Sages & Others
Nala
नल
King of the Nishadhas
Who was Nala?
Nala (नल): King of the Nishadhas, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. Son of Virasena and ruler of the Nishadhas, truthful, unmatched with horses, and fond of dice.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | नल |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | King of the Nishadhas |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | Truthful, Gambler, Horseman, Repentant |
| Notable relationships | Wife: Damayanti, Divine Rival Suitor: Indra, Divine Rival Suitor: Agni, Divine Rival Suitor: Yama |
| Featured in | 1 story |
About Nala
Son of Virasena and ruler of the Nishadhas, truthful, unmatched with horses, and fond of dice. He carried the gods' own suit to Damayanti and was chosen by her over Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama; then Kali entered him, and he gambled away his kingdom to his brother Pushkara, abandoned his sleeping wife in the forest with half her garment cut away, and was made a dwarf named Vahuka by the snake Karkotaka. As Rituparna's charioteer he traded his skill with horses for skill with dice, and won back both wife and kingdom.
In Their Words
I came here as their messenger. How then shall I speak for myself?
Nala
Traits
- Truthful
- Gambler
- Horseman
- Repentant
Story Appearances
Character Arc
- The ErrandCarries the gods' suit to the woman he loves
- The ThrowLoses the Nishadhas to his brother at dice
- VahukaServes as a deformed charioteer in another king's stable
Key Relationships
Places in Nala's Story
Drawn from the story Nala appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.