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‘Brihadashva said, “Like a bird travelling in the sky, he swiftly crossed rivers, mountains, forests and lakes. As the chariot travelled, King Bhangasvari, the conqueror of enemy cities, saw that his upper garment had fallen down. When he saw that the garment had dropped as they were speeding, the great-souled king told Nala, ‘I will go and get it. O immensely intelligent one! Restrain these immensely swift horses. Varshneya can then go and retrieve the garment.’ Nala replied, ‘Your garment fell down far behind. We have travelled more than a yojana since then. It is not possible to get it back now.’ O king! While he was thus addressed by Nala, King Bhangasvari came to a forest where there was a vibhitaka tree laden with fruit.
‘“On seeing the tree, the king immediately told Bahuka, ‘O suta! Now witness my great prowess at counting. Everyone does not know everything. Indeed, there is no one who knows everything. O Bahuka! In this tree, the number of leaves and fruits that are still on it is more than those that have fallen down by one hundred and one. O Bahuka! There is one more leaf and one hundred fruit. Those two branches have five crore leaves. Take those two branches and their twigs. The fruits there will number two thousand and ninety-five.’ At that, Bahuka descended from the chariot and told the king, ‘O king! O oppressor of enemies! You have stated something that is beyond my perception. O king! If I count, nothing will be left to supposition. O great king! Witness as I count the number of vibhitakas. I do not know whether your statement is right or wrong. O lord of men! You will see as I count the number of fruit. Let Varshneya handle the reins of the horses for the moment.’ The king told the suta,178 ‘We do not have any time to delay.’ However, Bahuka told him with great humility, ‘Wait for only an instant. Or if you wish to hurry, take Varshneya as your charioteer. From here onwards, the road is smooth.’ O descendant of the Kuru lineage! Rituparana comforted him and said, ‘O Bahuka! There is no one on earth who is your equal as a charioteer. You know about horses. I desired to go to Vidarbha with your help. I seek a favour with you. Please do not create obstacles. O Bahuka! I will do whatever you wish, and whatever you tell me, if you take me to Vidarbha today and show me the sunrise there.’ At that, Bahuka told him, ‘I will count the vibhitakas and then go to Vidarbha. Please do what I ask you to.’ Unwillingly, the king asked him to proceed with the counting. He dismounted from the chariot and swiftly cut down the tree. He was extremely surprised that, on counting, the number of fruits was exactly what the king had told him it would be. He said, ‘O king! This is extraordinary and I have seen your powers. O king! I wish to know the learning through which you have known this.’ But the king was in a hurry to leave and replied, ‘Know that I am versed with the heart of the dice and have expertise in counting.’ Bahuka said, ‘O bull among men! Give me that knowledge. And take from me the knowledge about handling horses.’ King Rituparna desired to imbibe the knowledge about horses and there was also the urgency of his task.179 So he told Bahuka, ‘Let it be that way. Accept from me the supreme knowledge about the heart of the dice. O Bahuka! But let my knowledge about horses remain in your heart as a trust.’ Having said this, Rituparna gave his knowledge to Nala.
‘“When Nala had learned the knowledge of the dice, Kali emerged from his body, continuously vomiting from his mouth Karkotaka’s virulent venom. The fire of Kali’s curse, which had made the king thin and had oppressed him for a long time, making him lose control over his own self, also issued out. Kali’s self was freed from the poison and he assumed his own form. Nala, lord of the nishadhas, was angry and wished to curse him. Kali was frightened. He trembled and joined his hands in salutation. He said, ‘O king! Control your anger. I will give you supreme fame. In anger, Indrasena’s mother180 had cursed me earlier, when you had abandoned her and I have been sorely oppressed since then. O Indra among kings! O invincible one! I have lived inside you in great misery. I have burnt day and night from the venom of the king of the serpents. If anyone from the world of men recounts your deeds incessantly, he shall have no reason to be scared of danger from me.’ On hearing these words, King Nala controlled the wrath in his soul. Then the frightened Kali quickly entered the vibhitaka. When Kali had been conversing with Nishadha, he had been invisible to others.
