[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975) › c8.1704 # Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1704 Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c8.1704 - **Language:** English ### [c8.1704](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.1704) ii) \*Nālāyanī (Indrasenā)\*. Once there was an aged sage named Maudgalya. Nālāyanī alias Indrasenā was the wife of Maudgalya. Even though the wife was young and the husband old, Nālāyanī was very chaste. The sage became very old, grey-haired and rugous, skeleton-like with a foul smell emanating from his body. He was always in an angry mood. Still Nālāyanī stuck to him as a chaste, loving and dutiful wife. As time passed on Maudgalya became a leper. One day while the sage was eating, a finger of his broke and fell into the rice. With great calmness and devotion Nālāyanī removed the finger from the rice and ate the rice. Greatly pleased at this act of hers the sage asked her what boon she wanted and she replied she desired to have an amorous life with him as Pañcaśarīra. Maudgalya granted her the boon and they both travelled the whole world enjoying an amorous life. When the sage took the form of a mountain Nālāyanī became a river and when the sage took the shape of a flowering tree she became a creeper on it. They spent thousands of years like that and then Maudgalya became tired of a sexual life and returned to the ascetic life. Even after such a long period of erotic life Nālāyanī was still lustful and she resented the decision of her husband to go back to the life of a hermit. She begged the husband to continue the same life for some more time. Maudgalya got cross when she thus caused hindrance to his penance and cursed her saying that she would in her next life be born as the daughter of the King of Pāñcāla when she would have five husbands to satisfy her lust. Greatly grieved at this curse she practised severe austerities standing in the midst of Pañcāgni. Pleased with her penance Śiva appeared before her and blessed her saying that she would be born in her next birth in a very noble family and she would then have five husbands, good-natured, doing godly work and equal in valour to Indra. She then pleaded that she should be granted the boon to remain a virgin during the coitus with each of her husbands. Śiva granted that wish. Then Śiva sent her to the river Gaṅgā, and asked her to fetch a beautiful young man whom she would be - [Previous: c8.1703](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.1703) - [Next: c8.1705](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.1705) - [Up: c8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.1704](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.1704) · Pramāṇa