Damayanti
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Damayanti (दमयन्ती) is the daughter of Bhima (not the Pandava) and a princess of the Vidarbha Kingdom, who marries King Nala of the Nishadha kingdom. Damayanti is described to be a beautiful princess of the Vidarbha Kingdom. She is known through Story of Nala and Damayanti.
Brief Introduction
She is a figure in a love story found in the Vana Parva book of the Mahabharata. The figure is also found in other Hindu texts by many authors in numerous Indian languages.[1] She, along with Nala, are the central figures in the 12th century text Nishadha Charita, one of the five mahakavyas (great epic poems) in the canon of Sanskrit literature, [2] written by Sriharsha.
Marriage
Damayanti is described to be a beautiful princess of the Vidarbha Kingdom. Having heard the praises of Nala, the king of the Nishadas, in her presence, she grew attracted to him, even though she had never met him. Nala also developed feelings for Damayanti in the same fashion. Once, Nala observed a few swans with golden wings in a grove, and caught one of them. The swan promised to speak highly of him in Damayanti's presence in return for its life. The swan flew to the princess and exalted Nala, persuading her to become the king's wife. Following this incident, Damayanti grew infatuated with Nala. Her friends, who observed her lovesick state, informed her father, King Bhima, that she was ill. The king arranged a svayamvara (self-choice) ceremony for his daughter's wedding. Meanwhile, Narada visited Indra, informing him of the journey of mortal kings and princes to Vidarbha, all of whom sought Damayanti's hand. A number of deities appeared at Indra's court, hearing Narada's description of the princess. They also conveyed their desire to marry Damayanti. Catching sight of Nala, who was also travelling to Damayanti's svayamvara, they tasked him to be their messenger to Damayanti, to ask her to marry one of them. Despite his objections, Nala promptly found Damayanti amid her friends, introduced himself, and conveyed the deities' message. Damayanti informed Nala that she wished to marry him and him alone, and told him that she would choose him during the svayamvara to dissuade his reluctance. Nala informed the deities of their conversation. During the ceremony, Damayanti observed five men who looked exactly like Nala. After some reflection, she proclaimed her decision to marry the king of the Nishadas, and urged the deities to reveal their true forms to her. Moved by Damayanti's love, they acquiesced, allowing her to marry Nala, to the joy of all the deities. She enjoyed marital bliss with her husband in forests and groves.[3][4]
Story of Nala and Damayanti
Source - Myths and Legends of the Hindus & Buddhists/CHAPTER VII, by Sister Nivedita and Anand K. Coomaraswamy, pp.356-367
Nala the king of Nishadha:
There was once a young king of Nishadha, in Central India, whose name was Nala. In a neighbouring country called Vidarbha there reigned another king, whose daughter Damayanti was said to be the most beautiful girl in the world. Nala was a very accomplished youth, well
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practised in all the sixty-four arts and sciences with which kings should be acquainted, and particularly skilled in driving horses ; but, on the other hand, he was much too fond of gambling. One day as he walked in the palace garden, watching the swans amongst the lotuses, he made up his mind to catch one. The clever swan, however, knew how to purchase its freedom. "Spare me, good prince," it said, "and I will fly away to Vidarbha and sing thy praise before the beautiful Damayanti." Then all the swans together flew away to Vidarbha and settled at Damayanti's feet. Presently one of them began to talk to Damayanti. "There is a peerless prince in Nishadha," he said, "fairer than any man of God. Thou art the loveliest of women; would that ye might be wedded."
Damayanti flushed, and covered her face with a veil as if a man had addressed her ; but she could not help wonder ing what Nala was like. Presently she said to the swan : "Perhaps you had better make the same suggestion to Nala himself." She felt quite safe in her father's garden, and hoped that Nala would fall in love with her, for she knew that her father was planning a Swayamvara, or own-choice, for her very soon, when she would have to accept a suitor at last.
