Vrihadashwa said: -
1. After a very long time, a Brahmana, Parnada by name, came back to the city of the king of the Vidharbhas and spoke to the daughter of king Bhima these words:
2. “O Damayanti, searching Nala, the king of the Nishadhas, at last I went to the city of the Ayodhya and presented myself to Vangasuri.
3. O fair-complexioned one, O best of women, I recited the very words of yours before that illustrious Rituparna.
4. Hearing these words, which I had repeatedly uttered to them, neither king Rituparna, nor any one of his courtiers, said anything in reply.
5. When I was dismissed by the king, some person in the service of Rituparna, Vahuka by name, told me in private.
6. That Vahuka is the charioteer of that foremost of monarchs. He is also possessed of extraordinary appearance and short arms; and is skilled in driving with speed and also in cooking sweet food.
7. Sighing heavily and frequently and weeping incessantly, he asked about my welfare; and then addressed me with these words:
8. ‘Although fallen into great calamity, the chaste women guard themselves by their own efforts; and thus undoubtedly obtain heaven (heavenly blessings).
9. Again, chaste women, even if they be forsaken by their husbands, do never become angry (with them); rather they hold their lives shielded by virtuous behaviours.
10. She should not be angry, forsaken as she was by a person, who himself was foolish, overtaken by distress and also destitute of all happiness.
11. It behoves the lady of unchanging youth not to be angry with a person, who was deprived to his cloth by a bird while trying for sustenance (in the forest); and also who was burning with woe.
12. Also, it behoves the lady, treated fairly or unfairly, not to be angry with her husband, seeing him in that miserable condition, in which he was deprived of both wealth and kingdom and oppressed with hunger and overwhelmed with distress.
13. Hearing these words of his, I instantly came here. Do you, therefore, inform the king all about these words, which you have heard.”
14. O monarch, hearing these words of Parnada, Damayanti, with her eyes filled with tears, repaired to her mother and said to her these words,
15. “O mother, let not king Bhima, by any means, know my object. I like to employ that foremost of the Brahmanas, Sudeva, in your presence.
16. Should you desire my welfare, do you act in such a manner that king Bhima will not come to know this purpose of mine.
17. Let Sudeva go at once, with the performance of the same auspicious ceremonies, by the doing of which I was brought to my relatives instantly by him.
18-19. O mother, let him go hence to the city of Ayodhya in order to bring Nala here.” Thereupon the beauteous lady, the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas, worshipped, with the bestowal of immense riches, the foremost of the regenerate ones, who has now taken perfect rest. And she said to him, “O Brahmana, I will, again, give you much wealth at the arrival of Nala here.
20. O foremost of the regenerate ones, indeed you have done much for me, which none else will do; and for this reason only that I will soon regain my husband.”
21. Thus addressed by her, that high-souled Brahmana solaced Damayanti by the expression of auspicious benedictions; and then he returned home, thinking himself successful in his endeavours.
22. Thereupon, O Yudhishthira, Damayanti summoned Sudeva; and overwhelmed with grief and calamity, she addressed him in the presence other mother thus,
23. “O Sudeva, like a bird which falls straight, do you at once depart to the city of Ayodhya and tell king Rituparna, who dwells in it, these words:
24. ‘Damayanti, the daughter of king Bhima, will again hold the Svayamvara, to which all the kings and princes are rushing from all directions.
25. Calculating the time, this will be held tomorrow. So, if possible, O chastiser of foes, go at once.
26. At the next sun-rise she will accept a second husband; as it is not known whether heroic Nala is still living or otherwise.'
27. O monarch, thus addressed by her, the Brahmana, Sudeva by name, started at once. He spoke to king Rituparna what he was ordered by her to do.
Thus ends the seventieth chapter, the declaration of Damayanti’s second Swayamvara, in the Nalopakhayana of the Vana Parva.
Vrihadashwa said: -
1. Hearing these words of Sudeva, king Rituparna comforted Vahuka with sweet speeches and addressed him thus,
2. “O Vahuka, O you who are well-versed in the knowledge of horses, if you are willing, I desire to go, in course of a day, to the country of the Vidharbhas, where will be held the Svayamvara of Damayanti.”
3. O descendant of Kunti, thus addressed by that king, Nala had his mind bursting with grief and that lofty-minded one also burned with sorrow.
4. He thought” “It may be that Damayanti, afflicted by sorrow, does this; or, perhaps, by doing this, she has conceived a great policy for my sake.
