Nalakuvara

Nalakuvara
Information
Spouse(s)	Rambha

Nalakūvara, also known as Nalakūbara, appears in Hindu and Buddhist mythology as the brother of Maṇigrīva (also known as Manibhadra), the son of the yaksha king Kubera (also known as Vaiśravaṇa) and husband of Rambha. Nalakūvara often appears as a sexual trickster figure in Hindu and Buddhist literature.

Various Sanskrit and Prakrit texts give the name “Nalakūvara,” “Nalakūvala,” “Narakuvera,” and “Naṭakuvera” to describe the son of Kubera. The god also appears in Chinese texts as “Nazha,” and later “Nezha,” a shortened transliteration of the word “Nalakūvara.”

In the Rāmāyaṇa, Nalakūvara’s would be wife Rambha was raped by his uncle, Rāvaṇa. In some versions of the Ramayana, Nalakūvara curses Rāvaṇa, so that if Rāvaṇa touches any woman without permission, his heads would explode. This curse protected the chastity of Sītā, the wife of Rāma, after she was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa.

In the Bhagavata Purana, Nalakūvara and his brother Manigriva are cursed by the sage Narada into becoming trees. They are later liberated by the child-god Krishna (Bala Krishna). Nalakūvara and his brother were cursed by Narada into becoming Trees.

Nalakūvara and his brother Maṇigrīva were playing, in nudity, in the Ganges with celestial maidens when Narada walked by after a visit with Vishnu. Upon seeing Narada, the maidens covered themselves, while Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva were too intoxicated to notice Narada, and remained unclothed. According to some accounts, Narada pitied the brothers for wasting away their lives through their excessive indulgence in women and wine. In order to help the brothers realise their mistake, Narada cursed them into two Marutu Trees. Narada wished for the brothers to meet Lord Krishna after many years, who would be able to liberate them from the curse. In other accounts, it is said that Narada is so offended by the brothers’ lack of dignity and respect that he cursed them into trees. After the two brothers pleaded with Narada, he consented that they could be liberated if Krishna touched them.

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