Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) (51 page)

‘“The brahmana Sudeva then approached Bhima’s daughter and said, ‘O Vidarbha’s daughter! I am Sudeva. I am your brother’s beloved friend. I have come here on the instructions of King Bhima. I have
come here looking for you. O queen! Your father is well and so are your mother and brothers. Your son and daughter, who will have long lives, are well. But because of you, though they are alive, the large numbers of your relatives seem to be bereft of their senses.’ O Yudhishthira! Damayanti recognized Sudeva and one after another, asked him about all her well-wishers. O king! On suddenly seeing Sudeva, the best of brahmanas and her brother’s friend, Vidarbha’s daughter was overcome by grief and wept piteously. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Sunanda saw her weeping there, overcome by grief, and conversing alone with Sudeva. She sent a message to her mother, ‘Sairandhri is weeping piteously, ever since she met a brahmana. If you think fit, find out the reason.’ Then the mother of the king of Chedi left the king’s inner quarters and went to where the lady was meeting the brahmana. O lord of the earth! The king’s mother summoned Sudeva and asked, ‘Whose wife is this beautiful one and whose daughter? How has the one with the beautiful eyes been separated from her relatives and her husband? O brahmana! Do you know how she has come to this state? I wish to hear everything from you in complete detail. I am asking about the lady whose form is like that of a goddess. Tell me everything truthfully.’ O king! Having been thus addressed, Sudeva, supreme among brahmanas, sat down in comfort and recounted the true story about Damayanti.”’

‘“Sudeva said, ‘The king of Vidarbha has dharma in his soul. His name is Bhima and his valour is terrible. This is his fortunate daughter, famous by the name of Damayanti. The king of the nishadhas has the name of Nala and he is the son of Virasena. This fortunate one is the wife of the wise Punyashloka. In a game of dice, that lord of the earth was robbed of his kingdom by his brother. He went away with Damayanti, without anyone knowing where they had gone. We have been travelling the entire earth in search of
Damayanti. I finally discovered the lady in your son’s house. No other woman is known to have a beauty like hers. Between the eyebrows of this dark one there is a natural mark.
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It is shaped like a lotus and I have seen it before. But it has disappeared now. It is covered in dirt, like the moon covered by white clouds. This mark of prosperity was given to her by the creator. It can be faintly seen now, like the covered sliver of a moon on the first day of the lunar fortnight. But though her body is covered with dirt, her beauty has not been destroyed. Though she has not washed herself, it shines forth like gold. This lady, this goddess, was identified by me from her body and from that mark, like a hidden fire can be detected from its heat.’”

‘Brihadashva said, “O lord of the earth! When Sunanda heard these words of Sudeva, she cleaned the dirt that covered the mark. Having been cleansed of the dirt, Damayanti’s mark became visible, like the moon appears in the clear sky. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On seeing the mark, Sunanda and the king’s mother wept. They embraced her and stood there for some time. Shedding tears, the king’s mother said in a soft voice, ‘From this mark I know that you are my sister’s daughter. O beautiful one! Your mother and I are the daughters of the great-souled Sudamna, the king of Dasharna. She was given to King Bhima and I was again given to Virabahu. I saw you being born, in my father’s house in Dasharna. O beautiful one! This house of mine is like your father’s house. O Damayanti! All my riches are like yours.’ O lord of the earth! On hearing these words, Damayanti’s mind rejoiced. She showed her respects to her mother’s sister and spoke these words, ‘Even though I was unknown, I lived here happily. I received all the objects of my desire and was always protected by you. There is no doubt that my stay here will now be happier still. O mother! But I have been away from home for a long time. Please give me permission to leave. My children have been taken there and the young ones are living there. They must be sorrowful because they are without their father and without me. How are they? I wish to go to Vidarbha. If you wish to do something that brings me
pleasure, please give instructions that transport arrangements are made swiftly.’ O king! On hearing these words, her mother’s sister happily agreed. With her son’s consent, the king’s mother arranged for a handsome vehicle for her, carried by men.
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It was guarded by a large force. O best of the Bharata lineage! It was stocked with plenty of food, drink and garments.

‘“Then, after a short while, the beautiful one arrived in Vidarbha and all her relatives happily welcomed her, showing her homage. She saw that her relatives and her children were well, and so were her mother, her father and all her friends. O lord of the earth! The famous one, the fortunate Damayanti, worshipped the gods and the brahmanas in accordance with the best of rites. The king was delighted on seeing his daughter. He satisfied Sudeva by giving him a thousand cows, a lot of riches and a village. O king! The beautiful lady spent the night in her father’s house. When she had rested, she spoke to her mother in these words.”’

