MATH or MAGIC!

The chariot of king Rituparna reached Kundina, the city of the Vidarbhas, in the evening. Hearing the loud sound of its rattle, the steeds of Nala in the city became delighted as they used to be in the presence of Nala himself.

King Bhima and Damayanti also heard the sound of that car driven by Vahuka, like the deep roar of the clouds in the rainy season, and regarded it to be like that which they used to hear in days of yore when king Nala himself urged his steeds. Damayanti said to herself: "Because the rattle of his car filling the whole earth, gladdens my heart, it must be king Nala himself. If I do not see Nala, of face bright as the moon, that hero with countless virtues, I shall certainly die. If I am not clasped today in that hero's thrilling embrace, I shall certainly cease to be."

King Bhima received King Rituparna with great respect and hospitality. After some polite exchanges, king Rituparna and Varshneya went to their appointed quarters. Vahuka took the car to the stables, freed the steeds and tended to them. Damayanti sent her female messenger Kesini with some questions for Vahuka.

After making some polite inquiries, Kesini recites the ballad of Damayanti to Vahuka and said that the princess of Vidarbha wished to hear again the answer he had given previously to the brahmana Parnada. Nala was pained to hear those words, his eyes filled with tears. The king supressed his sorrow and repeated his answer in a chokeful voice, and then unable to restrain his tears, began to weep. Kesini went back and reported everything to Damayanti, including the outburst of grief.

Damayanti sends Kesini a second time and asks her to spy on Vahuka and observe his skills, especially how he handles the elements. Kesini reported: "O Damayanti, a person of such control over the elements I have never before seen or heard of. Whenever he comes to low passage, he never stoops down, but seeing him, the passage itself expands so that he may pass through it easily. At his approach, impassable narrow holes open wide. When he looks at empty vessels for water, those vessels became filled (with water). When he took up a handful of grass and held it to the sun, fire blazed up all of a sudden. I have witnessed in him another great wonder. He touched fire and was not burnt. At his will, water falling floweth in a stream. Another greater wonder still, flowers, pressed by his hands, did not lose their original forms, but on the contrary, became brighter and more odorous than before. Having beheld such wonderful things, I have come hither with speed."

Hearing of these acts of the virtuous Nala, Damayanti considered him as already recovered. She tearfully pleaded with Kesini to go to Vahuka a third time and secretly bring to her some of the preparations he had cooked (for king Rituparna's dinner). After tasting this preparation, Damayanti, who is well familiar with Nala's culinary skill, became further convinced that she had found her husband, and wept aloud, overwhelmed with grief. Washing her face, she asked Kesini to go to Vahuka a fourth time, taking along her two children.

Vahuka immediately recognised Indrasena with her brother, and rushed forward to embrace them. Taking up his children onto his lap, he began to weep aloud, his heart afflicted with great sorrow. Then he checked himself and abruptly put down the children, and turned to Kesini saying: "O fair damsel, these twins are very like my own children. Beholding them unexpectedly, I shed tears. If thou comest to me frequently, people may think evil, for we are guests from another land. Therefore. O blessed one, go at thy ease."

When Kesini tells of Vahuka's affection for the children, Damayanti sends her messenger to her mother to request permission for her to meet up with Vahuka. "Suspecting Vahuka to be Nala, I have tested him in various ways. My only doubt now relates to his appearance. I intend to examine him myself. O mother, either let him enter the palace, or give me permission to go to him."

The queen's mother communicates her message to king Bhima who gives his consent. With the consent both of her father and mother, Damayanti arranged for Nala to be brought to her apartment in the palace. When the couple saw each other under such circumstances, they both burst into tears, overwhelmed by grief and sorrow.

Damayanti asked: "O Vahuka, hast thou ever seen any person acquainted with duty, who hath gone away, deserting his sleeping wife in the forest? Who, except the virtuous Nala, could go away, deserting in the woods, his dear and unoffending wife overcome with fatigue? Of what offence was I guilty in the eyes of that monarch since my early youth that he should go
away, deserting me in the woods while asleep overcome with fatigue? Why should he whom I formerly chose in preference to the gods themselves abandon his ever-devoted and loving wife who had become the mother also of his children? Before the fire, and in presence also of the celestials, he had taken my hand, vowing, 'Verily I will be thine.' Oh, where was that vow when he deserted me. O represser of foes."

