Nala and Damayanti

The story of Nala and Damyanti is a popular tale of Indian mythology. There once in the ancient period ruled a powerful king named Bhima in Berar. He had a very pretty and elegant daughter named Damyanti. She was so beautiful that people often lined along the road leading to the palace to find a glimpse of her when she came out of the palace to visit the temple. She was waited upon by a team of handmaids, all of them very pretty, but she shone among them like the moon does amidst the stars.

Not only the kings and princes, but also the gods wished to seek her for a marital alliance. However, Damyanti's heart lay somewhere else. She had heard of Nala, the king of Nishada, as a brave and handsome king with great accomplishment, and she wanted to seek him.

Nala, on the other hand, was at once charmed by the description that the messenger brought about Damyanti, and fancied to have her as his wife. The two had not yet seen each other, yet they had begun to love each other. Their passion for each other made them restless. Nala was already planning an expedition to Berar, when he got a fortunate chance to send his message to her.

As if lost in Damyanti's charm, Nala was taking a stroll in the royal gardens when he saw a wonderful sight. A beautiful milky swan descended near the pool in the middle of the garden. He noticed that the swan possessed shining wings in the splash of gold. At once, he was attracted to it, and crept behind it stealthily, seizing it in his arms.

"Let me go, I plead," said the swan.

Nala was amazed to find the swan speaking. "You can speak, how amazing! You deserve to be in the royal cage," said he tapping his hand on its long neck.

"Set me free, O great king, and I will do what you might want of me," said the swan.

Nala thought for a while and said, "You are splendid to look at and a joy to talk to. I can set you free if you promise to pass across a message."

"I will abide by your bidding and fly to any place in any corner of the world," said the swan rotating its round eyes.

"Then wait no more and go to my love, and for this take the shortest route," said Nala. "Go to Damyanti, the princess of Berar and tell her how greatly I love her!"

As Nala loosened his grip, the swan spread its glorious wings and soared high into the sky. It did not take long to reach Berar by the aerial route, and spotted Damyanti in the balcony of her chamber. He settled down on the sill and looked at the blue-eyed princess who seemed to be lost in some fantasy.

Looking at the swan brought Damyanti out of her dreamy state, and she exclaimed, "How majestic your wings are, lovely bird!"

"I have come to you as a messenger from Nala, he loves you ardently and his love for you knows no bounds! He has sent me to express his love for you and wants you to become his better-half," the lovely bird squeaked.

"I have heard of him and I am already in love with him. Tell him that he resides in my heart for all times to come! He must come and seek me at the Swayamvara which is scheduled to be held next month," said the princess kissing the bird on the neck.

Let us tell you about this ancient custom of Swayamvara. It was an assembly in which suitors were invited from all around the country; they all were seated in a row, while the girl walked in front of them, with a garland in her hands, looking at each in a bid to select a suitable groom for herself. If she liked anyone, she would put the garland round his neck.

To seek and woo the prettiest princess in the land, a large number of suitors had come from far and wide. The assembly was attended by not only the mortals, but also four gods, who lined up among the suitors. These gods were so handsome that the mortals stood no chance. The gods also knew that Damyanti was in love for Nala, and they wanted to possess her somehow, even by deception. So, they had assumed Nala's form, their appearance matched to Nala's to the extent that no one could point out who was the real Nala in fact.

As the process began, Damyanti walked down the aisle between two rows of suitors. She held a garland in her hands. Her eyes eagerly looked for Nala whom she had seen in a picture. What a relief when she sighted Nala a little away. She was not interested in any one else now. As she walked to him, her glance fell in the other row, and she was astonished to find Nala there. She was shocked and tried to resolve this puzzle and looked around, and she sighted not one, but a total of five Nalas in the assembly.

The question lingered in her mind – Who was the real Nala? She was a wise girl. She had been educated to tackle confounding issues. She regained her calm, took a deep breath and thought. She was also aware how even gods wished to have her, so she peered at each Nala carefully. Soon, she knew who the real Nala was. How did she know? The gods never wink and cast no shadows, while the flowers they wore were as fresh as if they were plucked just then because they had been taken from the Heaven where thing don’t perish.

All these signs intimated Damyanti who her real beloved was. She put the garland round Nala's neck and heaved a sigh of relief. Before she left, she folded her hands before the gods and said, "I pray for your blessings and seek your forgiveness for having chosen Nala, but I love him; my love seeks a mortal being rather than the heavenly lord."

The four gods stood up and blessed the couple a happy married life. They informed her that they had come to only examine how true her love for Nala was!