Five Nalas

Four gods took on the form of one king, and a princess had to recognise the real one by the truth of her own love

Four gods on the road

On his way to the swayamvara, Nala met Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama along the road. All four also desired Damayanti.

They said to Nala — "Be our messenger. Go to Damayanti and tell her to choose one of us."

Nala said — "I want Damayanti for myself. How can I do this?" But a promise made before the gods could not be taken back. Nala agreed.

Unseen, in the palace

By the power of the gods, Nala slipped past the guards and reached Damayanti's chamber directly, unseen. He delivered the message from Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama.

Damayanti listened, then said — "I have already chosen you, Nala. But since you tell me this message comes from the gods, I will choose in front of everyone, at the swayamvara itself — you be there, and let them be there too. Whatever is to happen, let it happen before all."

Nala returned and told the gods what Damayanti had answered.

Five Nalas at the swayamvara

On the day of the swayamvara, as Damayanti walked forward with the garland, she saw five identical Nalas seated before her. Four gods had taken on Nala's exact form.

Damayanti stopped short. She closed her eyes and prayed — "If what I chose in my heart, on hearing the swan, is true, then let the gods themselves show me the real Nala."

Her prayer worked. The marks that belong to gods — eyes that never blink, skin without sweat, feet that do not touch the ground, garlands that never wilt — suddenly became visible. The real Nala had sweat, dust, a shadow, blinking eyes, and a garland slightly wilted.

Damayanti placed the garland around the real Nala's neck.

Eight boons

The gods were pleased. Even in losing, they showed no anger — instead they gave Nala boons.

Indra granted that Nala would be able to see him at sacrifices, and would reach an auspicious realm after death. Agni said he would appear before Nala whenever wished, and that Nala would in the end reach a realm as radiant as fire itself. Yama gave him an extraordinary gift for flavour in cooking, and excellence in dharma. Varuna said he would appear before Nala whenever wished, and that Nala would receive garlands of divine fragrance.

Having given eight boons, the four gods returned to heaven.

Note: This is one of the best-known episodes of the Nalopakhyana. The divine marks — unblinking eyes, sweatless skin, feet that do not touch the ground, undying garlands — are, in the original story, exactly the test by which Damayanti recognises Nala. The precise division of the boons varies a little between translations; the commonly found version is used here. In Damayanti's swayamvara, four major gods — Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama — appear directly as suitors. Some scholars have read the prominence of this Vedic group of gods as a sign of an old layer in the story. Later in the story, Vayu too testifies to Damayanti's purity. The English dialogue lines are flowing paraphrases of the Sanskrit verses, not word-for-word translations.

Source: Mahabharata, Vana Parva — Nalopakhyana, Five Nalas