APSARAS - THE DANCING DAMSELS OF INDRA'S COURT

APSARAS   -   THE  DANCING  DAMSELS  OF  INDRA'S  COURT

 



                                   
                                        




                                 

Apsaras are celestial nymphs who dance in the court of Indra, the King of Devas. Quite a few in number; they are considered to be extremely beautiful, charming, seductive, and greatly talented in both music and dance.

The Devas, with a cup of an intoxicating drink (Somaras) in their hands, enjoyed the song of the Gandharva and the dance of heavenly beauties, Apsaras.



The fermented juice drink called Somaras is believed to have been consumed by the Hindu Gods and their ancient priests, the Brahmanas, during rituals. The ingredients of Somaras are hallucinogenic mushrooms, honey, cannabis, blue lotus, milk, and pomegranate.

The Apsara and the Gandharva are performing artists for the Gods. The Apsaras are dancers, singers, and courtesans, while the Gandharvas entertained with their musical talent. The Apsaras were exceedingly beautiful. Some Apsaras are paired with Gandharvas. The famous pairings include Tumburu and Rambha, Menaka and Vishvavasu, and so on. But their relationship is temporary and does not culminate in marriage.



The Apsaras from the Indralok occasionally visit the earth and get involved with mortal beings. They return to Indralok when Indra desires. A human lifespan is one blink of an eyelid of Indra. God Indra cannot remain separated from the company of his Apsaras of Indralok.










Indra is the ancient Vedic king of the gods, the deity of the heavens, lightning, thunder, and rain. Wielding the thunderbolt weapon (vajra), he is celebrated in the Rigveda as a heroic warrior who slew the demon drought Vritra to bring life-giving rain to the earth.


                   
                                                 





Airavata is the divine celestial white elephant who serves as the vahana (mount) of Lord Indra, the King of Gods and Lord of rain and thunder in Hindu mythology.

                               
                                     

The Apsaras are found living in water and among trees such as banyan and sacred fig. They are entreated to bless wedding processions.

                             
                                      



The apsara is originally a type of female spirit associated with clouds and water, but later came to be known as a "nymph" or "fairy". They figure prominently in the sculpture, dance, literature, and paintings of many South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures.



Apsaras are known for their extraordinary beauty, youth, and elegance. They are highly skilled in the performing arts and often serve as entertainers in the heavenly court of Lord Indra.



                                     




The most famous Apsaras in Indian mythology are Rambha, Menaka, Urvashi, Tilottama, and Ghritachi. The Puranas also mention other minor nymphs such as Mishrakesi, Vapu, Viprachitti, Purvachitti, Sahajanya, Karnika, Punjikasthala, Viswachi, Rithisthala, Umlocha, Pramlocha, Swayamprabha, Janapadi, and Adrika. The main Apsaras are believed to have sprung forth from the Ocean of Milk during the Samudra Manthana episode, wherein the ocean was churned in a tug of war between the Devas and the Daityas (Asuras or Demons).




                                            



                                

Besides entertaining Indra in his court, these celestial charmers are often sent by Indra himself to disrupt the penance of sages, kings, and Princes. Indra is always portrayed as being in perpetual fear of losing his throne to highly spiritual and evolved sages. Hence, he often sends these beauteous creatures to distract those devout people and deter them from their spiritual pursuit, stopping them on their spiritual journey.

                                      





Vishwamitra was one of the most spiritual and revered sages. He was so powerful that he even tried to create his own exclusive heaven. This made Indra insecure about his position as the Lord of the Devas. So he decided to send Menaka to earth to lure the sage and break his meditation. As the lissome Apsara descended on earth and stood before him, Vishwamitra was filled with lust and passion for her. She succeeded in breaking his meditation, but also fell in love with him.



  
One day, Lord Indra, while spying on Vishwamitra's ashram on his white elephant, Airavata, saw the alluringly beautiful Menaka, who stayed with the sage without returning to Indralok after completion of her mission of seducing the sage and breaking his tapas. Indra, after sighting the irresistible beauty of Menaka, desired to have sex with her. At midnight, he mimed the sound of a cockerel and deceived the sage Vishwamitra, who immediately set out to the nearby river to take a bath to start his morning rituals. When the sage was away, Indra took the form of Vishwamitra and enjoyed sex with an unsuspecting Menaka. After reaching the river banks, the sage realized that he had been tricked and returned to his ashram only to witness Indra and Menaka in a compromising position. The furious sage Vishwamitra cursed Indra to have one thousand vaginas on his body to shame him. He also refused to accept Menaka and his daughter Shakuntala. Shakuntala was born to the sage and Menaka, who seduced Vishwamitra in revealing attire after sighting which the sage lost control of his tapasya, and lusted after her. From their union, Shakuntala was born. It was the first seduction game that happened in this universe.

                                    





Such is the tale of the enchanting Apsaras of the court of Indra, the God of the Devas.

If you want to read further about Apsaras, search my earlier Blog posts about Urvashi and King Pururavas, Swayamvar, or Gandharva Vivaha, and also Gandharva and Apsara.

   
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