Nala and Damayanti

The story of Nala and Damayanti figures in the Vanaparva of the Mahabharata. The Pandavas having lost their kingdom after a gambling match have been exiled to the forest. There they meet a sage, Vrihadsva who consoles them by saying that they need not feel sad. He then tells them the story of Nala, similar in certain respects to the story of the Pandavas themselves. The story is of a king who loses his kingdom in a gambling match, hence the title, The Vice of Dice. He then is exiled to the forest and abandons his wife. The tale then tells the story of their wanderings, their separation and finally their reunion. The myth is set out in all its multifarious ramifactions.