His companion Dvapara became his uncle Shakuni. Kali was then later incarnated as king Duryodhana, eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers. He then counted the fruits of the tree and left in search of his wife and later regained his true form. Nala forced Kali's trembling spirit into a Vibhitaka tree. This skill awakened Nala from Kali's control and allowed him (with the help of Damayanti's curse and Karkotaka's venom) to exorcise the asura (demon) vomiting him in the form of poison from his mouth. Years later, King Rituparna revealed to Bahuka the supreme skill of controlling the dice in exchange for horsemanship lessons.

He later became the charioteer of the Ayodhya King Rituparna, who was a master mathematician and dice player. The venom also changed Nala into an ugly dwarf named Bahuka. Intending to exorcise the devil within him, the serpent bit Nala, injecting him with deadly poisons that forever tortured Kali.

Nala, meanwhile, saved the naga Karkotaka from fire (where he was cursed to suffer by sage Narada). She eventually returned home after a short time as a handmaiden to the Princess of Chedi.

Both he and Damayanti were exiled to the forest.ĭuryodhana as depicted in Yakshagana popular drama from Karnatakaĭuring their exile, Kali drove Nala to abandon Damayanti, who later enacted a curse against everyone that had caused the downfall of her husband. Finally, Nala lost his kingdom to Pushkara. Kali forced Nala to lose and, each time, he would raise the stakes higher despite the protest of his advisors and wife. Dvapara took the form of the Vrisha die that would be used in the fixed game. Kali then appeared before Pushkara and invited him to play a game of dice with his brother, guaranteeing Nala's downfall. Because Nala had rendered himself impure by not washing his feet before his prayers, Kali was able to bewitch his soul. Kali traveled to Nala's kingdom of Nishadhas and waited twelve long years for the right moment to strike.

Entering the dice, it behoveth thee to help me. I shall possess Nala, deprive him of his kingdom, and he shall no more sport with Bhima's daughter. I am ill able, O Dvapara, to suppress my anger. In anger, Kali spoke to his companion Dvapara, the personification of Dvapara Yuga: See also: The Gandharvas mentioned in Mahabharata Damayanti speaking with a celestial swanĪccording to the Mahabharata, the gandharva Kali became jealous when he was late to Princess Damayanti's marriage ceremony and discovered she had overlooked the deities Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Yama (and ultimately himself) to choose Nala as her husband.

Nemesis monster legends