After Yudhishthira lost all his possessions to his cousin Duryodhana in a dice game, the Pandavas and Draupadi were exiled for thirteen years.

During the Pandavas' year of incognito exile, he disguised as a horse trainer named Granthika, and worked in the kingdom of Virata.

At the end of the epic, during the Pandavas' journey to the Himalayas to enter heaven, Nakula was the third to fall, following Draupadi and Sahadeva, due to his excessive pride in his beauty.

She shared the boon with Pandu's second wife, Madri, who invoked the Ashvini Kumaras to beget Nakula and Sahadeva, as twins.

Madri committed self immolation, called Sati when her husband died and entrusted her children's care to Kunti.

Despite different divine paternal parentage these five children, first three of Kunti – Yudhisthira, Bhima and Arjuna- and latter two of Madri – Nakula and Sahadeva, were called Pandavas, or sons of Pandu.

In his childhood, Nakula mastered his skills in fencing and knife throwing under his father Pandu and a hermit named Suka at the Satasringa ashram.

Along with the other Pandava brothers, Nakula was trained in religion, science, administration, and military arts by the Kuru preceptors Kripacharya and Dronacharya.

When the Pandavas and their mother, Kunti were in hiding after the event of Lakshagriha, Arjuna won Draupadi's hand in marriage.

[13] In the 13th year, Nakula disguised himself as an ostler and assumed the name of Granthika (between themselves, the Pandavas called him Jayasena) at the Kingdom of Virata.

[14] Nakula desired Drupada to be the general of the Pandava army, but Yudhishthira and Arjuna opted for Dhristadyumna.

Giving up all their belongings and ties, the Pandavas and Draupadi, along with a dog, made their final journey of pilgrimage to the Himalayas.