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Most people know about Radha, who is said to have been Krishna's lover and his favorite among the Gopis, whom Krishna spent time with during his childhood in Vrindavan and Gokulam. Yet the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member) doesn't emphasize Radha. In part that's because Sri Vaishnavas focus on the Vishnu Purana and the Srimad Bhagavatam, neither of which even mention Radha's name. But as I discuss in this question, Sri Vaishnavas do recognize a figure similar to Radha, known as Nappinnai.

The story of Nappinnai is mentioned in a variety of scriptures, including the Harivamsa, the Garuda Purana, and the poems of the Alwars. Nappinnai was the daughter of Yashoda's brother Kumbhaka and the incarnation of Vishnu's third wife Niladevi (whom I discuss here). Krishna married Nappinnai after defeating the seven ferocious bulls of Kumbhaka.

Now this story bears a striking resemblance to the story of Krishna's queen Satya. As I discuss in this answer, Krishna is said to have married Satya after defeating the seven bulls of Satya's father Nagnajit, king of Ayodhya. I had previously assumed that this resemblance was due to some confusion in how Hindu scripture was transmitted; perhaps Satya was based on Nappinnai or vice versa. But then I came across this chapter of the Garuda Purana, which says this:

The maiden ... was born in the house of Kumbhaka and was called Nila. Kumbhaka was the brother-in-law of Nandashobha. He was the first who carried Kavya to the Pitris. He was abiding on the mount Vrishabha, at that time. I went to his house, O best of birds. Being unconquerable, by the boon conferred by lord Shiva, I killed him and was married to Nila.

In her second birth, Nila was born as the daughter of Nagnijit, Kavyavaha. In the Swayamvara of Nila, I controlled seven bulls who by the favour of lord Shiva were uncontrollable by gods and mortals. I conquered kings who had assembled at the ceremony I married her. Thus Nila was born twice on earth and married to me.

So my question is, what is the relation between Kumbhaka's daughter Nappinnai and Nagnajit's daughter Satya? Was it that Nappinnai died and was reborn as Satya? Or did these two incarnations of Niladevi live side-by-side as wives of Krishna?

Here is what Madhvacharya says in this excerpt from his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya:

Later Shri Krishna left to the residence of Nagnajit, and in the swayamvara restrained seven oxen. They were oxen with the strength of daemons due to the boon of Shiva and could not be restrained by anyone else. All the other kings were defeated by them. Later Shri Krishna married Nagnajit's daughter Niladevi. Another maiden by name of Nila who was cowherd earlier entered her body. One person had incarnated in two forms.

So what does it mean to say that Nappinnai "earlier entered [the] body" of Satya? Did they merge when both were alive, or did Nappinnai die and her soul go to Satya, or was Nappinnai's soul also born in Satya's body while Naappinnai was alive the whole time?

Are there any scriptures that discuss what happened to Nappinnai in later years?

