Sudeva spoke in answer: “Her name is Damayantí, and her sire is King Bhima, lord of Vidarbha. Her husband is Nala.... From birth she has had a dark beauty spot like to a lotus between her fair eyebrows. Although it is covered with dust, I perceived it, and so I knew her. By Brahma was this spot made as the sign of his beauty-creating power.”
The queen mother bade Sudeva to remove the dust from the beauty spot of Bhima's daughter. When this was done, it came forth like to the unclouded moon in heaven, and the royal lady and her daughter wept together and embraced the fair Damayantí[315].
Then the queen mother said: “Lo! thou art mine own sister's daughter, O beauteous one. Our sire is the Rajah Sudáman who reigns at Dasárna[316].... Once I beheld thee as a child.... Ah! ask of me whatsoever thou desirest and it shall be thine.”
“Alas! I am a banished mother,” Damayantí said with fast-flowing tears. “Permit me, therefore, to return unto my children who have been orphaned of mother and sire.”
The queen mother said: “Be it so.”
Then Damayantí was given an army to guard her on her journey towards her native city, and she was welcomed there by all her kindred and friends with great rejoicing. King Bhima rewarded Sudeva with a thousand kine, and a town's revenue for a village.[317]
When Damayantí was embraced by her mother she said: “Now our chief duty is to bring home Nala.”
The queen wept, and spoke to her husband, the royal Bhima, saying: “Our daughter still mourns heavily for lost lord and cannot be comforted.”
Then Bhima urged the Brahmans to search for Nala, offering munificent reward when that he should be found. Damayantí addressed these holy men ere they departed and said unto them: “Wheresoever thou goest, speak this my message over and over again: