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).

[1] She is celebrated for her beauty, intelligence, unwavering love, and steadfast devotion to her husband, Nala, the king of Nishadha kingdom.

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.

Moved by the king’s sorrow, the hermit blesses him and his queen, resulting in the birth of a daughter, Damayanti, and three sons—Dama, Danta, and Damana.

Meanwhile, the gods Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Yama, having heard of Damayanti’s beauty from Narada, also decide to seek her hand in marriage.

She prays for divine guidance, and in response, the gods reveal their true forms, allowing her to identify and choose Nala.

The gods, pleased with her devotion and Nala’s virtues, bless him—Agni assures him of his presence whenever needed, Yama grants him righteousness, Varuna promises access to water at will, and Indra guarantees liberation after performing a sacrificial rite.

Under Kali’s influence, Nala becomes obsessed with gambling and challenges his younger brother Pushkara to a game of dice which spans for several months.

Realizing the danger, Damayanti sends their twins, Indrasena and Indrasenā, to her father’s palace in Vidarbha under the care of the charioteer Varshneya.

Meanwhile, Nala, left with nothing, is banished from Nishadha, and Damayanti chooses to follow him into exile, donning a single garment each.

[9] Even as they suffer from fatigue and hunger, Damayanti refuses to leave her husband's side and suggests that they go to her father's kingdom.

[10] Damayanti ventures deeper into the forest, where a caravan of traders passes by, fleeing from a herd of elephants that has attacked them.

Queen Subahu, observing this from the palace, feels compassion for the distressed woman and sends her maid to bring Damayanti inside.

However, Damayanti sets strict conditions—she refuses to eat leftovers, will not allow others to wash her feet, will not interact with unrelated men, and demands that anyone who makes improper advances toward her be punished.

[12] In Vidarbha, King Bhima remains unaware of his daughter’s fate and continues searching for both Damayanti and Nala.

The queen, deeply moved, reveals that she and Damayanti’s mother are sisters, both being princesses of Dasarna, making them family.

The snake explained to Nala that he would experience no pain due to the bite, which would cause distress to the being who had possessed him.

Damayanti asked Sudeva to travel to Ayodhya and invite Rituparna for her second svayamvara, in which she would choose her new husband the following sunrise.

Hiding his anguish, Nala offered to drive the king, assuring him that he could charioteer the distance from Ayodhya to Videha in a single day.