Prem Purana

by Usha Narayanan

  King Bhima’s men fanned out far and wide, looking for Nala. At every gathering, big or small, they read out a riddle that Damayanti had written out for them. ‘If anyone should reply to these words, note down his answer carefully, find out everything you can about him and return at once to me,’ she said. ‘But do not reveal to anyone that the riddle comes from Damayanti.’ The men were puzzled by what she said, but carried out her orders faithfully.

  Would anyone answer? Would she find happiness again? Damayanti stood at her window overlooking the palace gates with Gagana by her side, waiting endlessly for news of Nala.

  Long distances did Bhima’s men travel, visiting far-flung kingdoms. Everywhere they read out Damayanti’s words, but no one paid heed to them or attempted to answer. Many days and then months passed and even Gagana began to lose hope.

  Finally, in Ayodhya’s court, the messenger from Vidarbha received a reply to his verse. The man had read out the riddle as always:

  ‘You cut our cloth in half

  And left me in the woods alone

  Tell me, Gambler,

  Where did you go?’

  And a dwarf with a twisted body had answered,

  ‘He lost everything he had

  Then a bird stole his clothes and took flight

  A wife should not get angry

  When she knows her husband’s plight.’

  The question and the answer made no sense to the emissary, but he gathered information about the dwarf and returned home. Damayanti was greatly excited to hear his report, as was Gagana.

  ‘The dwarf Bahuka seems to be a great charioteer and cook like my husband,’ she said. ‘But clearly, he cannot be Nala whose regal splendour dazzles men and gods alike.’

  ‘However, Bahuka seems to have some information on Nala,’ said Gagana. ‘How else would he know that the king left you after the bird had flown away with his garment?’

  Damayanti resolved to send Sudeva to Ayodhya, for he had a keen eye that had helped him discover her identity when she had been living in hiding in Chedi. ‘Inform King Rituparna that my father is holding a second swayamvara for me and that they have but a day to reach Vidarbha,’ she said to Sudeva. ‘Only my Nala will be able to bring the king here within that short time and by this means I will be able to discover him.’

  Rituparna was excited at the thought of marrying Damayanti whose beauty was renowned far and wide and summoned Bahuka to make ready for the journey. The dwarf listened to the news with a stoic face that hid the tumult that rose within his heart. He had abandoned Damayanti, no doubt, but that had been due to his concern for her. He had never stopped loving her even for a moment. However, his wife seemed to have given up on him. She had decided to wed another, forgetting the bliss they had shared for twelve long years. How could she choose another? he lamented. Am I nothing to her now? Has she given me up for dead? His innate fairness told him however that he could not blame her when he had abandoned her so cruelly in the forest. She would be justified if she hated him for that.

  He could not bear that thought. Was she not the mother of his children? Would she give up their bond so easily? Maybe, just maybe, all this was a ruse devised by his intelligent and resourceful queen. Perhaps she had come up with this riddle in order to bring him out of hiding. How could he suspect her of being disloyal to his love? Not his Damayanti, not unless she had received conclusive proof of his death . . .

  Nala no longer knew what to believe, whom to trust. The tormenting force of Kali that raged within him urged him to forget Damayanti and to give up all hope. As matters stood, he had to obey his master’s orders and take him to Kundinapur. Perhaps he would be able to discover the answer to his questions there.

  Bahuka harnessed the finest horses in the king’s stable, and the chariot soon left for Vidarbha, with Varshneya attending on them. Nala’s ageing charioteer had still not realized that the dwarf was his old master Nala.

  The chariot sped through the countryside, easily spanning the distance between Ayodhya and Vidarbha. The king marvelled at Bahuka’s skill with the horses and spoke of his own talent with numbers. He was able to calculate the odds so accurately that he never lost a game of chance. Nala listened with keen interest, knowing that he had to master the art of dice if he wanted to win back his kingdom from Pushkara.

