Chapter 7

Karkotaka's Bite

A serpent trapped in a burning forest bit Nala — and that same bite changed the king's form, and burned the Kali seated within him

A voice in the fire

After leaving Damayanti, Nala wandered the forest. At one point he heard a voice from within the flames — "Save me, righteous one! I am trapped here under Narada's curse."

Nala looked toward the voice — a serpent, Karkotaka, was trapped in the flames. Nala began lifting him out.

As he carried him clear, Karkotaka suddenly shrank to the size of a thumb. He said — "Count ten steps." Nala counted. On the tenth step, Karkotaka bit him.

What the bite changed

The moment the bite landed, Nala's form changed — dark-skinned, short, and unattractive. Karkotaka explained — "I have changed your form so that no one can recognise you. The Kali seated within you will now burn from my venom, until you are free of him."

Karkotaka went on — "Go to Ayodhya and live under King Rituparna as Bahuka. He knows the secret of dice. When the time comes, learn that skill from him, and give him your own mastery of horses in return — then your wife, your children and your kingdom will all be restored to you." Karkotaka also promised that Nala would be safe from venomous creatures and enemies. He gave Nala two divine garments as well, so that at the right time he could regain his true form.

Bahuka, in Ayodhya

Nala reached Ayodhya on the tenth day and presented himself to Rituparna as Bahuka — skilled in horses and in cooking. Rituparna made him master of the stables at a salary of ten thousand. Varshneya and Jivala became his assistants.

Every evening Bahuka would hum a verse — "Where is she now, hungry and thirsty, exhausted, wandering after me? Whom must she be waiting for?" When Jivala asked about it, he said it was the story of a man who had betrayed and abandoned his wife, and now regretted it.

Note: This episode marks the turning point where Nala's fall, at its lowest, begins to reverse in the Nalopakhyana. Toward the end of the story comes a verse that speaks of the glory of four names — Karkotaka, Damayanti, Nala and Rituparna; a hint of it appears already in this chapter. Bahuka's evening verse is in the original text, and becomes the thread that leads Damayanti to him in a later chapter. The English dialogue lines are flowing paraphrases of the Sanskrit verses, not word-for-word translations.

Source: Mahabharata, Vana Parva — Nalopakhyana, Karkotaka's Bite

Now — how much stayed with you?

What happened?

Whose voice did Nala hear in the burning forest?

  • A sage's
  • A bird's
  • The serpent Karkotaka's
  • Damayanti's
Read the whole story — A serpent trapped in fire

Nala was wandering the forest when he heard a voice from within the fire.

It was the serpent Karkotaka, trapped there under Narada's curse.

Nala began pulling him out of the fire.

What happened?

What did Karkotaka do while being carried out of the fire?

  • Shrank to the size of a thumb, asked Nala to count ten steps, and bit him on the tenth
  • Flew away
  • Thanked Nala and left
  • Blessed Nala and flew off
Read the whole story — Ten steps, one bite

Karkotaka shrank to the size of a thumb.

He asked Nala to count ten steps.

On the tenth step he bit Nala — not an injury, but a purpose.

Why is that?

Why did Karkotaka bite Nala?

  • To punish him
  • To show off his power
  • By accident
  • To change Nala's form so he could not be recognised, and to burn the Kali seated within him
Read the whole story — One bite, two purposes

The bite left Nala ugly and dark-skinned, unrecognisable.

Karkotaka's venom began burning the Kali seated within Nala.

This bite was not an injury, but Karkotaka's way of helping.

What happened?

Where did Karkotaka tell Nala to go, and to do what?

  • To Vidarbha, to serve King Bhima
  • To Ayodhya, to serve King Rituparna under the name Bahuka
  • To Chedi, to meet Sunanda
  • Straight back to Nishadha
Read the whole story — A new name, a new city

Karkotaka told Nala to go to Ayodhya and serve Rituparna.

His new name — Bahuka.

He was to learn the secret of dice from Rituparna, giving his own mastery of horses in return.

Fact

What did Karkotaka give Nala for the future, so he could regain his true form at the right time?

  • Two divine garments
  • A mantra
  • A ring
  • A sword
Read the whole story — A means of regaining form

Karkotaka gave Nala two divine garments.

Wearing these garments, Nala would later regain his true form.

Until then, he would remain in the form of Bahuka.

What happened?

How did Nala introduce himself on reaching Ayodhya?

  • As a prince
  • As a merchant
  • As a wandering ascetic
  • As one skilled in horses and cooking, named Bahuka
Read the whole story — Bahuka's introduction

Nala told Rituparna his name was Bahuka.

He said he was skilled in horses and in cooking.

Rituparna made him master of the stables at a salary of ten thousand.

Whose son?

Who became Bahuka's (Nala's) assistants in Ayodhya — recall it?

  • Jivala alone
  • Both Varshneya and Jivala
  • Varshneya alone
  • Both of Rituparna's own sons
Read the whole story — Two assistants

Varshneya, who had earlier been Nala's own charioteer, was now serving Rituparna.

Jivala also became Bahuka's assistant.

Episodes involving both of them come up later in the story.

What happened?

What did Bahuka do every evening?

  • Bathed in the river
  • Fell asleep while tending the horses
  • Hummed a verse about a hungry, thirsty, exhausted woman
  • Went to meet King Rituparna
Read the whole story — A nightly refrain

Every evening Bahuka repeated the same verse — asking where that woman was, whom she was waiting for.

This verse was really about Damayanti, though Bahuka kept it hidden.

Asked about it, he called it the story of some other man.

Why is that?

Why did Bahuka tell Jivala that his evening verse was about someone else's story?

  • Because he had forgotten Damayanti
  • Because Jivala disliked the story
  • Because the verse was someone else's composition
  • Because he wanted to keep his true identity hidden
Read the whole story — A hidden grief

Both Bahuka's true form and his name were disguised.

Revealing his wife's sorrow openly could have exposed his identity.

So he told it as though it were another man's story.

Riddle

I am a serpent, trapped in fire under Narada's curse. The one who saved me is the very one I bit — but my bite was not an injury, it was help. Who am I?

  • Karkotaka
  • Vasuki
  • Sheshanaga
  • Takshaka
Read the whole story — A bite that helped

Karkotaka was the serpent trapped in fire; Nala saved him.

In return he bit Nala, changing his form and beginning to burn Kali within him.

He was the one who showed Nala the way to Ayodhya and the name Bahuka.