Urvashi and Pururavas PART 1
Dear friends,
The original posting was on 7-12-2012. Updated and edited and posted now.
Sincerely,
R Gopala Krishnan, 1-10-2020
1. INTRODUCTION
Damsel Urvashi found the atmosphere in heaven stifling. Everything was cold and synthetic including the colours and the fragrances of the flowers.
Urvashi often stole to the Earth at night with her friends to feel the wet dew under her feet and the soft breeze against her body.
On the other hand king Pururava envied the Gods. He was a regular invitee to Indra's court and was haunted at night by the grandeur he saw there.
He would then take his chariot above the clouds and hurtle through the skies at break-neck speed. It was on such an occasion that the two met.
2 URVASHI SAVED BY KING PURURUVAS
Urvashi was returning to heaven just before dawn with the other Apsaras, when she was abducted by a demon. Pururava saw this and chased the demon on his chariot and freed Urvashi from his clutches.
The brief period their bodies touched changed their lives forever. For the first time Urvasi experienced the warm flesh of a mortal, for the first time she heard blood pounding in veins and for the first time she heard the inhalation and exhalation of breath.
Pururavas had seen Urvashi in Indra's court before and to actually be close to the most beautiful woman in heaven exhilarated him. Pururava left Urvashi with her friends but when they parted each was madly in love with the other but unsure whether the love was being reciprocated.
Urvashi was a woman in a man's world and in keeping with the tradition of the times expected the man to make the first move. Pururavas on the other hand feared rejection because he did not expect the pride of heaven to come and live with a mortal, and hence did not approach Urvashi. So both pined for each other.
3. SAGE BHARATHA CURSE URVASI
Urvashi was giving a dance performance in which she was portraying Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. Her concentration was with Pururavas and she called out her lover's name instead of saying "Vishnu".
Her teacher, the sage Bharat, got offended and cursed Urvashi. "You will get to live with the person you are thinking about," he said, "And you will also give birth to his son. But you will have to choose between the father and son, because the day they see each other you will have to leave them both and return to heaven."
The curse actually emboldened Urvashi. She wasn't even thinking about children, she was sure to get her love. She sent a friend to earth to find out about Pururavas. The friend located the king in the garden of Gandhmadan (meaning intoxicating fragrance), whining away for his ladylove. The stage was set.
4 URVASI STARTED LIVING WITH PURURUVAS
Urvashi left heaven and went to the waiting arms of Pururavas.
Pururavas was a married man. His wife was Aushiniri. They did not have any children and as was the custom of the time, the wife was blamed for this. So when Pururavas met Urvashi he was already distanced from his wife and hence was more easily drawn towards the Apsara.
He decided to live with Urvashi in the forest of Gandhmadan. He arranged for all princely comforts there as also for running the affairs of state. They spent the time in love, in discourse; Urvashi sang and danced for Pururavas; the king was content to have her with him. For Urvashi this was a unique opportunity to live with mortals and to experience their joys and sufferings, while Pururavas reveled in the fact that the pride of heaven and Indra's favourite was his and his alone. In fact the only discordant note in their ethereal music was the argument whether the Gods are more fortunate or mortals.
An epic has been written on this debate by the famous Hindi poet, Dinkar, a passage from which bears translation. Urvashi is praising the fire that burns in the souls of mortals.
Till there is fire in the soul, the universe is your friend. Your chariot flies in the heavens and with the clouds does play. Till there is fire in the soul, the ocean looks up to you and its infinite wealth and treasure at your feet does lie. The fierce lion passes by; the dense forests give way, Even the towering mountain peaks bow down before you. Till there is fire in the soul, great Indra pays his respects And beautiful Urvashi descends to the earth for you.
But where there are givers there will be lovers' tiffs and Urvashi and Pururavas are said to have had their share.
5 URVASI RUNS AWAY
Once Urvashi and Pururavas were walking along the bank of a stream in animated conversation. Pururavas noticed a maiden knee deep in water washing clothes and for a second his concentration faltered. Urvashi went into a fit of jealous rage and ran away.
So maddened was she that she stepped into Kartikeya's grove. Kartikeya is the God of War and women were forbidden to enter his grove and if they did so they would be turned into a creeper.
