|
Nala And Damayanti
''Nala and Damayanti'', also known as ''Nalopakhyana'' (Sanskrit title: नलोपाख्यान ''Nalopākhyāna'', i.e., "Episode of Nala"), is an episode from the Culture of India, 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. Content The ''Mahabharata'', a huge work of over 100,000 double verses, contains a large number of side episodes, some of which are nested within one another, in addition to the main story, which tells of the battle between the Pandavas and Kaurav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nala Damayanti
''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. Content The ''Mahabharata'', a huge work of over 100,000 double verses, contains a large number of side episodes, some of which are nested within one another, in addition to the main story, which tells of the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas, two related p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Svayamvara
''Svayaṃvara'' ( ) is a matrimonial tradition in ancient Indian society where a bride, usually from '' Kṣatriya'' (warrior) caste, selects her husband from a group of assembled suitors either by her own choice or a public contest between her suitors. This practice is mainly featured in the two major Sanskrit epics, the ''Mahābhārata'' and the '' Rāmāyaṇa'', though its prevalence and portrayal vary significantly between them. Origins of ''Svayaṃvara'' can be traced back to the Vedic period and few scholars suggest that it emerged from the ''Gāndharva'' marriage tradition, diverging from more ritualistic and arranged forms of marriage, and developed as a narrative device within the epics to highlight the heroism and valor of protagonists, aligning with the ''Kṣatriya'' ethos of competition and martial prowess. Despite being closely associated with the epics, ''Svayaṃvara'' is not listed as a form of marriage in the ''Dharmaśāstra'', a collection of Sanskrit tex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rituparna
Rituparna () is a king of Ayodhya featured in Hindu literature. Belonging to the Suryavamsha (Solar dynasty), he appears in the legend of Nala and Damayanti in the Mahabharata. He employs Nala in the stables and the kitchen, under the alias of Bahuka. Legend The serpent-king Karkotaka advised Nala to go the court of King Rituparna of Ayodhya, employed as the king's primary charioteer under the name of Bahuka. Damayanti, Nala's wife, suspected that her husband now lived in the court of Ayodhya. She sent a Brahmana named Sudeva to act as her messenger to Rituparna, inviting him to her second svayamvara, which was to take place the following sunrise. Rituparna rode towards the kingdom of Vidarbha at once, with Nala as his charioteer. During a certain point in the journey, when his cloak fell upon the ground, he requested Nala to halt so that he may retrieve it; to his surprise, Nala had covered a distance of one yojana A yojana (Devanagari: योजन; Khmer language: យ� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karkotaka
Karkotaka () is a naga king in Hinduism. One of the children of Kashyapa and Kadru, Karkotaka is regarded to have lived in a forest near the Nishadha Kingdom. According to Hindu mythology, he stings King Nala, transforming him into a twisted and ugly shape. Legend Karkotaka once deceived Narada, the divine sage, in a game of chance. Angered, Narada cursed him that he would remain stationary in the forest until he is saved by King Nala. In the ''Mahabharata'', Karkotaka encountered King Nala when there was a wildfire in the forest where he dwelt, calling out to the king to rescue him. Reducing himself to the size of a thumb, he urged Nala to save him, and the king promptly moved the serpent to a safer spot. Thus, he was freed from Narada's curse. Karkotaka asked the king to step forward ten steps, and after he did so, stung him, causing him to turn ugly. The serpent explained that he had stung the king because the malevolent Kali had possessed him, and the latter should hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chedi Kingdom
Chedi () was a realm, kingdom which fell roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna along the river Ken River, Ken. Its capital city was called Suktimati in Sanskrit. According to the Mahabharata, the Chedi kingdom was ruled by Shishupala, an ally of Jarasandha of Magadha kingdom, Magadha and Duryodhana of Kuru kingdom, Kuru. He was a rival of Krishna in the Mahābhārata, Vasudeva Krishna who was his uncle's son. He was killed by Krishna in the Mahābhārata, Vasudeva Krishna during the Rajasuya sacrifice of the Pandava king Yudhishthira. Nakula's wife was from Chedi. Prominent Chedis during the Kurukshetra War included Damaghosha, Shishupala, Dhrishtaketu, Suketu, Sarabha, Nakula's wife Karenumati, Dhrishtaketu's sons. Other Chedis included King Uparichara Vasu, his children, King Suvahu, King Sahaja. It was ruled during early periods by ''Paurava'' kings and later by Yadava kings in the central part of the country. Puranas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raja Ravi Varma - Mahabharata - NalaDamayanti
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested from the ''Rigveda'', where a ' is a ruler, see for example the ', the "Battle of Ten Kings". The title has equivalent cognates in other Indo-European languages, notably the Latin Rex and the Celtic Rix. Raja-ruled Indian states While most of the Indian salute states (those granted a gun salute by the British Crown) were ruled by a Maharaja (or variation; some promoted from an earlier Raja- or equivalent style), even exclusively from 13 guns up, a number had Rajas: ; Hereditary salutes of 11-guns : * the Raja of Ali Rajpur * the Raja of Bilaspur * the Raja of Chamba * the Raja of Faridkot * the Raja of Jhabua * the Raja of Mandi * the Raja of Manipur * the Raja of Nar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pushkara
