firmament.  And (when the time came), Damayanti of beauteous face, stealing the eyes and hearts of the princes by her dazzling light, entered the hall.  And the glances of those illustrious kings were rivetted to those parts of her person where they had chanced to fall first, without moving at all.  And when, O Bharata, the names of the monarchs were proclaimed, the daughter of Bhima saw five persons all alike in appearance.  And beholding them seated there, without difference of any kind in form, doubt filled her mind, and she could not ascertain which of them was king Nala.  And at whomsoever (among them) she looked, she regarded him to be the king of the Nishadhas.  And filled with anxiety, the beauteous one thought within herself, ’Oh, how shall I distinguish the celestials, and how discern the royal Nala?’ And thinking thus, the daughter of Vidarbha became filled with grief.  And, O Bharata, recollecting the marks belonging to the celestials, of which she had heard, she thought, ’Those attributes of the celestials, of which I have heard from the aged, do not pertain to any of these deities present here upon the earth.’  And revolving the matter long in her mind, and reflecting upon it repeatedly, she decided upon seeking the protection of the gods themselves.  And bowing down unto them with mind and speech, with folded hands, she addressed them trembling, ’Since I heard the speech of the swans, I chose the king of the Nishadhas as my lord.  For the sake of truth, O, let the gods reveal him to me.  And as in thought or word I have never swerved from him, O, let the gods, for the sake of that truth, reveal him to me.  And as the gods themselves have destined the ruler of the Nishadhas to be my lord, O, let them, for the sake of that truth, reveal him to me.  And as it is for paying homage unto Nala that I have adopted this vow, for the sake of that truth, O, let the gods reveal him unto me, O, let the exalted guardians of the worlds assume their own proper forms, so that I may know the righteous king.’  Hearing these piteous words of Damayanti, and ascertaining her fixed resolve, and fervent love for the king of Nishadhas, the purity of her heart and her inclination and regard and affection for Nala, the gods did as they had been adjured, and assumed their respective attributes as best they could.  And thereupon she beheld the celestials unmoistened with perspiration, with winkless eyes, and unfading garlands, unstained with dust, and staying without touching the ground.  And Naishadha stood revealed to his shadow, his fading garlands, himself stained with dust and sweat, resting on the ground with winking eyes.  And, O Bharata, discerning the gods and the virtuous Nala the daughter of Bhima chose Naishadha according to her truth.  And the large-eyed damsel then bashfully caught the hem of his garment and placed round his neck a floral wreath of exceeding grace.  And when that fair-complexioned maiden had thus chosen Nala for her husband, the kings suddenly broke out