5. That virtuous lady, the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas, is willing to do this, is, indeed, very cruel; and that is for the reason of my deceiving her, who am an insignificant, sinful and senseless one.
6. In this world, the nature of women is very subtle. My fault is also very great. She works out this end; for she no longer entertains any love for me, on account of my long separation from her.
7. The lady, possessing slender waist, oppressed as she is by sorrow for me, will, as a matter of fact, not be able to do this; especially because she has got children (by me).
8. I will go there and know for certain whether there is any truth in this; or the fact is unreal. I will surely fulfil the desire of Rituparna; for in doing this I will serve my own purpose.”
9. Having thus settled his mind, Vahuka, whose mind was filled with sorrow, folded his hands and said these words to king Rituparna,
10. “O best of kings, O foremost of men, O monarch, I am determined at your command to go to the city of Ayodhya in course of a single day.”
11. O king, thereupon Vahuka went, at the behest of the royal son of Vangasura, to the stables; and there he examined the horses.
12-14. Vahuka, having been repeatedly asked by Rituparna, examined the horses and balanced in his mind over and over again. Then, at last, he selected such horses that were very lean but able; and also that are capable of bearing hard-hips of a long journey and endued with strength and energy; well-bred and gentle and unmarked by inauspicious marks; possessed of broad nostrils and swelling cheeks. These horses were also faultless as regards ‘the ten hairy curls' and born in (the country called) Sindhu and swift as the wind. The king, seeing these steeds, became a little angry and said:
15. “What do you want to do? You should not jest with me. How these weak and breathless steeds will carry us? How this long way we would travel with the help of these horses?”
Vahuka said: -
16-17. These horses, respectively bearing one curl on the forehead, two on the temples, four on the sides, four on the breast and one on the back, will, without doubt, reach the country of the Vidharbhas. But, O monarch, should you like others, tell me and I will yoke them for you.
Retuparna said: -
18. O Vahuka, you are well conversant with the knowledge and guiding of horses. Soon yoke those that you think fit.
19. Thereupon clever and skillful Nala yoked to the car high-bred, gentle and swift steeds.
20. Then the monarch most speedily mounted the car, to which such horses had been yoked. But these best of horses fell down upon the ground on their knees.
21. O monarch, thereupon that most auspicious and best of men, king Nala, comforted the horse, that were endued with strength and energy.
22. Nala, then raising the steeds by the reins and making Vershneya, the charioteer, sit on the car, commanded great speed and set out.
23. Thereafter those foremost of horses, having been conducted by Vahuka according to the rules, rose to the sky and confounded the occupant of the car.
24. The blessed king of Ayodhya, having seen these horses carrying him with the speed of winds, was struck with great astonishment.
25. Vershneya, hearing the sound of the car (of its wheels) and witnessing the management of the horses, was set to thinking on the knowledge of Vahuka in the science of steeds.
26. He said, “Was he not Matali, the charioteer of the king of the gods? That auspicious mark is seen in heroic Vahuka.
27. Is he not Salihotra, who is conversant with the knowledge of horses? Or Salihotra has taken this beautiful human form?”
28. He continued to think, “That he might be king Nala, the reducer of hostile cities, who has come here.
29. Or it might be that Vahuka knew the science with which Nala was conversant; for Nala’s knowledge seemed to be identical with that of Vahuka.
30. Again, both Nala and Vahuka seem to be of the same age. This person may not be identical with Nala of great energy; but he must be somebody of equal knowledge.
31. Sometimes, indeed, great men rove over this world in disguise either ordained by mishap or in obedience to the dictates of the Shastras.
32. There should be no change of my opinion on account of his ugly appearance; rather my opinion is that this one has under gone some change in the body.
33. This one is of the same age with him but there is some difference in the form. Again, he Vahuka gifted with all the accomplishments? Therefore, I think he is Nala.”
34. O the foremost of kings, having deliberated upon this over and over again, Varshneya, the charioteer of virtuous Nala, went on thinking in his mind.
35. Along with his charioteer, Varshneya, the excellent king Rituparna, highly delighted, was absorbed in the thought, regarding Vahuka’s knowledge in the management of horses.
36. Also he was greatly delighted to behold the attentiveness and zeal of Vahuka, as also his manner of holding the reins and his skill in it.
Thus ends the seventy first chapter, the departure of Rituparna for the Vidharbas, in the Nalopakhayana of the Vana Parva.