53. SWAN: THE LOVE MESSENGER

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > AARANYA PARVA > NALOPAAKYAANA PARVA > CHAPTER 53 - SWAN: THE LOVE MESSENGER

“Brihadashwa said, ‘There was a king named Nala, the son of Veerasena. He was strong, handsome, well-versed in (the knowledge of) horses, and possessed of every desirable accomplishment. He was at the head of all the kings, like the lord of Devas (Lord Indra). Noble over all, he resembled the Sun in glory. He was the king of the Nishadhas, intent on the welfare of Brahmanas, versed in the Vedas, and possessed of heroism. He was truth-telling, fond of dice, and the master of a mighty army. He was the beloved of men and women, and of great soul and controlled passions. He was the protector (of all), the foremost of bowmen, and like to Manu himself.

“Like him, there was among the Vidarbhaas (a king named) Bhima, of terrible prowess, heroic and well-disposed towards his subjects and possessed of every attribute (Guna in Sanskrit). (But withal) he was childless. With a fixed mind, he tried his utmost for obtaining issue. O Bharata (Yudhishthira), there came to him (once) a Brahmarishi named Damanaa. O king of kings (Rajendra in Sanskrit), desirous of having offspring, Bhima, versed in Dharma, with his queen satisfied that illustrious Rishi by a respectful reception. Damana, well-pleased, granted to the king and his consort a boon in the form of a jewel of a daughter (Kanya Ratnam in Sanskrit), and three exemplary sons possessed of great fame. (And they were called respectively) Damayanti, Dama, Danta, and illustrious Damana.

“The three sons were possessed of every accomplishment (Guna in Sanskrit) and terrible in everything and fierce prowess. The slender-waisted Damayanti, in beauty, brightness, in good name, grace and luck, became celebrated all over the world. On her attaining to age, hundreds of hand-maids, female servants, decorated in ornaments, waited upon her like (Lord Indra’s wife) Sachi Herself. Bhima’s daughter of faultless features, decorated in every ornament, shined in the middle of her hand-maids, like the luminous lightning of the clouds. The large-eyed lady (Damayanti) was possessed of great beauty like that of Sree (Mahalakshmi) Herself. Neither among Devas, nor among Yakshas, nor among men was anybody possessed of such beauty, seen or heard of before. The beautiful lady (Damayanti) filled with gladness the hearts of even Devas.

“That tiger among men, Nala, also did not have his competitor in the (three) worlds: for in beauty he was like Kandarpa (Kamadeva) himself in his embodied form. Moved by admiration, the heralds (Kutoohalaat in Sanskrit) again and again celebrated the praises of Nala before Damayanti and those of Damayanti before the ruler of the Nishadhas. Repeatedly hearing of each other’s virtues (Guna in Sanskrit) they conceived an attachment towards each other not produced of sight, and that attachment, O Kaunteya (Yudhishthira), began to grow in strength. Then Nala was unable to control the love that was in his bosom. He began to pass much of his time in isolation in the gardens adjoining the inner apartment (of his palace). There he saw a number of swans furnished with golden wings, wandering in those forest. From among them he caught one with his hands. Immediately the sky-ranging one (Swan) said to Nala ‘I deserve not to be slain by you, O king. I will do something that is agreeable to you. O king of the Nishadhas, I will speak of you before Damayanti in such a way that she will not ever desire to have any other person (for her lord).’

“Thus addressed, the king (Nala) liberated that swan. Those swans then rose on their wings and went to the country of the Vidarbhas. On arriving at the city of the Vidarbhas the birds descended before Damayanti, who saw them all. Damayanti in the middle of her maids, seeing those birds of extraordinary appearance was filled with delight, and tried without loss of time to catch those travellers of the skies. The swans at this, before that group of beauties, fled in all directions. Those women there pursued the birds, each (running) after one.

“The swan after which Damayanti ran, having led her to an isolated spot, addressed her in human speech, saying, ‘O Damayanti, there is a king among Nishadhas named Nala. He is equal to Ashwins (Ashwini Devas) in beauty, not having his peer among men. Indeed, in comeliness, he is like Kandarpa himself in his embodied form. O fair-complexioned one, O you of slender waist, if you become his wife, your existence and this your beauty may be of purpose. We have, indeed, seen Deva, Gandharvas, Naagas, Raakshasaas, and men, but never saw we before any one like Nala. You also are a jewel among women, as Nala is the prime among men. The union of the best with the best is happy.’

“Thus, addressed by the swan, Damayanti, O monarch (Yudhishthira), replied to him there, saying, ‘You do speak thus to Nala also.’ Saying, ‘So be it’, to the daughter of Vidarbha (Damayanti), the oviparous one, O king (Yudhishthira), returned to the country of the Nishadhas, and narrated everything to Nala.’”