Lay Followers
Nal and Damayanti
नल और दमयंती · નળ અને દમયંતી
A princess with a shining mark on her forehead, and twelve long years of faith
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
King Nal loses his whole kingdom to his brother in a game of dice and leaves his wife Damayanti asleep in the forest. Alone, she must find her own way, holding on to her faith through twelve years of hardship.
What it teaches Faithfulness Courage Karma Mahasati
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, a princess named Damayanti was born with a special mark on her forehead. It glowed softly, like a little sun. She was kind and clever, and she prayed to Bhagwan Shantinath every day.
Damayanti married a good prince named Nal, and Nal became a king. But Nal had one bad habit. He loved playing a game called dice. His brother Kubar played with him again and again, and Nal lost everything: his palace, his money and his whole kingdom.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Faith and patience can carry us through the longest night.
To talk about together
What helped Damayanti stay brave when she was all alone?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.