of much delicious love,
    In pleasant gardens and in shadowy groves,
    Passed they together, sojourning like gods. 
    And Damayanti bore unto her lord
    A boy named Indrasen, and next, a girl
    Named Indrasena.  So in happiness
    The good Prince governed, seeing all his lands
    Wealthy and well, in piety and peace. 
      Now at the choosing of Nishadha’s chief
    By Bhima’s daughter, when those lords of life—­
    The effulgent gods—­departed, Dwapara
    They saw with Kali, coming.  Indra said—­
    The Demon-slayer—­spying these approach:—­
    “Whither, with Dwapara, goest thou to-day,
    O Kali?” And the sombre Shade replied:—­
    “To Damayanti’s high Swayamvara
    I go, to make her mine, since she hath passed
    Into my heart.”  But Indra, laughing, said:—­
    “Ended is that Swayamvara; for she
    Hath taken Raja Nala for her lord,
    Before us all,” But Kali, hearing this,
    Breaks into wrath—­while he stood worshipping
    That band divine—­and furiously cries:—­
    “If she hath set a man above the gods,
    To wed with him, for such sin let there fall
    Doom, rightful, swift, and terrible, on her!”
    “Nay,” answered unto him those heavenly ones,
    “But Damayanti chose with our good-will;
    And what maid but would choose so fair a prince,
    Seeing he hath all qualities, and knows
    Virtue, and rightly practises the vows,
    And reads the four great Vedas, and, what’s next,
    The Holy Stories, whilst, perpetually,
    The gods are honored in his house with gifts? 
    No hurt he does, kind to all living things;
    True of word is he, faithful, liberal, just;
    Steadfast and patient, temperate and pure;
    A king of men is Nala, like the gods. 
    He that would curse a prince of such a mould,
    Thou foolish Kali, lays upon himself
    A sin to crush himself; the curse comes back
    And sinks him in the bottomless vast gulf
    Of Narak.” 
              Thus the gods to Kali spake,
    And mounted heavenward; whereupon that Shade,
    Frowning, to Dwapara burst forth:  “My rage
    Beareth no curb.  Henceforth in Nala I
    Will dwell; his kingdom I will make to fall;
    His bliss with Damayanti I will mar;
    And thou within the dice shalt enter straight,
    And help me, Dwapara! to drag him down,”
      Into which compact entering, those repaired—­
    Kali and Dwapara—­to Nala’s house,
    And haunted in Nishadha, where he ruled,
    Seeking occasion ’gainst the blameless Prince. 
    Long watched they; twelve years rolled ere Kali saw
    The fateful fault arrive; Nishadha’s Lord,
    Easing himself, and sprinkling hands and lips
    With purifying water, passed to prayer,
    His feet unwashed, offending.  Kali straight
    Possessed the heedless Raja,