Character

Nala

नल

king of Nishadha

verses
658
books
8
chapters
61
Consort of
Damayanti

What the texts say

In the Mahabharata, Nala, king of Nishadha and Virasena's son, discerned dharma and artha and was handsome and skilled with horses. Mahabharata 3.49.39, 3.50.1 Damayanti, daughter of the king of Vidarbha, grew unsettled in mind for Nala after a swan's words, and chose him. Mahabharata 3.51.1, 3.54.25Mahabharata (Gita Press) 3.64.33 Kali, angry, entered Nala and urged Pushkara to play dice with him, and Pushkara won his kingdom. Mahabharata 3.55.12, 3.56.4Mahabharata (Gita Press) 3.61.1 Nala left Damayanti asleep in the forest, and the serpent Karkotaka's bite made his form vanish. Mahabharata 3.74.9, 3.63.11 Nala, told to go to Ayodhya as the charioteer Bahuka, was later recognised by Damayanti as the king. Mahabharata 3.63.19Mahabharata (Gita Press) 3.75.23

Where to read

Every verse that names Nala, book by book.

  1. Mahabharata

    640 verses · 49 chapters

    All 640 verses in the Mahabharata

    Also in the Gita Press edition: 534 verses

    • 3.70.3

      Jab kapda gir gaya to raja jaldi mein Nala se bola. Raja ne kaha main us kapde ko lekar aata hoon.

    • 3.69.2

      Main Vidarbha jaana chahta hoon Damayanti ke swayamvar ke liye. Tum ghodon ke baare mein sab jaante ho. Agar tumhe lagta hai ki ek din mein pahunch sakte hain, to batao.

    • 3.58.1

      Brihadashv ne kaha, jab Nala jua khelne gaya, Pushkar ne uski poori kingdom jeet li. Jo bhi paisa daulat thi, woh bhi le li.

  2. Bhagavatam

    5 verses · 1 chapter

    • 12.3.9

      Shukaji ne kaha ki bahut bade raja hue is duniya mein. Prithu, Pururava, Gadhi, Nahush, Bharat, Arjun, Mandhata, Sagar, Ram, Khatwang, Dhundhu, Raghu. Trinbindu, Yayati, Sharyati, Shantanu, Gaya. Bhagirath, Kuvalayashv, Kakutsth, Nishadh…

    • 12.3.10

      Lekin bhagwan, yeh sab raja mujhmein phanse hue the. Unka mann bas ismein laga tha. Phir bhi waqt ne unko khatam kar diya. Ab bas kahaniyon mein reh gaye hain. Koi bhi apna raj thik se nahi bana saka.

    • 12.3.11

      Yeh sab bade raja the, bahut taakatwale the. Lekin sab ka kaam waqt ke saath khatam ho gaya. Ab log unko sirf kahaniyon mein yaad karte hain. Koi bhi apna raj chala ke nahi chhod saka.

  3. Skanda Purana

    4 verses · 3 chapters

    • 3.3.4.43

      Tum mujhe apna pati banaogi. Jaise Damayanti ne Nala ko choose kiya tha. Main sab rajaon ko haraunga. Phir tumhe paa kar main apna banaunga. Tum to sundar ho hi.

    • 3.3.9.30

      Dono brahmin bete raja ki baat maan ke pati-patni ban gaye. Woh Nishadh desh chale gaye. Soche, jo hoga dekha jayega.

    • 3.3.13.63

      Rishabh ne raja ko samjhaya ki tum is ladki ko Bhadrayush ko de do. Yeh keh ke woh chale gaye. Rishabh jaante the ki kaunsa time sahi hai aur kaunsi jagah sahi hai.

  4. Brahmanda Purana

    4 verses · 4 chapters

    • 1.14.49

      Naishadh naam ka jo desh hai, woh Harivarsha ko diya. Aur Sumeru parvat ke beech wala hissa Ilavrita ko diya.

    • 1.15.32

      Iske baad Hemakut pahad hai, jise log Kimshurup bhi kehte hain. Hemakut ke paar Naiwad hai. Woh jagah Harikshar naam se jaani jaati hai.

    • 1.18.53

      Phir Hladini nadi poorab ki taraf jaati hai. Upabhag, Naishadh aur Trigart ke logon ko bhi saaf karti hai aur accha karti hai.

Also named in

Key chapters

The chapters where Nala matters most.

  1. Transmission of Akṣa-hṛdaya; Kali’s Exit and the Bibhītaka Refuge

    Mahabharata 3.70 · 38 verses

    Disguised hero whose practical mastery meets and then absorbs…

  2. Ṛtuparṇa’s resolve to go to Vidarbha and Bāhuka’s examination of horses

    Mahabharata 3.69 · 32 verses

    छद्मवेशी नायक

  3. Nala’s Disrobing and Damayantī’s Companionship

    Mahabharata 3.58 · 31 verses

    Fallen king confronting disgrace, hunger, and predatory fate

  4. Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)

    Mahabharata 3.72 · 29 verses

    Concealed protagonist

  5. Nala’s Victory over Puṣkara in the Dice-Game

    Mahabharata 3.77 · 27 verses

    Protagonist reclaiming sovereignty through disciplined…

  6. Adhyāya 73: Damayantī’s Investigation of Bāhuka (Keśinī’s Observations)

    Mahabharata 3.73 · 25 verses

    Hidden protagonist whose embodied skills and involuntary…

  7. Nala’s Abandonment of Damayantī in the Lodging Hall

    Mahabharata 3.59 · 24 verses

    Tragic agent under inner coercion, rationalizing abandonment as…

  8. Karkoṭaka’s Counsel and Nala’s Concealment

    Mahabharata 3.63 · 24 verses

    Fallen king at the nadir of fortune who becomes a deliberate…

  9. Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)

    Mahabharata 3.52 · 22 verses

    Reluctant divine envoy and conflicted lover

  10. Damayantī’s Dialogue with Bāhuka; Recognition and Disclosure

    Mahabharata 3.74 · 22 verses

    Disguised king who receives indictment, explains the…

Key episodes

  1. Nala and Damayanti

    Mahabharata 3.50-3.78

Also known to Wikipedia · Wikidata Q2588460