Nal Damyanti

Nal, the son of Veerasen, was king of Nishadha kingdom. He was a scholar of the Vedas, remarkably handsome, courageous, and a charioteer extraordinary. He had but a habit of playing chausar that proved a tragic flaw of his character and tested him through a terrible phase of his life. Equally endowed in many ways was a ravishing beauty called Damyanti, the only daughter of king Bheem of Vidarbha. Nal came to hear of Damyanti’s beauty just as Damyanti had come to hear of Nal’s qualities. Both fell in love even without meeting each other. To turn their love story into reality, a kind swan came to play an important role. It carried the story of Nal’s longing to Damayanti who was already inflamed by her passion for Nal. As both kept exchanging their tales of longing through the swan, their love grew deeper and deeper with each passing day.

This was the time when King Bheem decided that Damyanti should choose her husband in a swayamvar. Hundreds of suitors including princes and kings reached Vidarbha to try their luck. Nal too was one of them. The four gods--Agni, Inder, Varun, and Yum--also joined as aspiring suitors. On the way to Vidarbha, they ran into Nal. They ordered him to tell Damyanti to choose one of them, or else face the consequences. On reaching Vidarbha, he did as commanded although with a heavy heart. Already in love with Nal, Damyanti had none else to choose but only him. On sensing this, the four gods disguised themselves as Nal. When she saw them bearing the same face as that of Nal, she got terribly confused. She prayed to God as a result of which the true lover’ face appeared before her and she garlanded Nal.

Interestingly, demon Kali who too had to take part in the swayamvar, reached there a little late. On seeing that Nal had already been chosen, he felt terribly jealous and burnt with anger. He thus took a vow to wreak his revenge on Nal. In the meanwhile, they were happily wedded and started living a life of comfort in Nishadha. They also gave birth to a son who was called Inder, and a daughter who was named Indra.

A few years later, Kali instigated Nal to play chausar with his brother Puskhar. Sure about his expertise in playing chausar, he staked his kingdom in the game. Since the game was played under the spell of Kali, Nal lost even though he was a great expert and had never known any defeat earlier. This defeat proved fatal. Nal lost his kingdom and became a homeless pauper. Pushkar announced that none should offer him a refuge. Nal had no choice but to leave Nishadh. Damyanti kept him company in this terrible hour and both moved towards a forest for a refuge. Both suffered immeasurably. Nal found it difficult to bear the pain that Damyanti was passing through. Since he was under the impact of Kali’s curse, he could not help but left Damyanti while she was asleep. When she woke up and did not find Nal around, she went looking frantically for her all over the forest. Her long search for Nal proved futile but she could fortunately find a refuge in the court of king Chedi from where her parents brought her to their home.

On the other side, Nal also kept wandering aimlessly. During his wandering from place to place, he happened to see a snake surrounded by fire and helped it out of fire to save its life. However, strangely enough, the snake bit him. This turned him into a black and dwarf human being. Seeing Nal in pain, the snake told him that it was only for his good that he has been bit and his appearance has been changed. He was also told that his stars were bad and that his ugly appearance will save him from all calamities in future. The snake told further that when his stars will turn favourable, its poison will turn ineffective automatically. With this changed appearance, Nal found an employment with king Rituparan of Ayodhya. He served him personally and drove his chariot.

On the other side, when Damayanti reached her home, she sent her men all around to look for Nal but all in vain as Nal, in his different appearance, was unrecognisable. After a long time, she came across an intelligent Brahmin who shared his doubt with her that the king’s charioteer was none else but Nal himself. Damyanti wanted to test this doubt and she invited the king on the false pretext of swayamvar to win her hand. Intelligently enough, she gave him a very short time to cover the distance and reach her. This was a distance no charioteer could traverse within the given time except Nal who was a charioteer par excellence. As the king Rituparan himself had extraordinary expertise in mathematics and chausar, he kept teaching Nal of the fine points of these during the journey. Feeling obliged, Nal showed his skill as a charioteer to the best of his capacity and reached him to Vidarbha before the dawn.

On finding that the suitor had actually reached there well in time, Damyanti’s doubt was further strengthened. But as Nal was dwarf and black, she needed to confirm her doubt further. She played a fine trick and confirmed her doubt finally when she arranged for Nal to cook a meal at which he had great expertise. As Nal cooked meal, her doubt was confirmed. There was nothing else to inquire further. Damyanti finally recognised her Nal. The two lovers, separated for long, became one once again after a long ordeal of all kinds. This is when Nal regained his real identity also.

