Nala

Word of Damayanti’s beauty reached Nala, king of Nishadha, while she heard of him in Vidarbha. Though they had not met, each longed to know the other. In a grove near his inner quarters, Nala caught a golden-winged swan. The bird asked him to spare it and promised to speak of him to Damayanti. Nala released it, and the swans flew to Vidarbha. The bird praised Nala to Damayanti; she sent word that he should speak to her in the same way. The swan returned to Nishadha and told Nala what she had said.

King Bhima arranged a gathering where Damayanti could choose a husband. On the road, Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama met Nala and asked him to carry their proposal to her. Nala said he also wanted to marry Damayanti, but the gods reminded him that he had given his word. He entered her chamber and delivered their message. Damayanti answered that she had already chosen him and asked him to return that answer to the gods. Nala did so.

At the gathering, Damayanti saw five men with the same appearance and could not tell which was Nala. She remembered what she had heard about the gods’ signs and prayed for their help. She asked them to show their true forms because she had chosen the king of Nishadha. They answered her request. The gods neither sweated nor blinked, cast no shadows and did not touch the ground; their garlands remained fresh. Nala stood on the earth, cast a shadow, perspired and blinked, while dust had faded his garland. Damayanti recognised him and placed a garland on his shoulders. The assembled kings lamented, while the gods and sages praised her choice. The gods granted Nala boons and returned to their world. Nala and Damayanti married, and he protected his people and ruled according to dharma.