going through and finding the meaning of "Nala", with the help of google
1. Bedawang Nala
The gigantic mythical turtle that supports the world on its back in
Balinese mythology. Its restless stirrings cause earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions. It is accompanied by two giant serpents, Nagas, that bind its support to human earthly needs. Bedawang means "boiling water" and nala means "fire."
2. "Khotso,
Pula, Nala." by Becki Krieg, Qacha’s Nek, Lesotho
After an exhausting flight, my Peace Corps training group finally
arrived in the country of Lesotho. We all looked out the window of our
plane to steal the first glimpse: a breathtaking view of a sunset full
of reds and oranges coloring the mountainous skyline. This was it. This
was what we had been waiting for: The Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.
As we exited the plane, a group of currently serving Volunteers
greeted us with banners and cheers. But what stands out in my mind is
their singing of the Lesotho national anthem, Pina ea Sechaba. The
anthem ends with a chanting of the Lesotho motto, "Khotso, Pula, Nala."
I decided those would be the first words I learned in the local
language Sesotho.
As our Sesotho classes began, I had my chance to learn about "Khotso,
Pula, Nala." The English translation is "Peace, Rain, Prosperity." I
was surprised that rain would be a part of their motto. I had always
thought of rain as being somewhat negative. I know we need rain, but I
always thought of rain as something that made chilled my bones,
darkened the sky, and ruined my plans for a day at the park or a ball
game.
But the people of Lesotho view rain in an entirely different way. This
country is very mountainous, rocky, and dry. The people do not have
much money, so in these harsh conditions, they must grow enough food
for their families to survive. The depend on water--to the extent that
it is truly a national wish. The people of Lesotho ask for rain
proudly, loudly, when they raise their voices to sing the national
anthem, "Khosto, Pula, Nala!"
3. weather or day ('nala) and swan ('nala) ... canadian
The Kwakwaka'wakw are ocean-going people who travel by
canoe, and the most powerful forces of nature, the weather, controlled
their moves. This dance honours the elements and displays the respect
the weather is shown by our people.
Dance and Regalia:
Carved and painted wooden headdress, with cloth backing is worn like a
visor on top of the head, rather than a mask that covers the dancers
face. The headdress is almost birdlike in appearance.
In the Na'nalala‡,
the dancers move back and forth, in a sideways motion, in front of the
singers. They cover and uncover their faces, indicating the break of
dawn. The dancers are quick and graceful, never looking at each other
yet passing closely and in time with the quick beat of the song. Along
with the weather headpiece, the dancers wear white shawls that move
gracefully as the dancers move quickly across the Gukwdzi floor.
Other:
The weather dance has mistakenly been called the "swan" dance because
of the similarity between the words for weather or day ('nala) and swan
('nala).
Early anthropologists took a long time to decide the translation and
they eventually went with wind dancer mask, since the words of the song
have to do with the wind. Today it is either called the Weather Dance
or is stated to represent the day; the Wind Dance is an altogether
different dance.
4. Nala in latin means Olive, and female in application here
5. Nala is also a monkey:
A monkey chief, said to be a son of Viswakarma. According to the Ramayana,
he had the power of making stones float in water. He was in Rama's army and
built the bridge of stone called Ramasetu, or Nalasetu, from the continent
to Ceylon, over which Rama passed with his army.
6. Nala in Mahabarata
Nala was the ruler of Nishada. He was a
very capable king and his country prospered under his rule. However,
despite being one of the most handsome men of his time, he was still
unmarried. One day a brahmin came to his court. On learning of his
bachelor status he suggested the name of Damayanti, the daughter of the
King of Vidarbh. He painted such an impressive picture of the princess
that Nala fell in love with her without seeing her.
At that it was uncustomary for a man to present his suit. He had to
wait for the woman, or her father, to make the first move. Nala pined
for Damayanti and began to neglect his state duties. He spent long
hours in the garden of his palace dreaming about her. A group of swans
lived in the lakes in the garden. They daily observed the despondent
king wasting his time. One day the leader of the swans approached the
king and asked him what the matter was. The king informed the swan that
he was in love with Damayanti but was unable to press his suit. He did
not even know if Damayanti was in love with someone else. Custom
prevented him from going to Vidarbh himself and this was too delicate a
mission to entrust to someone else.
