Damayanti's Love (3000 Bc)

Nala once ruled kingdom of Nishada, With Maha Virldapuram as Capital. Damayanti was princess and daughter Of Vima, king of Vidarpa kingdom. Nala and Damayanti story stands For its love component between the pair And for its doctrine of Krama that hit The couple hard from their past misdeeds.1 Nala saw a swan floating on the lake Close to the bank and got it out of love. The swan, pleased with the king's favour, told him Of a fair princess named Damayanti. ‘Silk-sheathed shafts of slim bamboo was her Slender arms fully fit to match with thine.' Even ere the swan's speech has smote Nala, God of love's arrow smote his breast inside.2 The swan described her virtues and beauty: 'The Virtues four her armed troops, Her senses five her Earls-in-chief, Her anklets sounding a martial strain, Her eyes for lance and sword, beneath The crescent banner of her brow She rules her Kingdom chaste and good, The Estate of Womanhood.' 3 The swan continued telling her structure: 'Her swelling breasts twin vernal hills Where youth his freshest grace bestowed; Her slender waist doth seem to be A shaft too frail to bear that load; And heeding this in sympathy Her tinkling anklets as in pain Clash out a mournful strain.'4 'Her speech is ruddy nectar sweet, And beneath her coiling ringlets black Her brow shines like the crescent moon That swan-like form whose graceful gait Disgraces every swan that vies, The monarch meditating swoons With love, and languorously cries' Nala fell in love at hearing about her.5 ‘And where my raging spirit calm? Her breasts shall yield me fragrant mead, Her honeyed words shall be my balm Her rose-wreathed tress shall shade my head, Her scalloped navel leaves me cool In its pellucid pool', he longed. To plead his cause with the princess. The swan flew away to Damayanti.6 'A Prince I saw whose martial mien Might any maiden's mind aspires; Nor earth nor heaven knows his peer And boundless is his sceptred sway' 'Nala, the flower of chivalry And crown of magnanimity, A spouse most meet for thee. ‘ Narrated the swan to Damayanti.7 'Oh, how describe his eye benign, Or how declare his soul sincere? And for his valiant victor arms In this wide world where find the peer? If Vishnu vies not, the Violet-eyed, Of mortal monarchs who would dare With Nala to compare? '. At hearing these, Damayanti fell in love with Nala in turn.8 Her golden lustre gently faded, Her cheek forgot his ruddy gleam. Her maiden musing all enthralled By that so passionate narration Foretastes her lover's fond embrace In exquisite anticipation; And, gazing on her heaving breasts, Her eyes were in innocent collusion.9 Back to her chamber, she returned, Flung down in vain, worn weariness The heaving breasts, the burning brow; Disordered lay the braided tress That o'er the snowy coverlet spread Like a lone palm-tree's sable shadow That now she had no strength to rise And lift the curtain of the dawn? 10 Damayanti's lovesickness was known to maids, And then to parents, which resulted in Conducting swayamvara- the princess Choosing her mate from the invited kings. Demi gods - Indira, Yama, Agni and Varuna Took interests in getting the princess. Indra bid Nala to act as their man To press their suit with sweet Damayanti.11 Nala got entry into the chamber Of the princes by Indra's magic spell. He spoke Indra's suit and concealed his, Disclosing his identity. Damiayanti guessed the truth and promised Her betrothal garland to Nala. Nala returned to Indra and told Of Damayanti's choice, deadly.12 Royal suitors entered the Hall Of the Swayamvaram that day. Damayanti entered the Hall. She moved a gentle doe-fawn queening In rose-apparelled elegance, As Damayanti passed down the line Of suitors, one of her maids-in-waiting Described each prince in turn.13 But lastly when she came to tell Of Nala and of Nishada land, By Nala's side in Nala's shape The four great gods descending stood; The princess' mind in wonder whirled; Damayanti prayed to Brahma for help To distinguish the true Nala; Her prayer was answered in time.14 She was able to remember Four Attributes of Divinity: The feet that never touch the ground, The sleepless eyes that never wink, The ethereal forms that cast no shade, The flowers that never fade. Damayanti distinguished Nala And garlanded him in relief.15 Nala and Damayanti passed hand in hand Through the disappointed suitors. The gods retrieving to heaven met The demon, Kali, who arrived late. ‘That pair shall surely rue.' vowed Kali out of jealousy, losing The chance to claim Damayanti. The marriage was consummated.16 For peerless prince a peerless bride; Two hearts, two bodies