Vidharbha insensible in her
sleep and went away. But his heart failing him, the king of the
Nishadhas returned to the shed, and seeing Damayanti (again), burst into
tears. And he said, "Alas! that beloved one of mine whom neither the god
of wind nor the sun had seen before, even she sleepeth to-day on the
bare earth, like one forlorn. Clad in this severed piece of cloth, and
lying like one distracted, how will the beauteous one of luminous smiles
behave when she awaketh? How will the beautiful daughter of Bhima,
devoted to her lord, all alone and separated from me, wander through
these deep woods inhabited by beasts and serpents? O blessed one, may
the Adityas and the Vasus, and the twin Aswins together with the Marutas
protect thee, thy virtue being thy best guard." And addressing thus his
dear wife peerless on earth in beauty, Nala strove to go, reft of reason
by Kali. Departing and still departing, king Nala returned again and
again to that shed, dragged away by Kali but drawn back by love. And it
seemed as though the heart of the wretched king was rent in twain, and
like a swing, he kept going out from cabin and coming back into it. At
length after lamenting long and piteously, Nala stupefied and bereft of
sense by Kali went away, forsaking that sleeping wife of his. Reft of
reason through Kali's touch, and thinking of his conduct, the king
departed in sorrow, leaving his wife alone in that solitary forest.'"

SECTION LXIII

"Vrihadaswa said, 'O king, after Nala had gone away, the beauteous
Damayanti, now refreshed, timorously awoke in that lonely forest. And O
mighty monarch, not finding her lord Naishadha, afflicted with grief and
pain, she shrieked aloud in fright, saying, "O lord? O mighty monarch! O
husband, dost thou desert me? Oh, I am lost and undone, frightened in
this desolate place. O illustrious prince, thou art truthful in speech,
and conversant with morality. How hast thou then, having pledged thy
word, deserted me asleep in the woods? Oh, why hast thou deserted thy
accomplished wife, ever devoted to thee, particularly one that hath not
wronged thee, though wronged thou hast been by others? O king of men, it
behoveth thee to act faithfull, according to those words thou hadst
spoken unto me before in the presence of the guardians of the worlds. O
bull among men, that thy wife liveth even a moment after thy desertion
of her, is only because mortals are decreed to die at the appointed
time. O bull amon