“If
you think fit I can deliver your message,” said the swan. Nala lighted
up. At last there was an end to his immediate problems. And there could
be no more romantic way to woo a maiden. That night the swan left for
Vidarbh. Every morning and evening Nala would go to his garden to see
if the swan had returned and would be disappointed. After a week he
found the swan waiting for him. The news was good. Damayanti too had
heard of him and had fallen in love with him. Now that she knew he
reciprocated her love she would arrange for her swayamvara. A
swayamvara was a ceremony in which the maiden chose her husband from a
gathering of suitors present. She asked Nala to immediately come to
Vidarbh as soon as her swayamvara was announced.
Getting a
swayamvara arranged was not as easy as Damayanti thought. It would be
highly improper of her to approach her parents directly. She began to
drop hints by eating less and losing weight, by pretending to forget
things, by looking lost and gloomy and other such things. At last her
mother noticed that Damayanti was not her former self and told the king
about it. The king immediately ordered the royal physicians to find out
what sickness was troubling her daughter. It was only after the
physicians drew a blank that the king realised that his daughter was
now a grown-up maiden and it was time for her to get married.
The
swayamvara was announced. Nala left immediately. Since he was an
excellent equestrian he made good progress. The news of the swayamvara
had reached the heavens as well. Four of the demi-Gods, Indra, Agni,
Varun, and Yama, had also descended to the earth for the swayamvara.
They accosted Nala as he was nearing Vidarbh. Indra told Nala that he
would have to do them a favour. Nala protested that he needed to know
what was being asked of him before he could commit. Indra got angry.
“Humans consider it an honour when we ask them to do something. But you
are creating a fuss. Don’t you know our power? We can make you
disappear and not reach the swayamvara at all,” he thundered. Nala
meekly acquiesced. Indra then told him to approach Damayanti and plead
with her to choose from the four demi-Gods. Nala was aghast. “How can I
act against my own interest,” he pleaded. The threat of dire
consequences was repeated. Nala tried a different route. “We are
allowed in the palace only on the day of the swayamvara and that too
only where the swayamvara is to be held,” he said, “How will I access
Damayanti?” Indra reminded Nala that he was the king of the demi-Gods
and would arrange the meeting.
A day before the swayamvara Indra
transported Nala to Damayanti’s chamber using his divine powers. The
two recognised each other instantaneously. After a long embrace Nala
stated the purpose of his visit. Damayanti told him not to worry. He
had kept the promise made to the demi-Gods and nothing could dissuade
Damayanti from garlanding Nala in the swayamvara ceremony. Nala
faithfully repeated the conversation to Indra. “You have kept your word
only in letter and not in spirit,” Indra stated, “Now I will do what
has to be done.”
A galaxy of princes was gathered at the
swayamvara. Nala sat in one corner so as to avoid the demi-Gods, but
they sought him out and sat next to him. At the appointed time
Damayanti entered the hall. To her amazement she saw five people
exactly like Nala sitting in a corner. She realised that the demi-Gods
were trying to trick her but was confident that her love would prevail.
After watching the five for a few minutes she realised that four stared
at her with unblinking eyes while the fifth was blinking regularly. She
garlanded the fifth person. The four demi-Gods assumed their true form
and blessed the bride and groom and went back to heaven.
On the
way the met Dwapar and Kali, two other demi-Gods. These presided over
two of the four Yugas that make up one cycle of time between Creation
and Destruction. Indra told them that the swayamvara was over and in
any event it was a mere formality because Damayanti has already made up
her mind. Dwapar and Kali felt that they had been cheated and swore
that they would make life hell for Nala and Damayanti.
They married and lived for some time in great happiness, a son and a daughter,
named Indrasena and Indrasena, being born to them.
