Tidbits-20 (Apsaraa)
There are many Apsaraa. Here are
listed the names of some Apsaraa who have appeared in our scriptures. For
names of Apsaraa see
MBH, Book 3 (Van Parv), Section 43.
Some names have been related with some
incidents, while other names are only mentioned. Some Apsaraa goes with Soorya
also. They are 12 in number to go with him one in each month. Some names are
common, while others are very uncommon. It is indicated with those uncommon
names --
Adrikaa, Alambooshaa, Anumlochaa (she stays with Soorya), Baroothinee, Chitraa, Chitraangadaa, Dand Gauree Dantaa,
Ghritaachee, Gopaalee, Haasinee, Hemaa, Janapadee, Kritasthalee (she stays
with Soorya)
Manoharaa, Menakaa, Mishrakeshee, Narmadaa
Poorvchitti, Prabhaa, Pramlochaa, Prasaami, Punjikaasthalee, Rambhaa, Rati, Ruchi,
Sahajanyaa, Senjit (she lives with Soorya) Sukeshee, Sumukhee, Swayamprabhaa,
Tilottamaa, Urvaraa, Urvashee, Vidyotaa,
Vidyutaa, Vishwaachee.
(1) Adrikaa
Adrikaa lived in the form of a fish in Yamunaa River. When Uparichar Vasu
sent his semen to his wife through an eagle and it fell in Yamunaa River,
she swallowed it and gave birth to a twins - a boy and a girl. The girl
was Satyavatee who married to Shaantanu of Hastinaapur.
[MBH,
(2) Alambooshaa
Marutt's son was Dam, Dam's son was Raajyavardhan, his son was Sudhriti,
and Sudhriti's son was Nar. Nar's son was Kewal, Kewal's son was Bandhumaan,
Bandhumaan's son was Vegavaan, Vegavaan's son was Bandhu, and his son was
Raajaa Trinbindu. Raajaa Trinbindu was a very qualitative man. Alambooshaa
Apsaraa chose him as her husband and she gave birth to many sons and one
daughter named Idvidaa from him. They married her to Pulastya's son Muni
Vishravaa. Muni Vishravaa learned the knowledge from his father Pulastya
Jee and produced Kuber from Idvidaa.
[Bhaagvat Puraan, 9/1]
(3) Ghritaachee
--King Yayaati's youngest son was Puru. In the same lineage was born
Raudraashwa. Raudraashwa had 10 sons from Ghritaachee Apsaraa - Riteyu, Kuksheyu,
Sthandileyu, Kriteyu, Jaleyu, Santateyu, Vrateyu, and Vaneyu.
[Bhaagvat Puraan, 9/12]
--She married one king named Kushnaabh also and gave birth to 100 very
beautiful daughters who were married to Brahmdatt named Braahman.
[V-Raamaayan,
1/10]
--Sumati, the son of Ruru and the grandson of Maharshi Chyavan, was married to
Ghritaachee Apsaraa and had a son from her.
[MBH,
G-0-Prolog/5]
--In Bharat Vansh, there was a king named Shakrahotra who married Ghritaachee Apsaraa
and had a son named Hastee who inhabited Hastinaapur. He had the son named Ajameedh.
Bhavishya Puraan, 3-Pratisarg-3, p 276-278]
--Once Bharadwaaj Muni was doing severe austerity at the source of Gangaa. One day
he thought to do Agnihotra so he went to the banks of the river. There he saw
Ghritaachee Apasaraa and his semen fell, but he immediately put it in a Drone. A son
was born from that seed kept in that pot (Drone) and that is why he was known as Drone
(Kumbhaj or pot-born) also [Agastya Rishi and Vashishth Jee are also called Kumbhaj
as they were also born from a pot]
[MBH, G-0-Prolog/13
and
MBH, G-1-Beginning/10]
--Another time also when Maharshi Bharadwaaj saw Apsaraa Ghritaachee, his semen
fell. This time he held it in his hand and kept in a bowl made of leaves. From this
semen a girl was born in that bowl. He kept the girl in the Aashram and he himself
went to forest. That girl was Shruvavatee.
[MBH-Stories,
6-38-Balaraam-4]
(4) Hemaa
There was a Hemaa Apsaraa who gave birth to Mandodaree from Maya Daanav.
Later Maya married Mandodaree to Raavan and she had a son from him - Meghnaad
(5) Janapadee
According to
MBH 1-Beginning/12, Janapadee Apsaraa was sent to distract Sharadwaan from his
Tapasyaa. This resulted in a twins - one boy and one girl - Kripaa and Kripee.
(6) Menakaa
It is said that Menakaa was the daughter of Kashyap Jee and Kapilaa. Menakaa Apsaraa
was sent to destroy the Tap of Muni
Vishwaamitra. When he was doing Tapasyaa to get the status of Brahmarshi, Indra
sent Menakaa to disturb his Tap. She stayed with him for 10 years and produced
a daughter from him named
Shakuntalaa who was married to King Dushyant and had a son named Bharat from him.
Bharat became a Chakravartee King.
[MBH, ]
(7) Poorvchitti
Indra sent her to attract Manu's son Priyavrat's son Aagneedhra. He married her and
had nine sons from her - Naabhi, Kimpurush, Harivarsh, Ilaavrat, Ramyak, Hiranyamaya,
Kuru, Bhadraashwa, Ketumaal; in nine years. Then she went back to Brahmaa Jee.
[Bhaagvat Puraan, 5/1]
(8) Pramlochaa
--Indra sent her to break Muni Kandu's Tap, so she lived with him for
many years - 970 years and 6 months. Muni got surprised to hear this. He
sent her away immediately. She also ran away in fear. At that time she
was pregnant. When she was running away she wiped her sweated body with
trees. Her fetus also came out with her sweat. The trees took her sweat,
wind brought it together and Chandramaa started to nourish it with his
rays. The child was a girl named Maarishaa. When Prachetaa Gan came out
of water after doing Tapasyaa, trees married her to them. She gave birth
to Daksh Prajaapati.
--Varaah Puraan says that Indra sent her to infatuate Devdatt. Devdatt
fell into her trap and had a girl. After the birth of that girl
Pramlochaa went away leaving the girl on Prithvi. She was brought up by
a deer named Ruru, so she got her name from him as Ruru.
(9) Punjikaasthalee
She was cursed by a Rishi to be born as a she-monkey. When asked how she
would be freed from this curse, he said - "When you will give birth
to a son like Shiv, then only you will be free from this curse. So she was
born as Anjanee. She did Tap for Shiv Jee, pleased him and got Hanumaan, one
of his 11 forms of Rudra, through Pavan Dev. Then she got free from the curse.
(10) Rambhaa
Once Rambhaa was going to Nal-koobar (son of Kuber) to see him, that
Raavan stopped her and raped her. When Nal-koobar came to know about
this he cursed Raavan - "If you touch any woman without her consent,
your head will break in seven pieces."
[V-Raamaayan,
7/12]
(11) Sukeshee
Sukeshee Apsaraa came to the Earth and married Kuru. Kuru had a son named Jahnu (it
is not clear that whether Jahnu was the son of Sukeshee or not).
[Bhavishya Puraan,
3-Pratisarg-3, p 276-278]
(12) Tilottamaa
According to MBH, Tilottamaa rescued the world from Raakshas -
Sund and
Upasund.
(13) Urvashee
Urvashee Apsaraa. She married to Kaurav's forefather Pururavaa and had six sons
from him - Aayu, Dheemat, Amaavasu, Dridhaayu, Vanaayu and Satyaayu.
[MBH,
G-1-Beginning/1]
--Another name is of Maharshi Sharadwaan.
He saw Urvashee Apsaraa and his semen fell down on a Moonj bush. This caused
it to born one son and one daughter. Urvashee left them there only. Raajaa
Shaantanu saw them, brought them home, named them as Krip and Kripee. Krip
became the Kul Guru of Kaurav family; and Kripee was married to Drone.
[Bhaagvat Puraan, 9/12]
--She wanted to marry Arjun too when he was in Swarg Lok to obtain divine
weapons from Indra, but Arjun politely refused as he regarded her his
mother being the wife of his ancestor Pururavaa.
(14) Vishwaachee
--She lived with Yayaati for many years after he borrowed the youth from his
youngest son Puru.
[MBH,
G-1-Beginning/1]
Apsaraa Who Had Contact With Human Beings
There are many Apsaraa who married
human beings on Prithvi, mentioned in our scriptures. Their names are given here --
(1) Alambooshaa
Marutt's son was Dam, Dam's son was Raajyavardhan, his son was Sudhriti, and
Sudhriti's son was Nar. Nar's son was Kewal, Kewal's son was Bandhumaan,
Bandhumaan's son was Vegavaan, Vegavaan's son was Bandhu, and his son was Raajaa
Trinbindu. Raajaa Trinbindu was a very qualitative man. Alambooshaa Apsaraa
chose him as her husband and she gave birth to many sons and one daughter named
Idvidaa from him. They married her to Pulastya's son muni Vishravaa. Muni Vishravaa
learned the knowledge from his father Pulastya Jee and produced Kuber from Idvidaa.
