Chapter 64

“Vrihadaswa continued, ‘Having destroyed that hunter Damayanti of eyeslike lotus leaves, went onwards through that fearful and solitary forestringing with the chirp of crickets. And it abounded with lions, andleopards, and Rurus and tigers, and buffaloes, and bears and deer. And itswarmed with birds of various species, and was infested by thieves andmlechchha tribes. And it contained Salas, and bamboos and Dhavas, andAswatthas, and Tindukas and Ingudas, and Kinsukas, and Arjunas, andNimvas, and Tinisas and Salmalas, and Jamvus, and mango trees, andLodhras, and the catechu, and the cane, and Padmakas, and Amalahas, andPlakshas, and Kadamvas, and Udumvaras and Vadaris, and Vilwas, andbanians, and Piyalas, and palms, and date-trees, and Haritakas andVibhitakas. And the princess of Vidarbha saw many mountains containingores of various kinds, and groves resounding with the notes of wingedchoirs, and many glens of wondrous sight, and many rivers and lakes andtanks and various kinds of birds and beasts. And she saw numberlesssnakes and goblins and Rakshasas of grim visage, and pools and tanks andhillocks, and brooks and fountains of wonderful appearance. And theprincess of Vidarbha saw there herds of buffaloes. And boars, and bearsas well as serpents of the wilderness. And safe in virtue and glory andgood fortune and patience, Damayanti wandered through those woods alone,in search of Nala. And the royal daughter of Bhima, distressed only ather separation from her lord, was not terrified at aught in that fearfulforest. And, O king, seating herself down upon a stone and filled withgrief, and every limb of hers trembling with sorrow on account of herhusband, she began to lament thus: ‘O king of the Nishadhas, O thou ofbroad chest and mighty arms, whither hast thou gone, O king, leaving mein this lone forest? O hero, having performed the Aswamedha and othersacrifices, with gifts in profusion (unto the Brahmanas), why hast thou,O tiger among men, played false with me alone? O best of men, O thou ofgreat splendour, it behoveth thee. O auspicious one, to remember whatthou didst declare before me, O bull among kings! And, O monarch, itbehoveth thee also to call to mind what the sky-ranging swans spake inthy presence and in mine. O tiger among men, the four Vedas in all theirextent, with the Angas and the Upangas, well-studied, on one side, andone single truth on the other, (are equal). Therefore, O slayer of foes,it behoveth thee, O lord of men, to make good what thou didst formerlydeclare before me. Alas, O hero! warrior! O Nala! O sinless one beingthine, I am about to perish in this dreadful forest. Oh! wherefore dostthou not answer me? This terrible lord of the forest, of grim visage andgaping jaws, and famishing with hunger, filleth me with fright. Doth itnot behove thee to deliver me? Thou wert wont to say always, ‘Save theethere existeth not one dear unto me.’ O blessed one, O king, do thou nowmake good thy words so spoken before. And, O king, why dost thou notreturn an answer to thy beloved wife bewailing and bereft of sense,although thou lovest her, being loved in return? O king of the earth, Orespected one, O represser of foes, O thou of large eyes, why dost thounot regard me, emaciated, and distressed and pale, and discoloured, andclad in a half piece of cloth, and alone, and weeping, and lamenting likeone forlorn, and like unto a solitary doe separated from the herd? Oillustrious sovereign, it is, I, Damayanti, devoted to thee, who, alonein this great forest, address thee. Wherefore, then, dost thou not replyunto me? Oh, I do not behold thee today on this mountain, O chief of men,O thou of noble birth and character with every limb possesed of grace! Inthis terrible forest, haunted by lions and tigers, O king of theNishadhas, O foremost of men, O enhancer of my sorrows, (Wishing to know)whether thou art lying down, or sitting, or standing, or gone, whom shallI ask, distressed and woe-stricken on thy account, saying, ‘Hast thouseen in this woods the royal Nala?’ Of whom shall I in this forestenquire alter the departed Nala, handsome and of high soul, and thedestroyer of hostile arrays? From whom shall I today hear the sweetwords, viz., ‘That royal Nala, of eyes like lotus-leaves, whom thouseekest, is even here?’ Yonder cometh the forest-king, that tiger ofgraceful mien, furnished with four teeth and prominent cheeks. Even himwill I accost fearlessly: Thou art the lord of all animals, and of thisforest the king. Know me for Damayanti, the daughter of the king of theVidarbhas, and the wife of Nala, destroyer of foes, and the king of theNishadhas. Distressed and woe-stricken, I am seeking my husband alone inthese woods. Do thou, O king of beasts, comfort me (with news of Nala) ifthou hast seen him. Or, O lord of the forest, if thou cannot speak ofNala, do thou, then, O best of beasts, devour me, and free me from thismisery. Alas! hearing my plaintive appeal in the wilderness, this king ofmountains, this high and sacred hill, crested with innumerable […?-JBH]rolleth towards the sea. Let me, then, for tidings of the king, ask thisking of mountains, this high and sacred hill, crested with innumerableheaven-kissing and many-hued and beauteous peaks, and abounding invarious ores, and decked with gems of diverse kings, and rising like abanner over this broad forest, and ranged by lions and tigers andelephants and boars and bears and stags, and echoing all around with (thenotes of) winged creatures of various species, and adorned with kinsukasand Asokas and Vakulas and Punnagas, with blossoming Karnikaras, andDhavas and Plakshas, and with streams haunted by waterfowls of everykind, and abounding in crested summits, O sacred one! O best ofmountains! O thou of wondrous sight! O celebrated hill! O refuge (of thedistressed)! O highly auspicious one! I bow to thee, O pillar of theearth! Approaching, I bow to thee. Know me for a king’s daughter, and aking’s daughter-in-law, and king’s consort, Damayanti by name that lordof earth who ruleth the Vidarbhas, that mighty warrior-king Bhima byname, who protecteth the four orders, is my sire. That best of kingscelebrated the Rajasuya and Aswamedha sacrifices, with profuse gifts tothe Brahmanas. Possessed of beautiful and large eyes, distinguished fordevotion to the Vedas, of unblemished character, truth-telling, devoid ofguile, gentle, endued with prowess, lord of immense wealth, versed inmorality, and pure, he having vanquished all his foes, effectuallyprotecteth the inhabitants of Vidarbha. Know me, O holy one, for hisdaughter, thus come to thee. That best of men–the celebrated ruler ofthe Nishadha–known by the name of Virasena of high fame, was myfather-in-law. The son of that king, heroic and handsome and possessed ofenergy incapable of being baffled, who ruleth well the kingdom which hathdescended to him from his father, is named Nala. Know, O mountain, thatof that slayer of foes, called also Punyasloka, possessed of thecomplexion of gold, and devoted to the Brahmanas, and versed in theVedas, and gifted with eloquence,–of that righteous and Soma-quaffingand fire-adoring king, who celebrateth sacrifices and is liberal andwarlike and who adequately chastiseth (criminals), I am the innocentspouse–the chief of his queens–standing before thee. Despoiled ofprosperity and deprived of (the company of my) husband without aprotector, and afflicted with calamity, hither have I come, O best ofmountains, seeking my husband. Hast thou, O foremost of mountains, withthy hundreds of peaks towering (into the sky) seen king Nala in thisfrightful forest? Hast thou seen my husband, that ruler of the Nishadhas,the illustrious Nala, with the tread of a mighty elephant, endued withintelligence, long-armed, and of fiery energy, possessed of prowess andpatience and courage and high fame? Seeing me bewailing alone,overwhelmed with sorrow, wherefore, O best of mountains, dost thou nottoday soothe me with thy voice, as thy own daughter in distress? O hero,O warrior of prowess, O thou versed in every duty, O thou adhering totruth–O lord of the earth, if thou art in this forest, then, O king,reveal thyself unto me. Oh, when shall I again hear the voice of Nala,gentle and deep as that of the clouds, that voice, sweet as Amrita, ofthe illustrious king, calling me Vidharva’s daughter, with accentsdistinct, and holy, and musical as the chanting of the Vedas and rich,and soothing all my sorrows. O king, I am frightened. Do thou, O virtuousone, comfort me.’

