erfowls of every kind, and abounding in crested summits, O sacred
one! O best of mountains! O thou of wondrous sight! O celebrated hill! O
refuge (of the distressed)! O highly auspicious one! I bow to thee, O
pillar of the earth! Approaching, I bow to thee. Know me for a king's
daughter, and a king's daughter-in-law, and king's consort, Damayanti by
name that lord of earth who ruleth the Vidarbhas, that mighty
warrior-king Bhima by name, who protecteth the four orders, is my sire.
That best of kings celebrated the _Rajasuya_ and _Aswamedha_ sacrifices,
with profuse gifts to the Brahmanas. Possessed of beautiful and large
eyes, distinguished for devotion to the Vedas, of unblemished character,
truth-telling, devoid of guile, gentle, endued with prowess, lord of
immense wealth, versed in morality, and pure, he having vanquished all
his foes, effectually protecteth the inhabitants of Vidarbha. Know me, O
holy one, for his daughter, thus come to thee. That best of men--the
celebrated ruler of the Nishadha--known by the name of Virasena of high
fame, was my father-in-law. The son of that king, heroic and handsome
and possessed of energy incapable of being baffled, who ruleth well the
kingdom which hath descended to him from his father, is named Nala.
Know, O mountain, that of that slayer of foes, called also _Punyastoka_,
possessed of the complexion of gold, and devoted to the Brahmanas, and
versed in the Vedas, and gifted with eloquence,--of that righteous and
_Soma_-quaffing and fire-adoring king, who celebrateth sacrifices and is
liberal and warlike and who adequately chastiseth (criminals), I am the
innocent spouse--the chief of his queens--standing before thee.
Despoiled of prosperity and deprived of (the company of my) husband
without a protector, and afflicted with calamity, hither have I come, O
best of mountains, seeking my husband. Hast thou, O foremost of
mountains, with thy hundreds of peaks towering (into the sky) seen king
Nala in this frightful forest? Hast thou seen my husband, that ruler of
the Nishadhas, the illustrious Nala, with the tread of a mighty
elephant, endued with intelligence, long-armed, and of fiery energy,
possessed of prowess and patience and courage and high fame? Seeing me
bewailing alone, overwhelmed with sorrow, wherefore, O best of
mountains, dost thou not today soothe me with thy voice, as thy own
daughter in distress? O hero, O warrior of prowess, O thou versed in
every duty, O thou adhe