| Damayanti
was the only daughter of Bhima, king
of Vidarbha, and was very beautiful.
Nala was brave and handsome. He was
skilled in the handling of horses,
but inclined to gamble. Although they
had never met each other, they fell
in love because of the fame of their
respective virtues. Bhima decided
to hold a swayamvara at which his
daughter would choose her husband
among the princes present. Nala was
one of the princes who went to swayamvara.
Four gods ; Indra, Agni, Varuna and
Yama also decided to go. The
gods met Nala on his way to the
swayamvara and ordered him to go
to Damayanti as their messenger
and request her to accept one of
them as her husband. Nala reluctantly
agreed to perform this task, but
told the gods that he himself was
in love with Damayanti. On hearing
this, each of the four gods assumed
the form of Nala, so that when time
for the selection of the bridegroom
came, Damayanti had five Nalas to
choose from. She prayed to the gods
for help in identifying the Nala
whom alone she loved. They then
assumed their true form in her sight
and thus she was married to Nala.
|
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Mosaic of Indian Classical Arts) 
