by this form of hers and that mole, hath been
discovered by me as one discovereth a fire that is covered, by its
heat!"

"'O king, hearing these words of Sudeva, Sunanda washed the dust that
covered the mole between Damayanti's eye-brows. And thereupon it became
visible like the moon in the sky, just emerged from the clouds. And
seeing that mole, O Bharata, Sunanda and the queen-mother began to weep,
and embracing Damayanti stood silent for a while. And the queen-mother,
shedding tears as she spoke, said in gentle accents, "By this thy mole,
I find that thou art the daughter of my sister. O beauteous girl, thy
mother and I are both daughters of the high-souled Sudaman, the ruler of
the Dasarnas. She was bestowed upon king Bhima, and I on Viravahu. I
witnessed thy birth at our father's palace in the country of the
Dasarnas. O beautiful one, my house is to thee even as thy father's. And
this wealth, O Damayanti, is thine as much as mine." At this, O king,
Damayanti bowing down to her mother's sister with a glad heart, spake
unto her these words, "Unrecognised, I have still lived happily with
thee, every want of mine satisfied and myself cared for by thee. And
happy as my stay hath been, it would, without doubt, be happier still.
But, mother, I have long been an exile. It behoveth thee, therefore, to
grant me permission (to depart). My son and daughter, sent to my
father's palace, are living there. Deprived of their father, and of
their mother also, how are they passing their days stricken with sorrow.
If thou wishest to do what is agreeable to me, do thou without loss of
time, order a vehicle, for I wish to go to the Vidarbhas." At this, O
king, the sister to (Damayanti's) mother, with a glad heart, said, "_So
be it._" And the queen-mother with her son's permission, O chief of the
Bharatas, sent Damayanti in handsome litter carried by men, protected by
a large escort and provided with food and drink and garments of the
first quality. And soon enough she reached the country of the Vidarbhas.
And all her relatives, rejoicing (in her arrival) received her with
respect. And seeing her relatives, her children, both her parents, and
all her maids, to be well, the illustrious Damayanti, O king, worshipped
the gods and Brahmanas according to the superior method. And the king
rejoiced at beholding his daughter, and gave unto Sudeva a thousand kine
and much wealth and a village. And, O king, having spent that night at
her father's