‘“Damayanti said, ‘O mother! I tell you truthfully. If you wish to see me alive, please arrange it so that Nala, the brave one among men, is brought here.”

‘Brihadashva said, “Thus addressed by Damayanti, the queen was extremely distressed. O king! Her voice choking with tears, there was no reply that she could give. On seeing her in this state, everyone in the inner quarters began to weep and lament grievously. O great king! Then Bhima’s wife spoke to him. ‘Your daughter Damayanti is sorrowing on account of her husband. O king! Unrestrained by shame, she herself told me this. Ask your messengers to make efforts to find Punyashloka.’ Thus asked by her, the king sent brahmanas
who were in his service in every direction, with instructions that they should try to find Nala. Thus instructed by the king of Vidarbha, the bulls among the brahmanas came and told Damayanti that they were leaving. Bhima’s daughter then told them that in every country and at every place where men gathered, they should repeatedly utter the following words. ‘O gambler! O loved one! You are the one who sliced off half my garment. Where are you? You abandoned your beloved wife in a deserted region. It is in accordance with your instructions that she is still awaiting you, clad only in half a garment. The lady is tormented by grief. O lord of the earth! She repeatedly weeps because of that sorrow. O brave one! Show her your favour and reply to her words.’ She told them that, as a mark of favour towards her, these were the words that they should utter, because a fire that has the wind with it burns down the forest. They should also say, ‘The husband is always bound to protect and maintain his wife. You are learned in dharma. Why do you ignore these duties? You are famous, wise and kind and have been born to a noble lineage. But I fear that you have now become cruel and that is the reason my fortune has turned. O bull among men! O great archer! Show compassion towards me. You have often told me that compassion is the supreme dharma.’ She told them that if anyone responded to these words, they should find out everything about that man and where he lived. ‘O supreme among brahmanas! If any man replies to your words, convey those words immediately to me. After accomplishing your task, you must return here immediately, so that he does not find out that you are there on Bhima’s instructions. Whether he is rich or poor, or desirous of riches, you must find out what it is that he desires.’ O king! Having heard these words, the brahmanas went out in all the directions.

‘“They searched for the sinner Nala. They went to cities, countries, villages, places where there were cowherds and hermitages. O lord of the earth! Everywhere, the brahmanas repeated exactly the words Damayanti had asked them to utter.”’

‘Brihadashva said, “After a long time, a brahmana by the name of Parnada returned to the city and told Bhima’s daughter, ‘O Damayanti! I searched for Nishadha day and night and went to the city of Ayodhya. I presented myself before Bhangasvari.
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O beautiful one! In a public place, I repeated those words before the immensely fortunate Rituparna, exactly as you had asked me to. On hearing those words, Rituparna, lord of men, did not reply. Nor did any of his courtiers respond, though those words were repeated by me several times. Then the king gave me permission to leave. A man named Bahuka is in Rituparna’s service. He is the king’s charioteer and is deformed and has short arms. He is skilled in driving vehicles swiftly and he is accomplished in cooking. When I was alone, he spoke a few words to me. He sighed several times and wept repeatedly. He asked me about my welfare and then addressed me in these words, “Though they confront great calamity, women of a good lineage protect themselves through their own efforts and there is no doubt that they win heaven for themselves. Even if they are abandoned by their husbands, they are never angry. He was trying to sustain his life and a bird stole his garment. He is tormented by anguish and a dark one should not be angry. Whether she is treated well or whether she is treated badly, when she sees her husband without his kingdom and without prosperity, a dark one should not be angry.” On hearing these words of his, I instantly returned here. Having heard this, you decide and inform the king.’ O lord of the earth! Damayanti listened to Parnada’s words with tears in her eyes.

‘“She went to her mother and secretly told her, ‘O mother! Bhima should under no circumstances get to know about these words. In your presence, I wish to employ Sudeva, supreme among brahmanas. King Bhima should not know what my intentions are. If you wish to
bring about my pleasure, you must act in this way. Let Sudeva go quickly. Let him perform the auspicious ceremonies that united me with my relatives. Let Sudeva go without delay. O mother! Let him go to the city of Ayodhya and bring Nala back here.’ Later, after Parnada, supreme among brahmanas, had rested, the beautiful daughter of Vidarbha worshipped him and gave him a lot of riches. She said, ‘O brahmana! When Nala comes here, I will give you even greater riches. O supreme among brahmanas! You have done so much for me. No one else will ever be able to accomplish more. It is because of this that I will soon be reunited with my husband.’ Thus addressed by her, the high-minded one paid her his respects and pronounced auspicious blessings over her. Having accomplished his purpose, he returned home.