Pushkara () is a character in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, known primarily for his role in the episode of ''Nala and Damayanti''. He is the younger brother of King Nala of Nishadha and serves as a pivotal antagonist during a key episode of Nala’s life. Scheming with the gandharva Kali, he defeates Nala in a manipulated game of dice, robbing him of his kingdom and riches. Nala later defeats him in a rematch, and is restored as the king. Despite his actions and lust for Nala's wife, Damayanti, Pushkara is forgiven, and the brothers make their peace with each other. Biography Pushkara is born to Virasena and is the younger brother of Nala. Twelve years after the marriage of Nala and Damayanti, Nala becomes spiritually defiled, which allows the malevolent spirit Kali to enter and possess him. In this corrupted state, Pushkara chemes with Kali and challenges Nala to a game of dice. Unknown to Nala, Dvāpara, an ally of Kali, has entered the dice themselves, ensuring ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dvapara Yuga
''Dvapara Yuga'' (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Dvāpara-yuga'') (Devanagari: द्वापर युग), in Hinduism, is the third and third-best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Treta Yuga'' and followed by ''Kali Yuga''. ''Dvapara Yuga'' lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine years). According to the Puranas, this ''yuga'' ended when Krishna returned to his eternal abode of Vaikuntha. There are only two pillars of religion during the ''Dvapara Yuga'': compassion and truthfulness. Vishnu assumes the colour yellow and the Vedas are categorized into four parts: ''Rig Veda'', ''Sama Veda'', ''Yajur Veda'' and ''Atharva Veda''. Etymology ''Yuga'' (), in this context, means "an age of the world", where its archaic spelling is ''yug'', with other forms of ''yugam'', , and ''yuge'', derived from ''yuj'' (), believed to be derived from (Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European: 'to join or unite'). ''Dvap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kali (demon)
Kali ( Devanāgari: , IAST: ', with both vowels short; from a root ', 'suffer, hurt, startle, confuse') is the personification of sin which presides over the Kaliyuga, the present era characterized by moral decline and disorder in Hinduism. His origins and role in the cosmic cycle are detailed in various ancient texts, including the ''Mahābhārata'' and '' Bhāgavata Purāṇa''. According to the ''Mahābhārata'', Kali is a sinister deva-gandharva, born as the fifteenth son of the proginator sage Kashyapa and Muni. As the lord of the Kaliyuga, Kali exerts his influence by promoting sinful acts, confined by King Parikshit to five domains: gambling, drinking, prostitution, murder, and gold. His narrative intertwines with figures like Nala, whom he possessed and tormented, and Duryodhana, considered his incarnation in the ''Mahābhārata''. Later Puranic texts reinterpret his origins, making him more fearsome and powerful, as well as associating him with personifications of m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Damayanti Svayamvara
Damayanti () 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 d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yama
Yama (), also known as Kāla and Dharmarāja, is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Naraka. He is often identified with Dharmadeva, the personification of ''Dharma'', though the two deities have different origins and myths. In Vedic tradition, Yama was considered the first mortal who died and espied the way to the celestial abodes; as a result, he became the ruler of the departed. His role, characteristics, and abode have been expounded in texts such as the ''Upanishads'', the ''Ramayana'', the ''Mahabharata'', and the ''Puranas''. Yama is described as the twin of the goddess Yami, and the son of the god Surya (sun) (in earlier traditions Vivasvat) and Sanjna. He judges the souls of the dead and, depending on their deeds, assigns them to the realm of the Pitris (forefathers), Naraka (hell), or to be reborn on the earth. Yama is one of the Lokapalas (guardians of the realms), appointed as the pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varuna
Varuna (; , ) is a Hindu god. He is one of the earliest deities in pantheon, whose role underwent a significant transformation from the Vedic to the Puranic periods. In the early Vedic era, Varuna is seen as the god-sovereign, ruling the sky and embodying divine authority. He is also mentioned as the king of asuras, who gained the status of a deva, serving as the chief of the Adityas, a group of celestial deities. He maintains truth and ''ṛta'', the cosmic and moral order, and was invoked as an omniscient ethical judge, with the stars symbolizing his watchful eyes or spies. Frequently paired with Mitra, Varuna represents the magical and speculative aspects of sovereignty, overseeing the relationship between gods and humans. The transition from the Vedic to later periods saw Varuna's domain begin to shift from the firmament to waters. He became associated with celestial waters, marking the initial phase of his transformation. By the time of the '' Itihasa-Purana'', Varuna ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