From that day Damayanti began to grow thin ; she would sit alone and dream, so that all her maidens were grieved for her. When Bhima heard of it he hurried on the pre parations for the own-choice, feeling quite sure that the only cure was to get her married and settled. He invited all the neighbouring princes and rajas, and made ready to receive them in great state. Meanwhile Narada, who had been spending a short time on earth, passed up to Heaven and entered Indra s palace. Indra greeted him and inquired what was going forward, inasmuch as the kings of the
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earth were not paying him their customary visits. Then Narada related the story of Damayanti, and described the preparations for the own-choice at Bhima's court. The gods announced their intention of taking part in the festivity, and mounting their chariots, set out for Vidarbha. It was not long before they met Nala, and struck by his beauty and royal bearing, they addressed him with a command to bear a message on their behalf. "I am yours to command," he answered, and stood with folded hands wait- ing their will. Indra took up the word. " Know, O Nala," he said, "that I, with Agni, Varuna, and Yama, have come hither from Heaven to seek the love of Damayanti ; do thou announce this to her, that she may choose one of us four."
Nala was appalled at this command ; he prayed the gods to find another messenger. But the gods held him to his promise, and, indeed, he found himself immediately transported to Damayanti's palace. There he beheld the lady whom he already worshipped shining like the silver moon.
Damayanti and her maidens were astounded at his appearance there amongst them, and still more astonished at his beauty; each maiden secretly adored him. But Nala, checking his own desire, delivered the message of the gods. "Do thou decide even as thou wilt," he ended.
Damayanti answered: "Myself and all I have are thine ; wilt thou not love me in return ? It is only because of thee that the princes are assembled. If thou wilt not accept me, I shall prefer death to any other." But Nala answered: " How mayst thou choose a mortal when even the gods seek thy hand, who, moreover, shall but slay me if their will be thwarted? Behold, how great are the gods, and what shall be hers who weds with them!" Damayanti answered: "It is my vow to wed with none but thee."
Nala replied: "As a messenger I may not plead my own
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cause, yet do thou remember me when I stand before thee suitor on my own behalf." Damayanti smiled and answered : - Yea, thou mayst surely without sin be present at the Swayamvara, though the gods be also there; then will I choose thee for my lord, nor can any blame attach to thee for that." Then Nala bowed, and turning away immediately stood before the gods, and to them he reported all truly as it had befallen. "As for what remains," he said, "it rests with thee, O chief of the gods."
The day of the Swayamvara dawned. Bhima's golden court was filled with the lords of earth, seated in state, shining like the stars in Heaven, strong as mountain lions, fair as the nagas, multitudinous as the serpents in Bhogavati. Then Damayanti was borne in ; beside her walked her maidens with the fateful garland, and before her went Sarasvati herself. She passed before the rows of suitors, refusing each in turn as his name and style were announced. Then she beheld five noble princes seated together, each in the form of Nala. Damayanti beheld them in despair; she could not tell which one was Nala, nor who the others might be. She could not distinguish the gods by their attributes, for they had laid aside their proper shapes. Long was the silence as she stood before the five, until she bethought her to approach them with humble prayer, for not even gods may refuse the prayer of the good and virtuous. " O ye great gods," she said, "forasmuch as I have pledged myself to Nala, do ye reveal my lord." Even as she prayed, the gods assumed their own forms and attributes ; shadowless, with unwink ing eyes, unfading garlands, not touching the earth, they stood before her. But Nala stood revealed by shadow, fading garland, and perspiring brow. Then Damayanti stooped and touched the hem of his garment, and rose
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and cast the flower garland about his shoulders amid cries of grief from the rejected suitors and of applause from gods and rishis. Thus did Damayanti choose her lord.
Great gifts the gods bestowed on Nala, and took their way again to Heaven. The assembled rajas departed. Bhima bestowed his daughter upon Nala ; great and rich was the marriage feast, and Nala and Damayanti went to their home in Nishadha.
Game of dice by Demon Kali:
There was, however, a demon of the name of Kali, the spirit of the Fourth Age, who, with his friend Dyapara, failed to reach the Swayamvara in time. Meeting the gods returning from Vidarbha, Kali learnt from them that Damayanti had chosen Nala. His wrath knew no bounds that a mortal should have been preferred to a god. Despite the dissuasion of the gods, he determined to avenge himself for the insult. He asked his friend Dvapara to enter into the dice, and himself watched for an opportunity to take possession of the king. It was twelve long years before a slight neglect in the observance of ceremonial purity placed Nala at the demon's mercy.