This was the fate Urvashi met. For many months Pururavas searched for Urvashi. He prayed to the Gods for their favour. He recounted the numerous times he had fought shoulder to shoulder with them in their incessant war against the Demons. Kartikeya relented and gave Pururavas a crimson jewel and asked him to rub a particular creeper in his grove with it. When the king did so Urvashi was freed.
By now everyone, including Aushiniri had accepted Urvashi as the king's consort.
There was no need for them to stay at Gandhmadan. The two went to the capital city of their kingdom and continued to enjoy each other's company as before. In all Urvashi and Pururava spent sixteen years together. The gem with which Pururava had freed Urvashi in Kartikeya's grove was Urvashi's favourite.
6 URVASI LOSES THE GEM
One day a raven snatched it from the hands of Urvashi's maid.Pururavas raised his bow but before he could shoot an arrow someone else hit the bird and it fell into the palace courtyard. The arrow was retrieved and given to the king. It was the custom that each arrow bore the name of its owner and this arrow said Ayu the son of Pururavas and Urvashi.
It had so happened that Urvashi had desired to bear a child, so without Pururavas' knowledge she had conceived and given birth to his son. The incident at Kartikeya's grove was a ploy by the Gods to give Urvashi time for bearing the child. The reason for the secrecy lay in the curse sage Bharat had given Urvashi many years earlier.
"You will have to choose between your son or your lover, for the day the two meet you will have to return to heaven."
The lover in Urvashi had yet not been satisfied so she had left the newborn child in sage Chyavana's hermitage in the care of his wife Satyavati.
Sage Chyavana explained everything to the astounded king. The time had come for Ayu to meet Pururavas, but unfortunately the same time necessitated the departure of Urvashi.
Pururava crowned Ayu as King and left for Gandhmadan, where he had spent memorable seasons with the Apsara. But the story does not end here.
7 URVASI AGAIN JOINS PURURUVAS
The Demons attacked Heaven and with Pururava's help the Gods succeeded in driving them away. In return Indra allowed Urvashi to go back to Gandhmadan where she spent many more years with Pururavas and bore him many more sons before leaving him once for all .
This story is captured by Sanskrit poet Kalidasa in his play Vikramōrvaśīyam.
In the second part I will be dealing with conditions laid by Urvashi to King Pururuvas and birth of children and reason for her leaving King Pururuvas. Also more about Urvashi.
URVASI AND PURURUVAS PART 2
Dear friends,
This is part 2 of the posting. In part 1 I completed with king Pururuvas meeting his son Ayus. As per condition that son and father met, Urvasi left for Indra loka. But Indra required help of Pururuvas in wars and Indra revised the condition that she could go to Bhooloka and live with Pururuvas or as she desired. I am continuing further in this posting.
Sincerely,
Gopala Krishnan 2-10-2020
1 THREE CONDITIONS
However, Urvashi was still bound to Indra's paradise and set down three conditions upon Pururavas. On breaking of any of them, she would have to leave him and go back.
"What are your three conditions, my love?" asked Pururavas, ready to do anything to keep Urvashi with him.
"My first condition is that I'm bringing two sheep whose safety is your responsibility. If anything happens to them, I shall leave,"Urvashi spelled out. "I have defeated Asuras with Indra and kept my people safe for hundreds of years, I'm sure I can keep your sheep safely.
What is the next condition?" "I will only live on ghee." "Your wish is my command.
And what is the third condition?" "We must never see each other naked apart from when we're making love," said Urvashi with a finality.
Pururavas was confused at the many conditions, but he agreed to them nonetheless, and the two lived happily for 64 years.
Yet, up in heaven, Indra and the other Devas missed the most beautiful Apsara that ever existed, and could not bear to live without her..
They also knew about Urvashi's conditions and decided to steal the sheep so that she would have to return to them.
2 PURURUVAS FORCED TO BREAK THE CONDITION
So, one night, they stole the sheep, but as they were making away with them, the noise roused Urvashi who beseeched Pururavas to see what was happening.
Pururavas had just woken from slumber and did not have enough time to put on clothes. He ran behind the Devas in the nude. The Devas managed to make away with the sheep, breaking the first condition.