“Having addressed that foremost of mountain thus, Damayanti then went ina northerly direction. And having proceeded three days and nights, thatbest of women came to an incomparable penance grove of ascetics,resembling in beauty a celestial grove. And the charming asylum shebeheld was inhabited and adorned by ascetics like Vasishtha and Bhriguand Atri, self-denying and strict in diet, with minds under control,endued with holiness, some living on water, some on air, and some on(fallen) leaves, with passions in check, eminently blessed, seeking theway to heaven, clad in barks of trees and deer-skins, and with sensessubdued. And beholding that hermitage inhabited by ascetics, andabounding in herds of deer and monkeys, Damayanti was cheered. And thatbest of women, the innocent and blessed Damayanti, with gracefuleye-brows, and long tresses, with lovely hips and deep bosom, and facegraced with fine teeth and with fine black and large eyes, in herbrightness and glory entered that asylum. And saluting those asceticsgrown old in practising austerities, she stood in an attitude ofhumility. And the ascetics living in that forest, said, ‘Welcome!’ Andthose men of ascetic wealth, paying her due homage, said, ‘Sit ye down,and tell us what we may do for thee.’ That best of women replied untothem, saying, ‘Ye sinless and eminently blessed ascetics, is it well withyour austerities, and sacrificial fire, and religious observances, andthe duties of your own order? And is it well with the beasts and birds ofthis asylum? And they answered, ‘O beauteous and illustrious lady,prosperity attendeth us in every respect. But, O thou of faultless limbs,tell us who thou art, and what thou seekest. Beholding thy beauteous formand thy bright splendour, we have been amazed. Cheer up and mourn not.Tell us, O blameless and blessed one, art thou the presiding deity ofthis forest, or of this mountain, or of this river?’ Damayanti repliedunto those ascetics, saying, ‘O Brahmanas, I am not the goddess of thisforest, or of this mountain, or of this stream. O Rishis of asceticwealth, know that I am a human being. I will relate my history in detail.Do ye listen to me. There is a king–the mighty ruler of theVidarbhas–Bhima by name. O foremost of regenerate ones, know me to behis daughter. The wise ruler of the Nishadhas, Nala by name, of greatcelebrity, heroic, and ever victorious in battle, and learned, is myhusband. Engaged in the worship of the gods, devoted to the twice-bornones, the guardian of the line of the Nishadhas, of mighty energy,possessed of great strength, truthful, conversant with all duties, wise,unwavering in promise, the crusher of foes, devout, serving the gods,graceful, the conqueror of hostile towns, that foremost of kings, Nala byname, equal in splendour unto the lord of celestials, the slayer of foes,possessed of large eyes, and a hue resembling the full moon, is myhusband. The celebrator of great sacrifices, versed in the Vedas andtheir branches, the destroyer of enemies in battle, and like unto the sunand the moon in splendour, is he. That king devoted to truth and religionwas summoned to dice by certain deceitful persons of mean mind anduncultured soul and of crooked ways, and skilful in gambling, and wasdeprived of wealth and kingdom. Know that I am the wife of that bullamong kings, known to all by the name of Damayanti, anxious to find outmy (missing) lord. In sadness of heart am I wandering among woods, andmountains, and lakes, and rivers, and tanks and forests, in search ofthat husband of mine–Nala, skilled in battle, high-souled, andwell-versed in the use of weapons, O hath king Nala, the lord of theNishadhas, come to this delightful asylum of your holy selves? It is forhim, O Brahmanas, that I have come to this dreary forest full of terrorsand haunted by tigers and other beasts. If I do not see king Nala withina few days and nights, I shall seek my good by renouncing this body. Ofwhat use is my life without that bull among men? How shall I liveafflicted with grief on account of my husband?’

Unto Bhima’s daughter, Damayanti, lamenting forlorn in that forest, thetruth-telling ascetics replied, saying, ‘O blessed and beauteous one, wesee by ascetic power that the future will bring happiness to thee, andthat thou wilt soon behold Naishadha. O daughter of Bhima, thou wiltbehold Nala, the lord of the Nishadhas, the slayer of foes, and theforemost of the virtuous freed from distress. And O blessed lady, thouwilt behold the king–thy lord–freed from all sins and decked with allkinds of gems, and ruling the selfsame city, and chasting his enemies,and striking terror into the hearts of foes, and gladdening the hearts offriends, and crowned with every blessing.’

