“Vrihadaswa continued, ‘Having destroyed that hunter Damayanti of eyes
like lotus leaves, went onwards through that fearful and solitary forest
ringing with the chirp of crickets. And it abounded with lions, and
leopards, and Rurus and tigers, and buffaloes, and bears and deer. And it
swarmed with birds of various species, and was infested by thieves and
mlechchha tribes. And it contained Salas, and bamboos and Dhavas, and
Aswatthas, and Tindukas and Ingudas, and Kinsukas, and Arjunas, and
Nimvas, and Tinisas and Salmalas, and Jamvus, and mango trees, and
Lodhras, and the catechu, and the cane, and Padmakas, and Amalahas, and
Plakshas, and Kadamvas, and Udumvaras and Vadaris, and Vilwas, and
banians, and Piyalas, and palms, and date-trees, and Haritakas and
Vibhitakas. And the princess of Vidarbha saw many mountains containing
ores of various kinds, and groves resounding with the notes of winged
choirs, and many glens of wondrous sight, and many rivers and lakes and
tanks and various kinds of birds and beasts. And she saw numberless
snakes and goblins and Rakshasas of grim visage, and pools and tanks and
hillocks, and brooks and fountains of wonderful appearance. And the
princess of Vidarbha saw there herds of buffaloes. And boars, and bears
as well as serpents of the wilderness. And safe in virtue and glory and
good fortune and patience, Damayanti wandered through those woods alone,
in search of Nala. And the royal daughter of Bhima, distressed only at
her separation from her lord, was not terrified at aught in that fearful
forest. And, O king, seating herself down upon a stone and filled with
grief, and every limb of hers trembling with sorrow on account of her
husband, she began to lament thus: ‘O king of the Nishadhas, O thou of
broad chest and mighty arms, whither hast thou gone, O king, leaving me
in this lone forest? O hero, having performed the Aswamedha and other
sacrifices, 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 of
great splendour, it behoveth thee. O auspicious one, to remember what
thou didst declare before me, O bull among kings! And, O monarch, it
behoveth thee also to call to mind what the sky-ranging swans spake in
thy presence and in mine. O tiger among men, the four Vedas in all their
extent, with the Angas and the Upangas, well-studied, on one side, and
one 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 formerly
declare before me. Alas, O hero! warrior! O Nala! O sinless one being
thine, I am about to perish in this dreadful forest. Oh! wherefore dost
thou not answer me? This terrible lord of the forest, of grim visage and
gaping jaws, and famishing with hunger, filleth me with fright. Doth it
not behove thee to deliver me? Thou wert wont to say always, ‘Save thee
there existeth not one dear unto me.’ O blessed one, O king, do thou now
make good thy words so spoken before. And, O king, why dost thou not
return an answer to thy beloved wife bewailing and bereft of sense,
although thou lovest her, being loved in return? O king of the earth, O
respected one, O represser of foes, O thou of large eyes, why dost thou
not regard me, emaciated, and distressed and pale, and discoloured, and
clad in a half piece of cloth, and alone, and weeping, and lamenting like
one forlorn, and like unto a solitary doe separated from the herd? O
illustrious sovereign, it is, I, Damayanti, devoted to thee, who, alone
in this great forest, address thee. Wherefore, then, dost thou not reply
unto 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! In
this terrible forest, haunted by lions and tigers, O king of the
Nishadhas, O foremost of men, O enhancer of my sorrows, (Wishing to know)
whether thou art lying down, or sitting, or standing, or gone, whom shall
I ask, distressed and woe-stricken on thy account, saying, ‘Hast thou
seen in this woods the royal Nala?’ Of whom shall I in this forest
enquire alter the departed Nala, handsome and of high soul, and the
destroyer of hostile arrays? From whom shall I today hear the sweet
words, viz., ‘That royal Nala, of eyes like lotus-leaves, whom thou
seekest, is even here?’ Yonder cometh the forest-king, that tiger of
graceful mien, furnished with four teeth and prominent cheeks. Even him
will I accost fearlessly: Thou art the lord of all animals, and of this
forest the king. Know me for Damayanti, the daughter of the king of the
Vidarbhas, and the wife of Nala, destroyer of foes, and the king of the
Nishadhas. Distressed and woe-stricken, I am seeking my husband alone in
these woods. Do thou, O king of beasts, comfort me (with news of Nala) if
thou hast seen him. Or, O lord of the forest, if thou cannot speak of
Nala, do thou, then, O best of beasts, devour me, and free me from this
misery. Alas! hearing my plaintive appeal in the wilderness, this king of
mountains, this high and sacred hill, crested with innumerable [...?-JBH]
rolleth towards the sea. Let me, then, for tidings of the king, ask this
king of mountains, this high and sacred hill, crested with innumerable
heaven-kissing and many-hued and beauteous peaks, and abounding in
various ores, and decked with gems of diverse kings, and rising like a
banner over this broad forest, and ranged by lions and tigers and
elephants and boars and bears and stags, and echoing all around with (the
notes of) winged creatures of various species, and adorned with kinsukas
and Asokas and Vakulas and Punnagas, with blossoming Karnikaras, and
Dhavas and Plakshas, and with streams haunted by waterfowls of every
kind, and abounding in crested summits, O sacred one! O best of
mountains! O thou of wondrous sight! O celebrated hill! O refuge (of the
distressed)! O highly auspicious one! I bow to thee, O pillar of the
earth! Approaching, I bow to thee. Know me for a king’s daughter, and a
