Chapter 73

“Vrihadaswa said, ‘After Rituparna of prowess incapable of being baffledhad, in the evening, arrived at the city of the Vidarbhas, the peoplebrought unto king Bhima the tidings (of his arrival). And at theinvitation of Bhima, the king (of Ayodhya) entered the city of Kundina,filling with the rattle of his car all the ten points, direct andtransverse, of the horizon. And the steeds of Nala that were in that cityheard that sound, and hearing it they became delighted as they used to bein the presence of Nala himself. And Damayanti also heard the sound ofthat car driven by Nala, like the deep roar of the clouds in the rainyseason. And Bhima and the steeds (of Nala) regarded the clatter of thatcar to be like that which they used to hear in days of yore when kingNala himself urged his own steeds. And the peacocks on the terraces, andthe elephants in the stables, and the horses also, all heard the rattleof Rituparna’s car. And hearing the sound, so like the roar of theclouds, the elephants and the peacocks, O king, began to utter theircries, facing that direction, and filled with delight such as theyexperience when they hear the actual roar of the clouds. And Damayantisaid, ‘Because the rattle of his car filling the whole earth, gladdens myheart, it must be King Nala (that has come). If I do not see Nala, offace bright as the moon, that hero with countless virtues, I shallcertainly die. If I am not clasped today in that hero’s thrillingembrace, I shall certainly cease to be. If Naishadha with voice deep asthat of the clouds doth not come to me today, I shall enter into a pyreof golden brilliance. If that foremost of kings, powerful as a lion andgifted with the strength of an infuriated elephant, doth not presenthimself before me, I shall certainly cease to live. I do not remember asingle untruth in him, or a single wrong done by him to others. Neverhath he spoken an untruth even in jest. Oh, my Nala is exalted andforgiving and heroic and magnificent and superior to all other kings, andfaithful to his marriage vow and like unto a eunuch in respect of otherfemales. Night and day dwelling upon his perceptions, my heart, inabsence of that dear one, is about to burst in grief.’

“Thus bewailing as if devoid of sense, Damayanti, O Bharata, ascended theterrace (of her mansion) with the desire of seeing the righteous Nala.And in the yard of the central mansion she beheld king Rituparna on thecar with Varshneya and Vahuka. And Varshneya and Vahuka, descending forthat excellent vehicle, unyoked the steeds, and kept the vehicle itselfin a proper place. And king Rituparna also, descending from the car,presented himself before king Bhima possessed of terrible prowess. AndBhima received him with great respect, for in the absence of a properoccasion, a great person cannot be had (as a guest). And honoured byBhima, king Rituparna looked about him again and again, but saw no tracesof the Swayamvara. And the ruler of the Vidarbhas, O Bharata, approachingRituparna, said, ‘Welcome! What is the occasion of this thy visit?’ Andking Bhima asked this without knowing that Rituparna had come to obtainthe hand of his daughter. And king Rituparna, of unbaffled prowess andgifted with intelligence, saw that there were no other kings or princes.Nor did he hear any talk relating to the Swayamvara, nor saw anyconcourse of Brahmanas. And at this, the king of Kosala reflected a whileand at length said, ‘I have come here to pay my respects to thee.’ Andthe king Bhima was struck with astonishment, and reflected upon the(probable) cause of Rituparna’s coming, having passed over a hundredyojanas. And he reflected, ‘That passing by other sovereigns, and leavingbehind him innumerable countries, he should come simply to pay hisrespect to me is scarcely the reason of his arrival. What he assigneth tobe the cause of his coming appeareth to be a trifle. However, I shalllearn the true reason in the future.’ And although king Bhima thought so,he did not dismiss Rituparna summarily, but said unto him again andagain, ‘Rest, thou art weary.’ And honoured thus by the pleased Bhima,king Rituparna was satisfied, and with a delighted heart, he went to hisappointed quarters followed by the servants of the royal household.”

“Vrihadaswa continued, ‘And, O king, after Rituparna had gone away withVarshneya, Vahuka took the car to the stables. And there freeing thesteeds, and tending them according to rule, and soothing them himself,sat down on a side of the car. Meanwhile, the princess of Vidharva,Damayanti, afflicted with grief, having beheld the royal son ofBhangasura, and Varshneya of the Suta race, and also Vahuka in thatguise, asked herself, ‘Whose is this car-rattle? It was loud as that ofNala, but I do not see the ruler of the Nishadhas. Certainly, Varshneyahath learnt the art from Nala, and it is for this the rattle of the cardriven by him hath been even like that of Nala. Or, is Rituparna equallyskilled with Nala so that the rattle of his car seemeth to be like thatof Nala?’ And reflecting thus, O monarch, the blessed and beauteous girlsent a female messenger in search of Nishada.”