Nandā, A Nāginī

Nandā was the daughter of the Nāgarāja known as Kapotaka, who resided in Pātāla. She appears in the narrative of the Auttara Manvantara as a pivotal figure whose compassion and independent will shaped the fate of Queen Bahulā, the estranged wife of King Uttama. Nandā’s story is one of kindness toward a helpless woman, defiance of her father’s desires, and the consequence of a curse that followed from her refusal. Her mother was Manoramā, the wife of Kapotaka. Though Nandā’s role in the Auttara Manvantara is relatively brief, it carries deep significance, for it was through her shelter that Bahulā survived her exile and lived safely in Pātāla.

Nandā’s Lineage and Family

Nandā was born into the royal household of the Nāga kingdom in Pātāla. Her father was the Nāgarāja named Kapotaka, a well-known and powerful ruler among the Nāgas. Her mother was Manoramā, the queen consort of Kapotaka. Nandā was thus a Nāga Kanyā of noble descent, raised in the subterranean world of Pātāla, far removed from the events unfolding on the surface of the earth among mortal kings and queens.

The Arrival of Bahulā in Pātāla

The events leading to Nandā’s involvement began when Uttama, the son of Uttānapāda, banished his beloved wife Bahulā to the forest. Bahulā had not reciprocated Uttama’s intense affection, and in a moment of anger, the king ordered to abandon her in the wilderness. Left alone in the vast forest, Bahulā wandered without protection or companion.

It was during this time that Kapotaka, the Nāgarāja of Pātāla, happened to see Bahulā roaming in the great forest. She was young, beautiful, and utterly alone. Upon seeing her, Kapotaka developed a deep attraction toward her. He revealed his intentions to her and then took her down to Pātāla, his own realm beneath the earth.

Nandā’s Act of Compassion

When Bahulā arrived in Pātāla, it was Nandā who took notice of her plight. Nandā saw the beautiful woman who had been brought by her father, and rather than viewing Bahulā as a rival or an outsider, she felt deep sympathy for her. Nandā regarded Bahulā as though she were her own mother’s co-wife, recognizing the dignity and sorrow of the displaced queen. Out of this compassion, Nandā took Bahulā into her own inner chambers within the Nāga palace and kept her hidden and protected there. It was entirely Nandā’s decision to shelter Bahulā, and she did so with care and secrecy, ensuring the queen remained safe within the walls of her personal residence in the antahpura.

Kapotaka’s Desire and Nandā’s Refusal

Kapotaka had not brought Bahulā to Pātāla merely out of concern for her safety. The Nāgarāja harbored romantic desire for the beautiful queen. When Kapotaka came to Nandā and asked her to hand over the woman he had brought, Nandā refused. She did not comply with her father’s wish, nor did she offer any explanation or compromise. Her silence and defiance were absolute. She simply would not surrender the woman she had chosen to protect.

This act of refusal was extraordinary. Nandā stood firm against her own father, the king of the Nāgas, placing her sense of what was right above obedience to parental authority. She did not speak back harshly or argue; she simply did not give Bahulā to him.

The Curse of Kapotaka

Kapotaka was enraged by his daughter’s refusal. When Nandā would not yield and did not hand over the beautiful woman despite his repeated requests, the Nāgarāja cursed his own daughter. He declared that Nandā would become a mortal woman. The exact words of his curse were that she would be born as a human being, losing her Nāga form and the privileges of life in Pātāla. This was a severe punishment, for it meant that Nandā would be cast out of her celestial serpentine existence and thrust into the world of mortals with all its suffering and limitation.

Nandā, the Nāga Kanyā who had shown great courage and compassion, thus received a terrible curse from her own father, not for any wrongdoing, but for the act of protecting a vulnerable woman from being exploited.

Bahulā’s Life Under Nandā’s Protection

Despite the personal cost Nandā bore, her act of sheltering Bahulā was successful. Bahulā continued to live safely in Pātāla under Nandā’s care. She remained pure in her conduct, living a life in Nandā’s quarters in the Nāga kingdom. This was confirmed later by the Ṛṣi whom Uttama consulted. When the king asked about the whereabouts and well-being of his estranged wife, the Ṛṣi told him clearly that Bahulā had not been harmed by any lion, tiger, or rākṣasa, and that she was presently living in Rasātala with her virtue fully intact. It was Nandā’s protection that made this possible.

Nandā’s Role in the Auttara Manvantara

Nandā’s brief but significant role in this narrative serves as the bridge between Bahulā‘s exile and her eventual safety. Without Nandā’s intervention, the queen abandoned in the forest could have faced any number of dangers. It was Nandā who, upon seeing the woman brought by her father, chose to act out of dharma and compassion rather than stand aside. Her protection ensured that Bahulā’s honor and life were preserved during the long period of separation from Uttama.

The Ṛṣi who narrated all these events to Uttama knew every detail through his jñāna dṛṣṭi. He told the king that Bahulā had been taken to Pātāla by the Kapotaka and that the Nāgarāja’s daughter Nandā had kept her safe. It was through this revelation that Uttama learned not only where his wife was but also the identity and the selfless act of the Nāga Kanyā who had given her refuge.

Source: Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, Chapter 66 – 70