No sooner than Nala and Damayanti had settled down in their newly
married life, Kali and Dwapar started their mischief. Kali entered the
mind of Nala’s brother, Pushkar, and exhorted him to challenge Nala to
a game of dice. Though Nala was a weak player he accepted the challenge
assuming it will be friendly game. But Pushkar was being driven by Kali
and the dice was being driven by Dwapar. What began with the stake of a
ring ended up with Nala losing everything he owned, including his
kingdom. Then Pushkar asked Nala to stake his wife. “If you win I will
return everything you have lost so far,” he added as an incentive. Nala
thought for a while but in the end declined the offer. Pushkar made
them leave the country on foot. Nala wore only a loincloth and Draupadi
only a sari.
They roamed around in this manner for a few days eating roots and
fruits. One night Nala saw a bird and decided to trap it. He took off
his loincloth to snare it but the bird flew off with the cloth. They
now had to hide during the day and move at night. Damayanti wrapped one
end of the garment around Nala whenever they were near people. Totally
exhausted they reached within striking distance of the capital of King
Bhim, Damayanti’s father. Nala pleaded with Damayanti that she return
to her father’s palace, but his wife did not comply.
He resolved to abandon his wife in the hope that she would return
to her father's court, so he divided her sole remaining garment while she slept
and left her.
Thus left alone, Damayanti wandered about in great distress. She did not go
home, but she at length found service and protection with the princess of Chedi.
Nala fell in with the king of serpents, who was under a curse from which Nala
was to deliver him. The serpent bit Nala, and told him that the poison should
work upon him till the evil spirit was gone out of him, and that he should
then be restored to all he loved. Through the effects of the bite he was transformed
into a misshapen dwarf.
In this form he entered the service of Rituparna, king of Ayodhya, as a trainer
of horses and an accomplished cook, under the name of Bahuka.
Damayanti was discovered and conducted to her father's home, where she found
her children. Great search was made for Nala, but in vain, for no one knew
him in his altered form. One Brahman, however, suspected him, and informed
Damayanti. She resolved to test his feelings by announcing her intention of
holding a second swayamvara.
King Rituparna determined to attend, and took Nala with him as driver of his
chariot. Rituparna was skilled in numbers and the rules of chances. On their
journey he gave a wonderful proof of this, and he instructed Nala in the science.
When Nala had acquired this knowledge the evil spirit went out of him, but
still he retained his deformity.
Damayanti half penetrated his disguise, and was at length convinced that he
was her husband by the flavour of a dish which he had cooked. They met, and,
after some loving reproaches and the interference of the gods, they became
reconciled, and Naha resumed his form.
He again played with Pushkara, and staked his wife against the kingdom. Profiting
by the knowledge he had obtained from Rituparna,
he won back all and again became king. Pushkara then humbled himself, and Nala
not only forgave him, but sent him home to his own city enriched with many
gifts.
7. Nala in Lion King
Nala is a character from the 1994 Disney film The Lion King.
She is brave, compassionate, and retains a sense of responsibility and
justice. As a cub, however, she was rambunctious, mischievous, and
adventurous like her royal future-husband Simba.
Simba is the son of Mufasa, the lion king of the Pridelands
(located in the Serengeti). When Mufasa is killed by his scheming
brother Scar, Simba is convinced by his uncle that the
death was his fault and runs away. Narrowly
escaping the jaws of Scar's hyena henchmen, he is
found and brought up in an oasis by two comic reliefs: Timon - a
meercat and Pumbaa - a warthog. That night, Nala and the rest of the
pride are told by Scar that both Mufasa and Simba are dead. He assumes
the title of king, and begins a reign of fear after admitting the
hyenas into the land.
Years later, Nala ventures outside of the Pridelands to find help.
Stumbling onto the oasis, she finds and hunts Timon and Pumbaa. Simba
comes the rescue to soon discover that the opposing lioness is his
long-lost friend. He explains that he was found by Timon and Pumbaa and
that he had adopted their philosophy of "Hakuna Mutata" - carefree
life. Nala relates how Scar destroyed the Pridelands and that it was
Simba's responsibility to claim the throne. Simba refuses to do this,
but after an encounter with his father's ghost, decides to confront his
uncle. Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa soon follow and participate in the
violent battle with Scar.
8. Nala in African means Loved, in Tanzania means Queen, in Swahili means Gift
9. Nala & Nila (Sai Baba Dictionary)
Nala and Nila (Nela): Two generals of Rama (cursed by a sage: "Boys! May all things that you throw on water never sink; may they float instead") helping constructing the bridge to reach Lanka, the city of Ravana where Sita was kept (RRV2-7a).
