Ulupi was the daughter of the Naga king Kauravya, who ruled the underwater kingdom in the Ganga River. Initially, she was married to a Naga prince, but he died in a fight with Garuda shortly after their marriage. During exile, one day after finishing prayer in the Ganga river, Arjuna turned toward the shore, but the water force pulled him and when he woke up he was in the Naglok. Ulupi brought him there and confessed her affection to him. Arjuna said that he was in exile and bound by a vow of celibacy.
