Nala was banished to the forest
- Author: Vid. Shri Ramavittalacharya
- Translator: Smt. Chomini Prakash
- Read part II here
Bemoaning that he could not have Damayanti, Kali became resolute to wreak havoc in the blissful marital life of Nala – Damayanti, with the assistance of Dwapara. Kali conspired to drive away Nala from his kingdom by possessing Nala and persuading him to gamble, while his accomplice Dwapara would enter into and influence the dice to the detriment of Nala.
Kali stood beside Nala looking for an opportune time to enter and possess him. He waited by for twelve years. There wasn’t an iota of laxity in the observance of religious duties by Nala. After the twelfth year elapsed, one day, Nala answered the call of nature, purified himself by performing achamana and sat down to perform sandhyavandana. Nala had not washed his feet and was thus impure. Kali seized the moment and possessed Nala immediately. In another form, Kali appeared before Pushkara and urged him thus: “Invite Nala to a game of dice. All of his possessions shall be yours. I shall aid you in this endeavor.”
Pushkara invited Nala to gamble. Nala acceded to the request. All his well-wishers implored him to refrain from gambling. Nala did not pay heed. He drowned in the game. The ministers, along with the citizens, arrived at the palace to obviate Nala from gambling. Damayanti submitted, “Oh king! The ministers have arrived with the subjects to beseech you! Attend to them.” Nala ignored Damayanti’s plea. Realizing that it was impossible to forbid Nala, the ministers and citizens returned dejected.
The game went on for months. Once again, Damayanti pondered upon all that Nala had lost thus far and all that remained. She sent her attendant Brihatsena to call upon the council of ministers. The ministers arrived. Damayanti exhorted Nala to meet the ministers. Yet again, her words were disregarded. Damayanti was perturbed. The ministers had to return without meeting with Nala. The gamble progressed. This time around, Damayanti instructed her attendant to summon Varshneya, the trusted charioteer of Nala. She spoke to him thus, “Nala is absorbed in the game of dice. The more Pushkara wins, the greater becomes Nala’s ardour for the game. He has shunned the counsel of the ministers and myself. You must assist me. Harness the chariot with Nala’s noted and swift horses and drive my daughter Indrasene and son Indrasena to Kundinapura and leave them at the palace of my father. Thereafter, with the chariot and the horses, you may either choose to stay there or go to another place that suits you. May this treasure at least be retained.”
Varshneya reported the orders he received from the queen to the ministers, and after consultation with them, he took Nala’s children, chariot and horses to Vidarbha and handed them over to the custody of the King Bhima. He took leave and sauntered around thinking of Nala. He then approached King Rituparna of Ayodhya and with a heavy heart, took up the post of a charioteer there.
Hither, Nala had wagered all his wealth and lost. Pushkara laughed at him mockingly and said, “What else have you to stake? You have lost everything to me. All that remains with you now is your wife Damayanti. If you wish, you may stake her and have the game going. You could perhaps win back all that you have lost to me.”
Those words pierced through Nala’s heart. He blazed with outrage. However, he sat still without uttering a word. Regaining composure quickly, he stated that he had another offering for the wager and took off his upper garment and all his ornaments, staked them and lost yet again. He was left with a single piece of garment. At this point, he forfeited the game. Having lost all his wealth, empty-handed, with just a piece of cloth to cover himself, he walked out of the kingdom. Damayanti too discarded her royal robes, clad herself in a single piece of cloth and followed Nala. Nala, along with his consort, spent three nights at the outskirts of the kingdom. Pushkara took over the reign and pronounced death sentence to any subject who would set out to render help to Nala! Fearing the wrath of Pushkara, none of the citizens were hospitable towards Nala. He spent three nights drinking only water. Nala again walked ahead. Damayanti followed him. Few days after they lost sleep due to hunger, they spotted a flock of birds. Famished, Nala decided to feed on them and flung his garment towards the birds, with the hope of catching them with it. However, the birds picked the cloth and rose into the sky. Deprived of his attire, Nala stood exposed!
Nala became addicted to the game of dice due to the affliction of Kali and became relegated to the streets. He was stripped off his clothing. Addiction to any kind of gambling or vices will strip us of all our wealth and bring us to the streets. We will lose our home, religion, town, grains and food. We witness this ill fate befalling innumerable families, owing to the vices of the men within the family. No matter how many times one loses, there is always a desire to try one more time. In the hope of winning this time around, like Nala, the common man too gets caught up in the whirl and ultimately falls down with a thud.
Damayanti’s fortitude and prudence must be noted. Albeit unsuccessful in her effort to prevent Nala from downfall, Damayanti constantly kept exhibiting tacit, in accordance with her strength and ability. She succeeded in safeguarding Nala’s chariot, horses, his children and charioteer who was dear to him. Damayanti fell in love with and married King Nala. Even when Nala lost everything and had to live in the forest, she followed him with just as much love. She was the anchorage for his heart. Unlike the educated, intellectual women of today, she didn’t choose separation and abandon him. No matter what a man loses, having his loving wife by his side is his greatest strength. Although Nala was shamed and had turned destitute, unlike the educated male lions of today, he didn’t choose to end his life. People of the modern era, aren’t they such an ignoramus couple?!
… To be continued
