Brihadashva said: -
1. O Bharata hearing the words of the swan, Damayanti thence forth became restless on account of her anxiety for Nala.
2. For this reason, Damayanti became filled with great anxiety and grief; and sighning heavily became lean and pale-faced.
3. She always gazed on high with contemplative turn of mind and looked like a dementate. Possessed by the god of love, she also became pale and slender.
4. She had no desire for the enjoyments, either of beds or seats. And she did not lie down either during the day or night and lamented again and again with the exclamations of Ah and Alas.
5-6. O King, the hand-maids, of Damayanti beholding her that condition and features, represented them to the ruler of Vidharbha.
7. The king Bhima hearing all from the handmaids was set to serious thinking regarding the affair of his daughter; the thought within, himself why was it that his daughter seemed to be so uneasy at present.
8. The king, seeing his daughter had attained to puberty, observed in his mind that it was his own duty to make arrangements for Damayanti’s Svayamvara (marriage).
9. O exalted one, the king united all the rulers of the earth saying, “O heroes, the Svayamvara ceremony of Damayanti is going to be held.”
10. Having learnt of Damayanti’s Svayamvara (marriage), all the kings, the rulers of the earth, in obedience to the invitation of Bhima, came to him.
11-12. The earth was filled with the noise caused by the clatter of the cars, the neighing of horses and the roars of elephants; and those high-souled rulers of the earth, who came with their fair-complexioned battalions decked in ornaments and handsome garlands, were received by that heroic Bhima with the most suitable offerings. Thus honoured by a respectful reception, the kings took up their abodes (in the city of Bhima).
13-14. At this juncture, those most exalted of the divine sages, the illustrious, greatly wise and austere Narada and Parvata, having arrived at the regions of Indra, obtained admittance into his palace with a respectful reception.
15. The illustrious Maghavat (Indra), having offered them proper worship, inquired after their everlasting welfare and peace regarding all matters.
Narada said: -
16. O Lord, O God, we enjoy peace as regards all matters; and O Maghavat, O illustrious one, so also the beings of the entire world.
Brihadashva said: -
17-19. Hearing the speeches of Narada the slayer of Bala and Vitra, asked, “Where are those war-like Kshatriyas and why do I not find those princes, coming to me, as they are my most favourite guests? They are the virtuous rulers of the earth, renouncing their life in battle. Your meet death by weapons, when time is come; and never turn their faces away from the battle; their is this world, eternal unto them and bestowing upon them all the objects of enjoyments, even as it does to me.
20. Narada, thus addressed by Shakra, said in reply.
Narada said: -
O Maghavat, listen to me, why the rulers of the earth are not being seen by you now.
21. The king of the Vidharbhas has a daughter the famous Damayanti; who, in beauty, surpasses all the women of the earth.
22. O Shakra, her Svayamvara will shortly take place. There the kings and princes are going from all directions.
23. O slayer of Bala and Vitra, the kings, desirous of getting that pearl of the earth, all desire to have her most eagerly.
24. While they were discoursing thus, the most excellent of the immortals, the Lokapalas, (with Agni among them) came before the king of heaven, Indra.
25. They then all heard the speeches of Narada pregnant with lofty ideas and becoming greatly delighted to hear them said that they would also go there.
26. O great king, mounted on their vehicles, accompanied by their attendants, they all betook themselves to the country of the Vidharbhas where all the rulers of the earth had gone.
27. O son of Kunti, the lofty-minded king, Nala, hearing of the assembly of the kings, set out, thinking of Damayanti.
28. The celestials saw Nala on the way walking on the earth. In beauty he resembled even the god of love himself in his embodied form.
29. The Lokapalas, having sent him resplendent as the sun, were struck with astonishment at his wealth of beauty; and they, therefore, abandoned their idea (of getting her).
30. The celestials, leaving their cars, alighted from heaven and (then) addressed the king of the Nishadhas thus.
31. “O the most exalted of the rulers of the Nishadhas, O Nala, O you who do observe the vow of truth, O the foremost of men, help us; be our messenger.”
Thus ends fifty-fourth chapter, the sacrifice of Nala, in the Nalopakhyana of the Vana Parva.