Chapter XVII: Book XVI

Nala thus bereft of kingdom--with his wife to slavery sunk,
Forth king Bhima sent the Brahmins--Nala through the world to seek.
Thus the royal Bhima charged them--with abundant wealth supplied:--
"Go ye now and seek king Nala--Damayanti seek, my child:
And, achieved this weighty business--found Nishadha's royal lord,
Whosoe'er shall hither bring them--shall a thousand kine receive;
And a royal grant for maintenance[109]--of a village like a town.
If nor hither Damayanti--nor king Nala may be brought,
Know we where they are, rich guerdon--still we give, ten hundred kine."
Thus addressed, the joyful Brahmins--went to every clime of earth,
Through the cities, through the kingdoms--seeking Nala and his queen:
Nala, or king Bhima's daughter--in no place might they behold.
Then a Brahmin, named Sudeva--came to pleasant Chedi-pur;
There within the kingly palace--he Vidarbha's daughter saw,
Standing with the fair Sunanda--on a royal holiday.[110]
With her beauty once so peerless--worthy now of little praise,
Like the sun-light feebly shining--through the dimness of a cloud.
Gazing on the large-eyed princess--dull in look, and wasted still,
Lo, he thought, king Bhima's daughter--pondering thus within his mind.--

SUDEVA _spake_.

"Even as once I wont to see her--such is yonder woman's form,
I my work have done, beholding--like the goddess world-adored,
Like the full moon, darkly beauteous--with her fair and swelling breasts,
Her, the queen, that with her brightness--makes each clime devoid of gloom,
With her lotus eyes expanding--like Manmatha's queen divine;[111]
Like the moonlight in its fulness--the desire of all the world.
From Vidarbha's pleasant waters--her by cruel fate plucked up,
[112]Like a lotus flower uprooted--with the mire and dirt around:
Like the pallid night, when Rahu[113]--swallows up the darkened moon:
For her husband wan with sorrow--like a gentle stream dried up;
Like a pool, where droops the lotus--whence the affrighted birds have fled,
By the elephant's proboscis--in its quiet depths disturbed.
Tender, soft-limbed, in a palace--fit, of precious stones, to dwell.
Like the lotus stem, uprooted--parched and withered by the sun.
Fair in form, in soul as generous--worthy of all bliss, unbless'd,
Like the young moon's slender crescent--in the heavens by dark clouds
veiled.
Widowed now of all love's pleasures--of her noble kin despoiled,
Wretched, bearing life, her husband--in her hope again to see.
To the unadorned, a husband[114]--is the chiefest ornament;
Of her husband if forsaken--she in splendour is not bright.
Difficult must be the trial--does king Nala, reft of her,
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.
Me beseems it of that peerless--of that brave and prudent king,
To console the loyal consort--pining for her husband's sight.
Her will I address with comfort--with her moonlike glowing face.
Her with woe once unacquainted--woful now and lost in thought."
Thus when he had gazed and noted--all her marks, her features well,
To the daughter of king Bhima--thus the sage Sudeva spake:
"I am named Sudeva, lady--I, thy brother's chosen friend,
By king Bhima's royal mandate--hither come in search of thee.
Well thy sire, thy royal mother--well thy noble brethren fare,
And well fare those little infants--well and happy are they both.
For thy sake thy countless kindred--sit as though of sense bereft:
Seeking thee a hundred Brahmins--now are wandering o'er the earth."
She no sooner knew Sudeva--Damayanti, of her kin,
Many a question asked in order--and of every friend beloved.
And the daughter of Vidarbha--freely wept, so sudden thus
On Sudeva, best of Brahmins--gazing, on her brother's friend.
Her beheld the young Sunanda--weeping, wasted with distress,
As she thus her secret converse--with the wise Sudeva held.
Thus she spake unto her mother--"Lo, how fast our handmaid weeps,
Since her meeting with the Brahmin--who she is, thou now may'st know."
Forth the king of Chedi's mother--from the inner chamber went,
And she passed where with the Brahmin--that mysterious woman stood.
Them the mother queen Sudeva--bade before her presence stand;
And she asked, "Whose wife, whose daughter--may this noble stranger be?
From her kindred how dissevered--from her husband, the soft-eyed?
Is she known to thee, O Brahmin--canst thou tell from whence she came?
This I fain would hear, and clearly--all her strange and wonderous tale.
Tell me all that hath befallen--to this heaven-formed, plainly tell."
Best of Brahmins, thus Sudeva--by the mother queen addressed,
All the truth of Damayanti--sitting at his ease, declared.