Kali entered into him, and immediately invited Nala's brother Pushkara to gamble with the king. When he arrived the two sat down to the game. Nala lost, and lost again. Day after day the play went on till months had passed. In vain the citizens desired audience, in vain the queen besought her lord to meet his ministers. Soon the royal treasure was almost spent, but still Nala gambled.
Then Damayanti called his faithful charioteer, and warning him that evil days were at hand, she sent her two children away with him, to be cared for by dear friends in Vidarbha.
When all else was lost Pushkara asked his brother to cast the dice for Damayanti; but it was enough. He rose and cast off his jewels and his crown, and took his way out of
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the city where he had been king, followed by Damayanti, clad in a single garment like her lord. Six days they wandered thus, while Pushkara usurped the kingdom. Then Nala saw some birds and would have caught them for food. He cast his single garment like a net upon them, but they rose and flew away, leaving him naked.
As they rose into the air they cried: "Foolish Nala, we are the dice, unsatisfied if thou hast even a single garment left." Then the miserable king turned to his wife and advised her to leave him and find her way to Vidarbha alone ; but she replied : " How can I leave thee alone in the wild forest ? I will rather serve and care for thee, for there is no helper like a wife. Or let us rather go together to Vidarbha, and my father will give us welcome there."
But Nala refused ; he would not return in poverty to Vidarbha, where he had been known as a great king.
Thus they wandered, speaking of their unhappy lot, and coming to a neglected hut, they rested on the ground, and Damayanti slept. Then Kali wrought in Nala's mind to leave his wife; it seemed to him best for her and for himself. A sword lay on the ground ; he drew it forth and severed in two the one garment worn by Damayanti, and put the half upon himself. Twice he left the hut and twice returned, unable to leave his wife behind, and again he went on his way, drawn by Kali, till at last he was far away.
Abandonment:
When Damayanti woke and missed her lord she wept and sobbed with grief and loneliness. But soon she thought of him more than herself, and bewailed his sufferings ; and she prayed that he who brought this suffering upon Nala might suffer tenfold more himself. Vainly she sought her lord, wandering through the forest, till a great serpent seized her. Then a hunter came and slew
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the snake and set her free, and asked her story. She told him all as it had befallen ; but he gazed on her beauty and desired her for himself. Deep was her anger when she saw his purpose, and she cursed him by an act of truth. "As I am true to Nala," she said, "so may this wicked hunter die this instant," and he fell to the ground without a sound.
Still Damayanti wandered through the forest, and the wild beasts did not hurt her ; far she went, weeping for her lord, till at last she came to a lonely hermitage, and bowed to the holy men. They welcomed her as the spirit of the forest or the mountain ; but she told her tale. They answered her with words of comfort and assurance of reunion with her lord. But no sooner had they spoken than the hermits and the hermitage vanished.
After many days she met with a merchants caravan crossing a ford. They, too, welcomed her as a lady of the forest or the river till she told her tale. The merchants answered that they were bound for the city of Subahu, king of Chedi, and they took the weary queen into their company and went on their way. That very night, as the merchants slept, a herd of wild elephants broke into the camp, stampeded all the beasts, and killed more than half the travellers. Those who survived put down all their misfortune to the strange woman they had befriended, and they would have killed her if she had not fled away into the forest again. But after many days wandering she reached the capital of Chedi, and stood by the palace gate like a homeless maniac, dirty, untidy, and half-clad. There the queen of Subahu saw her and received her kindly. When she told her story, the queen appointed her a place where she might live in seclusion, seeing none but holy Brahmans, who might bring news of her husband.
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It was not long that Nala had left his wife when he beheld in the forest a blazing fire, from the midst of which there came a voice saying : " Hurry, O Nala ; haste to help me ; hurry." He ran to the place and beheld a royal naga coiled upon the ground, encircled by the fire. Said the snake : " By Narada's curse, I am encircled by this fire till Nala rescues me ; I am a king of serpents, great of might and wise in manifold hidden lore. Save thou me, and I shall do much for thee." Then Nala lifted him, who could not move of himself because of Narada's curse, from the fiery circle into the cool forest, bearing him ten paces from the fire.
