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.

One day, the hermit Dama arrives at his palace and 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.

The queen-mother, 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.

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

He advises Nala to serve King Rituparna of Ayodhya as a charioteer and gives him divine garments to restore his true form later.

Disguised as Bahuka, Nala impresses Rituparna with his unmatched charioteering and cooking skills, securing a position in the palace.

Noting Bahuka’s exceptional charioteering skills and emotional reaction to Damayanti’s name, Parnada reports back to her.

[5] She sends Sudeva to Ayodhya with an announcement of a false second swayamvara, knowing that only Nala possesses the ability to drive a chariot fast enough to reach Vidarbha within a single day.