[Bhaagvat Puraan, 9/1]
(2) Ghritaachee
King Yayaati's youngest son was Puru. In the same lineage was born Raudraashwa. He
had 10 sons from Ghritaachee Apsaraa - Riteyu, Kuksheyu, Sthandileyu, Kriteyu, Jaleyu,
Santateyu, Vrateyu, and Vaneyu.
[Bhaagvat Puraan, 9/12]
She married one king named Kushnaabh also and gave birth to 100 very beautiful
daughters who were married to Brahmdatt named Braahman.
[V-Raamaayan,
1/10]
Sumati, son of Ruru and grandson of Maharshi Chyavan, was married to
Ghritaachee Apsaraa and had a son from her.
[
MBH, G-0-Prolog/5]
In Bharat Vansh, there was a
king named Shakrahotra who married Ghritaachee Apsaraa and had a son named
Hastee who inhabited hastinaapur. He had the son named Ajameedh.
[Bhavishya Puraan,
3-Pratisarg-3, p 276-278]
(3) Janapadee
According to
MBH 1-Beginning/12, Janapadee Apsaraa was sent to distract Sharadwaan from
his Tapasyaa. This resulted in a twins - one boy and one girl - Kripaa and Kripee.
(4) Menakaa
She came to distract Muni Vishwaamitra from his severe Tap, lived
with him for 10 years and had a daughter named Shakuntalaa who was
brought up by Rishi Kanv.
(5) Poorvchitti
Indra sent her to attract Manu's son Priyavrat's son Aagneedhra. He
married her and had nine sons from her - Naabhi, Kimpurush, Harivarsh, Ilaavrat,
Ramyak, Hiranyamaya, Kuru, Bhadraashwa, Ketumaal; in nine years. Then
she went back to Brahmaa Jee.
[Bhaagvat Puraan, 5/1]
(6) Pramlochaa
Indra sent her to break Muni Kandu's Tap, so she lived with him for
many years - 970 years and 6 months. Muni got surprised to hear this. He
sent her away immediately. She also ran away in fear. At that time she
was pregnant. When she was running away she wiped her sweated body with
trees. Her fetus also came out with her sweat. The trees took her sweat,
wind brought it together and Chandramaa started to nourish it with his
rays. The child was a girl named Maarishaa. When Prachetaa Gan came out
of water after doing Tapasyaa, trees married her to them. She gave birth
to Daksh Prajaapati.
Varaah Puraan says that Indra sent her to infatuate Devdatt. Devdatt
fell into her trap and had a girl. After the birth of that girl
Pramlochaa went away leaving the girl on Prithvi. She was brought up by
a deer named Ruru, so she got her name from him as Ruru.
(7) Punjikaasthalee
She was given Shaap to born as she-monkey on earth, so she was born as Anjanee,
married to Kesaree. She was to be freed from her Shaap when she would have a child
from Shiv. So she did Tapasyaa, pleased Shiv Jee and had Hanumaan as her son through
Pavan Dev.
(8) Sukeshee
Sukeshee Apsaraa came to the Earth and married Kuru. Kuru had a son named Jahnu
(it is not clear that whether Jahnu was the son of Sukeshee or not).
[Bhavishya Puraan,
3-Pratisarg-3, p 276-278>]
(9) Urvashee
She lived with king Pururavaa and had six sons from him.
[Agni
Puraan, 26] says that she lived with him for 59 years.
She was attracted to Arjun (one of five Paandav) also but Arjun
declined saying that he saw her as his mother (being Pururavaa's wife)
so he could not marry her. She gave him Shaap that "you be only
son, never become a man and be a eunuch for your whole life". Then
somehow Indra converted that Shaap to only one year of Arjun's choice.
This one year, he spent in Viraat Nagar with Raajaa Viraat while Paandav
were passing their 13th year of exile period as Agyaatvaas.
[MBH
She was with Muni
Sharadwaan also, whose semen fell on a pile of reed after seeing her.
It divided itself in two because of falling on reed, so two children
were born - one boy and one girl. Both children were found by king
Shaantanu and were brought up by him. They were named as Kripaa and
Kripee. Later Kripaa became the Kul Guru of Kaurav family and Kripee
was married to Aachaarya Drone.
But according to
MBH 1-Beginning/12, Janapadee Apsaraa was sent to distract Sharadwaan
from his Tapasyaa. This resulted in a twins - one boy and one girl - Kripaa
and Kripee.
(10) Vishwaachee
She lived with Yayaati after he has got his youth from his youngest son Puru.
