A plethora of surprises
- Author: Vid. Shri Ramavittalacharya
- Translator & Illustrator: Smt. Chomini Prakash
Nala, disguised as Bahuka, charioteered Rituparna into Vidarbha in the evening. Upon hearing the roar of the chariot driven by Nala, the horses in the stables of the King of Vidarbha sensed his arrival and rejoiced. Damayanti too heard the clatter of the chariot and felt that it sounded like the chariot driven by Nala. This made her heart blossom. The peacocks in the royal gardens realised that Nala had arrived and began to screech in response to the sound of the chariot. The elephants in the stables too trumpeted with joy.
The chords of Damayanti’s heart were strummed. Her soft limbs quivered. She felt like she had gained an enormous fortune. She thought, “The rattle of this chariot that is filling the whole earth, gladdens my heart and hence Nala must have indeed arrived. If I do not see Nala, whose face is as bright as the moon, at once, I shall certainly die. If I do not feel his pleasant touch, get clasped between his open arms and embraced, I shall fall into a fire and be consumed by it. If Nala does not recognise his consort, I shall cease to live. Nala who is compassionate, valiant and charitable is superior to all other kings. Would he, a paragon of virtue, be so timorous as to serve those inferior to him!”
Overwhelmed by such thoughts, she gained composure, ascended to the terrace and examined the path of the chariot. She saw Bahuka (Nala in disguise), Nala’s former charioteer Varshneya and Rituparna. After king Rituparna alighted from the chariot, Varshneya and Bahuka unyoked the steeds. King Bhima received Rituparna and welcomed him with respect. Kuṇḍinapura bore no bustle of a svayamvara. No kings were present! No princes were present! No assemblage of brahmanas! King Bhima was clueless about the reason for Rituparṇa’s visit. Rituparna was clueless as to whether there was indeed a svayamvara or not. Rituparna said to king Bhima, “I have come to pay homage to you.” King Bhima thought, “Who travels a hundred yojanas to pay obeisance? There must be some other reason. I shall enquire tomorrow morning.” Having pondered thus, he said, “Pleasure! Get rested. We shall meet in the morning.” Thereafter, king Bhima returned to the palace.
Rituparna proceeded along with Varshneya to rest in their allocated chamber, led by an envoy. Bahuka drove the chariot to the shed, freed the steeds, tended to them, sat in the chariot and rested.
Damayanti, who had been witnessing all of this from the terrace, couldn’t deduce anything, and was confused. “The clatter of Nala’s chariot was discerned but I do not see Nala here. Varshneya must have learnt charioteering from Nala. Or perhaps Rituparna is as adept as Nala in hippology and charioteering.” Her turmoil became a deep mystery.
Damayanti was intent on finding out about Nala. She called her messenger Keshini and said, “Who is that person with short arms and an unsightly appearance? Find out. My heart has been throbbing ever since I saw him. My gut tells me he is Nala. Just as Parnada had narrated my miserable state, you too approach him and reiterate the same. Keenly observe the anxiety in his facial expressions with every sentence and every word you speak and report back the same to me.”
Keshini approached Bahuka and initiated a conversation with him. She said, “Oh best of men! You are welcome. Are you doing well? When did you set out? What brought you here? Tell me. The princess of Vidarbha wishes to know.”
Nala replied, “King Rituparna learnt that tomorrow is Damayanti’s second svayamvara. Having heard of it from the brahmaṇas, we have travelled a hundred yojanas in a chariot drawn by steeds of wind speed. I am the charioteer of the King.”
Keshini then asked, “A third person has come. Who is he and whom does he belong to? Who are you? Whose son are you? How did you obtain this job?”
Bahuka replied, “Varshneya was the charioteer of the illustrious Nala. After Nala left the kingdom, he joined Rituparna. I am skilled in horse welfare. I have been appointed as a charioteer. I have also been assigned to cooking.”
Keshini questioned, “Does Varshneya know where Nala is? Has he confided in you?”
Bahuka replied, “It is learnt that Nala left behind his two children here. Varshneya does not know of Nala’s whereabouts. It wouldn’t be possible for anyone to know. He is despoiled of his appearance and wanders in disguise.”
Keshini added, “A brahmaṇa visited Ayodhya in the recent past and announced Damayanti’s message, ‘Oh gambler, who cut off my garment in half to clad yourself! Where are you? Does it behove you to forsake your devoted and beloved Damayanti? She is suffering day and night form your separation. Respond my love.’ Upon hearing these words, you had responded. The princess wishes to hear the same again.”
Hearing the words of Keshini, Bahuka rued again. His heart twinged and his eyes filled up with tears. With difficulty, he suppressed his grief and said, “No matter what adversity virtuous women are caught up in, they protect themselves. Even if forsaken by their husbands, they wouldn’t succumb to anger and would patiently wait for their husband’s return. Chastity is their protective shield. She would not be angered knowing that her husband abandoned her in order to survive. He was deprived of his garments by birds, deprecated of his kingdom, bereft of wealth, struck by hunger and calamity.” Speaking thus, Bahuka could not hold back his grief and wept. Keshini ended the conversation, approached Damayanti and apprised her of everything. Though Damayanti suspected Bahuka to be Nala, she desired to examine this further and said to Keshini, “Observe the nuances of his behaviour once again. Even if he requires water for cooking, do not provide it. Do not arrange for fire either. If you note any super-human traits in him, report them to me.”
Keshini approached Bahuka and noticed everything. She returned to Damayanti and reported, “Princess! I witnessed several queer happenings. When Bahuka approached a low doorway, he did not bend to pass through. Instead, the doorway itself increased in height. The king sent groceries to prepare a meal for Rituparna. I had placed empty water pots. The moment he cast his sight upon them, they became filled with water. He wanted fire and as soon as he held up a fistful of hay to the sun, it lit up in flames. Not just that, he also touched the fire with bare hands. Yet, his hands didn’t burn. Another surprise was that he crushed flowers with his palms.Yet, the flowers didn’t wither. On the contrary, they became more beautiful and richer in aroma. “
We encounter similar situations in life. Despite being in the proximity of his wife, the husband needs to be in disguise! Though the inner-self recognises him as her husband, he needs to be subjected to examination! What an oddity! What an irony!
The horses, peacocks, and elephants were certain of Nala’s arrival by the mere sound of his chariot. The spouses are verifying! Animals are more sensitive to subtleties than humans! Even if the master comes in disguise, animals discern them. We do not have the ability to perceive God if he were to appear in disguise. We expect Him to be adorned with the conch, discus, crown, etc. Even if he were to appear in the said form, we would suspect Him to be from a drama troupe.
