Nala, Kali's possession and Karkotaka's disguise

In the text — not yet checked

The dice-demon story told to Yudhishthira as comfort.

Kali possesses the spiritually lapsed King Nala, who loses everything to his brother Pushkara at dice. Nala saves the snake-king Karkotaka from a fire; Karkotaka turns him into the hunchback Bahuka and poisons Kali. Bahuka serves Rituparna, trades horse-skill for dice-skill (counting a vibhitaka tree's fruit), and wins his kingdom back; Kali leaves into the vibhitaka tree.

Who: Nala, Damayanti, Kali, Karkotaka, Rituparna

Bound to

Shakuni's dice from his father's bones mirror

Nala same-story-other-version

The game of dice: Yudhiṣṭhira stakes and loses everything mirror

The second dice game and the exile pact mirror

Places: Nishadha

Where this comes from

commentary · Wikipedia: Nala and Damayanti (cites van Buitenen) Vana 3.52-79

See it on the tree · All stories

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