While Damayanti was speaking thus, tears of sorrow flowed plentifully from her eyes. Beholding her thus afflicted with grief, Nala too could not hold back his tears as he answered her: "O gentle one, neither the loss of my kingdom nor my desertion of thee was my act. Both were due to Kali. And, O foremost of virtuous women, lamenting for me day and night, and overcome with sorrow, thou hadst in the woods cursed Kali, and so he began to burn in consequence of thy curse. Indeed burning with thy curse, he lived within me like fire within fire. O blessed girl, that our sorrows might terminate, that wretch have I overcome by my observances and austerities. The sinful wretch hath already left me, and it is for this that I have come hither. My presence here, O fair lady, is for thy sake. I have no other object. But, O meek one, can any other woman, forsaking her loving and devoted husband, ever choose a second lord like thee?"

Hearing these lamentations of Nala, Damayanti, frightened and trembling, said with joined hands: "It behoveth thee not, O blessed one, to suspect any fault in me. O ruler of the Nishadhas, passing over the celestials themselves, I choose thee as my lord. It was to bring thee hither that the brahmanas had gone out in all directions, singing my words, in the form of ballads. At last, O king, a learned Brahmana named Parnada had found thee in Kosala in the palace of Rituparna. When thou hadst returned a fit answer to those words of his, it was then, O Naishadha, that I devised this scheme to recover thee. Except thee, O lord of earth, there is no one in this world, who in one day can clear a hundred yojanas with horses. O monarch, touching thy feet, I can swear truly that I have not, even in thought, committed any sin. May the all-witnessing Air that courseth through this world, take my life, if I have committed any sin. May the Sun that ever courseth through the sky take my life, if I have committed any sin. May the Moon, that dwelleth within every creature as a witness, take my life, if I have committed any sin. Let the three gods that sustain the triple worlds in their entirety, declare truly, or let them forsake me today."

Thus addressed by her, the Wind god spoke from the sky: "O Nala, I tell thee truly that she hath done no wrong. O king, Damayanti, well guarding the honour of thy family, hath enhanced it. Of this we are the witnesses, as we have been her protectors for these three years. It is for thy that she hath devised this unrivalled scheme, for, except thee, none on earth is capable of travelling in a single day a hundred yojanas. O monarch, thou hast obtained Bhima's daughter, and she hath also obtained thee. Thou needst not entertain any suspicion but be united with thy partner."

After the Wind god had spoken thus, a floral shower fell there and the celestial kettle-drums began to play, and auspicious breezes began to blow. Beholding these signs, king Nala, the represser of foes, cast away all his doubts in respect of Damayanti. Then that lord of earth, remembering the king of serpents, Karkotaka, wore that pure garment and regained his previous form. Beholding her righteous lord in his own form, Bhima's daughter of faultless limbs embraced him, and began to weep aloud. And king Nala also embraced Bhima's daughter devoted to him, as before, and also his children, and experienced great delight. Burying her face in his bosom, the beauteous Damayanti of large eyes began to sigh heavily, remembering her griefs. Overwhelmed with sorrow, that tiger among men stood for some time, clasping the dust-covered Damayanti of sweet smiles.

The queen's mother then, with a glad heart, told king Bhima all that had passed between Nala and Damayanti. The mighty monarch answered: "Let Nala pass this day in peace, tomorrow I shall see him after his bath and prayers, with Damayanti by his side."

The reunited couple passed that night pleasantly, in relating to each other the past incidents of their life in the forest. With hearts filled with joy, the princess of Vidarbha and Nala began to pass their days in the palace of king Bhima, intent upon making each other happy. It had been four years (since the loss of his kingdom) that Nala was re-united with his wife, and all his desires gratified, once more experienced great bliss. Damayanti, thus recovering her lord, rejoiced at having obtained her wish, and blazed forth in beauty, her weariness gone, her anxieties dispelled and herself swelling with joy, ever like a night that is lit by the bright disk of the moon!