Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) (49 page)

‘“Damayanti said, ‘O one whose chest is like that of a lion! O mighty-armed one! O ruler of the people of Nishadha! O king! Where have you gone, abandoning me in this deserted forest? O brave one! You have performed sacrifices like ashvamedha and have given away large quantities of dakshina. O tiger among men! How is it that you have been false towards me? O tiger among men! O immensely
radiant one! O bull among kings! O fortunate one! Make the words you uttered in my presence come true. O lord of the earth! You should also remember what the swans that roam in the sky said in your presence and what they said in my presence. O best among men! The four Vedas, studied with their extended branches and sub-branches, can be on one side and truth alone can balance them on the other side. O lord of men! O destroyer of enemies! O brave one! Therefore, you should follow the truth and make true what you promised in my presence. Alas, brave one! O unblemished one! Is it that I am no longer desired by you? Why do you not reply to me in this terrible forest? This terrible and fearful king of the forests is oppressing me with its wide-open jaws, as if it is hungry. Why don’t you save me? You always used to say that I was your beloved and there was no second one who was dearer. O king descended from the Bharata lineage! O fortunate one! Make the words you uttered earlier come true. O ruler of men! Your beloved wife is lamenting, like one maddened. You desire her and she desires you. O protector! Why don’t you reply to me? I am thin, miserable, pale and dirty. O lord of the earth! I am clad only in half a garment. I am alone and lamenting like one unprotected. O large-eyed one! I am like a solitary deer that has strayed from its herd. O oppressor of enemies! You are deserving of honour. But you do not honour me, when I am weeping thus. O great king! It is a faithful wife who is alone in this great forest. It is your wife who is speaking to you. Why don’t you reply? O supreme among men! You were born in a noble lineage and have good conduct. You are handsome in all your limbs. But I do not see you today on this mountain. This great and terrible forest is frequented by lions and tigers. O ruler of Nishadha! Are you sleeping, seated or standing here? O best of men! Or have you left, extending my misery? I am oppressed by grief on account of you. In my misery, whom shall I ask “Have you by any chance seen King Nala wandering in this forest?” Today, who will tell me if Nala is lost in the forest? He is handsome and great-souled. He is the destroyer of enemy formations. I am looking for King Nala, with eyes like that of the lotus. Today, from whom will I hear the sweet words that
he
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is here? The tiger, the king of the forest, is advancing to meet me. He is handsome, with four teeth and a mighty jaw. But I am not frightened of him. I will tell him, “You are the king of the animals and the lord of this forest. Know me to be Damayanti, the daughter of the king of Vidarbha. I am the wife of the king of Nishadha, Nala, the slayer of enemies. O lord of animals! I am alone and am looking for my husband. I am oppressed by sorrow and I am thin. If you have seen Nala, please comfort me. O lord of the forest! O supreme among animals! If on the other hand, you know nothing about Nala, then eat me up and free me from this misery.” The king of animals hears my lamentations in this forest. But on his own, he makes his way towards the sweet waters of the river that flows to the ocean.

‘“‘This rocky mountain is sacred. It has many tall peaks. They are radiant and beautiful in their many hues. They stretch up to the sky. It is full of many minerals and is adorned with a myriad stones. It rises up like a flagstaff of this great forest. It is frequented by lions, tigers, elephants, boars, bears and deer. It resounds on all sides with the noise of many types of birds. It is adorned with kimshukas, ashokas,
bakula
s
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and
pumnaga
s.
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There are many streams and peaks frequented by birds. I will now ask this king of mountains about the king.
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“O illustrious one! O best of mountains! O divine-looking one! O famous one! O bringer of much fortune! O one who holds up the earth! I am seeking refuge with you and am bowing down before you. I am prostrating myself before you. Know that I am the daughter of a king. I am the daughter-in-law of a king. I am the wife of a king. I am famous by the name of Damayanti. My father is maharatha King Bhima, the lord of Vidarbha. He is the lord of the earth and the protector of the four varnas. He has performed rajasuya and ashvamedha sacrifices and offered a lot of dakshina. He is a revered one, best among kings. He has eyes that are large, beautiful and arched. He is like a brahmana and observes righteous conduct.
He follows the truth and is free from jealousy. He always follows good conduct and has great prosperity. He is pure and observes dharma. He is a lord who has defeated masses of his enemies. He is one who completely protects the subjects of Vidarbha. O illustrious one! Know me, the one present before you, to be his daughter. O great mountain! My father-in-law is supreme among men and is the lord of Nishadha. He is famous by the name of Virasena, a name that was well chosen. That king’s son is brave and handsome and truth is his valour. He inherited the kingdom from his father and rules it well. He is the destroyer of enemies and is known by the names of Nala and Punyashloka. He is like a brahmana and is knowledgeable in the Vedas. He is eloquent and the performer of sacred deeds. He is a drinker of soma and maintains the fire.
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He performs sacrifices and is a giver. He is a warrior and rules fairly. O best of mountains! Know that it is his wife who has come before you. I have lost my prosperity and I am without my husband. I am without a protector and I am beset by difficulty. I am looking for my husband, he who is supreme among the best of men. O supreme among mountains! You have hundreds of peaks that reach up into the sky. Is there any chance that you have seen King Nala in this terrible forest? His gait is like that of a king of elephants. He is valiant and wise. His arms are long and he is easily angered. He is brave and follows the truth. My husband has forbearance and is immensely famous. Is there any chance that Nala, king of the nishadhas, has been seen by you? O best of mountains! I am lamenting and I am alone. I am desolate. Why don’t you console me now, as you would a miserable daughter?”

