due obeisance.
He told the Sage like this,
“Oh the Compiler of Vedas,
I’m blessed by your presence,
And relieved of all my worries.”
Why worry yourself?
Sage Vyasa, the learned one,
Who was universally best known
For his knowledge on Vedas,
Saw Dharman’s worried face.
“Oh you, the dispassionate one,
And the strongest among men,
Never had you any likes
Nor any kind of dislikes.”
“Wealth didn’t influence you,
Nor any worries affected you.
But why then you’re perturbed?
I find, you’re mentally disturbed.”
To Kailash I sent
To speak only the truth,
Either on this earth,
Or the celestial world,
Dharman was always bold.
He narrated the reason,
For his mental tension,
“I sent my brother, Arjunan
To get the dreadful weapon.”
“To get “Pasupada” I sent
And long back he went
To the golden Kailash alone,
The Lord Shiva’s heaven.”
His Two Shoulders Guard
Vyasa consoles Dharman
“Your brother stopped once,
The clouds from moving across,
When the burning fire spread
To devour Kanda forest as its food.”
“Even Devas ran helter-skelter,
Chased in war by your brother,
And his two strong shoulders
Will guard him, have no fears.”
“Surely, he’ll finish his work,
And come successfully back.
So, don’t worry about him.
He’ll be here any time.”
What is the Reason?
“Our great empire we had lost.
Our wealth is a thing of the past
In this beautiful wild forest
We’re forced to take rest.”
“What’s the reason for this? ”
Dharman, a King of justice
And fair play, asked the Sage
In a sad tone at this stage.
Know the nature of a King
“Know this truth simple.
It’s natural to lose in gamble
All the harmless wealth
By any king on this earth.”
“So, do not feel sorry
Or have any worry
For the past at any time.”
The Sage advised him.
Is there anyone?
“Your chest that is broad
Wears the holy thread,
Like the lightning one,
From the sky, came down.”
“Oh Sage, was there any king
Who played this evil gambling,
Having lost his wisdom,
In turn, his very kingdom? ”
“Did he went thereafter
To the forest to suffer? ”
Dharman with mental pain
Asked him in words plain.
The Story of Kali’s influence
Veda Vyasa narrated then,
The Story of King Nalan,
A matchless ruler of ancient time
Who had lost his own kingdom.
Under the Kali’s influence,
King Nalan had lost his sense.
His kingdom, he had to abandon.
To a miserable life, he was driven.
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