A heartbroken Urvashi came out to see the end of her marital life, and just when things could not get worse, the Devas also sent lightning that illuminated the night. Urvashi saw Pururavas naked, and thus even the second condition was violated.
3 URVASHI LEAVES FOR HEAVEN WITH CONDITION
With a heavy heart, Urvashi left for Heaven but she was with Pururavas' child, Ayu, so she asked him to meet her at Kurukshetra in nine months to give him the son he always wanted.
Urvashi came back to earth many times after that and had five other sons with Pururavas, but the two were never reunited.Story of Pururava and Urvashi
4 ABOUT KING PURURUVA
Pururava was son of Budha and Ilaa. As a son of a mortal (Ilaa) and an immortal (Budha), he was a mortal. He was grandson of Soma (Moon) and the first king of lunar dynasty.
5 REASON FOR COMING TO EARTH BY URVASI –VARIATION AND LEGEND
Heavenly nymph (Apsara) Urvashi had to come down to earth as a punishment to some offence to gods Mitra and Varuna. On earth she met Pururavas who fell in love with her. Urvashi agreed to live with Pururavas provided he met certain conditions. Urvashi had a couple of pet rams that should always remain by her side and she should never see Pururava naked.
Gods in the heaven of Indra and Gandharvas, heavenly musicians and close associates of Apsaras, the heavenly dancers were anxious to have Urvashi back in heaven. So Gandharvas went disguised as robbers and stole Urvashi's rams. Pururava was naked in bed so at first he did not respond for the fear that Urvashi will see him undressed. Later he roused and went in search of robbers. Gandharvas brought a flash of lightening and Urvashi saw Pururava naked so the charm was broken and Urvashi went back to heaven.
6 URVASHI MEETS PURURUVAS IN KURUSHEKTHRA
Pururuvas distraught with grief at the loss of Urvashi roamed the earth. Once he saw Urvashi at Kurukshetra bathing with four other Apsaras. Urvashi told him she was pregnant and asked him to come back. Urvashi gave him a son on the second trip and spent a night with him.
7 URVASI MEETS PURUURUVAS YEARLY ONCE
This sequence was repeated. She spent a night with him each year and bore him four more sons.
8 RIG VEDA PERIOD
Myth of Pururavas and Urvashi goes back to RIgveda period (1500 BCE).
According to some scholars Pururavas represents the Sun and Urvashi the morning mist. Just as morning mist disappears on the sight of Sun Urvashi vanishes from the sight of Pururavas.
9 VIKRAMORVASEEYAM
Kalidasa's play Vikramorvashiyam (Vikram and Urvashi) is based on this story. Vikram meaning valour is Pururavas. Kalidasa changes the story somewhat DIFFERENT.
Urvashi was living on the Earth with her lover Pururavas. She wassummoned to Heaven to perform in a celestial play. She was so much smitten with Pururavas that she made mistakes in the performance and ruins the play. She was banished from the Heaven but cursed to return the moment her earthly lover saw her new-born child. After a series of mishaps, she was united with her earthly lover on the Earth.---Laxmi N. Gupta---27 August 2012
10 URVASI REFERENCES IN RAMAYANA
In Ramayana
Urvashi in the Ramayana, seduced Vibhandaka and became the mother of Rishyasringa, who later played crucial role in birth of Rama and was married to Shanta, the elder sister of Rama.
In Mahabharata
As Pururavas' wife-Once Pururavas, founder of lunar dynasty, and Urvashi fell in love with each other. Pururavas asked her to become his wife, but she agreed on three conditions. The three conditions were:
He would protect her pet sheep. They would never see one another naked (apart from love making).She would eat only ghee.
Pururavas agreed to the conditions and they lived happily. Indra started missing Urvashi and he created circumstances where all the three conditions were broken. After all three conditions were broken, Urvashi returned to Heaven which left Pururavas heartbroken.
Urvashi came on the Earth and bore Pururavas many children, but they were not completely reunited.
Their love story is found in the Rigveda and Shatapatha Brahmana too. Kalidasa's drama Vikramōrvaśīyam is about their love story with variations from the original texts.
