Nagnajiti: The 5th Ashtabharya of Krishna and an Incarnation of Nila Devi

Nagnajiti is one of the most beautiful wives and the 5th Ashtabharya of Krishna. She is famously called Satya. The Tamil community calls her Goddess Nappinnai, which translates into beautifully tressed or the goddess with beautiful hair. Satya is one of the eight principal wives of Sri Krishna in Indian mythology and the Vedic Story of Hinduism. She comes in fifth as the queen of Krishna. Goddess Nappinnai’s reference comes from Vaishnavite texts and Bhagawatam.

Birth of Nagnajiti: 5th Ashtabharya of Krishna

Nagnajiti was born Satya, the daughter of King Nagnajit of the Kosala region, where King Dashrath and Lord Rama, the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, ruled. Nagnajita was the King of Kosala, or Kaushal.

Nagnajiti: An Incarnation of Ashta Lakshmi, An Aspect of Nila Devi

It is believed that Nagnajiti is an incarnation of Goddess Nila Devi, the third aspect of Ashta Lakshmi and the divine consort of Lord Vishnu. She was born as Satya on Earth in Dwapara Yuga.

Andal: An Incarnation of Nila Devi, Nappinai, or Nagnajiti

Andal was a poet-saint in South India. She is famously called by several names, such as Kothai and Goda Devi. She was born in the 7th or 8th century. Vishnu Chittar, father of Andal, found her near the Tulsi plant on the premises of a temple in South India. She was the only female and one of the twelve Alvar saints of the Vaishnava tradition in Hinduism.

Nila Devi, in her Andal incarnation, has declared her true identity as the Nappinai. She wrote Tirupavai and Nachiyar Tirumoli, where she mentioned that she incarnated as Nappinai, the daughter of King Nagnajita, brother of Yashoda (mother of Lord Krishna).

Andal expressed her love and devotion for Lord Krishna. She portrayed various avatars of Lord Vishnu, such as Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana, Rama, and Narasimha, in her poems. She even gave vivid details of her marriage with Ranganath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the South Indian region. And how the Lord, along with divine beings, gods, goddesses, Gandharvas, and other people from different universes, came on earth to attend the wedding of Andal and Sri Ranganath.

Read More:

• Rukmini: The First Ashtabharya of Krishna and Her Journey from a Princess to a Passionate Lover.
• Satyabhama: The Second Ashtabharya of Krishna and the Slayer of Narakasura.
• Jambavati: Third Ashtabharya of Krishna & the Mother of Samba, the Destroy of Yadava Clan
• Kalindi: The Lifesaver and the Fourth Ashtabharya of Krishna.

The Marriage Tale of Nagnajiti and Krishna

Bhagavata Purana narrates the story of Nagnajiti and Krishna’s marriage tale vividly. King Nagnajita of Kosala was a kind and pure-hearted monarch. He was a great devotee and follower of the Vedas. Nagnajita followed and read the four Vedas: the Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, and other great ancient scriptures written by reversed sages. He was following righteousness, or Dharma, by giving respect and devotion to elders and love to young people. Nagnajita was pure in his heart and actions, or karma.

However, when Satya grew up, he arranged a swayamvara, or self-choice marriage, for his beloved daughter. Nagnajita put some conditions in place to check if the prospective groom or candidate can fulfill them to win his daughter’s hand in marriage.

The rule or condition was simple but complex. The suitable groom of Nila Devi, the 5th Ashtabharya of Krishna, must defeat the seven ferocious bulls of the emperor in battle with a noose around each of them to win Satya.

Many kings from different parts of ancient India tried but failed.

Lord Krishna set out on his journey to Kosala when he learned about the interesting and impossible battle with bulls.

Shri Krishna set out on his journey towards Kosala after finding out about the battle with the bulls.

Shyam reached the kingdom, and King Nagnajita welcomed him with great pomp.

The emperor wanted to know what the reason was behind his visit to Kosala and, at the time, his daughter Swayamvar.

Krishna straightforwardly declared his intentions to marry the princess. It was confirmed that what the king and his kingdom desired was coming true with the declaration by Krishna.

Nagnajita wished in his heart to give his daughter’s hand to Sri Krishna and gain him as a son-in-law. Therefore, he set the challenge so tough that no king or prince could defeat the bulls except Krishna so that he could take his daughter as his principal wife, or Ashtabharya of Krishna.

King Nagnajita and Princess Satya were aware of the divine powers of Sri Krishna and were thrilled to witness that the Lord of the Universe had come to marry.

Deadly Battle Between Krishna and the Seven Bulls

Nagnajita, the king of Kosala, praised Lord Krishna’s valor. However, he had taken a vow to marry off his daughter, Satya, to a prince who could tame the deadly bulls and noose them with rope.

Krishna entered the arena to fight the seven bulls. He expanded himself into seven divine forms and tamed the ferocious bulls by noosing them to win the challenge.

King Nagnajita was very happy with the outcome, praised Lord Krishna for his valor, and accepted him as his son-in-law.

Nagnajiti put a garland as a winning trophy on Krishna and accepted him as her husband.

Thereafter, King Nagnajita arranged a grand and magnificent wedding court for the couple and married off his daughter to Sri Krishna joyously.

Nagnajita presented gifts to Krishna, and they were: 10,000 cows, 9,000 elephants, and 900,000 chariots. He even presented Krishna with 90,000,000 female and 9,000,000,000 male servants in his service.

Therefore, Lord Krishna took her, his newlywed, into his chariot and went for Dwarka to start their married life.

Children of Nagnajiti and Krishna

According to the Vishnu Purana, Harivamsa, and Bhagavata Purana, Nagnajiti was called Satya Nagnajiti. Mahabharat also called her Satya, the 5th Ashtabharya of Krishna, or the principal wife.

She was very happy after marrying Sri Krishna and gave him ten sons as his princesses of Dwarka.

Nagnajiti and Krishna’s sons were: Vira, Chandra, Ashvasena, Citragu, Vegavan, Vrsha, Ama, Shanku, Vasu, and Kunti, the youngest.

However, Vishnu Purana narrates that Nagnajiti had many sons, and Bhadravinda was the eldest.

Bhagavata Purana narrates that after the death of Sri Krishna by a hunter in the forest, Nagnajiti and the other seven Ashtabharya of Krishna, the principal wives, jumped into the funeral pyre of their husband and became Sati.