Nala

“ When in the deep woods, fatigued and afflicted with hunger, thou thinkest of thy former bliss, I will, O great monarch, soothe thy weariness. In every sorrow there is no physic equal unto the wife, say the physicians. It is the truth, O Nala, that I speak unto thee.’ Hearing those words of his queen, Nala replied, ‘O slender-waisted Damayanti, it is even as thou hast said. To a man in distress, there is no friend or medicine that is equal unto a wife. ”

“ It had been so long since she had heard her sister's name spoken that it seemed like listening to sweet music.
"Indeed, Nala is here," said the Prince. "She is my brother's wife and we all love her. She is so beautiful that she is called the 'Star of the Palace,' but you are prettier than she is."
At these words all Dehra's fear left her, and when the Prince said, "Let us go and find Nala," she let him take her hand and lead her into the palace, where every one said, "She is exactly like our young Rajah's wife!" ”

“ Say, Vahûka! fain would I know her name.
Long life be thine; but tell me who he is,
The faultful man that was the lady's lord."
And Nala answered him: "There lives a man,
Evil and rash, that had a noble wife.
False to his word he was; and thus it fell
That somewhere, for some reason (ask not me!) ,
He quitted her, this rash one. And—so wrenched
Apart from hers—his spirit, bad and sad,
Muses and moans, with grief's slow fire consumed
Night-time and day-time. Thence it is he sings
At every sunset this unchanging verse,
An outcast on the earth, by hazard led
Hither and thither. ”

“ Now springs up the desolate princess—now falls down in prostrate grief;
Now she pines in silent sorrow—now she shrieks and wails aloud.
So consumed with inward misery—ever sighing more and more,
Spake at length king Bhima's daughter—spake the still devoted wife:
"He, by whose dire imprecation—Nala this dread suffering bears,
May he far surpass in suffering—all that Nala suffers now,
May the evil one, to evil—who the blameless Nala drives,
Smitten by a curse as fatal—live a dark unblessed life." ”

“ Saw the gods, king Nala standing—on the surface of the earth;
Standing in transcendent beauty—equal to the god of love. [34]
Him beheld the world's high guardians—in his radiance like the sun;
Each arrested stood and silent—at his peerless form amazed.
All their chariots the celestials—in the midway air have checked.
Through the blue air then descending—they Nishadha's king address.
Ho! what, ho! Nishadha's monarch—Nala, king, for truth renowned;
Do our bidding, bear our message—O, most excellent of men.
[9]
BOOK III.
Nala made his solemn promise,—"all your bidding will I do;" ”

“ The wind-god, invoked by Damayanti, testified that it was only to bring Nala to herself that the lovely queen had proclaimed her swayamvara in Ayodhya, and that she was faultless in the matter. Flowers descended from the air and celestial kettle-drums began to play.
Casting away all doubts about Damayanti, Nala put on the pure garment which had been given to him by the serpent, and thus regained his own beautiful form. “And, beholding her righteous lord in his own form, Bhima’s daughter of faultless limbs embraced him, and began to weep aloud. ”

“ Thus endowed, the noble Nala—he, O Kali, that would curse,
On himself recoil his curses—only fatal to himself.
Nala, gifted with such virtues—he, O Kali, who would curse—
[19] Be he plunged in hell's dark torments—in the deep and vasty lake."
Thus the gods to Kali speaking—to their native heavens arose.
Soon as they had parted, Kali—thus to Dwapara began:
"I my wrath can curb no longer—I henceforth in Nala dwell;
From his kingdom will I cast him—from his bliss with his sweet bride.
Thou within the dice embodied—Dwapara my cause assist." ”

“ Rituparna's chosen driver—dresser of his food am I."
Kesinia spake.
"Knows the charioteer Varshneya—whither royal Nala went?
Of his fortune hath he told thee—Vahuca, what hath he said?"
Vahuca spake.
"He of the unhappy Nala—safe the children borne away,
Wheresoe'er he would, departed—of king Nala knows he nought:
Nothing of Nishadha's raja—fair one! living man doth know.
Through the world, concealed, he wanders—having lost his proper form.
Only Nala's self of Nala—knows, and his own inward soul,
Of himself to living mortal—Nala will no sign betray." ”

“ One of these birds led the eager Damayanti away from her companions, and then, seizing the opportunity, told the charming girl about Nala and his beauty, winding up with these words: “Thou also art a jewel among thy sex as Nala is the prime among men. The union of the best with the best is happy.” ”

