"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 _Vadaras_, 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 possessed 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 after 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
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 _Punyastoka_,
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 faith 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
chastising 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 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 this 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."'"