Suddenly the serpent bit him, and his likeness changed ; but the naga assumed his own royal form. Then the naga counselled Nala : " I have by my poison altered thy appearance that men may know thee not. This is for the discomfiture of the demon by whom thou art possessed.
Do thou fare to Ayodhya, where Rituparna is king ; seek service of him as charioteer, and the time shall come when he will exchange with thee his skill in dice for thine in driving. Grieve not, for all that was thine shall be restored. When thou wouldst resume thine own form, think of me and put on thee this tunic." As Nala received the magic garment the naga king vanished away.
Reunion
As foretold, so it befell ; Nala became the charioteer of Rituparna. Meanwhile Bhima's messengers, searching the world for Nala and Damayanti, found the queen at Chedi's capital and brought her home. Again she sent other Brahman messengers to seek for Nala. They were to search the whole world, asking everywhere : " Where art thou gone, O gambler, who didst leave thy wife with half a dress; why dost thou leave me alone?" If any made reply, they were to bring news forthwith. When they came to Ayodhya, Nala, now become the charioteer Vahuka,
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crooked-limbed and little like his former self, made answer to the Brahmans, praising the faith and the forgiveness of women, since one whose husband had deserted her yet bore no malice, but sought him through all the world. This news the Brahmans brought to Vidarbha. Immediately Damayanti sought her mother. "Let the Brahman who comes from Ayodhya," she said, "return thither at once to bring my lord. Let him announce before Rituparna that Damayanti, knowing not whether Nala lives or not, holds a second Swayamvara, and will wed again at dawn on the morrow of the day when he delivers the message. None but Nala may drive a chariot from Ayodhya to Vidarbha in a single day."
When Rituparna heard this message he called his charioteer Vahuka and ordered him to yoke the horses, for he would reach Vidarbha ere the sun set. Vahuka obeyed ; but he said to himself: " Can this be true, or is it a device made for my sake? I shall learn the truth by fulfilling Rituparna's will." Like the wind he drove; once when the king let fall a scarf and would have stayed to recover it, Nala answered : " Nay, time presses, and the scarf is by now five miles behind us." The king wondered who Vahuka might be ; for he knew no driver of horse, save Nala, who might drive so fast and sure. But Rituparna had another gift, the gift of numbers; as they passed a mango-tree he said : " Behold, one hundred fallen fruits, and upon two branches a thousand and ninety-five fruits and fifty million leaves." At once Nala stayed the horses, severed the branches, and counted the fruits ; the number was exact. Nala, in amazement, asked the king the secret of his wisdom ; he answered : " It is born of my skill in gaming." Then Nala offered to exchange his skill in driving for Rituparna's knowledge of numbers;
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and it was agreed. But when Nala received the lore of numbers and skill at dice, immediately Kali left him and assumed his own form. The demon prayed for Nala's mercy, since he had suffered so long from the serpent's poison; and he promised that wheresoever Nala's name was heard the dread of Kali should be unknown.
Then the demon, spared by Nala's grace, entered a blasted tree and disappeared. Then Nala was glad, being freed from his enemy, and mounting the car he drove yet swifter than before ; by nightfall they reached Vidarbha, and the thunder of the chariot-wheels reached the ears of Damayanti, so that she knew that Nala was come.
" If this be not Nala," she said, " I shall die to-morrow. Bhima welcomed his guest and asked the reason of his coming, for he knew nothing of Damayanti's ruse or that Rituparna had come for his daughter's sake. Rituparna, seeing no sign of a Swayamvara, no preparations for the royal guest, answered his host : " I have but come, great Bhima, to give my salutations unto thee." Bhima smiled, for he thought: "Not thus, so far and so fast, does the king of Ayodhya drive for so small a matter." But he let the question drop and courteously appointed chambers and refreshment for the weary king. Vahuka led the horses to the stables, dressed them, caressed them, and sat him down on the chariot-seat.