“ Wilt thou now belie thy promise?—Nala, go, nor more delay."
By the gods adjured so sternly—thus rejoined Nishadha's king—
"Strictly guarded is yon palace—how may I find entrance there?"
"Thou shalt enter;" thus did Indra—to the unwilling king reply.
In the bower of Damayanti—as they spake, king Nala stood.
There he saw Vidarbha's maiden—girt with all her virgin bands;
[10] In her glowing beauty shining—all excelling in her form;
Every limb in smooth proportion—slender waist and lovely eyes;
Even the moon's soft gleam disdaining—in her own o'erpowering light. ”

“ And of them Indra, the Wind, the god of Fire, Yama and Varuṇa, longing for Damayantí, deliberated together, and went to Nala, and they found Nala setting off on the journey, and when he prostrated himself before them, they said to him “Go, Nala, and tell Damayantí this from us—‘Choose one of us five; what is the use of choosing Nala who is a mortal? [561] Mortals are subject to death, but the gods are undying.’ And by our favour, thou shalt enter where she is, unperceived by the others.” Nala said “So be it,” and consented to do the errand of the gods. ”

“ For touching your feet I swear to you that never even in thought have I been anything but true to you." But Nala's face did not grow softer. Then Damayanti cried aloud, "O all-seeing Wind that surrounds the earth, take away my life if I have sinned against my Lord! O Sun that daily crosses the sky, take away my life, if I have sinned against my Lord! O Moon that enters the hearts of all living things, take away my life, if I have sinned against my Lord!" And from the heavens the wind god answered, "King Nala, it is the truth that she speaks; she has done no evil against you. ”

“ When king Nala saw, and gazed on—to the sorrowful he spake.
"Gaming that I lost my kingdom—'twas not mine own guilty deed,
It was Kali wrought within me—hence it was I fled from thee;
Therefore he, in th' hour of trial—smitten by thy scathing curse,
In the wild wood as thou wanderest—grieving night and day for me,
Kali dwelt within my body—burning with thy powerful curse,
Ever burning, fiercer, hotter—as when fire is heaped on fire. ”

“ And for thy sake—only for thee—sweet Lord,
The kings were summoned hither. If, alas!
Fair Prince, thou dost reject my sudden love,
So proffered, then must poison, flame, or flood,
Or knitted cord, be my sad remedy."
So spake Vidarbha's Pride; and Nala said:—
"With gods so waiting—with the world's dread lords
Hastening to woo, canst thou desire a man?
Bethink! I, unto these, that make and mar,
These all-wise ones, almighty, am like dust
Under their feet: lift thy heart to the height
Of what I bring. If mortal man offend
The most high gods, death is what springs of it. ”

“ And getting ready their heavenly chariots, they too set forth to join the heroes who thronged Vidarbha, hoping that they might win Damayanti's favour. As the chariots sped through the air, the gods saw King Nala walking on the earth below them. Such was his stature and so superb was his bearing, that the hearts of the four gods sank within them. "Immortals though we be," they murmured, "our beauty pales before that of King Nala. If he is our rival we cannot hope that Damayanti will pass him by for one of us." Then they drove their cars to earth and alighted close to where Nala walked. ”

“ Slayer he of mortal bodies,—Yama, too, is here, O king!
Thou, O Nala, of our coming,—must to Damayanti tell:
Thee to see, the world's dread guardians—Indra and the rest came down,
Indra, Agni, Varun, Yama,—each to seek thine hand are come.
One of these celestial beings,—choose, O maiden, for thy lord."
Nala, thus addressed by Indra—with his folded hands replied:
"Thus with one accord commanding—on this mission send not me.
How can man, himself enamoured—for another plead his cause?
Spare me then, ye gods, in mercy—this unwelcome service, spare."
The Gods spake. ”

“ Love me in return, O King Nala. For if you do not, I cannot bear to live longer." The king's heart leapt with joy, but he could not press his suit, for he had promised the gods that he would be their messenger to Damayanti. "No, fair princess, do not lightly throw away the love of the Immortals; if you wed one of them he will take you with him to his heaven and he will make you immortal like himself. And you will never know either pain or sickness or death." ”

