"Who the third that journeys with you--who is he, and what his race?

Of what race art thou? this office--wherefore dost thou undertake!"

VAHUCA _spake_.

"'Tis the far-renowned Varshneya--Punyasloka's charioteer: He, when Nala fled an exile--to Bhangasuri retired.

Skilful I in taming horses--and a famous charioteer.

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."

KESINIA _spake_.

"He that to Ayodhya's city--went, the holy Brahmin first, Of his faithful wife these sayings--uttered once and once again; 'Whither went'st thou then, O gamester--half my garment severing off; Leaving her within the forest--all forsaken, thy belov'd?

Even as thou commanded'st, sits she--sadly waiting thy return, Day and night, consumed with sorrow--in her scant half garment clad.

O to her for ever weeping--in the extreme of her distress, Grant thy pity, n.o.ble hero--answer to her earnest prayer.'

Speak again the words thou uttered'st--words of comfort to her soul, The renowned Vidarbha's princess--fain that speech would hear again, When the Brahmin thus had spoken--what thou answered'st back to him, That again Vidarbha's princess--in the self-same words would hear."

VRIHADASVA _spake_.

Of king Nala, by the handmaid--fair Kesinia thus addressed, All the heart was wrung with sorrow--and the eyes o'erflowed with tears.

But his anguish still suppressing--inly though consumed, the king, With a voice half choked with weeping--thus repeated his reply.

"Even in the extreme of misery--n.o.ble women still preserve Over their own selves the mastery--by their virtues winning heaven; By their faithless lords abandoned--anger feel they not, e'en then; In the breastplate of their virtue--n.o.ble women live unharmed.

By the wretched, by the senseless--by the lost to every joy, She by such a lord forsaken--to resentment will not yield.

Against him, by hunger wasted--of his robe by birds despoiled, Him consumed with utmost misery--still no wrath, the dark-hued feels; Treated well, or ill-entreated--when her husband 'tis she sees, Spoiled of bliss, bereft of kingdom--famine wasted, worn with woe."

In these words as spake king Nala--in the anguish of his heart, Could he not refrain from weeping--his unwilling tears burst forth.

Then departing, fair Kesinia--told to Damayanti all, All that Vahuca had spoken--all th' emotion he betrayed.

BOOK XXIII.

Hearing this, fair Damayanti--all abandoned to her grief.

Thinking still that he was Nala--to Kesinia spake again.

"Go, Kesinia, go, examine--Vahuca, and all his acts, Silent take thy stand beside him--and observe whate'er he does; Nor, Kesinia, be there given him--fire his labours to a.s.sist: Neither be there given him water--in thy haste, at his demand: All, when thou hast well observed him--every act to me repeat, Every act that more than mortal--seems in Vahuca, relate."

Thus addressed by Damayanti--straight Kesinia went again, Of the tamer of the horses--every act observed, came back; Every act as she had seen it--she to Damayanti told: Every more than mortal wonder--that in Vahuca appeared.

KESINIA _spake_.

"Very holy is he, never--mortal man, in all my life, Have I seen, or have I heard of--Damayanti, like to him.

He drew near the lowly entrance--bowed not down his stately head; On the instant, as it saw him--up th' expanding portal rose.

For the use of Rituparna--much and various viands came;[131]

Sent, as meet, by royal Bhima--and abundant animal food.

These to cleanse, with meet ablution--were capacious vessels brought; As he looked on them, the vessels--stood, upon the instant, full.

Then, the meet ablutions over--Vahuca went forth, and took, Of the withered gra.s.s a handful--held it upward to the sun: On the instant, brightly blazing--shone the all-consuming fire.

Much I marvelled at the wonder--and in mute amazement stood; Lo, a second greater marvel--sudden burst upon my sight!

He that blazing fire stood handling--yet unharmed, unburned, remained.

At his will flows forth the water--at his will it sinks again.

