Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/66

60 said Nala, "I gave her your message and I bade her choose one among you and I promised her that he whom she chose would make her immortal like himself. Yet she rejected you all and vowed that she would have no husband but me. And she bade us all attend her Swayamvara. There she will choose me herself and no blame will rest on me. These were her words, Lord Indra. Do as you think fit."

When the moon was full, King Bhima held the Swayamvara; and the arena was crowded with all the gallant princes and nobles who had hastened from all parts of India in the hope of bearing away Damayanti. But when the lovely princess entered it and took her seat, her beautiful deep eyes sought only the face of Nala. When she saw him her eyes lit up, but darkened a moment later with doubt. For standing beside the prince were four other princes exactly like him, so that it was impossible for her to say which of them was truly her beloved. For the gods, angry at her contempt of them, had, in order to punish her, assumed each the form of Nala, so that she might not choose him, but might in her confusion choose one of them as her husband. At last Damayanti in her grief prayed to the four gods and said, "Lords Indra and Agni and Yama and Varuna, pity me, for I am but a mortal maid. I have given my love to Nala and I can never love any but him. Of what value then can I be to you?" And she prayed so earnestly that the four gods pitied her and said to themselves, "Truly the maid loves Nala and in her heart there is no room for another. Let her then choose him and have her will." Her prayer finished, Damayanti looked again at the five Nalas in front of her and she saw that the feet of four of them did not rest on the ground and that no sign of dust