Damayanti in the context of Kali (demon)

The Mahābhārata (/məˌhɑːˈbɑːrətə, ˌmɑːhə-/ mə-HAH-BAR-ə-tə, MAH-hə-; Sanskrit: महाभारतम्, IAST: Mahābhāratam, pronounced [mɐɦaːˈbʱaːrɐt̪ɐm]) is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas, the other being the Ramayana. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succession between two groups of princely cousins, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. It contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or puruṣārtha (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the Mahābhārata are the Bhagavad Gita, the story of Damayanti, the story of Shakuntala, the story of Pururava and Urvashi, the story of Savitri and Satyavan, the story of Kacha and Devayani, the story of Rishyasringa and an abbreviated version of the Rāmāyaṇa, often considered as works in their own right.

Traditionally, the authorship of the Mahābhārata is attributed to Vyāsa. There have been many attempts to unravel its historical growth and compositional layers. The bulk of the Mahābhārata was probably compiled between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE, with the oldest preserved parts not much older than around 400 BCE. The text probably reached its final form by the early Gupta period (c. 4th century CE).

Nala and Damayanti, also known as Nalopakhyana (Sanskrit title: नलोपाख्यान Nalopākhyāna, i.e., "Episode of Nala"), is an episode from the Indian epic Mahabharata. It is about King Nala and his wife Damayanti: Nala loses his kingdom in a game of dice and has to go into exile with his faithful wife Damayanti in the forest, where he leaves her. Separated from each other, the two have many adventures before they are finally reunited and Nala regains his kingdom.

Nala and Damayanti is one of the best-known and most popular episodes of the Mahabharata. It has found a wide reception in India and is also regarded in the West as one of the most valuable works of Indian literature.

Nala (Sanskrit: नल) is a legendary king of ancient Nishadha kingdom and the central protagonist of the Nalopakhyana, a sub-narrative within the Indian epic Mahabharata, found in its third book, Vana Parva (Book of the Forest). He is renowned for his valor, wisdom, and exceptional skill in charioteering. His story revolves around his love for Damayanti, the princess of Vidarbha, and his struggle to reclaim his lost fortune.

According to Nalopakhyana, despite his virtues, Nala falls victim to a curse from the malicious deity Kali, who influences him to lose his kingdom in a game of dice against his brother Pushkara. Forced into exile, he abandons Damayanti in the forest, believing she would suffer less without him. Wandering in disguise under the name Bahuka after being transformed by a serpent’s bite, Nala takes service as a charioteer in the court of King Rituparna of Ayodhya, where he acquires new skills in gambling and horsemanship. Meanwhile, Damayanti devises a plan to find him. Their eventual reunion leads to Nala reclaiming his true identity, allowing him to challenge Pushkara in a new game and restore his kingdom.

The Vidarbha kingdom in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata is among the many kingdoms ruled by Yadu kings (Bhoja Yadavas).It was situated in the region still known as Vidarbha in what is now Maharashtra in central India.

Damayanti, the wife of Nala was the princess of Vidarbha. Similarly Rukmini, the eldest wife of Vasudeva Krishna was from Vidarbha. Sage Agastya's wife Lopamudra, also was a princess from the country of Vidarbha as mentioned in the Mahabharata. Indumati, the Grandmother of Lord Rama and mother of King Dasharatha was also a princess of Vidarbha kingdom. Kundinapuri was its capital, which is identified as Kaundinyapur in the eastern Maharashtra. Rukmini's brother Rukmi founded another kingdom with capital Bhojakata, close to Vidarbha proper. During the Kurukshetra War, when all other kingdoms participated in the battle, Vidarbha under Rukmi stayed neutral, because his army was rejected by both Pandavas and Kauravas who were the two parties engaged in the war. It is not clear if any other king from Vidarbha participated in the war. There is a mention at MBh 6:51, that a Vidarbha army sided with Kauravas under the generalissimo Bhishma.