MENAKA

MENAKA

Dear friends, 

In Ernakulam many town buses have destination as "Menaka". One can see the name-boards of many town buses while waiting outside Ernakulam Junction to MENAKA VIA JETTI. 

 One can hear the "cleaner" of the bus announcing the destination of bus as "JETTY, MENAKA-JETTY MENAKA" vannae vannae (Come, come). Jetty is the Ernakulam Boat jetty and about 2 Kilometres further one has to travel to reach "Menaka". "Menaka" was the name of a famous cinema. Though there has been no cinema there for many years, still the place is called "MENAKA". 

 I once walked with my friend Sri Sankaranarayanan through the road from Jetty to Menaka to enjoy the beauty of backwaters while on camping for inspections at Ernakulam. 

Other than interrupting the penance of sage Viswamithra and living a long time with him with more intimacy and affection between themselves, I tried to trace anything more could be gathered from the internet about Menaka. I could gather a lot more information about apsaras though not specific to Menaka.  I have compiled those interesting information also here. 

Sage Viswamithra incident too I have briefed for telling the birth of SAKUNTALA, and her son BHARAT from whom, our country has derived the name Bharatham. 

Sincerely,

Gopala Krishnan 12-11-2012. 

Re posted on 15-07-2020 after editing. R. Gopala Krishnan. 

1. Menaka and sage Viswamithra 

Menaka is considered as one of the most beautiful of the ten heavenly nymphs as per the Hindu mythology. Among the nymphs most celebrated are Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha, and Tilottama. I have mentioned the names of few more in this posting. 

It is said that Menaka was   sent by lord Indra, the king of the Devas, to disrupt the severe penance undertaken by sage Vishwamitra. 

Menaka was successful in provoking Vishwamitra's desire and     passion when he saw her swimming in a lake near a    waterfall. Vishwamitra's meditation was disrupted and he fell in love with her. For many years they lived together happily. MENAKA too had fallen in love with him. 

When Vishwamitra realized that he had been tricked by Indra   he became furious. Menaka had lost all dubious intentions towards him long ago. 

Menaka had become mother of a female child who later came to be known as Shakuntala. 

She left the child, at the hermitage of sage Kanva. Later Shakuntala fell in love with King Dushyanta who made a visit to ashram, had Gandharva marriage   and gave birth to a son .He was Bharata from whom our country derived the name Bharatham. 

Viswamithra had lost all the powers he gained so far by the relation with Menaka. He started from scratch. 

Mahakavi Kalidasa has depicted the story of Sakunthala in Abhijnana Sakunthalam 

2. Apsaras- interesting information. 

Apsaras are beautiful, supernatural female beings. They are youthful and elegant, and superb in the art of dancing. They are often the wives of the Gandharvas, the court musicians of Indra. They dance to the music made by the Gandharvas, usually in the palaces of the gods, entertain and sometimes seduce gods and men 

Apsaras are said to be able to change their shape at will, and rule over the fortunes of gaming and gambling. Apsaras are sometimes compared to the muses of ancient Greece, with each of the 26 APSARAS AT INDRA'S COURT representing a distinct aspect of the performing arts. 

Apsaras are associated with water; thus, they may be compared to the nymphs, dryads and naiads of ancient Greece. They are associated with fertility rites. 

 2a, two types of apsaras 

There are two types of Apsaras; Laukika (worldly), of who thirty-four are specified, and Daivika (divine), of which there are ten. 

2b. Parents of apsaras 

The Bhagavata Purana also states that the Apsaras were born from sage Kashyap and Muni. (I had read twice, not Kashyapa muni, but sage Kashyap and Muni) 

3. Apsaras and Vedas 

The Rig Veda tells of an Apsara who is the wife of Gandharva; however, the Rig Veda also seems to allow for the existence of more than one Apsara. THE ONLY APSARA SPECIFICALLY NAMED IS URVASHI. An entire hymn deals with the colloquy between Urvashi and her mortal lover Pururavas. 

 Later Hindu scriptures allow for the existence of numerous Apsaras, who act as the handmaidens of Indra or as dancers at his celestial court. 

4. Mahabharatha. 

Three apsaras stories are told, and list of apsaras is also given. The stories told are about Tilottama and Urvasi and Menaka. 

Urvasi incident comes when Arjuna visit Lord Indra, his father. Urvasi, advance to Arjuna, but Arjuna do not agree to it, telling she is like Mother. Urvasi says, in their world, no such things. 

Still Arjuna did not agree, and Urvasi cursed him to be bisexual for some time. This helps him during ajnaathavasam[ exile in incognito]. Hence the saying "Urvasi sapam upakaram" (Blessing in disguise) 

And Sakunthala tells of her own parentage at one occasion about her mother Menaka. 

5. List of names from Mahabharatha. 

Ghritachi, MENAKA, RAMBHA, Purvachitti, Swayamprabha, URVASHI, Misrakeshi, Dandagauri, Varuthini, Gopali, Sahajanya, Kumbhayoni, Prajagara, CHITRASENA, CHITRALEKHA, Saha, and Madhuraswana, these and others by thousands, possessed of eyes like lotus leaves, who were employed in enticing the hearts of persons practising rigid austerities, danced there… Then there is a description about the beauty of these apsaras while dancing. Chitrasena and Chitralekha are names easy to remember. 

6. Natyasasthra 

Natya Shastra, the principle work of dramatic theory for Sanskrit drama, lists the following apsaras: 

Manjukesi, Sukesi, Misrakesi, SULOCHANA, SAUDAMINI, Devadatta, DEVASENA, MANORAMA, Sudati, SUNDARI, Vigagdha, Vividha, BUDHA, Sumala, Santati, SUNANDA, SUMUKHI, Magadhi, ARJUNI, SARALA, KERALA, Dhrti, NANDA, Supuskala, Supuspamala and KALABHA 

7. Easily remembering names of other apsaras 

1) Arjuni 2) Budha 3) Chitra sena 4) Chitra Lekha 5) Devasena 6) Kerala 7) Kalabha 8) Manorama 9) Nanda 10) Sarala 11) Saudamini 12) Sulochana 13) Sumukhi. 14) Sunanda and 15) Sundari. 

All the while I was under the impression Sundari as another name of Devi. Sundari is also the name of an apsara  was not known  to me. 

8. There cine actresses of yester years by name Urvashi, Menaka and Rambha in south Indian films. Now also they rarely appear in films and tele serials. I have not come across an actress by name Tilothama. However while telling beauty of women, Tilothama is often compared. 

My note- I have simply compiled. I have not read the books to tell the pages etc…)