And another greater wonder--lady, did I there behold: He the flowers which he had taken--gently moulded in his hands, In his hands the flowers, so moulded--as with freshening life endued, Blossomed out with richer fragrance--stood erect upon their stems: All these marvels having noted--swiftly came I back to thee."

DAMAYANTI _spake_.

Damayanti when these wonders--of the king of men she heard, Thought yet more king Nala present--thought her utmost wish achieved.

Deeming still her royal consort--in the form of Vahuca, With a gentle voice and weeping--to Kesinia spake again: "Go, again, Kesinia, secret--and by Vahuca unseen, Of those viands bring a portion--by his skilful hand prepared:"

She to Vahuca approaching--unperceived stole soft away Of the well-cooked meat a morsel--warm she bore it in her haste, And to Damayanti gave it--fair Kesinia, undelayed.

Of the food prepared by Nala--well the flavour did she know; Tasting it she shrieked in transport--"Nala is yon charioteer."

Trying then a new emotion--of her mouth ablution made:[132]

She her pair of infant children--with Kesinia sent to him.

Soon as he young Indrasena--and her little brother saw, Up he sprang, his arms wound round them--to his bosom folding both; When he gazed upon the children--like the children of the G.o.ds, All his heart o'erflowed with pity--and unwilling tears broke forth.

Yet Nishadha's lord perceiving--she his strong emotion marked, From his hold released the children--to Kesinia speaking thus: "Oh! so like mine own twin children--was yon lovely infant pair, Seeing them thus unexpected--have I broken out in tears: If so oft thou comest hither--men some evil will suspect, We within this land are strangers--beauteous maiden, part in peace."

BOOK XXIV.

Seeing the profound emotion--of that wisest king of men, Pa.s.sing back in haste, Kesinia--told to Damayanti all: Then again did Damayanti--mission to Kesinia give, To approach her royal mother--in her haste her lord to see.

"Vahuca we've watched most closely--Nala we suspect him still; Only from his form we doubt him--this myself would fain behold.

Cause him enter here, my mother--to my wishes condescend; Known or unknown to my father--let it be decided now."

By that handmaid thus accosted--then the queen to Bhima told All his daughter's secret counsel--and the raja gave a.s.sent.

Instant from her sire the princess--from her mother leave obtained, Bade them make king Nala enter--in the chamber where she dwelt.

Sudden as he gazed upon her--upon Damayanti gazed, Nala, he was seized with anguish--and with tears his eyes o'erflowed.

And when Damayanti gazed on--Nala, thus approaching near, With an agonizing sorrow--was the n.o.ble lady seized.

Clad, then, in a scarlet mantle--hair dishevelled, mire-defiled,[133]

Unto Vahuca this language--Damayanti thus addressed: "Vahuca beheld'st thou ever--an upright and n.o.ble man, Who departed and abandoned--in the wood, his sleeping wife?

The beloved wife, and blameless--in the wild wood, worn with grief?

Who was he who thus forsook her?--who but Nala, king of men?

To the lord of earth, from folly--what offence can I have given?

That he fled, within the forest--leaving me, by sleep oppressed?

Openly, the G.o.ds rejected--was he chosen by me, my lord: Could he leave the true, the loving--her that hath his children borne!

By the nuptial fire, in presence--of the G.o.ds, he clasped my hand, 'I will be,'[134] this truth he plighted--whither did he then depart?"

While all this in broken accents--sadly Damayanti spoke, From her eyes the drops of sorrow--flowed in copious torrents down.

Those dark eyes, with vermeil corners--thus with trembling moisture dewed, 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.

He, by my religious patience--my devotion, now subdued, Lo! the end of all our sorrows--beautiful! is now at hand.

I, the evil one departed, hither have made haste to come; For thy sake, O round-limbed! only;--other business have I none.

Yet, O how may high-born woman--from her vowed, her plighted lord, Swerving, choose another husband--even as thou, O trembler, would'st?