NALA AND DAMAYANTHI

Damayanti was a princess of Vidarbha Kingdom. She was of such beauty and grace that even the gods could not stop admiring her. She fell in love with Nala simply from hearing of his virtues and accomplishments from a golden swan.

The gods met Kali, the deity of degradation and depravity on their way and asked him, "Where are you going?" He replied, "I am going to Damayanthi svayamvara." The gods laughed and said, "We are returning from the same. The destined gainer is Nala whom Damayanthi selected, disregarding everybody else, you can go back." But the disappointed Kali wanted to wreak vengeance on the couple and waited for an opportunity. But Nala gave no quarter to Kali, ruling the kingdom of Nishadha in all glory and grandeur. However Nala was addicted to gambling and Kali entered into dice. Nala was always scrupulous with his hygiene and health. Cleanliness is next to Godliness and eternal vigilance is the price of cleanliness. One day Nala inadvertently did wash his feet carefully at the time of evening worship. Kali seized that opportunity and gained a foothold in the body of Nala. King Puskara one day invited Nala to the game of dice and Nala accepted the invitation following the Kshatriya etiquette. Nala prompted by the power of Kali inside him gambled away all his wealth and Kingdom.

Damayanthi anticipating the outcome of the gamble sent her two children, a boy and a girl to her parents on a chariot driven by Varshneya. Nala and Damayanthi stayed at the outskirts of the capital for three days as commoners and no citizen came to meet them fearing the wrath of Puskara, the new king of Nishadha. The former King and queen had to subsist on water. Nala saw some birds with golden wings perched on the grass nearby and he threw his garment over them for an easy catch. But the birds flew away taking the garment with them. The birds told Nala from the air, "We are the dice taking the form of birds and we have come to take away your clothes." Nala then shared Damayanthi’s clothing and both walked and came to the cross roads. Nala said, "This path leads to Ujjain; this road goes to Vidharbha; this way leads to Ayodhya and this track takes us to Dekka. Whither shall we go?" Damayanthi said, "Let us go to Vidharbha and stay with my parents." Nala replied, "I have no face to go to Vidharbha. You please go to your parents. At least you can be happy there." Damayanthi replied, "How can I leave you? The husband needs the wife all the more in adversity. In hunger or thirst, in worry or work, a wife will serve the husband. Please permit me to follow you."

Nala and Damayanthi roamed in the forest and Damayanthi fell asleep after sometime under the shade of a tree. Nala was overpowered with grief. The former queen Damayanthi once surrounded by hundreds of waiting maids was sleeping on the bare ground. He thought that she would go to Vidharbha, if he left there and went his away. He walked a few yards but returned to the spot where she was absorbed in innocent sleep. His mind tossed to and fro for sometime. Finally he made up his mind and went away.


Damayanthi woke from her sleep but could not find her Lord, Nala. Instead she found that half of her garment was torn away. She came to the conclusion that he left her deliberately. She sobbed for a while and roamed in the forest crying aloud. She searched for him going from tree to tree and bush to bush. Meanwhile she was grabbed by a python. Frightened she cried aloud for help and an aboriginal who heard her lamentations came to her, killed the snake and rescued her. She told him her sad story. But the barbarian who was attracted by her ravishing beauty and seeing her lonely condition made bold to make his mind known to her. She was enraged and cursed him and he fell dead, burnt alive by her righteous indignation.

She wandered in the forest aimlessly for some days searching for Nala in frenzied hope amounting to lunacy. Eventually she reached a hermitage where great saints lived, following the traditions of ancient sages like Vasistha, Valakhilyas, Vamadeva, Bhrigu and Narada. She enquired about Nala. The saints received her with due hospitality and learnt with sorrow how misfortune dogged the footsteps of a noble king and his devoted queen. They were convinced already that almighty destiny could degrade a king into a beggar or elevate a beggar to an emperor.

They consoled Damayanthi saying, "We have seen with our minds' eye aided by the power of penance that you will be united with your husband after sometime. He will regain his lost kingdom, glory and grandeur." Afterwards Damayanthi met a caravan crossing the forest. The leader of the business community by name Suchi said to her, "Who are you noble lady? Are you the deity of this forest in human form?" Some members thought she was a lunatic, roaming aimlessly in the forest. But Suchi said, " This forest is infested with wild beasts. We are going to the kingdom o Chedi, I welcome you to come with us and we will introduce you to the King." Damayanthi joined the caravan community and after many days thy reached a lake where they pitched their tents to stay for the night. At dead of night elephants hordes came to the lake and were enraged at the sight of the white tents. The beasts invaded the tents and massacred the members of the caravan indiscriminately.

Damayanthi was among the few survivors. She was shocked at the series of misfortunes striking at her one after another in quick succession. She was agitated whether the celestial beings were wreaking venegeance on her as she rejected them at the svayamvara. However she recollected the prophetic words of the saints and regained confidence. The small party of the survivors reached the capital city of Chedi after a long journey. Damayanthi was too proud to reveal her actual identity to the queen and told her that she was forsaken by her gambler husband who was otherwise very noble. The queen mother received her with due kindness and asked her to stay with her. Damayanthi accepted her offer and said, "I should like to live with you as a sairandhri and serve you.

A Sairandhri was a lady who was obliged to seek royal service. She enjoyed the status of sairandhri. Nala after leaving Damayanthi with the fond belief that she would somehow go back to her parents wandered in the forest aimlessly for sometime and came across a devasting fire. He was preparing himself to go away from the dangerous spot but heard a heart rending cry for help and perceived a serpent. The serpent said to Nala, "My name is Karkotaka. I am not in a position to move, please take me out to a place of safety along with you." Nala out of compassion took Karkotaka on his shoulders but Karkotaka bit him and Nala was transformed into an ugly creature. Karkotaka told him, "Please do not curse me that I have bitten you prompted by nature. For the present it is better less if you are not recognized by others in your miserable condition. After sometime, I tell you, you will regain your original personality at your sweet will and pleasure. Nala thanked him and went to Ayodhya and sought service with King Rituparna.

He told the king, "My name is Bahuka. I am an expert cook and can serve you the most delicious dishes. Rituparana took Bahuka into his service and asked Jiyala and Varshneya to assist him. Varshneya, the former charioteer of Nala, once again became his assistant, little knowing his real identity. It was usual with Bahuka to spend sleepless nights thinking of Damayanthi. Often Jivala listened to his emotional outbursts erupting into sorrow and song. One day he even adviced him not to dream and disturb the neighbours but instead sleep well. Bhima, the king of Vidharbha, came to know of Nala’s debacle at the game of dice and the departure of the couple to an unknown destination. He immediately announced the people of his country that they will be awarded with lot of money and gold for whoever is going to discover the couple.

Sudeva , one of the Brahmins, went to the kingdom of Chedi and discovered Damayanthi and introduced himself and told her about her parents and her children who are with the grandparents. Sudeva finally met the queen and said, "She is princess Vaidarbhi, the daughter of King Bhima and the wife of Nala. I could discover her by the lotus mark on her forehead at the meeting point of her two eyebrows." Immediately fresh water was brought and the maids cleaned the face of Damayanthi with a wet towel and everybody could clearly see the mark. The queen was overjoyed and said, "Damayanthi, you are the daughter of my own sister. Damayanthi was sent to Vidarbha in a royal chariot with precious presents and suitable escort along with Sudeva.