Damayanti knew not what to think, for, though she managed to catch a glimpse of the car as it arrived, she saw no Nala. Yet, she thought, Nala must be there or Rituparna must have learnt his skill. She sent a messenger to the charioteer, making many inquiries whether he knew aught of Nala. Vahuka answered: "Only Nala's self of Nala knows, and Nala will of himself no sign betray."
Then the messenger again repeated the Brahman's
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question: "Where art thou gone, O gambler?" and in answer Vahuka praised the constancy of women and let fall some witness to his true self ; and the messenger, marking his agitation, returned to Damayanti. She sent the messenger again to keep close watch on the charioteer ; she commanded that no service should be done for him, no water fetched or fire prepared. The messenger reported that the charioteer exhibited divine powers, commanding the elements, fire and water, as he would.
Now more and more Damayanti suspected that this was Nala in disguise. Sending once more, she bade the messenger bring her a morsel cooked by him ; when she tasted it she knew for certain that none but Nala had prepared the dish. Then she sent her children, Indrasena and Indrasen; when the charioteer beheld them he fell a-weeping, so like he thought them to his own long-lost son and daughter. Still he would not reveal himself.
Then Damayanti went to her mother, that the charioteer might be called before her, and it was done. Much was he moved to see her whom he had left in the forest long ago. When she questioned him if he knew naught of Nala, he proclaimed himself and said that the gaming fever and the desertion of his wife were the doing of Kali, not himself. " But how mayst thou, noble lady, leaving thy lord, seek another husband ? For thy second Swayamvara is proclaimed, and it is for that cause that Rituparna has come and I." Then Damayanti explained her ruse and called the gods to witness that she was faithful to the uttermost ; and a voice from Heaven pro claimed : " It is the truth," and flowers fell from the sky and celestial music was heard. Then Nala assumed the magic vest and his own form, and Damayanti came to his arms ; that large-eyed lady found her lord again.
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Great were the joy and surprise throughout the city and the palace when the news of this reunion spread abroad. Rituparna departed with another charioteer, while Nala remained a month at the court of Vidarbha. Then Nala took his way to Nishadha, and came before his brother Pushkara, challenging him to dice, asking him to contend again, this time for their lives. Pushkara answered confidently : " Be it so ; now, at last, Damayanti shall be mine." It was little that Nala did not slay him in his wrath; but he took the dice and threw, and won, and Pushkara lost.
Then Nala pardoned his evil-minded brother and bestowed a city upon him (Pushkar in Rajasthan?), and sent him forth in peace. Nala him self, with Damayanti, ruled in Nishadha, and all men were happy.
In Mahabharata
- Damayanti (दमयन्ती) is mentioned in Mahabharata (V.8.34)[5]....the misery inflicted by the Jatasura and by Kichaka, O illustrious one, all the miseries experienced by Draupadi, like those formerly experienced by Damayanti,--will all, O hero, end in joy!
दमयन्ती
दमयन्ती विदर्भ नरेश भीम की पुत्री थी जो हंस द्वारा गुण श्रवण करके निषादराज नल पर अनुरक्त हो गई थी. उसने स्वयम्बर में देवताओं तथा अन्य राजाओं को छोडकर नल को ही वरमाला पहनाई. परिणाम स्वरूप कुपित होकर कलि ने उन्हें अनेक कष्ट दिए. राजा नल और दमयंती के विहार का वर्णन मिलता है.
External links
References
- ↑ Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. pp. 109, 191, 282, 316. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
- ↑ C.Kunhan Raja. Survey of Sanskrit Literature. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 136, 146–148.
- ↑ ibek Debroy. The Mahabharata, 10 Volumes by B. Debroy. pp. 1111–1121.
- ↑ Doniger, Wendy; Doniger, Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Religions Wendy; O'Flaherty, Wendy Doniger (15 April 1999). Splitting the Difference: Gender and Myth in Ancient Greece and India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 141–142. ISBN 978-0-226-15641-5.
- ↑ जटासुरात परिक्लेशः कीचकाच च महाद्युते, द्रौपद्याधिगतं सर्वं दमयन्त्या यथाशुभम (V.8.34
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