Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/63

Rh had gone and why they neglected his sacrifices. "Lord Indra," said the sage, "King Bhima of Vidarbha has proclaimed the Swayamvara of his daughter Damayanti; and her beauty is such that every hero of India has gone to woo her." "And is she truly beautiful even to immortal eyes?" asked Indra. "Truly she is," answered Narada and he began to describe her charms. As he spoke, Agni the god of fire, Varuna the lord of the seas and Yama the god of death entered the hall where Narada sat with Indra, and while the four Immortals listened to the words of Narada as he portrayed Damayanti's beauty, there grew in their hearts a longing for her such as filled the heart of Nala. And getting ready their heavenly chariots, they too set forth to join the heroes who thronged Vidarbha, hoping that they might win Damayanti's favour. As the chariots sped through the air, the gods saw King Nala walking on the earth below them. Such was his stature and so superb was his bearing, that the hearts of the four gods sank within them. "Immortals though we be," they murmured, "our beauty pales before that of King Nala. If he is our rival we cannot hope that Damayanti will pass him by for one of us." Then they drove their cars to earth and alighted close to where Nala walked. And coming to the king they said, "We come to you as suppliants, King Nala, and we need your aid; promise therefore to act as our messenger." King Nala, not guessing their meaning but taking the gods to be suppliants as they said, lightly gave them his promise. "To whom do you wish," he asked, "that I should take a message, and who are you?"

Indra stepped forward and said, "O King, I am Indra; and these with me are the gods Varuna, Yama and Agni. We wish you to go to Damayanti and tell her that we