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INDIA.

Aryans into the

the Vedic

details.

in Hindústan, for the hero was a Raja in Nishada or HISTORY OF the Bhíl country, whilst the heroine was the daughter PART III. of a Raja of the Dekhan who reigned at Vidarbha, Advance of the the modern Berar. Again, the evidences of civiliza- Dekhan. tion which are furnished by the story, combined with the geographical position of the leading actors, indicate a period long subsequent to the great war of Bharata. It will also be remarked that the Vedic Degeneration of deities, who are represented as being present at the deities. Swayamvara of Damayantí, seem to have lost their abstract nature, and appear as human beings, who pay great respect to a Bráhman sage, and are to some extent humbled by the hero of the tradition; whilst a considerable number of supernatural Supernatural details have been introduced, either to disguise some usage in the original tradition which was condemned by a subsequent age, or as artificial embellishments which have been introduced in accordance with a meretricious taste which appears to have prevailed in the later era of Sanskrit literature. Indeed a wide wide interval interval appears to separate the age in which the when the events main events of the story actually took place, from the poem was the age in which the poem itself was composed; and thus while the tradition belongs to a period when the Vedic deities were still worshipped, and the rites of marriage were performed by Rajas, the poem must have been thrown into its present form in a far later age of Brahmanism, when the worship of the Vedic deities had fallen into decay, and the Brahmanical sages were held to be equal if not superior to the gods.

between the age

occurred and

composed.

of the story.

The leading incidents in the story of Nala and Main incidents Damayantí may be thus indicated:

1st, The Loves of Nala and Damayantí.

HISTORY OF
INDIA.
PART III.

Story of Nala and Damayanti.

Nala, Raja of

Nishadha or the
Bhil country.

beautiful daughter of

2nd, The Swayamvara of Damayantí.

3rd, The Gambling Match between Nala and Pushkara.

4th, The Exile of Nala and Damayantí.

5th, Nala's desertion of Damayantí.
6th, Adventures of Nala.

7th, Discovery of Damayantí.

8th, Discovery of Nala.

9th, Nala's Drive from Ayodhya to Vidarbha. 10th, Damayantí recovers her husband.

11th, Nala recovers his Raj.

The story of Nala and Damayantí may now be related as follows:

1. The Loves of Nala and Damayantí.

In ancient times there lived in Nishadha a certain Raja named Nala, and he was handsome, brave, majestic, and splendid, gifted with the choicest virtues, renowned for his skill in archery and in taming horses, of unblemished truth, admired by noble women, but loving dice exceedingly; and he was also deeply read in the Vedas, and had brought every Damayanti, the sense and passion under control. Farther south, in the city of Vidarbha, reigned Raja Bhíma, terrible in strength, whose blooming and slender-waisted daughter Damayantí was famous amongst all the Rajas for her radiant charms and exMutual love of ceeding grace. And Nala, the tiger amongst Rajas, had so often heard of the exquisite loveliness of Damayantí, the pearl of maidens, that he was enamoured without having seen her; and the soul-disturbing Damayantí had, in like manner, so often been told of the godlike comeliness and virtues of the hero Nala, that she secretly desired to become his bride.

Bhima, Raja of
Vidarbha or
Berar, in the
Dekhan.

Nala and
Damayanti.

The swan with golden wings promises to induce Damayanti to think

of no one but Nala.

Now on a certain day Raja Nala wandered to a grove and pondered on his deep love for Damayantí, when a flock of swans with golden plumage flew into the grove; and he caught one of the bright birds. And the bird cried out :

INDIA. PART III.

Slay me not, O gentle Raja, and I will so praise thee in HISTORY OF the presence of Damayantí, that she shall think of no other man but thee." So Nala set it free, and the bird of golden wing flew away with all its companions to the city of Vidarbha, and entered the garden of Raja Bhíma. And the beautiful Damayantí was sporting with her maidens in the garden, when they all beheld a flock of swans who dropped their golden plumes; and the slender-waisted damsels chased the bright birds about the garden, when suddenly a swan turned round to Damayantí, and said in the language of The swan men :-"O Damayantí, thou art the loveliest of maidens, mission. and Nala is the handsomest of heroes; if the peerless wed the peerless how happy will be the union." Then the royal maiden softly said to the bird:-" Speak the same words to Nala!" And the bird fluttered its golden wings, and flew away to Nishadha, and told all to Nala.

performs its

Damayanti.