“ And to a maiden any other men than her lover previously chosen are strangers, and she is to them the wife of another, so how comes this delusion upon you?" When the five, with Indra at their head, heard that, they assumed their own forms, and the sixth, the true Nala, preserved his true form. The princess in her delight cast upon the king her eye, beautiful as a blown blue lotus, and the garland of election. And a rain of flowers fell from heaven. Then king Bhíma performed the marriage ceremony of her and Nala. ”

“ When a month had gone past Nala took leave of King Bhima and went towards Nishadha with one great chariot, sixteen elephants, fifty armed horsemen, and six hundred foot soldiers. The whole force entered the city boldly and made the earth to shake. Nala at once went before Pushkara and said: “I would fain throw dice with thee once again. I have much wealth and will stake all my treasure and even Damayantí upon the hazard. Thou, Pushkara, must stake thy kingdom. Let us stake everything; let us play for our lives. ”

“ On reaching the chief city, he sent word to his brother Pushkara that he had earned vast wealth and wished again to dice with him. On hearing the message Pushkara received King Nala and asked him what he would stake on the throw of the dice. "Let your stake" answered King Nala, "be your kingdom and your life. My stake shall be my wealth and my peerless queen, Damayanti. And if you do not care for such high stakes, take your bow and arrows and let us fight each other in the open plain outside the city." ”

“ Nala undertakes to drive his master five hundred miles in one day, and is so clever a charioteer that he actually performs the feat, even though he stops on the way to verify his master's knowledge of figures by counting the leaves and fruit on the branch of a tree. ”

“ Are you a mortal woman or are you, as we think, a spirit from the forest come to do us harm?" "No," said Damayanti sadly smiling, "I am no evil spirit but the daughter of a king. I seek my husband Nala King of the Nishadas. Tell me, fair sir, whether by any chance you have seen him," "O Queen," said the leader of the merchants, "I have met neither King Nala nor any other man in this forest; for only wild elephants and lions and other beasts of prey live here." ”

“ As she walked she saw in front of her a giant Asoka tree and she remembered that as a child her nurse had told her that Asoka trees could, if they would, relieve mortals of their grief. "O Asoka tree," she cried, "I am Damayanti Queen of the Nishadas. Have you by any chance seen my husband King Nala? He, who once went forth to battle clad from head to foot in mail, wears nothing now but a single rag to cover his loins. If you have seen him tell me; if not, take away from me the pain of my sorrow. For as a child I learnt that you could ease men of their grief." ”

“ But the swan that through the forest—gentle Damayanti chased,
Suddenly, in human language—spake to Damayanti thus.—
"Damayanti, in Nishadha—Nala dwells, the noble king—
Like the Aswinas in beauty, [19] —peerless among men is he.
O incomparable princess—to this hero wert thou wed,
Noble birth and perfect beauty—not unworthy fruit had borne.
Gods, Gandharvas, [20] men, the Serpents, [21] —and the Rakshasas [22] we've seen,
All we've seen—of noble Nala—never have we seen the peer.
Pearl art thou among all women—Nala is the pride of men. ”

“ Still retain his wretched body—nor with sorrow pine away?
Her with her dark flowing tresses—with her long and lotus eyes,
Worthy of all joy, thus joyless—as I see, my soul is wrung.
To the furthest shore of sorrow—when will pass this beauteous queen?
To her husband reunited—as the moon's bride [115] to the moon?
Her recovering shall king Nala—to his happiness return,
King, albeit despoiled of kingdom—he his realm shall reassume;
In their age and virtues equal—equal in their noble race,
He alone of her is worthy—worthy she alone of him. ”

“ Nala receives as reward perfect skill in dicing. His wife recognizes him by his magical command of fire and water, and by his cooking. He resumes his true form, plays again, and wins back all he had lost, and lives happy ever after. [1]
§17. When Brihadagwa had finished the story of Nala, Yudhishthira, pleased, asked him for perfect skill in dicing ”

“ Also came Nala the Prince, gallantly accompanied, riding to Vidarbha, and thoughts of love were thick as honey-bees in his heart.
But who shall discern the thoughts of the Gods?
For it chanced that two great saints, Narada and Parvata, mighty in their austerities, pure and high of thought, ascended the heavens at that time, to make a visit and obeisance to Indra the God, in his own Paradise. And he, the King of the Clouds, rising to them, did them honour and welcomed them; for the presence of the saints is as a rich perfume in the nostrils of the gods. ”