Character

Damayanti

दमयन्तीDamayantī

verses
664
books
9
chapters
60
Consort of
नलः

What the texts say

In the Mahabharata, Damayanti is the daughter of Bhima, king of Vidarbha. Mahabharata 3.66.1, 3.61.72 Hearing a swan's words about Nala, king of Nishadha, she grew restless in mind for him. Mahabharata 3.51.1, 3.54.25 At her svayamvara, the choosing of a husband, she chose him in accordance with dharma. Mahabharata 3.54.25 She then sent Sudeva, a brahmin, to King Rituparna of Ayodhya with word of another svayamvara, since it was not known whether Nala was alive or dead. Mahabharata 3.65.6, 3.68.21, 3.68.23 Nala and she had two children, a son Indrasena and a daughter. Mahabharata (Gita Press) 3.57.46

Where to read

Every verse that names Damayanti, book by book.

    • 3.61.12

      दमयन्त्युवाच—सिंहोरस्क महाबाहो निषधानां जनाधिप । क्व नु राजन् गतोऽसीह त्यक्त्वा मां निर्जने वने ॥

    • 3.60.1

      बृहदश्व उवाच । अपक्रान्ते नले राजन् दमयन्ती गतक्लमा । अबुध्यत वरारोहा संत्रस्ता विजने वने ॥

    • 3.65.2

      संदिदेश च तान् भीमो वसु दत्त्वा च पुष्कलम्। मृगयध्वं नलं चैव दमयन्तीं च मे सुताम्॥

    • 6.1.111.28

      तेषां मध्ये मुनीन्द्राणां सुतीर्थाश्रमवासिनाम् । दमयन्तीति विख्याता चन्द्रबिम्बसमाना ना ॥

    • 3.1.36.185

      महालय विधानेन दमयंतीपतिर्नलः। कृच्छ्रं महत्तरं तीर्त्वा पुनर्लेभे महीमिमाम् ॥

    • 3.3.2.29

      तस्य राजेन्द्रमुख्यस्य मदयन्तीति नामतः। नलस्येव दमयन्तीव विदिता वल्लभा सती॥

    • 6.27.1

      नारदस्य मायादमयन्त्या सह विवाहवर्णनम् नारद उवाच तत्पुत्र्या वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा धात्रीमुखात्ततः । भार्यां प्रोवाच कैकेयीं समीपस्थां सुलोचनाम्

    • 6.26.1

      दमयन्तीविवाहप्रस्ताववर्णनम् व्यास उवाच इति मे वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदः परमार्थवित् । मामाह च स्मितं कृत्वा पृच्छन्तं मोहकारणम्

    • 9.1.130

      वरुणानी प्रसिद्धा च बलेर्विन्ध्यावलिस्तथा । कान्ता च दमयन्ती च यशोदा देवकी तथा

  1. Shiva Purana

    6 verses · 3 chapters

    • 3.28.30

      वैदर्भे नगरेऽनघे भीमराजस्य त्वं सुता। दमयन्तीति विख्याता भविष्यसि गुणान्विता॥

    • 4.10.2

      तस्य राज्ञः सुधर्मिष्ठा मदयन्ती प्रिया शुभा । दमयन्ती नलस्येव बभूव विदिता सती ॥

    • 4.37.54

      तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण स भिल्लो हि नलोऽभवत्। चक्रवर्ती महाराजो दमयन्ती प्रियोऽभवत्॥

Key chapters

The chapters where Damayanti matters most.

  1. Damayantī’s Passage through the Wilderness

    Mahabharata 3.61 · 103 verses

    Central agent and sufferer

  2. Damayantī’s Lament, Serpent-Seizure, Rescue by the Hunter, and the Curse

    Mahabharata 3.60 · 36 verses

    Central agent of pathos and moral force

  3. Sudeva Identifies Damayantī in Cedi (सुदेवेन दमयन्ती-परिचयः)

    Mahabharata 3.65 · 36 verses

    The recognized heroine whose suffering, fidelity, and dignity…

  4. दमयन्त्या वणिजां सार्थगमनम्, हस्तियूथविप्लवः, चेदिराजपुरप्रवेशश्च (Damayantī joins a caravan; elephant-herd catastrophe; entry into Cedi)

    Mahabharata 3.62 · 33 verses

    Central agent of fidelity and endurance

  5. Damayantī’s Recognition by the Piplū Mark and Her Return to Vidarbha

    Mahabharata 3.66 · 26 verses

    Suffering heroine whose identity, dignity, and agency are…

  6. Damayantī’s Svayaṃvara: Divine Disguises, Truth-Vow, and Choosing Nala

    Mahabharata 3.54 · 25 verses

    Agent of choice whose discernment and satya become the decisive…

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

    Mahabharata 3.74 · 24 verses

    Moral interrogator and wounded spouse who converts private…

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

    Mahabharata 3.73 · 22 verses

    Investigator and suffering spouse who converts grief into…

  9. Damayantī’s Message and the Dispatch of Brahmin Envoys

    Mahabharata 3.67 · 21 verses

    Strategist and moral petitioner

  10. Parṇāda’s Report; Bāhuka’s Counsel; Damayantī’s Strategic Svayaṃvara Message (अध्याय ६८)

    Mahabharata 3.68 · 21 verses

    Strategist-heroine who converts grief into controlled action to…

Key episodes

  1. Nala and Damayanti

    Mahabharata 3.50-3.78

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