Two Vedic Tales: Stories from The Mahabharata and the Puranas

by Krishna Dharma

Two stories from Vedic literature. The first is Nala and Damayanti, a magical love story set in Ancient India, taken from the Mahabharata. It was told by a sage to King Yudhisthira to assuage his sorrow when he was first exiled into the forest. The king had asked, “Who has suffered more than I?”, and the sage said, “Listen to the tale of Nala and Damayanti.” The second story is about King Rukmangada, a great monarch whose adherence to virtue was tested severely by the gods, who gave him the choice of either killing his son or abandoning truth. By his adherence to the sacred Ekadashi vow he was able to defy the power of the great Lord of Death Yamaraja, and send his entire kingdom to the eternal spiritual world. Fearful that his services would no longer be required, Yamaraja goes to the universal creator, the god Brahma, who devises a means to resuce him from his dilemma.

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2009

About the author

Krishna Dharma is an acclaimed author and teacher of Vedic wisdom, best known for his accessible retellings of India’s great epics, including the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Srimad Bhagavatam. A lifelong practitioner of bhakti-yoga, he writes with both devotion and clarity, bringing ancient spiritual teachings into a modern, readable style. Over decades of study, he has become recognized for his ability to preserve the depth and philosophical richness of the original texts while making them engaging for contemporary readers. Krishna Dharma’s work reflects his commitment to sharing timeless guidance, uplifting values, and practical spiritual insight with audiences around the world.