10. Nala is a Yoruban Antelope?
the story of Nala.
Once upon a time there was a little antelope named Nala who lived in the
green savahnas of Africa. One night Nala went for a walk to get a drink
at the watering hole. All of a suuden a hungry hyena approached the antelope
and declared "I am going to eat you!" Nala replied in a shaky voice, "Oh,
no Mr. hyena, you do not want to eat me, i'm much too thin." "Why not
go eat that big piece of cheese in the middle of the watering hole." She
said as she pointed to the full moons reflection in the water. The hyena
was persueded to eat the juicy piece of cheese and lept out into the middle
of the pond. With a huge splash the hyena fell into the water and Nala
giggled as she pranced off into the forrest.
11. Solang Nala is in the Himalayans
12. Laksamana Nala (pelaut)
Meanwhile, in the ancient time of history, Surabaya also had a great
kingdom called Majapahit --with capital city Mojokerto, about 100 km
from Surabaya. Under initiative of prime-minister Gadjah Mada,
Majapahit succesfully made our archipelago as a united. And even bigger
than Indonesia nowadays, because Thailand, Madagascar, India, Malay
Peninsula (Malaysia and Singapore) and half of Indo-China also became
parts of Majapahit. All of them (including Indonesia) are called
'Nusantara' acronym from Nusa di Antara (lands surrounding by oceans,
because Indonesia is an archipelago surrounded by South China Sea and
Indian Ocean then Pacific Ocean). And this success happened because of
supporting acts from Admiral Nala, a famous sailorman during Majapahit
era (then in the 20th century, name of Gadjah Mada was given to a
famous university in Jogjakarta, meanwhile Nala adopted for an
Indonesian Navy's submarine; KRI Nala. Another submarines are; Cakra,
Nenggala and Pasopati).
13. Sang Persanta Nala (guru)
Tun Mat, younger son of
the Bendhara, and close friend of Hang Tuah since the day of the "amok",
hurried up the hill to the place and called the five guardsmen with
an impatient beckoning gesture.
"The reply from Java
has come," he said excitedly. "My father will be arriving
in state in a few minutes to have it read publicly at the Balai. But
I can tell you that the King of Majapahit has agreed and has invited
his Highness to come there for the wedding." Hang Tuah and his
four companions had now served the Sultan for more than six months,
and had won the reputation of being among the best fighters and most
cheerful workers in the royal bodyguard.
"That will mean that
we shall go also; it should be fun," said Hang Jebat.
"There's sure to be lots of feasting," said Hang Lekir.
Hang Tuah loosened his long kris and looked round at the others:
"I shall be surprised
if there is not some fighting, too. We might even get a chance of
taking lessons from Sang Persanta Nala, the famous guru. He lives
on a mountain not far from the King's palace."
The news that Sultan Mansur
Shah was going to Java to marry the King of Majapahit's only daughter
spread like wildfire, and preparations for his departure were put
in hand at once. Princess Radin Mas Ayu was reported to be very beautiful,
and at that time was the King's only child. The marriage with the
Sultan of Malacca was a particularly suitable match, for the King
of Majapahit was descended from a ruler of Tumasek (later known as
Singapore); the princess was therefore partly Malay
14. Nala means River???
The Oldest rulers of Taxila,
the Takshakas, their modern descendants being Taka tribe, whose name originated from their
worship of Takila, i.e. serpents, have given rise to the name of the city,Taxila,
correctly Taksha-sila, i.e. the hill capital of the Takshakas, the exact Persian
translation of which id Margalla, correctly Mar (serpent)-I-Qila (fort).it is on the
western side of the Margalla Hill that Taxila is located on bank of a local river,called
Tamra-nala, correctly Dharama-nala (Dharma meaning "Buddhist moral law) –a name
derived from a nearby Buddhist stupa, called Dharmarajika stupa, the first of its kind
erected by the Mauryan emperor Asoka about the middle of the 3rd century B.C.
... anyone know any more? is it true Nala also means heart(hati) somewhere? how curious....