‘“King Nishadha, the destroyer of enemy warriors, was cured of his fever. Kali had been destroyed and the king had counted the number of fruit. He was extremely delighted and was again endowed with his earlier radiance. Then the energetic one ascended the chariot and drove the swift steeds. Having been possessed by Kali, the vibhitaka has come to acquire a bad reputation. Nala’s heart was delighted. He repeatedly urged those supreme horses and they travelled like birds. The great-minded king proceeded in the direction of Vidarbha. When Nala had gone a long distance, Kali also returned home. O lord of the earth! King Nala was freed from his fever. O king! But though he was free of Kali, he was still separated from his old form.”’
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‘Brihadashva said, “Rituparna, for whom truth was his strength, arrived in Vidarbha in the evening. The people informed King Bhima about his arrival. On Bhima’s words, the king entered the city of Kundina,181 filling all the ten directions with the sound of his chariot. Nala’s horses182 heard the roar of the chariot and hearing this, rejoiced, just as they had in Nala’s company earlier. Damayanti also heard the roar of Nala’s chariot, which was like the deep rumbling of clouds at the onset of the monsoon. Like the horses, Bhima’s daughter thought that the chariot roared as it used to before, when Nala used to control his horses. The peacocks in the palace, the elephants in the stables and the horses heard the roar of the great king’s chariot. O king! On hearing the roar of the chariot, the peacocks and the elephants made expectant noises, because they thought the rains were imminent.
‘“Damayanti said, ‘The roar of the chariot fills up the entire earth and gladdens my heart. It must be King Nala. Today, if I do not see the valorous Nala, whose face is like the moon and who possesses innumerable qualities, there is no doubt that I will perish. If I am not engulfed today in the arms of that brave one, whose touch brings pleasure, there is no doubt that I will perish. If Nishadha does not come to me today, with a voice like the roar of the clouds and with a complexion of gold, there is no doubt that I will perish. If that Indra among kings, whose valour is like a lion and who can restrain a mad elephant, does not come to me, there is no doubt that I will perish. I do not remember the slightest falsehood. I do not remember the slightest injury in him. The great-souled keeps all his promises, made even in jest. My lord is forgiving, brave, gentle and generous and is in control of his senses. He is not addicted to low vices. Nishadha has always behaved towards me like an impotent one.183 Remembering his qualities, I am tormented day and night. My heart is about to be rent asunder because of the sorrow of being separated from that beloved one.’”
‘Brihadashva said, “O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Lamenting in this way and desiring to see Punyashloka, she ascended that large palace, as if bereft of her senses. She saw the chariot in the centre,184 with King Rituparna, Varshneya and Bahuka on it. Then Varshneya and Bahuka dismounted from the supreme chariot. They unharnessed the horses and secured the chariot. O great king! King Rituparna alighted from the chariot and presented himself before Bhima, whose valour was terrible. Then Bhima welcomed him with the best of honours. He had suddenly come. The counsel of the women was not known.185 O descendant of the Bharata lineage! ‘You are welcome. What can I do?’ asked the king. He did not know that the king had come for the sake of his daughter. The wise King Rituparna, whose truth was his valour, saw that there was no other king or prince there. There were no signs of a svayamvara, nor had an assembling of brahmanas occurred. Then the king, the lord of Koshala, thought about this in his mind and said, ‘I have come here to pay my respects.’ King Bhima began to reflect about this in his mind. There had to be some other reason for travelling more than a hundred yojanas, passing through many villages. The reason for his arrival had not been correctly stated.
The minor reason identified could not have been the reason for his arrival. But the king showed him all due respect and repeatedly told him that he was tired and should rest. Thus treated with friendly homage, the king was pleased. He happily followed the king’s servants and went to the house that had been identified for him. O king! When King Rituparna had left with Varshneya, Bahuka grasped the chariot and went to the place where chariots were kept. He freed the horses and tended to them, as instructed in the sacred texts. Having comforted the horses himself, he sat down on a side of the chariot.
‘“The sorrowful Damayanti had seen King Bhangasvari, Varshneya the son of a suta and Bahuka, in that position. Vidarbha’s daughter began to think. Whose chariot roared in that way? The great sound was like Nala’s, but Nishadha was not to be seen. Was it possible that Varshneya had acquired the knowledge? Was that the reason why the roar of the chariot made a great sound like that of Nala’s? Or was it the case that Rituparna was the equal of King Nala? The roar of the chariot seemed to be like that of Nishadha’s. O lord of the earth! Damayanti debated in this way. O king! She then sent a lady messenger in search of Nishadha.”’
