Story of Nalakūbara

A son of Vaiśravaṇa. He had a brother called Maṇigrīva.

Cursing Rāvaṇa,

It was the time when Rāvaṇa was ruling over Laṅkā and terrorising the fourteen worlds. As he was carrying on his conquests, once he came to a round rock near Kailāsa. It was night. Rambhā had fixed a rendezvous near the rock that night with Nalakūbara. The full moon shone bright. The radiance of the moon rendered Kailāsa and its vicinity most beautiful. Filled with passion Rāvaṇa could not sleep at all. In the silence of that calm night he heard the tinkling of bangles. Rāvaṇa opened his twenty eyes and looked in that direction. He saw an extremely beautiful woman clad in splendid garments and ornaments going along the way. He ran to her and caught hold of her hand. She was flurried and confused at his sudden appearance. So she said, "Oh Lord! I am the wife of Nalakūbara who is the son of your brother Kubera. My name is Rambhā. Your brother’s son is your son too. So don't do any harm to your son’s wife." But Rāvaṇa did not pay any heed to her words. He lifted her up and placed her on the round rock and raped her. Before dawn Rambhā, who had become like the lake of lotus trodden by a mad elephant, went to Nalakūbara and told him everything. Nalakūbara became very angry and cursed Rāvaṇa. "You, who have become blind with lust, shall not touch a woman who does not reciprocate your love. If you do so your head will be split into seven pieces." It was because of this curse that Rāvaṇa did not touch Sītā though she was kept in his harem. (Uttara Rāmāyaṇa; Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 28).

Another wife of Nalakūbara.

It is mentioned in Kathāsaritsāgara, Madanamañcukālambaka, Taraṅga 3, that, of the two daughters, Svayamprabhā and Somaprabhā of Maya, Somaprabhā was the wife of Nalakūbara.

The curse of Nārada.

Nalakūbara and Maṇigrīva, the sons of Kubera were playing with celestial maidens in the Ganges in nudity, when Nārada came by that way. The hermit was returning after visiting Viṣṇu. The moment the celestial maids saw Nārada they put on their clothes and stood aside bowing before Nārada. Nalakūbara and Maṇigrīva did not see Nārada. They ran here and there, playing with no clothes on. At this, Nārada got angry and cursed them that they would become two "Marutu" trees (Terminalia alata) on the earth. They became very sad and requested for liberation from the curse. Nārada told them they would get liberation from the curse when they saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the incarnation of Viṣṇu. Accordingly Nalakūbara and his brother took birth near the house of Nandagopa in Ambāḍi, as double "Marutu" trees. It was the period of the childhood of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Once Śrī Kṛṣṇa swallowed mud, and Yaśodā tied him to a mortar. The child dragged the mortar to the Marutu tree and got himself between the double trees. Immediately the trees regained the original forms of Nalakūbara and Maṇigrīva. They paid homage to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who blessed them, and both of them returned to Vaiśravaṇapurī. (Bhāgavata, Skanda 10).