11 URVASHI AND ARJUNA BY B P BANERJEE
She is also mentioned in the Mahabharata, as the celestial dancer of Indra's palace. When Arjuna had come for obtaining weapons from his father, his eyes fell upon Urvaśī. Indra seeing this sent Chitrasena to address Urvasi to wait upon Arjuna. Hearing virtues of Arjuna, Urvasi was filled with desire. At twilight, she reached Arjuna's abode. As soon as Arjuna saw that beauty at night in his room in beautiful attire, out of fear, respect, modesty and shyness he saluted her with closed eyes. She told Arjuna everything and also of her desire. But Arjuna refused, as considering her to his superior of old. He also mentioned that she was like his mother because of her past marriage to Pururavas.
In wrath she cursed Arjuna of destitute of manhood and scorned as a eunuch for a year. This curse helped Arjuna during his exile in incognito.
12 BIRTH OF URVASI
There are many legends about the birth of Urvaśī but the following one is most prevalent.
Once the revered sages Nara-Narayana were meditating in the holy shrine of Badrinath Temple situated in the Himalayas. Indra, the king of the Gods, did not want the sage to acquire divine powersthrough meditation and sent two Apsaras to distract him. The sage struck his thigh and created a woman so beautiful that Indra's Apsaras were left matchless. This was Urvaśī, named from Uru,the Sanskrit word for thigh. After his meditation was complete the sage gifted Urvaśī to Indra, and she occupied the place of pride in Indra's court.
13 THE TRAGIC LOVE STORY OF URVASHI, AN APSARA, AND KING PURURAVAS, A MORTAL
My note- Though there are repetitions there are more information here
Stories since the Rig Veda and MistayaPurina, to the Mahabharata and Kalidasa's play, Vikramor -vasiyam, tell the tragic love story of Urvashi and Pururavas.
Indra, though kind, was always fearful of being usurped as the king of heavens. Apart from the Asuras that were always looking to overthrow the Devas, Indra was also afraid of powerful rishis who could change the tide of fortune with their meditation.
Once, he found out that the much-revered rishis Nara-Narayana were meditating in the Himalayan forests, to distract them, Indra sent two beautiful Apsaras to distract them. However, to show their powers, Nara-Narayana struck their thigh and created a woman so beautiful, that the Apsaras left in shame. This Apsara created was named Urvashi meaning created from Uru or thigh. Indra was suitably chastised, and Nara-Narayana presented Urvashi to him as a friendly gesture after their meditation was over.
Soma or Moon had a son named Buddha, who had a son named Pururavas, he was a Chandravanshi or the first lunar King. From Pururavas came the Pandavas and Kauravas. He was a brave warrior who was frequently asked by Indra to accompany him in war against the Asuras. He also performed a hundred Ashvamedha yajnas to become a great ruler. Stories since the Rig Veda and Matsya Purana, to the Mahabharata and Kalidasa's play, Vikramorvasiyam, tell the tragic love story of Urvashi and Pururavas.
When Urvashi was fed up with the celestial life, she and other apsaras came down to the Earth. In any case,she preferred human emotions that had a range as opposed to the always-happy living in the heavens. On her way back, she was accosted by an asura named Keshi, who was determined to make her his bride. She was screaming furiously, when Pururavas, who was travelling past heard her.
He immediately fought Keshi and rescued the Apsara. During the fight, Pururavas accidentally touched Urvashi. It was the first time that Urvashi had been touched by a mortal and an emotion of warmth coursed through her body. Pururavas, who had never seen an Apsara as beautiful was instantly smitten, as well. But then, Urvashi left him and went back.
Up in heaven, she could not stop thinking about Pururavas and during a play directed by rishi Bharata, she accidentally said Pururavas' name instead of Purushottama, which was Vishnu's. This infuriated the rishi who cursed her to eventually become mortal and beget children on earth, which made the other apsaras recoil in horror, but didn't seem so objectionable to Urvashi. Indra, however, modified the curse, so that she would remain an apsara.Meanwhile, Pururavas, who was already married, but whose wife could not have children, longed for Urvashi. When Urvashi came to him and told him about the curse, the two decided to run away together and live in the garden of Gandhmadan.
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