‘“‘O brave one! O valiant one! O one who is knowledgeable in dharma! O one who is devoted to the truth! O lord of the earth! O king! If you are in this forest, then show yourself. When will I again hear Nishadha’s gentle and deep voice, like the sound of the clouds and like nectar to me? Let the beautiful words of the great-souled king address me as “Daughter of Vidarbha”. It is a voice that follows the sacred traditions,
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brings welfare and is the dispeller of my sorrow.’”

‘Brihadashva said, “Having spoken in this way to the best of the mountains, Damayanti, the daughter of the king, then left for the northern direction. After having wandered for three days and nights, the beautiful lady saw an unequalled forest. It was as beautiful as a celestial garden and was populated by ascetics like Vasishtha, Bhrigu and Atri. These ascetics were self-controlled, restrained in food and were calm and pure. They lived on water and air. They only ate leaves. They were immensely fortunate and had controlled their senses. They were desirous of seeing the path to heaven. They were clad in bark and deerskin. These sages had mastered their senses. She saw that beautiful circle of hermitages, populated by ascetics. She saw the cluster of hermitages, frequented by many kinds of animals and large numbers of monkeys, in addition to the ascetics.

‘“Her brows were lovely. Her hair was beautiful. Her hips were beautiful. Her breasts were beautiful. Her teeth and face were beautiful. She was radiant and she walked firmly. Her firm gait was rolling. The one who was loved by Virasena’s son entered the circle of hermitages. She was immensely fortunate and a gem among women. She was the proud Damayanti. She bowed in obeisance before the aged ascetics and stood there in humility. All the ascetics uttered words of welcome. Those who were rich in austerities showed her homage in accordance with the prescribed norms and asked her to seat herself. ‘Tell us what we can do for you,’ they said. Then the one with the beautiful hips replied, ‘O unblemished ones! O immensely fortunate ones! How do the austerities, the fires, dharma, the animals and the birds fare? Does everything proceed well? How about the following of your own dharma?’ They said, ‘O fortunate lady! O famous one! Everything goes well here. You are flawless in all your limbs. Tell us who you are and what you wish for. We are greatly amazed at seeing your supreme beauty and radiance. Do not sorrow and be comforted. Are you the great goddess of this forest or this mountain or this river? O fortunate and unblemished one! Tell us the truth.’

‘“She told the rishis, ‘O brahmanas! I am not the goddess of this forest or this mountain. Nor am I the goddess of this river. O you who are rich in austerities! Know me to be a woman. If all of you listen, I will tell you my account in detail. In the land of Vidarbha,
there is an immensely radiant king by the name of Bhima. O supreme among brahmanas! All of you know me to be his daughter. The immensely famous and wise Nala is the king of Nishadha. He is brave and victorious in battle and that lord of the earth is my husband. He devotes himself to worshipping the gods and takes care of the brahmanas. He is immensely fortunate and immensely radiant and is the protector of the lineage of Nishadha. He observes the truth and is learned in dharma. He is wise and devoted to the truth. He is the destroyer of enemies. He is like a brahmana and is devoted to the gods. He is prosperous and the destroyer of the cities of enemies. That best of kings is named Nala and his radiance is the equal of that of the king of the gods. He is my husband. His eyes are large and his face is like the full moon. He is the destroyer of enemies. He has made offerings of the chief sacrifices and he is learned in the Vedas and the Vedangas. He is as resplendent as the sun and the moon and he has killed his enemies in battle. That lord of the earth was devoted to true dharma. However, he was challenged to a game of dice by some evil ones among men, those who were skilled in deceit and wished him ill. He was defeated through their skills and deceit and he lost his kingdom and his riches. Know me to be the wife of that bull among kings. Know that I am famous by the name of Damayanti and desire to see my husband. I am miserable and am wandering everywhere in these woods, mountains, lakes, rivers, ponds and forests. I am sorrowfully searching for my husband Nala. He is great-souled, skilled in the use of weapons and learned in war. O lords! By any chance, has a king by that name come to this beautiful hermitage? He is the lord of Nishadha and his name is Nala. O brahmanas! It is for his sake that I have come to this dreadful, terrible, fearful and horrible forest, frequented by tigers and animals. If I cannot find King Nala in a few days and nights, I will ensure my own welfare by freeing myself from this body. What is the purpose of my being alive, without that bull among men? What will become of me now, oppressed as I am out of sorrow for my husband?’ Thus did Damayanti, Bhima’s daughter, lament alone in that forest. The ascetics who always spoke the truth told her, ‘O fortunate one! O beautiful one! The consequence of all this will be fortunate. Through
the powers of our austerities, we can see that you will soon find Nishadha Nala, the ruler of Nishadha and the destroyer of his enemies. O Bhima’s daughter! You will see the best of those who uphold dharma. He will be freed from his fever and absolved of all his sins. He will be adorned with all the gems. He will be in his supreme city and will defeat all his enemies. O fortunate one! You will see your husband the king in fortunate circumstances, creating fear in the minds of his enemies and dispelling sorrow from the minds of his well-wishers.’ Having thus spoken to Nala’s beloved queen, the daughter of a king, the ascetics disappeared, together with their sacrificial fires and their hermitages. On witnessing this greatly extraordinary event, Damayanti, whose limbs were unblemished and who was the daughter-in-law of Virasena, was astounded. Was it a dream that I saw? What had occurred here? Where are all the ascetics and where is that circle of hermitages? Where are the pure waters of that beautiful river, frequented by many kinds of birds? Where is that mountain now, adorned with fruits and flowers? Bhima’s daughter, the sweet-smiling Damayanti, thought about these for some time. She was miserable because of sorrow for her husband and her face turned pale.