  Rituparna demonstrated his prowess by predicting the exact number of leaves and fruits on a low-hanging branch of a tree ahead of them. Nala snapped the branch off as they flew past and verified the king’s count. Truly, Rituparna was gifted! Looking at his admiring face, the king said, ‘Teach me the magic of handling horses like you do and I will help you master numbers.’ Bahuka agreed readily. They made camp for the night on the way so that they could enter Vidarbha at sunrise. And through the night, they stayed awake, learning all the nuances of the skills they desired. The king taught him the mantra known as Akshahrudaya and Bahuka taught him the Ashwahrudaya, the secrets of numbers and horses.

  The chariot wheels thundered as the visitors entered Bhima’s rose-pink city. Damayanti stood watching from her palace window. She had spent a restless night, dreaming that she was wrapped in Nala’s powerful arms once again. He had shown her with words and caresses how much he loved her and how he had pined for her every moment when they had been apart. He had sworn that he had been faithful to her in thought and deed. But then, she had woken up to the realization that it had all been just a dream.

  Now the very sound of the horses’ hooves seemed to tell her that Nala was near. However, when the visitors alighted from the chariot, she could see only Rituparna, Varshneya and the dwarf she had heard about. Looking closely at Bahuka’s long nose, his bent back and his coal-black beard, she knew that this could not be her handsome Nala. Had her elaborate plan failed? Was fate toying with her, raising her hopes only to shatter them again? Gagana saw the tears spilling down her cheeks. ‘Do not lose hope, my queen,’ he said. ‘We will discover the truth, never fear.’

  Damayanti calmed herself. She would trust her instincts that told her Nala was close by and that he yearned for her just as she did for him. She sent her maid Kesini to find out all she could about the dwarf, for she knew that he held the key to the puzzle. Kesini took some food and drink to Bahuka who was attending to the horses in the stable. While he ate, she posed again the riddle devised by her mistress. ‘Why did the king leave his devoted wife as she slept in the forest?’ she asked.

  ‘Does she not know that her anger is of no avail against a husband who lost all he owned in a single night?’ he asked in return.

  He plied her with questions in his turn, seeking to know why Damayanti had decided to remarry. ‘Does she no longer love Nala?’ he asked. ‘Has she forgotten the Nishada king who she chose as her husband in the presence of the gods?’ Kesini studied his face and saw the anger and anguish that he was unable to conceal. But it was still difficult to see King Nala within this dwarf’s body.

  Kesini returned to her mistress to report what she had heard and seen. Damayanti was torn. Here was a man who seemed to know everything about her and Nala, but was physically so different from her king. Had he perhaps killed Nala after learning everything about him? No. She would not let such dark thoughts enter her mind. She must find some way to resolve the riddle of her life. She would find out if Bahuka possessed the powers that had been granted to Nala by the gods.

  But before she could execute her plan, her father came to see her. And what he had to say seemed to spell the end of her hopes.

  Rituparna had been puzzled to see that no preparations had been made for a swayamvara in Kundinapur. There were no banners or festivities, and more important, no other king or prince had arrived for the event. He could see that Bhima too was baffled by his unexpected arrival and that he did not believe his explanation that he had made the long journey merely to pay his respects. When the king persisted in his queries, Rituparna told him the truth: ‘A messenger came to Ayodhya to invite me to Damayanti’s second swayamvara. He said that she had a
bandoned her search for Nala and had resolved to wed again.’

  ‘That would indeed be the wise course for her to follow!’ nodded Bhima, struck by a sudden thought. He would use this opportunity to get Damayanti married to Rituparna without delay, thereby ensuring her happiness. He had already been cursing himself for allowing her to choose Nala when she could have been Indra’s queen instead. The man she had chosen had gambled away his kingdom and abandoned her in the wilderness. His precious daughter had waited long enough for Nala to return to her. Now it was time she wedded Rituparna and enjoyed a life of luxury as his queen.

