BOOK XV.

Vanished thus the King of Serpents — set Nishadha's raja forth,

Rituparna's royal city — on the tenth day entered he.

Straight before the royal presence — “Vahuca am I,” he said,

“In the skill of taming horses — on the earth is not my peer;

Use me, where the difficult counsel — where thou want'st the dexterous hand;

In the art of dressing viands— I am skilful above all.

Whatsoe'er the art, whatever — be most difficult to do,

I will strive to execute it — take me to thy service, king.”

“Vahuca, I bid thee welcome — all this service shalt thou do,

On my horses’ rapid motion — deeply is my mind engaged.

Take thou then on thee the office — that my steeds be fleet of foot,

Of my horse be thou the master — hundred hundreds is thy pay:

Ever shalt thou have for comrades — Varshneya and Jivala:

With these two pursue thy pleasure — Vahuca, abide with me.”

Thus addressed, did Nala, honoured — by king Rituparna long,

With Varshneya in that city — and with Jivala abide:

There abode he, sadly thinking — of Vidarbha's daughter still.

In the evening, every evening — uttered he this single verse;

“Where is she, by thirst and hunger — worn, and weary, pious still,

Thinking of her unwise husband — in whose presence is she now!”

Thus the raja, ever speaking — Jivala one night addressed;

“Who is she, for whom thou grievest?— Vahuca, I fain would hear.”

Answered thus the royal Nala — “To a man of sense bereft,

Once belonged a peerless lady — most infirm of word was he;

From some cause from her dissevered — went that frantic man away,

In his foolish soul thus parted — wanders he, by sorrow racked;

Night and day, and still for ever — by his parching grief consumed:

Nightly brooding o'er his sorrows — sings he this sad single verse.

O'er the whole wide earth a wanderer — chance-alighting in some place,

Dwells that woful man, unworthy,— ever wakeful with his grief.

Him that noble lady following — in the forest lone and dread,

Lives, of that bad man forsaken — hard it is to say, she lives!

Lone, and young, the ways unknowing — undeserving of such fate,

Pines she there with thirst and hunger — hard it is to say, she lives.

In that vast and awful forest — haunted by fierce beasts of prey,

By her lord she roams forsaken — hapless, by that luckless lord.”

Thus remembering Damayanti — did Nishadha's king unknown,

Long within that dwelling sojourn — in the palace of the king.