“‘Having spoken unto that princess–the beloved queen of Nala–theascetics with their sacred fires and asylum vanished from sight. Andbeholding that mighty wonder, the daughter-in-law of king Virasena,Damayanti of faultless limbs, was struck with amazement. And she askedherself, ‘Was it a dream that I saw? What an occurrence hath taken place!Where are all those ascetics? And where is that asylum? Where, further,is that delightful river of sacred waters–the resort of diverse kinds offowls? And where, again, are those charming trees decked with fruits andflowers?’ And after thinking so for some time, Bhima’s daughter,Damayanti of sweet smiles melancholy and afflicted with grief on accountof her lord, lost the colour of her face (again). And going to anotherpart of the wood, she saw an Asoka tree. And approaching that first oftrees in the forest, so charming with blossoms and its load of foliage,and resounding with the notes of birds, Damayanti, with tears in her eyesand accents choked in grief, began to lament, saying, ‘Oh, this gracefultree in the heart of the forest, decked in flowers, looketh beautiful,like a charming king of hills. O beauteous Asoka, do thou speedily freeme from grief. Hast thou seen king Nala, the slayer of foes and thebeloved husband of Damayanti,–freed from fear and grief and obstacles?Hast thou seen my beloved husband, the ruler of the Nishadhas, clad inhalf a piece of cloth, with delicate skin, that hero afflicted with woeand who hath come into this wilderness? O Asoka tree, do thou free mefrom grief! O Asoka, vindicate thy name, for Asoka meaneth destroyer ofgrief. And going round that tree thrice, with an afflicted heart, thatbest of women, Bhima’s daughter, entered a more terrible part of theforest. And wandering in quest of her lord, Bhima’s daughter beheld manytrees and streams and delightful mountains, and many beasts and birds,and caves, and precipices, and many rivers of wonderful appearance. Andas she proceeded she came upon a broad way where she saw with wonder abody of merchants, with their horses and elephants, landing on the banksof a river, full of clear and cool water, and lovely and charming tobehold, and broad, and covered with bushes of canes, and echoing with thecries of cranes and ospreys and Chakravakas, and abounding in tortoisesand alligators and fishes, and studded with innumerable islets. And assoon as as she saw that caravan, the beauteous and celebrated wife ofNala, wild like a maniac, oppressed with grief, clad in half a garment,lean and pale and smutted, and with hair covered with dust, drew near andentered into its midst. And beholding her, some fled in fear, and somebecame extremely anxious, and some cried aloud, and some laughed at her,and some hated her. And some, O Bharata, felt pity for, and evenaddressed, her, saying, ‘O blessed one, who art thou, and whose? Whatseekest thou in woods? Seeing thee here we have been terrified. Art thouhuman? Tell us truly, O blessed one if thou art the goddess of this woodor of this mountain or of the points of the heaven. We seek thyprotection. Art thou a female Yaksha, or a female Rakshasa, or acelestial damsel? O thou of faultless features, do thou bless us whollyand protect us. And, O blessed one, do thou so act that his caravan maysoon go hence in prosperity and that the welfare of all of us may besecured.’ Thus addressed by that caravan, the princess Damayanti, devotedto her husband and oppressed by the calamity that had befallen her,answered, saying, ‘O leader of the caravan, ye merchants, ye youths, oldmen, and children, and ye that compose this caravan, know me for a humanbeing. I am the daughter of a king, and the daughter in-law of a king,and the consort also of a king, eager for the sight of my lord. The rulerof the Vidarbhas is my father, and my husband is the lord of theNishadhas, named Nala. Even now I am seeking that unvanquished andblessed one. If ye have chanced to see my beloved one, king Nala, thattiger among men, that destroyer of hostile hosts, O tell me quick.’Thereupon the leader of that great caravan, named Suchi, replied untoDamayanti of faultless limbs, saying, ‘O blessed one, listen to my words.O thou of sweet smiles, I am a merchant and the leader of this caravan. Oillustrious lady, I have not seen any man of the name of Nala. In thisextensive forest uninhabited by men, there are only elephants andleopards and buffaloes, and tigers and bears and other animals. Exceptthee, I have not met with any man or woman here, so help us nowManibhadra, the king of Yakshas!’ Thus addressed by them she asked thosemerchants as well as the leader of the host saying, ‘It behoveth you totell me whither this caravan is bound.’ The leader of the band said, ‘Odaughter of a great king, for the purpose of profit this caravan is bounddirect for the city of Suvahu, the truth-telling ruler of the Chedis.'”