  Bhima told his daughter that this was his decision, rather his command, not only as her father but also as her king. ‘We have done all we can to trace the unworthy Nala,’ he said. ‘I agreed to all your requests and sent out men repeatedly to trace him, but to no avail. I am convinced now that he has been killed by his foes or by the forest fire. The arrival of King Rituparna at our court provides me with an opportunity to correct the mistake I made in allowing you to marry Nala. You will wed the king of Ayodhya tomorrow and live the life to which you were born!’

  Damayanti cried out in anguish when she heard this. She begged her father, seeking to change his mind. But Bhima was adamant and refused to hear even a word of protest. The die had been cast. Her marriage would take place the next day and her vows to Nala would become as the dust under her feet.

  She had but one evening to unravel the truth. Was it even possible to do anything to change the course of events? Gagana came to her and the two planned their next move in desperate haste.

  Damayanti sent Kesini again to watch Bahuka from hiding as he cooked his evening meal. She had told her maid to provide him with all the necessary ingredients, but not allow him access to fire or water. The faithful maid watched in wonder as the dwarf conjured up fire and water from thin air. Soon, the delicious aroma of his cooking filled the air. Then she saw how the dwarf revived the faded flowers decorating Rituparna’s chariot with just a touch of his hand. She reported all this to Damayanti who realized that Bahuka was imbued with all the boons given by the gods to Nala. There was one last test that she wanted Kesini to carry out.

  Damayanti sent her son and daughter to play in the garden under her balcony and asked Kesini to bring Bahuka before them. The charioteer gasped when he saw his children, grown so much taller during the period that they had been separated from him. He recognized their sweet faces and ran forward, eager to embrace them, but stopped himself at the last moment. ‘Remember that you are Bahuka!’ he told himself and stood gazing at them, his love overflowing from his eyes.

  ‘O Gagana, is this Nala?’ Damayanti whispered when she saw how Bahuka reacted on seeing Indrasen and Indrasena. ‘This must be him! Why else would he be so affected on seeing them? Help me discern the truth, golden one.’

  ‘Enough of this game of hide and seek!’ exclaimed Gagana, hopping excitedly from foot to foot. ‘Remember that your father plans to wed you to Rituparna when the new day dawns. Have Bahuka brought before you and all will be made clear.’

  Damayanti nodded. She would speak to Bahuka directly. Hopefully, that would reveal the truth. If not . . . the alternative was too horrible to contemplate.

  ‘Bring Bahuka to me at once!’ Damayanti ordered Kesini. As the maid went away to carry out her command, Damayanti paced up and down—hope and fear warring within her.

  When Bahuka entered her chamber, wondering why he had been summoned into the palace, he heard a voice addressing him from behind a screen. The voice was low and its cadence reminded him of his queen, but he could not be sure.

  ‘It seems that you are the only one who could answer the riddle posed by King Bhima’s men,’ said Damayanti, waiting to hear Bahuka’s voice. ‘So tell me, stranger, why does an honourable king who had vowed eternal love send his loving wife back to her father?’

  ‘It was because he knew that he could no longer support her in the manner she was accustomed to. He wept as he left her, praying to the gods to protect her. He hoped that her shining virtue would guard her from all enemies,’ he replied, his voice anguished and low. ‘The poor wretch was not in his right mind then, having lost so much and being under the influence of a wicked spirit.’

  ‘Does he know how she suffered, beset by jungle creatures and beastly men, alone and lost in the wilderness?’ she shot back, refusing to accept his explanation. ‘Does he even care that her heart broke within her when she realized that the man she had trusted with her life had so cruelly abandoned her? Tell me, Bahuka, tell me this answer too if you will!’

  The dwarf was silent, unable to justify his actions in any way.

  ‘Why did he gamble away his wealth, his kingdom, his people, when he knew well that gambling was a vice forbidden by the gods?’ she asked then. ‘Why did he not listen to his wife, his ministers or his people when they begged him not to continue playing?’

  ‘It was desire and temptation that clouded his senses, my lady,’ he confessed. ‘His ego made him believe that he was invincible, and he fell further into sin, finally losing everything he owned.’