‘“She went to another region. She lamented, her voice choking with sobs and her eyes filled with tears. Then she saw an ashoka tree there. She went to that flowering ashoka tree, supreme among trees. It was weighed down with its branches and resounded with the notes of birds. ‘Alas! In the midst of this forest, there is this beautiful tree. Burdened under its weight, it is as beautiful as the king of Dramida.
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O beautiful ashoka!
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Free me from my sorrow. Is there any chance that you have seen the king, freed from sorrow and fear? He who is
named Nala is Damayanti’s beloved husband and the destroyer of enemies. Have you seen my beloved, the king of the Nishadhas? His body and skin are delicate and he is attired in only half a garment. Suffering through his vice, the brave one has resorted to the forest. O ashoka! Act accordingly,
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so that I can go away from you without any sorrow. O ashoka! Be truthful to your name. Be the one who removes sorrow and dispel my sorrow.’ Thus did the distressed one speak to the ashoka tree, and circled it thrice. Then Bhima’s beautiful daughter entered a region that was even more terrible. She saw many trees and many streams there, many beautiful mountains and many kinds of animals and birds. Wandering in search of her husband, Bhima’s daughter saw many valleys, slopes and extraordinary rivers.

‘“After the sweet-smiling Damayanti had travelled for a long time, she saw a large caravan with many elephants, horses and chariots. It was climbing along the banks of a beautiful river, with clear and pure water. The water was cool and the river was wide. It had pools and was covered with cane. It resounded to the noise of cranes, ospreys and chakravakas.
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It was full of tortoises, crocodiles and large fish and adorned with sandbanks and islands. As soon as Nala’s famous wife saw that large caravan, the one with the beautiful hips approached it and entered among the people there. She was sorrowful and looked like one demented. She was covered in only half a garment. She was thin, pale and dirty. Her hair was covered with dust. On seeing her thus, some of the men were frightened and began to run away. Others began to think about this, while others cried out. Some laughed at her and others showed their anger. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! But there were some who took pity on her and began to ask her questions. ‘O fortunate one! Who are you and whom do you belong to? What are you looking for in this forest? We are sorrowful on seeing you. Are you by any chance a woman? Tell us truthfully. Are you the goddess of the forest, the mountain or the region? O fortunate one! We are seeking refuge with you. Are you a
yakshi
, a
rakshasi
,
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or a beautiful woman? Comfort us in every way. O unblemished one! Protect us. O fortunate one! Ensure in every way that this caravan can swiftly leave this place. Ensure this. We seek refuge with you.’ Damayanti, the king’s daughter, was thus addressed by the men from the caravan. Oppressed because of her husband’s vice, the faithful one then replied to the leader of the caravan, the caravan and the men who were there—young and old and children, and the ones who were the guides for the caravan. ‘Know me to be a woman. I am the daughter of a king of men. I am the daughter-in-law of a king and I am the wife of a king. I am yearning to catch sight of my husband. The king of Vidarbha is my father. My husband is the king of Nishadha. He is immensely famous by the name of Nala and it is that unvanquished one that I am searching for. If you know about the king, quickly tell me about my beloved Nala. He is a tiger among kings and the destroyer of masses of his enemies.’ The leader of that large caravan was named Shuchi. On hearing the words of the unblemished one, he replied, ‘O fortunate one! Listen to my words. O sweet-smiling one! I am a merchant and the leader of this caravan. I have not seen a man by the name of Nala. I have only seen this fearful forest frequented by elephants, leopards, buffaloes, tigers, bears and deer. No men inhabit it. May Manibhadra, the king of the yakshas, favour us today.’ She then told all the merchants and the leader of the caravan, ‘Please tell me where this caravan is going.’ The leader of the caravan replied, ‘This caravan belongs to Subahu, the truthful king of Chedi. O daughter of a king! It is going swiftly to that country for the sake of profit.’”’