Nala of the Candra-vaṃśa

Nala of the Candra-vaṃśa (lunar dynasty, also called Soma-vaṃśa) was the greatest conqueror among the Soma-vaṃśa kings in the Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa of the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa. Brahmā’s boon kept the kings of his line from defeat for seven generations. Nala led campaigns in all directions and overcame the guardians of the directions. In the last days of Rāma’s rule he led the Soma-vaṃśa army against Hastināpura, fought a six-month war against Rāma’s forces, and in the end accepted the overlordship of Kuśa through Brahmā’s mediation.

Do not mix him up with Nala the Vānara (son of Viśvakarman, builder of the bridge to Laṅkā) or with Nala of Niṣadha in the story of Nala and Damayantī.

Lineage

In the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Nala’s line is:

  • Atri Maharṣi, whose tejas (radiance) on Vaiśākha Pūrṇimā gave rise to Soma
  • Soma (Candra), born from Atri’s seed when he saw the moon. He founded Hastināpura.
  • Budha, son of Soma. He conquered all the worlds with his father.
  • Purūravas, son of Budha. He ruled Hastināpura.
  • Gavya (Gavvu), son of Purūravas
  • Alpa, son of Gavya
  • Nala, son of Alpa, the great conqueror of the directions

(Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapter 1)

Brahmā’s boon

Soma and Budha conquered all the worlds, including svarga, and drove the devas out of Amarāvatī. Brahmā came, knew them as his own line, and gave a great vara (boon). From the third generation to the seventh generation of the Soma line, no king would be beaten in battle by any being. Nala was within this boon.

The boon lies at the heart of the last conflict in the Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa. When the Soma-vaṃśa kings came to challenge Rāma, the devas gathered and were anxious. They said, “These kings have Brahmā’s boon. Rāma is Bhagavān Viṣṇu himself. How will this war end?” Brahmā came down himself and mediated, and so the question was settled. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapters 1, 4)

Campaigns

Nala was the most energetic conqueror of his line. He left his three nearest forefathers, Purūravas, Gavya and Alpa, in charge of Hastināpura. He then set out with the lords of the seven dvīpas (island-continents) to conquer all the directions. He won:

  • victory over Agni, the deva of fire, in the south-east
  • victory over Yama, in the south
  • victory over Nairṛti, in the south-west
  • the start of his victory over Varuṇa, in the west, which was cut short when Rāvaṇa conquered svarga

Rāvaṇa conquered the devas on his own and brought them to Laṅkā. Soma and Budha got ready to fight Rāvaṇa and free the devas. Brahmā stopped them: “Bhagavān Viṣṇu will take birth and kill Rāvaṇa. Do not step in.” They drew back. Nala went on with his campaigns against the other guardians of the directions, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Kubera and Īśāna, and became sovereign over all directions. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapter 1)

His descendants during the campaigns

While Nala was away on his long campaigns through the Kṛta and Tretā Yugas, his dynasty went on growing. His descendants were:

  • Nādyuka, son of Nala
  • Jātīkara, son of Nādyuka
  • Vasuda, son of Jātīkara
  • Laghuśruta, son of Vasuda
  • Suradha, son of Laghuśruta
  • Ajāmīḍha, son of Suradha, who was made king of Hastināpura after the war

(Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapter 1)

In Rāma’s rule

Rāmacandra came down, destroyed Rāvaṇa and freed the devas. Rāma then brought all the kings of the seven dvīpas under his rule. This included the Soma-vaṃśa lords who had been Nala’s fellow conquerors. Hastināpura was taken from the descendants of Purūravas and the vānara Suṣeṇa was set there. Nala and the other lords of the seven dvīpas stayed in their own dvīpas as lords who paid tribute, and their armies grew over time.

As Rāma’s rule came near its eleventh thousand years, Nala led the Soma-vaṃśa army against Hastināpura. It was made up of the remaining descendants of Purūravas from Hastināpura together with the lords of the seven dvīpas. Vālmīki had seen that this was ordained. It was the last conflict of the Tretā Yuga, to be followed by Rāma’s Vaikuṇṭhārohaṇa (going up to Vaikuṇṭha). (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapter 1)

The battle of Hastināpura

Nala fought Kuśa, the son of Rāmacandra, himself in the battle of Hastināpura. It was a hard duel.

Kuśa’s arrows struck Nala again and again, and Nala turned aside Kuśa’s arrows with his own. Kuśa then destroyed Nala’s chariot horses, flag, bow, umbrella and charioteer one after another. Nala mounted again and fought on, and his forces fought fiercely through six months of battle. When Kuśa was about to release the Brahmāstra, Brahmā himself came down and stopped him, because the weapon would have destroyed the whole Soma-vaṃśa. (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapter 3)

The peace and Nala’s end

Peace was made through Brahmā’s step in, and Sītā also stepped in to calm Kuśa. Brahmā then set Ajāmīḍha, the last of Nala’s line, as king of Hastināpura under Kuśa’s overlordship, with a duty to pay tribute. Nala and the other Soma-vaṃśa kings chose not to stay on earth under tribute. They went up to svarga with Brahmā and their queens, and together gave up their bodies (dehatyāga). (Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapter 4)

Not to be mixed up with

  • Nala the Vānara, son of Viśvakarman, builder of the Rāmasetu, who fought on Rāma’s side
  • Nala of Niṣadha, the Naiṣadha king of the story of Nala and Damayantī, known for his dice-playing and his exile

(Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapters 1–4)

Sources

  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrṇa Khaṇḍa, Chapters 1–4