Damayanti (Sanskrit: दमयन्ती, romanized: Damayantī) is a heroine in ancient Indian literature, primarily known for her role in the episode of Nalopakhyana, which is embedded within the Vana Parva (the third book) of the epic Mahabharata (c. 400 BCE – 400 CE). She is celebrated for her beauty, intelligence, unwavering love, and steadfast devotion to her husband, Nala, the king of Nishadha kingdom.
Damayanti is the princess of ancient Vidarbha Kingdom and the daughter of King Bhima. She falls in love with Nala after hearing about his virtues from a divine swan. She chooses him in a swayamvara (self-choice ceremony), even rejecting gods who had disguised themselves as Nala. Their happiness is short-lived when Nala, influenced by the malicious deity Kali, loses his kingdom in a game of dice and is forced into exile. Overcome with despair and shame, he abandons Damayanti in the forest. Undeterred, she endures great hardships and eventually reaches her father’s court. Determined to find Nala, she devises a plan to draw him out by organizing a second swayamvara. The plan succeeds, and they are joyfully reunited. Nala then regains his kingdom, and the two are restored as the rightful king and queen of Nishadha.
