Rituparna
Encyclopedia
Rituparna: was a king of Ayodhya, and son of Sarvakama, into whose service king Nala
entered after he had lost his kingdom. Rituparna was a master mathematician and profoundly skilled in dice Kali (Demon)
. Nala
, as Bahuk (one with a hump) became a minister and later the charioteer in king Rituparna's court on the advice of the King of snakes (Nagas) to learn from him the skills of dice.
According to the story of Nala
-Damayanti
of Mahabharata
, after the disappearance of king Nala
, his queen Damayanti
and her father's (the father-in-law of king Nala, the king of Vidarbha Kingdom
) courtiers sent out a search party to find him. One of the courtiers reported a person "resembling in behaviour, but not in features" with Nala in king Rituparna's court in Ayodhya. To test this fact it was proclaimed that Queen Damayanti (known for her beauty) had assented to re-marry, and consequently an invitation to a swayamvara
for the same was sent to Rituparna's court too. However the swayamvara
( a ritual wherein a princess bride choses her own suitor for marriage from among a group of suitors), was scheduled for the very next day, and the distance to her father's kingdom from Ayodhya could not be covered in a night. For this Nala
as Bahuk offered to transport king Rituparna to Damayanti's kingdom. As Nala was the best charioteer Nala
he was sure to reach Damayanti's father's palace in time for the swayamvara. On the way king Rituparna asked Nala
or Bahuk, as he was known to him, for the secrets and techniques of fast chariot driving. Nala
agreed but in return for which he asked the knowledge and techniques of dice playing, in which Rituparna was the master. Thus on a mutual acceptance, within a night's journey Rituparna taught Dice-playing to Nala and Nala taught him chariot driving skills.
On reaching Damayanti's father's palace, however, king Rituparna was informed that the swayamvara
was a sham and actually a ploy to find Nala
, who indeed came back to his own form from that of Bahuk using a boon from the snake king (king of the Nagas). And using the art of Dice learnt from Rituparna in the previous night's journey, Nala
defeated his brother Pushkara
in dice and became the king of Nishadha Kingdom
again.
The story does not cite anything else about king Rituparna after this episode (Nala
being re-crowned ruler of Nishadha Kingdom
) .
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
entered after he had lost his kingdom. Rituparna was a master mathematician and profoundly skilled in dice Kali (Demon)
Kali (Demon)
In Hinduism, Kali is the reigning lord of Kali Yuga and archenemy of Kalki, the 10th and final Avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu...
. Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
, as Bahuk (one with a hump) became a minister and later the charioteer in king Rituparna's court on the advice of the King of snakes (Nagas) to learn from him the skills of dice.
According to the story of Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
-Damayanti
Damayanti
Damayanti , a character in Hindu mythology, was the princess of Vidarbha Kingdom, who married king Nala, of Nishadha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata.-The story:...
of Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, after the disappearance of king Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
, his queen Damayanti
Damayanti
Damayanti , a character in Hindu mythology, was the princess of Vidarbha Kingdom, who married king Nala, of Nishadha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata.-The story:...
and her father's (the father-in-law of king Nala, the king of Vidarbha Kingdom
Vidarbha Kingdom
Vidarbha kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled by Yadava kings in the central and western India, in a region still known as Vidarbha. It was the southern most kingdom known to the kings of Gangatic Plain until they explored Southern India.Damayanti, the wife of Nala was the princess of...
) courtiers sent out a search party to find him. One of the courtiers reported a person "resembling in behaviour, but not in features" with Nala in king Rituparna's court in Ayodhya. To test this fact it was proclaimed that Queen Damayanti (known for her beauty) had assented to re-marry, and consequently an invitation to a swayamvara
Swayamvara
Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
for the same was sent to Rituparna's court too. However the swayamvara
Swayamvara
Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
( a ritual wherein a princess bride choses her own suitor for marriage from among a group of suitors), was scheduled for the very next day, and the distance to her father's kingdom from Ayodhya could not be covered in a night. For this Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
as Bahuk offered to transport king Rituparna to Damayanti's kingdom. As Nala was the best charioteer Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
he was sure to reach Damayanti's father's palace in time for the swayamvara. On the way king Rituparna asked Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
or Bahuk, as he was known to him, for the secrets and techniques of fast chariot driving. Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
agreed but in return for which he asked the knowledge and techniques of dice playing, in which Rituparna was the master. Thus on a mutual acceptance, within a night's journey Rituparna taught Dice-playing to Nala and Nala taught him chariot driving skills.
On reaching Damayanti's father's palace, however, king Rituparna was informed that the swayamvara
Swayamvara
Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
was a sham and actually a ploy to find Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
, who indeed came back to his own form from that of Bahuk using a boon from the snake king (king of the Nagas). And using the art of Dice learnt from Rituparna in the previous night's journey, Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
defeated his brother Pushkara
Pushkara
In Hindu mythology Pushkara was the brother of Nala to whom Nala lost his kingdom and all that he possessed in gambling. Kali got very angry when Damayanti chose Nala in the swayamvar. Kali possessed Nala and was defeated by his brother Pushkara....
in dice and became the king of Nishadha Kingdom
Nishadha Kingdom
Nishadha was the kingdom of the celebrated king Nala, who loved and married Damayanti the princess of Vidarbha Kingdom. This kingdom is identified with current day Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh...
again.
The story does not cite anything else about king Rituparna after this episode (Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
being re-crowned ruler of Nishadha Kingdom
Nishadha Kingdom
Nishadha was the kingdom of the celebrated king Nala, who loved and married Damayanti the princess of Vidarbha Kingdom. This kingdom is identified with current day Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh...
) .