Vrihadashwa said: -
1. Thereupon king Rituparna of undaunted courage had, in the evening, arrived at the city of the Vidharbhas. The people then brought to prince Bhima the intelligence of his arrival.
2. The king (of Ayodhya), at the request of Bhima, entered the city of Kundina, filling all the directions (the points of the horizon) with the rattle of his car.
3. Thereupon the horses of Nala, that were there, heard the rattle of his car; and, having heard it, they felt great pleasure, which they had really done before in the presence of Nala himself.
4. Damayanti also heard the rattle of Nala’s car, which was like the sound of the deeply rumbling clouds during the rains.
5. She was struck with great astonishment to hear that sound. The daughter of king Bhima, the horses of Nala as well, supposed that chattering sound to be like one, which they heard in the days gone by, while Nala himself urged his own horses.
6. The peacocks of the palace, the elephants in the stables and also the horses, all heard the rattle of the car of that monarch (Rituparna).
7. O king, hearing the chattering sound of the car, the elephants as well as the peacocks, began to cry aloud with their faces in that direction; and they became very glad, even as they heard the rumbling of the clouds themselves.
Damayanti said: -
8. As the rattle of this car fills the entire earth and highly delights my heart, it must be king Nala, who comes from that direction.
9. If I do not see Nala, that hero of innumerable virtues and whose face is like the moon, surely I will die.
10. If I am not to enter within the arms of that hero and not to feel the pleasurable touch of his embrace, I will doubtlessly cease to exist.
11. If the king of the Nishadhas do not come to me with his voice as deep as the rumbling of the cloud, today I will surely enter into the fire of golden brilliance.
12. If that foremost of kings, of prowess like that of a lion and of courage like that of a furious elephant, do not come to me, there will be no doubt that I will die.
13. I do not remember a little untruth in him; neither I remember any injury committed by him to others; nor he ever told a lie even in jest.
14. My Naishadha is illustrious forgiving, warlike and liberal. He is superior to other monarchs; and he never behaves with low persons regarding private matters; and he is like an eunuch respecting other women than myself.
15. Remembering his virtues day and night, my mind is always directed towards him; and my heart is about to burst in grief on account of the absence of that beloved one.
Vrihadashwa said: -
16. O descendant of the Bharata race, thus lamenting, the lady, as if senseless, mounted the (terrace of the) large palace with the desire of seeing that righteous king.
17. From the central portion of the mansion she saw on the car king Rituparna, with Varshneya and Vahuka.
18. Thereupon Varshneya, as well as Vahuka, alighted from that excellent car; and then loosened the steeds; and at last kept the car apart.
19. Having alighted from the car, king Rituparna appeared before that excellent monarch, Bhima, of terrible prowess.
20. Thereupon king Bhima received him with respectful offerings. Thus the best of the kings, Rituparna, was highly honoured by that monarch.
21-22. While residing in that beautiful city of Kundina, that ruler of the earth saw nothing (no signs of the Svayamvara) there, although he looked about all again and again. Then, at last, the lord of the Vidharbhas presented himself before that monarch and welcomed him. O descendant of the Bharata race, Bhima asked him on what business he was pleased to come there; for, in the absence of a proper occasion, an illustrious personage cannot be had.
23-24. In fact Bhima did not know that he (Rituparna) had come to win the hands of his daughter. The intelligent king Rituparna, possessed of unbaffled power, beheld that there was neither a king nor a prince; nor he saw any gathering of Brahmanas; nor he heard any talk regarding the Svayamvara.
25. Thereupon the ruler of Koshala meditated in his mind and after a while addressed him, saying, “I have come here to pay you homage?”
26. Struck with amazement, king Bhima reflected on the cause of Rituparna’s visit, who had travelled more than a hundred yojanas. Bhima supposed, “That simply to pay him respects was not the reason of his coming there, after having passed over so many monarchs and crossed over countless villages.
28. He attributes his arrival to a very slight cause. Be what it may. I will find out the reason in the future time.” Thus thinking, Bhima did not dismiss the monarch at once; rather he honoured him.
29-31. He also said to him again and again, “Do you take rest, as you are very weary.” Thus regarded by the pleased monarch, the ruler of the earth (Rituparna) was highly satisfied at the mind; and, with the gladness of his heart, repaired to his appointed quarters, accompanied by the servants of the royal household. O king, after king Rituparna had gone away with Varshneya, Vahuka caught hold of the car and took it to the stables. He then unyoked the horses and looked after them according to the rules.
32-33. Thereafter Vahuka comforted the horses and seated himself on a side of the car; while Damayanti, the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas, afflicted with grief, saw prince Vangasura and Varshneya, the son of the charioteer, as also Vahuka in that posture; and she continued to meditate upon, “Of whose car was the rattle?
34. This loud sound is like that of Nala’s car. But I do not find that prince of the Nishadhas. It is surely then that this art (of driving) was learnt by Varshneya.
35. It is for this reason that the clattering sound of the car has been as loud as that of Nala. Or it may be, that king Rituparna is equal to Nala (in driving). Hence this rattle appears to be like that of the king of the Nishadhas.”
36. O lord of the earth, thus meditating, blessed Damayanti sent a female messenger in search of the king of the Nishadhas.
Thus ends the seventy third chapter, the Rituparna’s entering the city of Bhima, in the Nalopakhayana of the Vana Parva.