king’s daughter-in-law, and king’s consort, Damayanti by name that lord
of earth who ruleth the Vidarbhas, that mighty warrior-king Bhima by
name, who protecteth the four orders, is my sire. That best of kings
celebrated the Rajasuya and Aswamedha sacrifices, with profuse gifts to
the Brahmanas. Possessed of beautiful and large eyes, distinguished for
devotion to the Vedas, of unblemished character, truth-telling, devoid of
guile, gentle, endued with prowess, lord of immense wealth, versed in
morality, and pure, he having vanquished all his foes, effectually
protecteth the inhabitants of Vidarbha. Know me, O holy one, for his
daughter, thus come to thee. That best of men--the celebrated ruler of
the Nishadha--known by the name of Virasena of high fame, was my
father-in-law. The son of that king, heroic and handsome and possessed of
energy incapable of being baffled, who ruleth well the kingdom which hath
descended to him from his father, is named Nala. Know, O mountain, that
of that slayer of foes, called also Punyasloka, possessed of the
complexion of gold, and devoted to the Brahmanas, and versed in the
Vedas, and gifted with eloquence,--of that righteous and Soma-quaffing
and fire-adoring king, who celebrateth sacrifices and is liberal and
warlike and who adequately chastiseth (criminals), I am the innocent
spouse--the chief of his queens--standing before thee. Despoiled of
prosperity and deprived of (the company of my) husband without a
protector, and afflicted with calamity, hither have I come, O best of
mountains, seeking my husband. Hast thou, O foremost of mountains, with
thy hundreds of peaks towering (into the sky) seen king Nala in this
frightful forest? Hast thou seen my husband, that ruler of the Nishadhas,
the illustrious Nala, with the tread of a mighty elephant, endued with
intelligence, long-armed, and of fiery energy, possessed of prowess and
patience and courage and high fame? Seeing me bewailing alone,
overwhelmed with sorrow, wherefore, O best of mountains, dost thou not
today 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 to
truth--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, of
the illustrious king, calling me Vidharva’s daughter, with accents
distinct, 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 virtuous
one, comfort me.’
“Having addressed that foremost of mountain thus, Damayanti then went in
a northerly direction. And having proceeded three days and nights, that
best of women came to an incomparable penance grove of ascetics,
resembling in beauty a celestial grove. And the charming asylum she
beheld was inhabited and adorned by ascetics like Vasishtha and Bhrigu
and 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 the
way to heaven, clad in barks of trees and deer-skins, and with senses
subdued. And beholding that hermitage inhabited by ascetics, and
abounding in herds of deer and monkeys, Damayanti was cheered. And that
best of women, the innocent and blessed Damayanti, with graceful
eye-brows, and long tresses, with lovely hips and deep bosom, and face
graced with fine teeth and with fine black and large eyes, in her
brightness and glory entered that asylum. And saluting those ascetics
grown old in practising austerities, she stood in an attitude of
humility. And the ascetics living in that forest, said, ‘Welcome!’ And
those 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 unto
them, saying, ‘Ye sinless and eminently blessed ascetics, is it well with
your austerities, and sacrificial fire, and religious observances, and
the duties of your own order? And is it well with the beasts and birds of
this 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 form
and thy bright splendour, we have been amazed. Cheer up and mourn not.
Tell us, O blameless and blessed one, art thou the presiding deity of
this forest, or of this mountain, or of this river?’ Damayanti replied
unto those ascetics, saying, ‘O Brahmanas, I am not the goddess of this
forest, or of this mountain, or of this stream. O Rishis of ascetic
wealth, 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 the
Vidarbhas--Bhima by name. O foremost of regenerate ones, know me to be
his daughter. The wise ruler of the Nishadhas, Nala by name, of great
celebrity, heroic, and ever victorious in battle, and learned, is my
husband. Engaged in the worship of the gods, devoted to the twice-born
ones, 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 by
name, equal in splendour unto the lord of celestials, the slayer of foes,
possessed of large eyes, and a hue resembling the full moon, is my
husband. The celebrator of great sacrifices, versed in the Vedas and
their branches, the destroyer of enemies in battle, and like unto the sun
and the moon in splendour, is he. That king devoted to truth and religion
was summoned to dice by certain deceitful persons of mean mind and
uncultured soul and of crooked ways, and skilful in gambling, and was
deprived of wealth and kingdom. Know that I am the wife of that bull
among kings, known to all by the name of Damayanti, anxious to find out
my (missing) lord. In sadness of heart am I wandering among woods, and
mountains, and lakes, and rivers, and tanks and forests, in search of
that husband of mine--Nala, skilled in battle, high-souled, and
well-versed in the use of weapons, O hath king Nala, the lord of the
Nishadhas, come to this delightful asylum of your holy selves? It is for
him, O Brahmanas, that I have come to this dreary forest full of terrors
and haunted by tigers and other beasts. If I do not see king Nala within
a few days and nights, I shall seek my good by renouncing this body. Of
what use is my life without that bull among men? How shall I live
afflicted with grief on account of my husband?’