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‘“Damayanti said, ‘O Keshini! Go and find out who the driver of that chariot is. He is seated by the side of the chariot. He is malformed and has short arms. O fortunate one! Approach him and gently ask his about his welfare. O unblemished one! Ask and find out everything about this man. I have great anxiety that this is King Nala, because my mind is satisfied and my heart is calm. O one with the beautiful waist! In the course of the conversation, use Parnada’s words. O unblemished one! Pay attention to his reply.’”
‘Brihadashva said, “Then that female messenger carefully went to Bahuka, while the fortunate Damayanti looked on from the palace. Keshini said, ‘O Indra among men! Welcome. I wish you all welfare. Damayanti has asked a question. O bull among men! Listen to it attentively. When did you leave? Why have you come here? Tell me everything truthfully. The daughter of Vidarbha wishes to know.’ Bahuka replied, ‘The famous king of Koshala heard that Damayanti will hold a second svayamvara tomorrow. O beautiful one! On hearing this, the king set out with excellent steeds that are as swift as the wind and are capable of travelling a hundred yojanas. I am his charioteer.’ Keshini asked, ‘Who is the third man in your group? Whose is he and where has he come from? Why did this task have to be performed by you?’ Bahuka replied, ‘He was the charioteer of Punyashloka and is famous by the name of Varshneya. O beautiful one! When Nala fled, he went to Bhangasvari. I am skilled in handling horses and am an expert cook. Rituparna appointed me as his charioteer and his cook.’ Keshini asked, ‘Does Varshneya know where King Nala has gone? O Bahuka! Has he said anything in your presence?’ Bahuka replied, ‘Having brought the children of the evil-acting Nala here, he went away where he desired and has no knowledge of Nishadha. O famous one! There is no other man who knows anything about Nala. The lord of the earth roams the world in disguise, in a different form. Nala alone knows where he is, and the lady who is like his second self. Nala never reveals his signs in any way.’
‘“Keshini said, ‘The brahmana who earlier went to Ayodhya repeatedly uttered the words spoken by a lady “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.” O immensely intelligent one! Speak and recount her beloved tale. The unblemished daughter of Vidarbha wishes to hear those words. Ever since she heard the reply you gave to the brahmana then, Vidarbha’s daughter has been desirous of hearing the words you uttered again.’ O descendant of the Kuru lineage! When Keshini said this to Nala, his heart suffered and his eyes were filled with tears. Having suppressed his grief, the tormented lord of the earth again spoke those words in a voice that was choked with tears, ‘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. Faithful women sustain their lives with their armour as character. 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, she sees her husband without his kingdom and without prosperity, hungry and addicted to vice.’ O descendant of the Bharata lineage! As he spoke these words, Nala was extremely miserable. He could not restrain his tears and began to weep. Then Keshini went away and told Damayanti everything that he had said, including the transformation that had come over him.”’
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‘Brihadashva said, “Having heard all this, Damayanti was overcome with grief. She suspected that he was Nala and told Keshini, ‘O Keshini! Go and examine Bahuka in many ways. Do not say anything. But stay near him and observe his conduct. O beautiful one! Whenever he does something, find out the reason. In particular, notice if he does anything attentively. O beautiful one! If fire is to be given to him, place an obstruction. If he asks for water, be in no hurry to give it to him. Observe everything about his conduct and come and tell me. Report to me everything about whatever else you happen to see.’ Thus addressed by Damayanti, Keshini left quickly. She determined that he had the marks of someone who was skilled in horses and returned. She told Damayanti everything that she had observed, everything about Bahuka, human and divine.
‘“Keshini said, ‘O Damayanti! Never before have I seen, or heard of, a man with conduct like this. He is firm and pure in his conduct. When he comes to a short passage, he never lowers his head. But on seeing him, the passage is elevated, and he comfortably passes through. Thus a narrow opening becomes a wide opening for him. The king sent a lot of many kinds of food for Rituparna and there was the flesh of many animals. A vessel had been provided for cleaning the meat. When Bahuka looked at the vessel, it filled up with water for cleaning. He then wished to cook and grasped a handful of straw. He made it into kindling and held it up and suddenly, it blazed up in flames. On witnessing that extraordinary sight, I was astounded and came back here. I also saw another great marvel there. O beautiful one! Though he touched fire, it did not burn him down. The water flowed rapidly on his instructions. I witnessed yet another great wonder. He took some flowers in his hand and pressed them gently. When these flowers were pressed in his hands, they became even more fresh and fragrant. Having witnessed these extraordinary wonders, I have swiftly come back here.’ Having heard about the deeds performed by Punyashloka, Damayanti decided that Nala was known through his acts and signs and had been regained.