throbbed as one Blended in nuptial unison; The broad field of his bosom bathed In rippling tresses sable-shining, While from her sandal-fragrant sweetness In torrent-streams of living fire Flowed rivers of desire from the pair.17 Nala and Damayanti lived happily In Vindapuram for twelve long years. A boy and a girl were born to them. Kali all these years was watching Nala To catch him on a fault that he did When he did daily ablution, leaving A peck of dirt unwashed at his ankle. Then Kali took possession of his soul.18 Kali incited Nala's brother Pushkara to challenge Nala to play at dice. Under Kali's spell Nala consented, And by Kali's will, Pushkara won from him his kingdom, his treasure and all possessions. Nala refused to stake Damayanti As a final wager, and they set off In a journey knowing not where to go.19 The children were sent to parents' home Through a passing Brahman as they went weary. Nala declined to seek hospitality As a poor elation in his father-in-law's house And Damayanti declined to go without him. They sheltered for a night in a ruined cell. They composed themselves to rest on the hard earth, Wrapped in the one robe they now possessed.20 His noble frame upon the sand With her head upon his hand; To see upon his love descend This night of terrors and despair! To see those limbs condemned to rest Upon the hard earth's bosom bare! ‘Should not these eyeballs turn to dust, This soul leave of his lodging take? ' 21 Kali incited Nala to abandon her. They had nothing but her sari to cover them, Since Kali in the guise of a bird had flown off With Nala's cloak; Nala divided the saree With a knife, and, wrapping one half around him, Stole out into the night to go away. Damayanti woke and found him missing. She went tracking his footprint in the sand.22 She stumbled over a python, and rescued From its hold by a hunter with lustful eyes. She burnt him to ashes with a glance of her eyes. An honest merchant took her in his chariot And conveyed her to the town of Chedi. There she wandered disconsolate in the streets And got the mercy of the Chedi queen Who helped her through her father's envoy reach home.23 Nala on the way rescued a serpent From a forest-fire, and it from its bite Changed him as an ugly dwarf and gave him Three robes to restore his shape when in time. At the serpent's bidding, Nala journeyed To Oudh and became King Rutuparna's Cook and charioteer under the name of Vahuvan. Damayanti sent a brahmin to find Nala.24 Brahman met Nala, who heard his riddle; ‘Will e'er the perfect prince forsake His lady leal in loathsome dark? ' Hearing what brahmin said of him Nala came forward and justified thus; ‘All fates that in this life befall Are but the fruit in woe or bliss Of other lives than this, the Karma.'25 Confirming Nala's existence In disguise, Damayanti pretended For her a second swayamvara. Rutuparna got the invitation Nala was at first dumbfounded By Damayanti's seeming disloyalty. Could it be from the chaste woman That such like announcement had come? 26 Nala was to be Rutuparna's Charioteer to reach Damayannti. That time he behaved as Indra's Envoy for her, who was his love, To seek her consent for Indra. This time he took Rutuparna To Damayanti, who was his wife, To attend her swayamvara.27 But Nala's unrelenting whip Had sped the chariot, ere the words Could Rutuparna's will convey, Full four score leagues away. On the way, Rutuparna taught Nala About mathematics and he in turn Taught him about the charioteer. They reached and retired from journey.28 Kali's ill is broken and Nala is freed. Damayanti recognized Nala in disguise. 'The hands that was wont to thrill my breasts And my dishevelled locks to tire, The hands that decked my throat with gems, Are grimed and blackened in the fire.' She sighed, and dreamed of other days Of all the joy his beauty wrought.29 Nala put on the robe and regained form. Damayanti and children found their king. Nala now possessed skills and knowledge To beat Putkara at dice to get back His kingdom, possessions and the glory. They reunited and returned To claim his rule of Nishada. The gods blessed the reunited pair.30 ‘I won't catch whoever listened your story' Demon Kali resolved to Nala 15.10.2020 Puhalendi Pulavar of 13th century wrote Nala story in Tamil, based on the materials found in the Mahabharata in Sanskrit by Vyasa, who lived during 3rd millennium BC. M. C Langton translated the tamil version of it into English in 1948, which is based for coining this poem. This story was told to Yudhister in the Mahabharata, who lost his kingdom, brothers and wife to his cousin in dice, so to appease and assuage him.