Meantime the beautiful maiden grew pale and dejected Melancholy of in her father's Court at Vidarbha. She could not sleep, she often wept, she found no joy in banquets or in conversation, and she gazed upon the sky at night-time with a look of wild distraction; for her heart was wholly possessed with a deep love for Nala. So the maidens told her royal father that Damayantí was fading away into a deep melancholy. And the Raja of Vidarbha said :-" My daughter is full grown, and Raja Bhima must be given away in marriage." And he sent Bráhmans Swayamvara. round the world to proclaim a Swayamvara; and all the Rajas of the earth who had heard of the divine loveliness of Assembling of Damayantí, flocked to the Court of Bhíma, with all the pomp Vidarbha. of chariots and horses, and elephants, and armies. And Bhíma welcomed them all with due courtesy and entertained them well.

proclaims a

the Rajas at

sage, carries the Swayamvara to

Now at this time the holy sage Nárada ascended on Narada, the high to the heaven of Indra. And Indra gave him honour- news of the able welcome, and said :-"Where, O sage, are all the Rajas, Indra. that they come not to my abode?" And Nárada replied: -"O cloud-compeller, all the Rajas and their mighty sons have gone to the Swayamvara of Damayantí, for she, the loveliest of maidens, is about to choose a husband for her

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INDIA.

PART III.

Indra, Agni,
Varuna, and

Yama set off for
the Swayam-

vara.

The gods pre

vail on Nala to

to choose one

husband.

HISTORY OF self." Then the gods were stricken as they heard of the transcendent beauty of Damayantí, and they exclaimed:"We too will go to her Swayamvara!" And Indra, lord of Swarga, and Agni, god of fire, and Varuna, who rules the seas, and Yama, who judges the dead, called for their celestial chariots, and drove through the air to the city of Vidarbha; and as they approached the earth they beheld the hero Nala, as radiant as the sun, and as comely as the god of love; and they stayed their chariots in the blue air, and said to the heroic one :-" O Nala, we pray you to do ask Damayanti our bidding." And Nala stood with folded hands, and of them for her said:-" Whatsoever you command, that I will do." So Indra, sovereign of the gods, said to Nala :-"Go now and tell the fair daughter of Bhíma that the four immortal gods have come from heaven to woo her, and that she must choose from amongst them whom she will." But Nala replied :— "O spare me this, for I too am enamoured with the damsel, and how can I woo her for another?" But all the gods spoke out with one accord:-" Have you not pledged yourself to do whatsoever we command? Delay not, therefore, nor belie your word." Then Nala said:-"The palace of Bhíma is strongly guarded, and I cannot enter the presence of the maiden." But Indra replied :-" No man shall stop you, only go!" Then Raja Nala entered the palace. of Bhíma, and no man hindered him; and he reached the inner apartments, and beheld the beautiful damsel sitting amongst her maidens; and when the damsels saw him they sprang from their seats, and marvelled at his wondrous beauty. And Nala smiled sweetly upon Damayantí, and she with lovely eyes smiled sweetly in return, and said:"O hero, how came you hither? How have you escaped the guards that my father has set around us?" Then Nala replied:-"O loveliest of damsels, my name is Nala, and I am a messenger from the gods, and through their power I have passed the gates unseen by men: Now the four gods desire to wed you, and pray you to choose one of their number to be your lord." And Damayantí bowed in reverence to the gods, and then smiled again upon Nala

Indra renders
Nala invisible.

:

INDIA. PART III.

Damayanti refuses to choose any one but

Nala remon

and said :-"O Raja, the language of the golden-plumaged HISTORY OF swan has kindled my soul, and I will choose no other lord but you; and if you spurn my love, I will take poison, or plunge into the water or the fire." And Nala replied :"O beautiful maiden, how can you choose a mortal man in Nala. the presence of the bright gods? How can you refuse to strates. be arrayed in heavenly raiment, and bright amaranthine flowers, and all the glory of the celestials? Where is the damsel who would not wed the radiant Agni, god of fire, whose mouths consume the world? Or the bright Indra, sovereign of the gods, at whose dread sceptre all the assemblies of the earth are forced to do justice and work righteousness? Or the majestic Varuna, lord of waters? Or the mighty Yama, judge over all the dead?" But Damayantí Fidelity of trembled at the words of Nala, and her eyes were filled with tears, and she said: "I will pay due homage to all the gods, but you only will I choose to be my lord." And Nala went his way and told to the expectant gods all that Damayantí had said.

2. The Swayamvara of Damayanti.

Damayanti.

Swayamvara.

Rajas in the

At length the day of happy omen, the great day of the The day of the Swayamvara, dawned upon the city of Vidarbha. And all Assembly of the the Rajas, sick with love, passed through the glittering Hall of State. portals, and the court of golden columns, and entered the Hall of State, like lions entering their mountain lairs. And all the Rajas were adorned with fragrant garlands, and rich earrings of costly gems were hanging from their ears. And some had long arms, robust and vigorous as the ponderous battle-mace; whilst others were as soft and delicately rounded as a smooth serpent. With bright and flowing hair, and arched eyebrows, their faces were as radiant as the stars; and they filled the Hall of State, as the serpents fill the under world, or as tigers fill the caves in the mountains. But when Damayantí entered the hall, every eye Damayanti was fixed, and every soul entranced, at her dazzling loveliness; and all the Rajas gazed upon her beauty, and were stricken with deep and passionate desire.

enters the Hall.

Each of the four gods assumes the

Then the name form of Nala.

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