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Keshav Srinivasan
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    I agree with Madhvacharya on this. One person had incarnated twice, much like how both Balarama and Krsna were Vishnu avataras; only thing one was a direct Amsa and another was an Amsa of an Amsa. – Surya Mar 06 '16 at 17:21
  • @Surya Haha yeah, I found the chapter almost a month ago but I was busy posting other questions from my (very long) list. So how do you interpret Madhvacharya's words "Another maiden by name of Nila who was cowherd earlier entered her body." That suggests to me that Nappinnai either died or the two people just merged or something. That would explain why there seems to be no mention of Krishna being with Nappinnai in later years. – Keshav Srinivasan Mar 06 '16 at 17:26
  • @Surya By the way, in the other thread you were speculating that Krishna married Nappinnai later in life, but Madhvacharya claims that Krishna married Nappinnai before he got his Upanayana done, as opposed to his other wives whom he married post-Upanayana. – Keshav Srinivasan Mar 06 '16 at 17:27
  • You are concentrating on Nila entering the body of another, but why are you missing his next statement? 'One person had incarnated in two forms'. – Surya Mar 07 '16 at 02:16
  • BTW, this merging business seems too complicated. The Sanskrit verse is also not helping.. Yasmad Eka Dvividha Samprajata, is one person incarnated as two... but I am confused as to where this sentence joins with the rest.. – Surya Mar 07 '16 at 02:21
  • @Surya "You are concentrating on Nila entering the body of another, but why are you missing his next statement" Well, because the next statement just says that both Nappinnai and Satya are forms of Niladevi, that doesn't address whether they were two forms which existed concurrently at all times or whether they merged or one died and was replaced by the other. – Keshav Srinivasan Mar 07 '16 at 02:49
  • You know, as a thought, Nappinnai's father Kumbhaka was the 'one who carried Kavya (Gavya? Havya?) to the Pitrs. And Nagnajit is called 'Kavyavaha' or 'the carrier of Kavya'. Such coincidences! Also, why does Krsna say 'I killed him and was married to Nila'? Because he his talking about Kumbhaka throughout, so him would mean Kumbhaka - implying that Krsna slew yet another of his uncles... – Surya Mar 07 '16 at 11:43
  • @Surya Haha, I'm positive Krishna didn't kill Kumbhaka. I think the "him" refers to Vrishabha. And yeah, I was also confused by the whole "carrying Kavya" business. Here are the Garuda Purana verses in Sanskrit if it helps: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12TPz5XmHplHcvPHi9tK018OD0K3_gaHyGfsGnBgpY3Y/edit?usp=docslist_api – Keshav Srinivasan Mar 07 '16 at 13:40
  • The verses just add to the confusion. I'll try to translate. – Surya Mar 07 '16 at 16:14
  • @Surya So did you get a chance to translate it? – Keshav Srinivasan Mar 09 '16 at 14:15
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    Yeah whoever has translated the excerpt in your question is a horrible translator. – Surya Mar 09 '16 at 14:43
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    It says that after Vishnu granted her the boon of marrying him, she took birth in the house of Kumbhaka the brother in law of Nandashobha (?). I went to his house and killed the Daityas (not bulls) having been blessed victory by Shiva the resident of Vrshabhachala (!!). – Surya Mar 09 '16 at 14:47
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    Then I married Niladevi. Later she the unmarried girl (!!) was born in the house of Nagnajit. Nagnajit became Kavyavaha and his daughter was called Nila. I went to her Svayamvara and tied up (not killed) the bulls who were blessed invincibility against devas and humans by Lord Shiva. The daughter of Kumbhaka entered the Dehasthas (??) Because both were of the same essence. Niladevi too entered her. Therefore you shouldn't doubt that the same girl took birth twice. – Surya Mar 09 '16 at 14:56
  • So that means the original goddess Niladevi incarnated twice. And the first incarnation 'entered' the second one. :| I don't like this entering business at all. – Surya Mar 09 '16 at 14:57
  • Wish I could have a word with Niladevi. What exactly was she thinking? And Vishnu too blabbering incoherently to Garuda. – Surya Mar 09 '16 at 14:58
  • @Surya A few questions. First of all, how would you translate the part that the other translator renders as "He was the first who carried Kavya to the Pitris."? Second of all, is it possible that "resident of Vrishabhachala" refers to Kumbhaka rather than Shiva? And also, are you saying the word "entered" occurs twice, first "entered Dehasthas" and then "entered her"? – Keshav Srinivasan Mar 09 '16 at 15:05
  • Let me address Vrshabhachala first. The verse says Vrshabhachalavaasinah, and then Shivasya. It could be that Krsna is saying, "I went to his house, the dweller of Vrshabhachala" but that doesn't seem logical, because Krsna wouldn't refer to his house separately and Vrishabhachala separately. But it makes sense to add it to Shivasya, because then it would mean, "I went to his house, having been blessed invincibility by Lord Shiva, the resident of Vrshabhachala." – Surya Apr 13 '16 at 11:22
  • Coming to Kavyavaha, this version you gave me says Kalpavaha. So what I am guessing is, Kumbhaka was NOT "the first carrier of Kavya to the Pitris." Instead, how I understand it is, "Kumbhaka was (the avatara/amsha of) Kalpavaha, the first among the Pitris." – Surya Apr 13 '16 at 11:23
  • Yes, entered occurs in 'Dehasthah Pravishat Bhrsham" as well as Tasmat Tatraiva Saa Avishat". – Surya Apr 13 '16 at 11:40
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    @Surya So when talking about Kumbhaka it says Kalpavaha and when talking about Nagnajit it says Kavyavaha? I think the "Kalpavaha" may be an error in the manuscript, because Kalpavaha returns 0 search results on Google, whereas this book lists Kavyavaha as one of the seven main Pitris: https://books.google.com/books?id=2_LwBQAAQBAJ&lpg=PA121&dq=kavyavaha&pg=PA121#v=onepage&q=kavyavaha&f=false Perhaps just as Niladevi had two incarnations, one as Nappinnai and one as Satya, the Pitri Kavyavaha also had two incarnations, one as Kumbhaka and one as Nagnajit. – Keshav Srinivasan Apr 13 '16 at 15:17
  • @Surya Who knows, perhaps both Kumbhaka entered the body of Nagnajit and Nappinnai entered the body of Satya! – Keshav Srinivasan Apr 13 '16 at 16:37
  • I don't know about both because both the entries (if I may say so) are Niladevi's entries. – Surya Apr 13 '16 at 17:10
  • @Surya Yeah, I don't think the passage is saying that Kumbhaka entered Nagnajit, I'm just saying that may be what happened. Or perhaps Kumbhaka died and was reborn as Nagnajit, and then later Nappinnai found out about that so she found Nagnajit's daughter and entered her. – Keshav Srinivasan Apr 13 '16 at 17:59
  • Speaking of which is Parakaya Pravesha found elsewhere? Because it is creepy regardless of whether it is Manimat Daitya or Niladevi.... – Surya Apr 14 '16 at 06:39
  • In the chapter Krsna tells Garuda "Let me tell you about my six wives". Now when and how did he forget that he has eight wives? Or is this before Lakshmana Bhadra Kalyanam? – Surya Sep 11 '16 at 11:57

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