This is also when Damyanti’s father sent a huge force to wage a war against Nal’s usurper brother Pushkar so that Nal could claim his lost kingdom. On reaching Nishadh, Nal invited Pushkar for a game of chausar. This time he staked Damyanti to win back his kingdom. Since Nal had already matured in the art of this game from Rituparan, he won the game easily. Pushkar accepted his defeat and repented for what he had done to his brother. He sought to be forgiven. Nal behaved sympathetically with him, gave him gifts, and allowed him to go back to his own abode. Nal and Damayanti got their lost glory and lived happily ever after ruling over Nishadh.

Reference: The story of Nal and Damyanti has stayed with us in various forms--as written texts, oral narratives, and dramatic representations ever since it was told in the Mahabharata by Ved Vyas. Traced back to antiquity, that is even before the Puarnas, this story was narrated for the sake of entertainment during the exile of the Pandavas. It has stayed with us through all these ages in several versions and in several languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, English, French, Swedish, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, and many more. Kalidasa, Sri Harsh, Surdas, Norman E. Penzer, Sister Nivedita, Bopp Franz, and Ruckert, Buhler, and Monier Williams are some of the most prominent ones who told and re-told this story with great gusto. It is also included in Katha Sarit Sagar which is a great storehouse of stories. In Persian, this story was first written by Faizi at the asking of Emperor Akbar who liked it immensely. He used to order Naqeeb Khan to read it aloud to him and even ordered the artists and calligraphers of his court to produce its illustrated version. In Urdu, Ilahi Bakhsh Shauq produced a version in 1802. It was rendered by Gauri Shankar, Vinayak Prasad, Mirza Nazeer Baig Akbarabadi, Mir Niaz Ali Dehlavi, Bhagwant Rai Rahat Kakorvi, Mir Ali Bangali, Ahmad Sarawi, Ahmad Ali, Kali Prasad, Syed Ali Akbar Khan, Bhola Nath Faragh. In Haryanavi, this story was told by Mitthun Lal Chunni Lal, and Pandit Mauji Ram Shiv Chand. The process continues till this day and it is kept alive by new authors in several Indian languages. All these versions bear out the appeal of this imperishable story of love, suffering, and union.

Nal, the son of Veerasen, was king of Nishadha kingdom. He was a scholar of the Vedas, remarkably handsome, courageous, and a charioteer extraordinary. He had but a habit of playing chausar that proved a tragic flaw of his character and tested him through a terrible phase of his life. Equally endowed in many ways was a ravishing beauty called Damyanti, the only daughter of king Bheem of Vidarbha. Nal came to hear of Damyanti’s beauty just as Damyanti had come to hear of Nal’s qualities. Both fell in love even without meeting each other. To turn their love story into reality, a kind swan came to play an important role. It carried the story of Nal’s longing to Damayanti who was already inflamed by her passion for Nal. As both kept exchanging their tales of longing through the swan, their love grew deeper and deeper with each passing day.

This was the time when King Bheem decided that Damyanti should choose her husband in a swayamvar. Hundreds of suitors including princes and kings reached Vidarbha to try their luck. Nal too was one of them. The four gods--Agni, Inder, Varun, and Yum--also joined as aspiring suitors. On the way to Vidarbha, they ran into Nal. They ordered him to tell Damyanti to choose one of them, or else face the consequences. On reaching Vidarbha, he did as commanded although with a heavy heart. Already in love with Nal, Damyanti had none else to choose but only him. On sensing this, the four gods disguised themselves as Nal. When she saw them bearing the same face as that of Nal, she got terribly confused. She prayed to God as a result of which the true lover’ face appeared before her and she garlanded Nal.

Interestingly, demon Kali who too had to take part in the swayamvar, reached there a little late. On seeing that Nal had already been chosen, he felt terribly jealous and burnt with anger. He thus took a vow to wreak his revenge on Nal. In the meanwhile, they were happily wedded and started living a life of comfort in Nishadha. They also gave birth to a son who was called Inder, and a daughter who was named Indra.