  ‘And then he left her to suffer, not knowing if he was alive or dead, when he could have easily come to her at Vidarbha and owned up to his mistakes. He could have allowed her to choose whether to follow him or live in her father’s palace.’ Her voice broke and she fell silent.

  ‘It was pride that held him back, O queen, for he knew that he had erred gravely. He could not show his face to her father when he had betrayed all the vows he had made when he married her.’

  The dwarf now knew that it was his Damayanti who stood hidden behind the screen. The jealousy that still troubled his heart provoked him to ask her a few questions in his turn. ‘If the queen loves her Nala so much, why then did she abandon him?’ he asked. ‘She swore to love him forever but then decided to marry again. Is her father not preparing for her marriage with Rituparna when the morrow dawns?’

  ‘So, you now blame his faultless queen?’ Damayanti’s voice rose. ‘Can you not see that there is no one else invited to the so-called swayamvara? What can she do when her father forces her hand?’

  Bahuka stayed silent, angering Damayanti.

  ‘Why do you question me when I have suffered for so long when it was in no way my fault?’ she asked. ‘Did I ask my king to gamble? Did I force him to desert me when I followed him into the forest? Love is not just about passion and beautiful appearances. It is about perseverance in the face of trials, and Nala failed in this test.’

  As she spoke, the angry Damayanti advanced step by step and now stood revealed before Bahuka. He gazed at the radiant face of his queen from whom he had fled in the dark of the night, leaving her alone in the haunted forest. She was dewy-eyed, as lovely as ever, standing with her eyes fixed on his face.

  Damayanti knew now that it was Nala who stood before her, though he had somehow concealed himself within this strange form. She had to stake everything now on the power of her love to bring them together again. ‘What purpose does it serve to revisit the past, to throw accusations at each other? Has our love not been tested enough through so many tribulations?’ she asked. ‘I chose Nala earlier knowing well that he was mortal and that my other suitors were divine. I choose him still, whatever his form or his position in life. I recognized him when the gods took his form. Can I not identify him when he himself has taken another form? What more must I do to prove my love? How much longer must I wait for this agony to end? Tell me now!’

  Gagana emerged from behind the screen, unable to stay silent any longer. ‘Well, what more do you need, Nala?’ he asked. ‘If I had been around when you started gambling with Pushkara, I would have dragged you away by force! And if I had been the messenger to Rituparna’s court, I would have recognized you at once. You are more fortunate that any god or mortal that Damayanti is so loyal to you. How could you doubt her, knowing that this second swayamvara is only a ploy to bring you out of hiding?’

  Damayanti stood waiting anxio
usly, knowing that this was the most formidable riddle of all. In Bahuka’s answer lay her future happiness.

  7

  The Nectar of Her Lips

  Bahuka seemed frozen, unable to say or do anything, as the two souls who loved him stared at him in fierce hope. And then, he reached within his vest and pulled out a shimmering cloth that he fastened around himself. This had been Karkotaka’s parting gift to him—a magic cloak that would reverse the spell that had changed his form. He was transformed before their astonished eyes into the glorious Nala they knew from their days when he had been the king of Nishada.

  Nala’s eyes gazed into hers, revealing all the torment that he had undergone without her by his side. Their love soared like a golden flame and vanquished the dark demon within him. Kali emerged trembling and stood before the couple with his head bowed. Nala had been able to vanquish the power of Kali over him by shedding his weaknesses, one by one.

  ‘I have suffered for a long time and a great deal due to the viper’s poison and your queen’s curse, Nala,’ said Kali. ‘Spare me now and I will grant you a boon. Henceforth, all those who listen to your story and resolve to fight against their sinful impulses will be freed from my influence. They will understand that love is the only force that can redeem the soul. I beg you, great king! Show your compassion to one who seeks refuge at your feet.’

  The gracious Nala nodded his forgiveness and Kali at once vanished into a Vibhitaka tree. At once, the tree lost its beauty and its fruits became inedible. Nala, however, was finally himself, free from the poisonous spirit that had pervaded his mind for so long.