She was born in Kapilavatthu as the Tochter von the chief of the Sākiyan Khemaka und was named Nandā. Owing to her great beauty und charm she wurde known as Abhirūpā-Nandā.
On the day appointed for her to select her Ehemann, the Sākiyan youth, on whom her choice was to have fallen, died, und her parents made her leave the world against her will.
The Apadāna account (ii. 609) does not mention the suitor's death, aber states that viele sought her hand und caused great trouble, to avoid which her parents made her join the Order.
Even after she had entered the Order she avoided going into der Buddha's presence, being infatuated mit her own beauty und fearing the Master's rebuke. In order to induce her to come to him, der Buddha directed Mahā Pajāpatī to siehe that all the nuns came for instruction. When Nandā's turn came she sent another in her place. Der Buddha refused to recognise the substitute, und Nandā was compelled to go herself. As she listened to der Buddha preaching, he, by sein magic power, conjured up a schön woman und showed her becoming aged und fading, causing anguish to arise in Nandā's heart. At the opportune moment, the Buddha drove home the truth of the impermanence of beauty. Meditating on this topic, she later wurde an arahant (ThigA.81f. ; SnA.i.241-2).
The two verses preached to her by der Buddha, which she made the subject of her meditations, are given in the Therīgāthā (vv.19, 20).
In der Zeit von Vipassī Buddha, Nandā had been the Tochter von a wealthy burgess in der Buddha's native town of Bandhumatī. Having heard der Buddha preach she wurde seinpious follower, und, at seindeath, made an offering of a golden umbrella decked mit jewels to the shrine built over seinashes (Ap.ii.608).
The verses quoted in the Therīgāthā Kommentar, as having been taken from the Apadāna, really belong to Mettā, und are found in the Apadāna (ii. 515) ascribed to Ekapindadāyikā. The correct verses are found in the Apadāna unter the name of Abhirūpa Nandā, und agree mit the story given in the text of the Therīgāthā Kommentar.