‘“O Yudhishthira! Then Damayanti summoned that brahmana
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again. In her mother’s presence and engulfed by misery and sorrow, she told him, ‘O Sudeva! Go to King Rituparna who lives in the city of Ayodhya and tell him, “Bhima’s daughter Damayanti wishes for a husband again and will again hold a svayamvara. All the kings and the princes are going there. Having computed the time, this will be held tomorrow. O destroyer of enemies! If it is possible, go there quickly. She will choose a second husband at the time of sunrise, because it is not known whether the valiant Nala is dead or alive.”’ O great king! As he had been instructed, the brahmana Sudeva then went to King Rituparna and told him what he had been asked to.”’

‘Brihadashva said, “Having heard these words of Sudeva, Rituparna, lord of men, spoke these words to Bahuka, in a comforting and soft voice, ‘O Bahuka! I wish to go to Vidarbha for Damayanti’s svayamvara. You are skilled with horses. Do you think
that it can be done in a single day?’ O Kounteya! Having heard these words from the king, Nala’s mind was rent asunder with grief and the great-minded one was tormented with sorrow. He thought, ‘If Damayanti has decided to do something like this, she must be demented with grief. Or is it that she has thought of a great means for my sake? Why has the ascetic daughter of Vidarbha decided to perform this cruel act? I am mean and deceitful and my intelligence has been deluded by sin. In this world, feminine nature is fickle. My sin was also terrible. So must it then be. But will she act in this way and forget all her love? That slender-waisted one is anxious for my sake and is despairing. But she can never act in this way, especially because she has children. It is certain that we have to go there and truly find out what is happening. I will accomplish Rituparna’s desires, because that is what I want too.’ Bahuka decided this in his mind. In a dejected state of mind, he went to King Rituparna. He joined his hands in salutation and said, ‘O tiger among men! O lord of men! I give you my word that we will reach the city of Vidarbha in a single day.’ O king! Having obtained King Bhangasvari’s orders, Bahuka went to the stables and inspected the horses.

‘“Bahuka was repeatedly rushed by Rituparna. He then selected horses that were lean, but capable on the road. They were energetic and strong. They had been born in a noble lineage and were good in conduct. They were bereft of all inauspicious marks. Their nostrils were wide and their jaws were big. They were pure and possessed the ten locks of hair.
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They were from the region of the Sindhu and were as swift as the wind. On seeing them, the king was a little angry and said, ‘What do you wish to do? You should not jest with me. How can these horses of mine, weak and lifeless, bear us? How can we travel such a long distance with these steeds?’ Bahuka replied, ‘There is no doubt that these horses will reach Vidarbha. O king! But if you so desire, tell me which ones you would like me to yoke.’ Rituparna said, ‘O Bahuka! You are the one who has knowledge of horses. You are the skilled one. Yoke the ones that you think will be
swift and capable.’ Then the skilled Nala yoked four horses to the chariot. They were bred from a noble lineage and were of good conduct. Then the king swiftly ascended the chariot that had been yoked, as the supreme horses knelt down on the ground.

‘“O lord of the earth! Then the handsome King Nala, supreme among men, comforted the horses, which were endowed with energy and strength. Nala controlled the reins and made suta Varshneya ascend the chariot. Then those supreme horses were commanded by Bahuka in accordance with the rules. The chariot seemed to rise up into the sky, confounding the occupants. The wise king of Ayodhya was extremely surprised when he saw those horses carry them with the speed of the wind. Having heard the roar of the chariot and the control over the horses, Varshneya began to wonder about Bahuka’s mastery over horses, ‘Is this Matali, the charioteer of the king of the gods? Those great signs can be seen in the brave Bahuka. Or is this Shalihotra,
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who knows about the breeding of horses? Has he now assumed this beautiful human form?
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Or might it be King Nala, the destroyer of enemy cities? Has that king come here?’
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He began to think in this way, ‘Or perhaps Bahuka knows some of the knowledge that Nala possessed. The skills of Bahuka and Nala seem to be the same. Then again, his age seems to be the same as Nala’s. This is not the immensely valorous Nala, but he has the same knowledge. Sometimes, great-souled ones roam the world in disguise, driven by destiny, or malformed because of what has been said in the sacred texts. My mind is divided because of the deformity of his body. But it is my view that I should not decide in the absence of proof. They are equal in age. It is the form alone that is the difficulty. But then again, Bahuka has all the qualities and I think that he is Nala.’ O great king! Punyashloka’s old charioteer kept on thinking in his mind. O Indra among kings! Together with the charioteer Varshneya, King Rituparna also kept thinking about Bahuka’s expertise with horses.
He was extremely delighted on witnessing his strength, valour, enthusiasm, control over horses and diligence.”’