A Timeless Tale of Love From The Depths Of the Indian Subcontinent

Richard Bach once said, "True love stories never have endings." Reading a love tale is always wonderful, and the more you read, the more the love grows. The story of Nala and Damyanti is a love story that remains etched in the minds of the audience ever since it was first introduced to them.

The unforgettable tale of Nala and Damyanti; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The story of Nala and Damyanti is one of India's most romantic love stories. The book The Love Story of Nala and Damyanti, written by Nilanjana Roy, is a retelling of the story of two young lovers who are inseparable even when they fight and disagree. This tale is one of the most touching and heartwarming of all the love stories found in Hindu mythology. This saga of love begins with the Pandavas losing in the gambling match at Hastinapur. Yudhishthir lost everything he had, including himself, to win the dice game. Disappointed after the humiliating loss, all the Pandavas were pretty upset. It was then that Sage Brihadasva came to their rescue and told them a tale of King Nala and Queen Damyanti. Despite going through numerous adversities and suffering, their love for each other was so strong that nothing could stop them from finding their way to peace.

The entire tale of Nala and Damyanti was narrated in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata. The story states the importance of Bhakti, and just like any other love story, this tale, too, is laced with its fair share of love, war, deceit and reunions. It is said that their story is quite similar to that of the Pandavas. Hence, Sage Brihadasva thought it appropriate to narrate the tale to give the Pandavas an essential dose of motivation. Before starting the story, let's have a look at some lines that were written in the Nalopakhyanam in the Mahabharata:

Karkotasya naagasya Damayantyaa Nalasya cha Rituparnasya rajarashe kirtanam Kali-naashanam

It means: Reciting the story of Karkotaka, the serpent, of Damayanti and Nala, and of the royal sage, King Rituparna, destroys the evil effects of the Kali age.

The sage starts narrating the tale by telling Yudhishthir that everything will eventually become alright, though things have fallen apart. There was yet another king in the past who was quite similar to Yudhishthir, and he, too, lost everything, including his entire kingdom, in a game of dice.

Before getting onto their love story, the sage narrated the story of the female protagonist, Damyanti. The daughter of King Bhima of Vidarbha, Damyanti, announced that she would marry only through a swayamvara, where she would choose her future husband. When the swayamvara was conducted, princes and kings from near and far kingdoms and gods came to attend it, hoping to win her heart. Damyanti looked ethereal, and her beauty captured everyone in her kingdom, as well as in other domains, including even the gods of heaven. Indra, Yama, Agni, and Varuna were also smitten by her charm, beauty, and intelligence.

When the swayamvara began, the four gods formulated a plan and tried to play a trick on her so she would be forced to choose one of them as her husband. However, even before anything could go according to plan, Damyanti was already in love with King Nala of Nishadha. This happened when a golden hamsa, or swan, came into the picture and played the mediator between the two. Nala captured a swan one day. The swan screamed for freedom and assured Nala that if he would be liberated, he would sing Nala's praises to Damyanti. Nala acceded and brought the swan to Damyanti, who sang accolades for him before Damyanti. Going according to the will of her heart, she chose King Nala in the swayamvara, and they got married. After marriage, everything was going well until their ill fate started chasing their happy lives. The spirit of the evil age, Kali, who had also been a contender for Damayanti's hand, had decided to avenge himself upon the young couple. After numerous planning and plotting, he did everything he could to make Nala and Damyanti’s relationship tumultuous.

Everything went downhill- Nala lost his wealth and kingdom to his brother, and at one point, he even lost his wife. But their love was too strong to even dwindle in the face of these obstacles. Nala would win back everything from the advice offered to him by a king who employed him as a charioteer. After telling this uplifting story, the sage left, noting that the simple repeating of this story cleanses all sins. Nala and Damyanti's love story has been narrated countless times to bring an end to all the evils or tell the new generations the power of love. Everyone has a story. It may be about someone close or about events that happened years ago. Everyone is important and holds a special meaning. Sometimes, we just have to open ourselves up to the possibilities surrounding love stories and see what happens when we tell them.

‘Mahabharata’ and this love story have been mentioned in various texts, including the epic of ‘Ramayana’, Samhitas, Brahmanas, Puranas, and many others. Presently, this tale has fascinated not only Indian authors but people from all around the globe. A famous German poet translated the entire love story from Sanskrit to German and sent it for publication in the early 1800s. He also made sure to include an exciting illustration where Damyanti could be seen listening to the golden hamsa with rapt attention.

Now that we have ended this beautiful saga of love, we realize that love is the most beautiful thing in this world. Whether you are young or old, it makes no difference. Love can never be reduced to a tradeable commodity like any other worldly object. Without love, there is no life! Love stories have always been the favorite topic for most book lovers, especially Indian writers. This is visible from the many popular love stories being written day in and day out, of which the love story of Nala and Damyanti is one such iconic one.