Raja Ravi Varma's "Damayanti and the Hamsa" (1899) is based on the Nalopakhyana section of Vyasa's "Mahabharata," found in the Vana Parva. Damayanti was the princess of Vidarbha and the daughter of King Bhima; and she is mostly known for her unwavering love for her husband Nala, who was the king of Nishadha kingdom. However, it is their love story that becomes the most interesting because they don't fall in love after meeting each other, but rather through messages that get carried to and fro by a celestial swan, or the hamsa. This swan apparently carried praises of Nala to Damayanti and talked about his virtues, excellent skills and abilities; whereas it carried praises of Damayanti's extraordinary beauty to Nala. And it is through these messages that the both characters fell in love and later, she chose him in the swayamvara. And this painting captures the moment where the hamsa is probably recalling the praises of Nala's virtues to Damayanti, as she listens quite dreamily to the swan's tales. Ravi Varma paints this scene with remarkable softness as we can see with how Damayanti is leanign towards the swan, fully absorbed in the act of listening, and it is her expression that becomes the central focus of the painting. Also, if we look at the rich red sari with golden borders, pearl jewelry, flowers in her hair, and marble palace setting, all of which adds to giving her a royal identiy, clearly reflects Raja Ravi Varma's preferred techniques to mix European academic realism with Indian mythological themes. Realistic anatomy, fabric textures, lighting, depth, and emotional expression all show that influence clearly. And it is also through works like this, that the characters from Sanskrit narratives started appearing less like distant mythological symbols and became way more accessible to people.

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