ging the deep woods, hearing her lamentations,
swiftly came to the spot. And beholding the large-eyed one in the coils
of the serpent, he pushed towards it and cut off its head with his sharp
weapon. And having struck the reptile dead, the huntsman set Damayanti
free. And having sprinkled her body with water and fed and comforted
her, O Bharata, he addressed her saying, "O thou with eyes like those of
a young gazelle, who art thou? And why also hast thou come into the
woods? And, O beauteous one, how hast thou fallen into this extreme
misery?" And thus accosted, O monarch, by that man, Damayanti, O
Bharata, related unto him all that had happened. And beholding that
beautiful woman clad in half a garment, with deep bosom and round hips,
and limbs delicate and faultless, and face resembling the full moon, and
eyes graced with curved eye-lashes, and speech sweet as honey, the
hunter became inflamed with desire. And afflicted by the god of love,
the huntsman began to soothe her in winning voice and soft words. And as
soon as the chaste and beauteous Damayanti, beholding him understood his
intentions, she was filled with fierce wrath and seemed to blaze up in
anger. But the wicked-minded wretch, burning with desire became wroth,
attempted to employ force upon her, who was unconquerable as a flame of
blazing fire. And Damayanti already distressed upon being deprived of
husband and kingdom, in that hour of grief beyond utterance, cursed him
in anger, saying, "I have never even thought of any other person than
Naishadha, therefore let this mean-minded wretch subsisting on chase,
fall down lifeless." And as soon as she said this, the hunter fell down
lifeless upon the ground, like a tree consumed by fire.'"

SECTION LXIV

"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Having destroyed that hunter Damayanti of eyes
like lotus leaves, went onwards through that fearful and solitary forest
ringing with the chirp of crickets. And it abounded with lions, and
leopards, and _Rurus_ and tigers, and buffaloes, and bears and deer. And
it swarmed with birds of various species, and was infested by thieves
and _mlechchha_ tribes. And it contained _Salas_, and bamboos and
_Dhavas_, and _Aswatthas_, and _Tindukas_ and _Ingudas_, and _Kinsukas_,
and _Arjunas_, and _Nimvas_, and _Tinisas_ and _Salmalas_, and _Jamvus_,
and mango trees, and _Lodhras_, and the catechu, and the cane, and
_Padmakas_, and _Amalahas_, and _Plakshas_, and _Kadamvas_, and
_Udumvaras_ and _Va