A few years later, Kali instigated Nal to play chausar with his brother Puskhar. Sure about his expertise in playing chausar, he staked his kingdom in the game. Since the game was played under the spell of Kali, Nal lost even though he was a great expert and had never known any defeat earlier. This defeat proved fatal. Nal lost his kingdom and became a homeless pauper. Pushkar announced that none should offer him a refuge. Nal had no choice but to leave Nishadh. Damyanti kept him company in this terrible hour and both moved towards a forest for a refuge. Both suffered immeasurably. Nal found it difficult to bear the pain that Damyanti was passing through. Since he was under the impact of Kali’s curse, he could not help but left Damyanti while she was asleep. When she woke up and did not find Nal around, she went looking frantically for her all over the forest. Her long search for Nal proved futile but she could fortunately find a refuge in the court of king Chedi from where her parents brought her to their home.

On the other side, Nal also kept wandering aimlessly. During his wandering from place to place, he happened to see a snake surrounded by fire and helped it out of fire to save its life. However, strangely enough, the snake bit him. This turned him into a black and dwarf human being. Seeing Nal in pain, the snake told him that it was only for his good that he has been bit and his appearance has been changed. He was also told that his stars were bad and that his ugly appearance will save him from all calamities in future. The snake told further that when his stars will turn favourable, its poison will turn ineffective automatically. With this changed appearance, Nal found an employment with king Rituparan of Ayodhya. He served him personally and drove his chariot.

On the other side, when Damayanti reached her home, she sent her men all around to look for Nal but all in vain as Nal, in his different appearance, was unrecognisable. After a long time, she came across an intelligent Brahmin who shared his doubt with her that the king’s charioteer was none else but Nal himself. Damyanti wanted to test this doubt and she invited the king on the false pretext of swayamvar to win her hand. Intelligently enough, she gave him a very short time to cover the distance and reach her. This was a distance no charioteer could traverse within the given time except Nal who was a charioteer par excellence. As the king Rituparan himself had extraordinary expertise in mathematics and chausar, he kept teaching Nal of the fine points of these during the journey. Feeling obliged, Nal showed his skill as a charioteer to the best of his capacity and reached him to Vidarbha before the dawn.

On finding that the suitor had actually reached there well in time, Damyanti’s doubt was further strengthened. But as Nal was dwarf and black, she needed to confirm her doubt further. She played a fine trick and confirmed her doubt finally when she arranged for Nal to cook a meal at which he had great expertise. As Nal cooked meal, her doubt was confirmed. There was nothing else to inquire further. Damyanti finally recognised her Nal. The two lovers, separated for long, became one once again after a long ordeal of all kinds. This is when Nal regained his real identity also.

This is also when Damyanti’s father sent a huge force to wage a war against Nal’s usurper brother Pushkar so that Nal could claim his lost kingdom. On reaching Nishadh, Nal invited Pushkar for a game of chausar. This time he staked Damyanti to win back his kingdom. Since Nal had already matured in the art of this game from Rituparan, he won the game easily. Pushkar accepted his defeat and repented for what he had done to his brother. He sought to be forgiven. Nal behaved sympathetically with him, gave him gifts, and allowed him to go back to his own abode. Nal and Damayanti got their lost glory and lived happily ever after ruling over Nishadh.

Reference: The story of Nal and Damyanti has stayed with us in various forms--as written texts, oral narratives, and dramatic representations ever since it was told in the Mahabharata by Ved Vyas. Traced back to antiquity, that is even before the Puarnas, this story was narrated for the sake of entertainment during the exile of the Pandavas. It has stayed with us through all these ages in several versions and in several languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, English, French, Swedish, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, and many more. Kalidasa, Sri Harsh, Surdas, Norman E. Penzer, Sister Nivedita, Bopp Franz, and Ruckert, Buhler, and Monier Williams are some of the most prominent ones who told and re-told this story with great gusto. It is also included in Katha Sarit Sagar which is a great storehouse of stories. In Persian, this story was first written by Faizi at the asking of Emperor Akbar who liked it immensely. He used to order Naqeeb Khan to read it aloud to him and even ordered the artists and calligraphers of his court to produce its illustrated version. In Urdu, Ilahi Bakhsh Shauq produced a version in 1802. It was rendered by Gauri Shankar, Vinayak Prasad, Mirza Nazeer Baig Akbarabadi, Mir Niaz Ali Dehlavi, Bhagwant Rai Rahat Kakorvi, Mir Ali Bangali, Ahmad Sarawi, Ahmad Ali, Kali Prasad, Syed Ali Akbar Khan, Bhola Nath Faragh. In Haryanavi, this story was told by Mitthun Lal Chunni Lal, and Pandit Mauji Ram Shiv Chand. The process continues till this day and it is kept alive by new authors in several Indian languages. All these versions bear out the appeal of this imperishable story of love, suffering, and union.