Table with Moral - Nala and Damayanti (Mahabharata, Vana Parva)
The tale of Nala and Damayanti from the Mahabharata’s Vana Parva is an epic story of love, separation and ultimate redemption.
Nala, the righteous king of Nishadha, and Damayanti, the beautiful princess of Vidarbha, fell in love through messages carried by a golden swan. At Damayanti’s Swayamvara, the gods Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Yama disguised themselves as Nala to win her hand. Unable to distinguish them, Damayanti prayed sincerely. Impressed by her devotion, the gods revealed their identities by not blinking or casting shadows, allowing her to successfully choose Nala. Their happiness was cut short by the demon Kali. Seeking ruin, Kali possessed Nala after he committed a minor ritual error. Under this evil influence, Nala played a game of dice with his brother Pushkara, losing his entire kingdom and wealth. Exile followed and out of grief and a desire to save Damayanti from suffering, Nala abandoned her while she slept.
Wandering alone, Nala rescued the snake king Karkotaka from a fire. The snake bit Nala, turning him into an unrecognizable, dwarfed charioteer named Bahuka to protect him from Kali and gave him a magic garment to regain his form. Nala then worked for King Rituparna of Ayodhya.
Meanwhile, Damayanti safely reached her father’s palace. To find Nala, she announced a fake second Swayamvara, knowing only Nala could drive a chariot from Ayodhya to Vidarbha in a single day. Rituparna rushed to the event with Nala driving. Along the way, Rituparna taught Nala the ultimate secrets of dice in exchange for horse-riding expertise, which expelled Kali from Nala’s body.
At Vidarbha, Damayanti recognized Nala by his unmatched cooking skills and chariot speed. Nala donned the magic garment, regained his true appearance and happily reunited with his family. Armed with his new dice skills, Nala returned to Nishadha, defeated Pushkara and successfully reclaimed his kingdom.
Moral of the Fable: Never give up; perseverance is the key to success.