Unto Bhima’s daughter, Damayanti, lamenting forlorn in that forest, the
truth-telling ascetics replied, saying, ‘O blessed and beauteous one, we
see by ascetic power that the future will bring happiness to thee, and
that thou wilt soon behold Naishadha. O daughter of Bhima, thou wilt
behold Nala, the lord of the Nishadhas, the slayer of foes, and the
foremost of the virtuous freed from distress. And O blessed lady, thou
wilt behold the king--thy lord--freed from all sins and decked with all
kinds of gems, and ruling the selfsame city, and chasting his enemies,
and striking terror into the hearts of foes, and gladdening the hearts of
friends, and crowned with every blessing.’
“‘Having spoken unto that princess--the beloved queen of Nala--the
ascetics with their sacred fires and asylum vanished from sight. And
beholding that mighty wonder, the daughter-in-law of king Virasena,
Damayanti of faultless limbs, was struck with amazement. And she asked
herself, ‘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 of
fowls? And where, again, are those charming trees decked with fruits and
flowers?’ And after thinking so for some time, Bhima’s daughter,
Damayanti of sweet smiles melancholy and afflicted with grief on account
of her lord, lost the colour of her face (again). And going to another
part of the wood, she saw an Asoka tree. And approaching that first of
trees in the forest, so charming with blossoms and its load of foliage,
and resounding with the notes of birds, Damayanti, with tears in her eyes
and accents choked in grief, began to lament, saying, ‘Oh, this graceful
tree in the heart of the forest, decked in flowers, looketh beautiful,
like a charming king of hills. O beauteous Asoka, do thou speedily free
me from grief. Hast thou seen king Nala, the slayer of foes and the
beloved husband of Damayanti,--freed from fear and grief and obstacles?
Hast thou seen my beloved husband, the ruler of the Nishadhas, clad in
half a piece of cloth, with delicate skin, that hero afflicted with woe
and who hath come into this wilderness? O Asoka tree, do thou free me
from grief! O Asoka, vindicate thy name, for Asoka meaneth destroyer of
grief. And going round that tree thrice, with an afflicted heart, that
best of women, Bhima’s daughter, entered a more terrible part of the
forest. And wandering in quest of her lord, Bhima’s daughter beheld many
trees and streams and delightful mountains, and many beasts and birds,
and caves, and precipices, and many rivers of wonderful appearance. And
as she proceeded she came upon a broad way where she saw with wonder a
body of merchants, with their horses and elephants, landing on the banks
of a river, full of clear and cool water, and lovely and charming to
behold, and broad, and covered with bushes of canes, and echoing with the
cries of cranes and ospreys and Chakravakas, and abounding in tortoises
and alligators and fishes, and studded with innumerable islets. And as
soon as as she saw that caravan, the beauteous and celebrated wife of
Nala, 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 and
entered into its midst. And beholding her, some fled in fear, and some
became extremely anxious, and some cried aloud, and some laughed at her,
and some hated her. And some, O Bharata, felt pity for, and even
addressed, her, saying, ‘O blessed one, who art thou, and whose? What
seekest thou in woods? Seeing thee here we have been terrified. Art thou
human? Tell us truly, O blessed one if thou art the goddess of this wood
or of this mountain or of the points of the heaven. We seek thy
protection. Art thou a female Yaksha, or a female Rakshasa, or a
celestial damsel? O thou of faultless features, do thou bless us wholly
and protect us. And, O blessed one, do thou so act that his caravan may
soon go hence in prosperity and that the welfare of all of us may be
secured.’ Thus addressed by that caravan, the princess Damayanti, devoted
to her husband and oppressed by the calamity that had befallen her,
answered, saying, ‘O leader of the caravan, ye merchants, ye youths, old
men, and children, and ye that compose this caravan, know me for a human
being. 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 ruler
of the Vidarbhas is my father, and my husband is the lord of the
Nishadhas, named Nala. Even now I am seeking that unvanquished and
blessed one. If ye have chanced to see my beloved one, king Nala, that
tiger among men, that destroyer of hostile hosts, O tell me quick.’
Thereupon the leader of that great caravan, named Suchi, replied unto
Damayanti 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. O
illustrious lady, I have not seen any man of the name of Nala. In this
extensive forest uninhabited by men, there are only elephants and
leopards and buffaloes, and tigers and bears and other animals. Except
thee, I have not met with any man or woman here, so help us now
Manibhadra, the king of Yakshas!’ Thus addressed by them she asked those
merchants as well as the leader of the host saying, ‘It behoveth you to
tell me whither this caravan is bound.’ The leader of the band said, ‘O
daughter of a great king, for the purpose of profit this caravan is bound
direct for the city of Suvahu, the truth-telling ruler of the Chedis.’”