Once the Bodhisatta, born as a kinnara named Canda, lived with his mate Candā in the Canda mountain in Himavā. One day, while they were disporting themselves near a little stream, singing and dancing, the king of Bārāṇasī, who had gone hunting, saw Candā and fell in love with her. So he shot Canda with an arrow, and when Candā lamented aloud at the sight of her dead husband the king revealed himself and offered her his love and his kingdom. Canda scorned the offer and protested to the gods that they should have allowed harm to befall her husband. Sakka’s throne was heated by her such great loyalty and, coming in the guise of a brahmin, he restored to Canda his life.

The king was Anuruddha and Candā was Rāhulamātā. The story was related by the Buddha when he visited his father’s palace at Kapilavatthu and heard from Suddhodana how devotedly Rāhulamātā had continued to love the Buddha. He said it was not the first time that she had shown her undying affection. J.iv.282 ff; DhA.i.97.