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rocks, and never did she depart from her devotion to her husband in, any point. And the might of her chastity preserved her on the way,*[1] so that the hunter, who, after delivering her from the serpent, fell in love with her for a moment, was reduced to ashes. Then she joined a caravan of merchants, which she met on the way, and with them she reached the city of a king named Subáhu. There the daughter of the king saw her from her palace, and pleased with her beauty, had her brought and gave her as a present to her mother. Then she remained in attendance on the queen, respected by her, and when questioned, she answered only— " My husband has abandoned me."
And in the meanwhile her father Bhíma, having heard the tidings of Nala's misfortune, sent trustworthy men in every direction, to make search for the royal couple. And one of them, his minister named Suvena, as he was wandering about disguised as a Bráhman, reached that palace of Subáhu. There he saw Damayantí, who always examined guests, and she saw with sorrow her father's minister. And having recognized one another, they wept together so violently, that Subáhu's queen heard it. And the queen had them summoned, and asked them the truth of the matter, and then she found out that the lady was Damayantí, the daughter of her sister. Then she informed her husband, and after shewing her honour, she sent her to the house of her father with Suvena and an army. There Damayantí remained, reunited with her two children, enquiring under her father's guidance for news of her husband. And her father sent out spies to look for her husband, who was distinguished by preternatural skill in cooking and driving. And king Bhíma commanded the spies to say; " Moon, where have you hid yourself so cruelly, deserting your young bride asleep in the forest, dear as a cluster of white lotuses, having taken a piece of her robe?" †[2] This he told them to utter wherever they suspected the presence of Nala.
And in the meanwhile king Nala travelled a long way at night in that forest, clothed with the half -garment, and at last he saw a jungle-fire. And he heard some one exclaim— " Great-hearted one, take me away from the neighbourhood of this fire, in order that I, being helpless, may not be burned up by it." When Nala heard this, he looked round, and beheld a snake coiled up near the fire, having his head encircled with the rays of the jewels of his crest, ‡[3] as if seized on the head by the jungle-fire, with terrible naming
- ↑ * Cp. Milton's Comus, v. 421 and ff. The word " might" also means "fire" This " fire" burnt up the hunter. The'pun in the previous sentence cannot be rendered in English.
- ↑ † Here there is a pun. Ambara also means the sky.
- ↑ ‡ For the jewels in the heads of reptiles see the long note in Benfey's Panchatantra, Vol. I, p. 214. The passage in "As you like it" will occur to every one.