[MBH,
G-1-Beginning/1]
Apsaraa in the Water
There are a several references in our scriptures where Apsaraa have been found
living in waters
(1) Five Apsaraa in V-Raamaayan - Mandakarnee's Story
A story appears in Aranya Kaand of Vaalmeeki Raamaayan. This story is of the
Sage Mandakarnee at Panchapsaraa Lake. While Raam, Lakshman and Seetaa are in
exile, they are wandering here and there visiting many Aashram. All three see
many different mountain peaks, forests and charming rivers etc. They also saw
cranes and ruddy geese strolling on the sandy banks of rivers, and lakes filled
with lotus flowers and water fowl. Once after going a long distance, in the
evening, they saw a delightful lake covering one Yojan. It was full of red and
white lotus flowers, adorned with herds of wild elephants, and its waters were
crowded with flocks of swans and other aquatic birds. In the clear waters of
that lake could be heard the sound of musical instruments, though no one could
be seen.
Then, out of curiosity, Raam and Lakshman asked the sage Dharmabhrit, who had
been accompanying them - "O Great Sage, Hearing this amazing sound of music,
we are all curious as to where it is coming from?” The righteous sage described
the glories of that lake - "This, O Raam, is Lake Panchapsaraa, always full
with crystal-clear water, which was created by the sage Mandakarnee through his
execution of penances. Mandakarnee in fact performed severe austerities for ten
thousand years standing in water up to his neck and living on air alone. Seeing
all this all the gods thought - "This sage is seeking the position of one
of us." So to interrupt his austerities, the demigods chose five principal
celestial damsels and sent them to him. The sage, who knew what was good and bad,
was drawn under the sway of love by those celestial damsels. Those same five celestial
damsels became the sage’s wives. He built a house for them inside the lake. Dwelling
there as they pleased, the same five celestial damsels delight the sage, who regained
his youth by the practice of regulated penance. That pleasurable sound of music which
You hear is from them playing instruments for their amusement, mixed with the tinkling
of their ornaments."
[V-Raamaayan, 3/4]
(2) An Apsaraa in Raamaayan - Hanumaan Meets Her
There is one place in Raamaayan where an Apsaraa is mentioned. Its mention
comes in Tulasee's Maanas. When Lakshman is unconscious and Vaidya Sushen
asks him to bring Sanjeevanee herb from the mountain, he goes there. In the
meantime Raavan's spies informed him about this development. He immediately
goes to Kaalnemi Raakshas and forces him to go and kill Hanumaan on the way
so that he cannot bring the Sanjeevanee herb. Kaalnemi explains him a lot
that who had burnt his whole Lankaa, how could he be killed, but Raavan does
not listen to him and threatens him to kill. Kaalnemi has to go and he creates
an Aashram on the way.
Hanumaan sees the Aashram and stops for a while to drink water. Kaalnemi,
in the gfuise of a sage, offers him the water from his Kamandal, but Hanumaan
is not dsatisfied from that little water, so he shows him the lake in front
of him. As Hanumaan enters the lake a she-crocodile catches his feet. Hanumaan
kills her and she changes to a beautiful Apsaraa. She tells him that this sage
was not a sage but was a Raakshas and goes to her Lok.
[Tulasee's Maanas,
6/11]
(3) Adrikaa Apsaraa in MBH - Satyavatee's Mother
Adrikaa Apsaraa was living in waters. When the crane was taking the semen of
the King Uparichar Vasu to his wife, and another crane tried to snatch it from
his beak taking it as a piece of meat, it fell into the river. As it fell, Adrikaa
was living in it as a fish, she swallowed it. A fisherman caught it and seeing
it pregnant he took care of it and at the appropriate time she gave birth to a
boy and a girl. The fisherman took them to the King Uparichar Vasu. He recognized
them as his children. he gave the girl to fisherman and kept the boy. The girl
was known as Matsyagandhaa and later Yojangandhaa and later Satyavatee who got
married to the King Shaantanu and became the queen of Hastinaapur.
[MBH,
G-0-Prolog/13]
(4) Five Apsaraa in MBH - Arjun Frees Them
This story also comes in MBH, when Arjun was on 12 years of exile. He met Uloopee,
he met Chitraangadaa, then he went towards southern Sea where there were five holy
waters where nobody could take bath, because there five crocodiles who used to
carry the people who entered these waters to take bath. So Arjun went inside the
waters and one crocodile caught his leg, but he brought it out one the land. As
he put it on the land, it turned into a beautiful Apsaraa decked with beautiful
clothes and ornaments. She told her story to Arjun and asked him to liberate
four other Apsaraa, similar to her. Arjun took out those four crocodiles also
out of the waters and liberated them from that Yoni.
[MBH,
G-3-Youth/13]
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