‘“She guessed that her husband Nala had assumed the form of Bahuka. She wept and again told Keshini in a soft voice, ‘O beautiful one! Go yet again. When Bahuka is inattentive, take from the kitchen some meat that he has cooked and come back here.’ The one who performed desired actions went swiftly. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! When Bahuka’s attention was elsewhere, Keshini took some warm meat and instantly brought it to Damayanti. In earlier times, she had often tasted meat prepared by Nala. On tasting it, she knew Nala to be the cook. She wept in great sorrow, overcome by grief. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! She then washed her face and sent Keshini with the twins. Bahuka recognized Indrasena186 and her brother. The king rushed to them, embraced them and placed them on his lap. Having regained his children, who were like divine children, Bahuka was overcome by great grief and cried loudly. Thus, Nishadha repeatedly displayed his mental anguish. Suddenly, he let his children go and told Keshini, ‘O beautiful one! These twins are just like my own children and on suddenly seeing them, I began to shed tears. You have been coming here quite often and people may interpret these signs wrongly. We are guests in your country. O beautiful one! Therefore, I bow down before you. Go away.’”’
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‘Brihadashva said, “Having seen all the agitations of the wise Punyashloka, Keshini quickly returned and reported it to Damayanti. Damayanti was sad and anxious because of the suspicion that this was Nala. She sent Keshini again to her mother,187 ‘Suspecting him to be Nala, I have examined Bahuka in many ways. But I have doubts on account of his appearance. I wish to know this for myself. O mother! Let him come to me, or let me go to him, with or without my father’s knowledge.’ Thus addressed by the daughter of Vidarbha, the queen related this to Bhima and the king got to know about his daughter’s plan. O bull among the Bharata lineage! With the sanction of her father and mother, she had Nala brought to where she was staying.
‘“On suddenly seeing King Nala, the beautiful one was overcome with a terrible sorrow. O great king! She was dressed in a red garment. Her hair was matted, dirty and caked with mud. Damayanti spoke these words to Bahuka, ‘O Bahuka! Have you ever seen any man, who is said to know about dharma, abandon his sleeping wife in a deserted forest? Who will forsake his beloved and innocent wife, when she is overcome by fatigue? Who but Punyashloka Nala will leave? What offence have I committed towards that lord of the earth? When I was overcome with sleep, why did he desert me in the wilderness and go away? In earlier times, I had chosen him myself, in the presence of the gods. She loved him and was devoted to him. She was the mother of his children. How could he forsake her? He had accepted my hand in front of the fire, following the words of the swans. He had promised to sustain me. Where has that pledge gone now?’ O destroyer of enemies! When Damayanti was saying all this, tears of sorrow welled up in her eyes and flowed copiously. When Nala saw those tears of sorrow flow copiously from the black-pupiled and red-tinged eyes, he replied in words of sorrow, ‘O timid one! The loss of my kingdom was not brought about by me. It was brought about by Kali and he made me abandon you. O you who are best in the observance of dharma! In earlier times, when you were living in the forest and were miserable and sorrowful at my having lost my garment, you had cursed him. Ever since then, tormented by the curse, Kali has resided in my body. Burnt with that curse, he has been like kindling with fire in it. Now he has been conquered with my perseverance and austerities. O beautiful one! There will be an end to our miseries. Freeing me, that evil one has gone away. O one with the wide hips! It is because of this that I came here, for your sake and for no other reason. O timid one! But how could a woman like you abandon a husband who loved her and was devoted to her? How could you marry another? On the king’s instructions, messengers have travelled all over the earth, proclaiming that Bhima’s daughter will choose a second husband. Like a wanton one, and acting on her own desires, she will choose one who is her equal. On hearing this, Bhangasvari came here swiftly.’ When she heard Nala’s lament, Damayanti trembled and was frightened. She joined her hands in salutation and spoke these words.”’
Mahabharata Vol. 2 (Penguin Translated Texts) Page 45