Damayantī’s Choice

Author: Traditional

Time Period: 1 CE–500 CE

Country or Culture: India

Genre: Myth

PLOT SUMMARY

The Mahābhārata is a lengthy and complicated set of interwoven tales. The main plot is driven by the struggle between two factions to gain control of a northern Indian kingdom. These two groups, the Kauravas and Pāndavas, use diplomacy, trickery, and violence to defeat one another and gain political superiority.

In one episode, the two factions gamble with magical dice. The dice belong to a dishonest ally of the Kauravas named Shakuni, who uses them to cause the Pāndavas to lose everything, including their own freedom and that of their collective wife, Draupadī. After the Kaurava brothers mistreat Draupadī, she appeals to the god Krishna, who intervenes on her behalf. This moves the leader of the Kaurava family to free the Pāndavas, but they are sent into exile in the forest for twelve years.

The Pāndava brothers are deeply ashamed of having been lured into the Kaurava trap through their desire to gamble. While they are in the forest, the Pāndavas are visited by a number of wise men, who tell them stories of others’ sufferings. One of the men, the venerated sage Brihadaswa, tells the Pāndavas the story of Nala and Damayantī. The first part of the story is often called “Damayantī’s Choice.”

The sage describes how once upon a time a king of Vidarbha had a daughter named Damayantī. She was considered the most beautiful woman in the world, and people everywhere spoke of her grace and virtue. Meanwhile, there was a king of the Nishādha tribe who had a son named Nala. Nala was also said to have excellent personal qualities. Hearing wonderful tales of the princess Damayantī, he fell in love with her.

One day, the prince catches a golden goose (or swan) with magical powers. It agrees to go to Damayantī and tell her of Nala’s passion for her. Once it finds Damayantī, the goose tells her of a handsome prince who wishes to marry her. Damayantī replies that she is not interested if the man is not Nala, as she secretly loves him. When the bird says it is Nala, Damayantī is overjoyed.

In time, Damayantī’s father, the king of Vidarbha, announces that there will be a tournament of suitors so that the princess can choose a husband. Hundreds of princes from all over India come to try to win Damayantī’s hand in marriage. She is so beautiful that even several of the gods want her for a wife, including Agni, the god of fire; Indra, the sky god; Varuna, the lord of the celestial ocean and the underworld; and Yama, the god of death.

On his way to the tournament, Nala comes across four glorious chariots. He knows that no mortals can ride in such splendid vehicles, so he bows down in worship. The gods in the chariots charge him with delivering Damayantī the message that they are coming to win her hand as a bride. When Nala mysteriously finds himself in Damayantī’s room at the palace, he delivers the news of the immortal suitors. She responds by telling Nala to be at the tournament, as she wants him, and the choice is hers to make.

Knowing that Damayantī favors Nala, the four gods take on his appearance to trick her, so that there are five suitors at the tournament who look like Nala. Damayantī responds by appealing to all the gods to give her the power to tell her true love from the imposters. She then notices that only one has a shadow and sweat on his forehead and that the flower garland he wears is slightly faded. Damayantī realizes that this man is the real Nala, as his minor imperfections mark him as truly human, allowing her to distinguish him from the four gods who seek to mislead her.

SIGNIFICANCE

Along with the Rāmāyana, the Mahābhārata is one of the two great classical Indian epics. According to traditional belief, the writing of Mahābhārata is attributed to the renowned sage Vyasa, as are other Hindu holy books, including the Vedas and Puranas. Modern scholarship has determined that the Mahābhārata was, in fact, composed over many centuries, combining a number of stories that were passed along orally through generations, and that it has been written and rewritten numerous times. The version of the Mahābhārata as it is known today probably took shape around the fourth century CE, and its earliest forms probably date back to before 500 BCE.

The Mahābhārata is acknowledged as one of the most popular compilations of tales of all time, and it remains a favorite story cycle in much of Asia. In India’s medieval period, lasting from approximately the eight century to the eighteenth century CE, it was translated into many languages throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, strongly influencing the literary traditions of many cultures in the region. In some places, including the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India, episodes of the Mahābhārata form the basis for still-active temple cults.

Although it is peripheral to the main narrative of the struggle between the Kauravas and Pāndavas, the story of Damayantī and Nala has always been considered one of the most enjoyable parts of the overall epic. The first part, often known as “Damayantī’s Choice,” is a romantic story, a tribute to the power of love. Moreover, it is a testament to what it means to be human and to have imperfections, and to the fact that these imperfections are lovable.

“Damayantī’s Choice” is just the beginning of the account of Damayantī and Nala. The rest of the story recounts how the goddess Kālī, jealous of the couple’s love, infects Nala with a destructive desire to gamble. Despite Nala’s ill luck, Damayantī’s love remains true. Overall, the story of Damayantī and Nala is a tale of the ups and downs of human fortunes, fittingly told to the Pāndavas as they are living in exile in the forest.

As a result of her commitment to her husband in bad times as well as good, Damayantī is regarded as a model of fidelity. This makes her an important symbol of the feminine ideal, as medieval Indian culture believed that a wife should be selflessly devoted to her husband no matter what his fate. The appeal of the story of Damayantī and Nala, then, lies not only in its romantic beginning but also in its depiction of the enduring and patient nature of true love.

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