Declared by the Buddha (A.i.25) to be foremost among nuns in meditative power (jhāyīnaṃ). She was the daughter of Suddhodana and Mahāpajāpatī and was therefore Sister of Nanda Thera.

She is evidently to be identified with Sundarī-Nandā.

There were three therīs (SNA.i.241) of the name of Nandā who were ordained with Pajāpatī:

Nandā, sister of Nanda Thera (also evidently called Sundarī-Nandā and sometimes Rūpa-Nandā and even Janapadakalyāṇī-Nandā), (e.g. AA.i.198; and ThigA.80),

Abhirūpā-Nandā (daughter of Khema the Sakyan) and

Janapadakalyāṇī-Nanda (evidently sometimes also called Rūpa-Nandā, e.g.,DhA.iii.113 f ).

The legends about them seem to have been confused from very early times.