Apsaras

Mythology

Apsaras are beautiful, supernatural female beings. They are youthful and elegant, and peerless in the art of dancing. They are often 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. As ethereal beings who inhabit the skies, and are often depicted taking flight, or at service of a god, their powers may be compared to that of the angels.

Apsaras can change their shape at will, and rule over the fortunes of gaming and gambling. Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha, Tilottama and Ghritachi are the most famous among them. Apsaras bear a resemblance to the muses of ancient Greece, with each of the 26 Apsaras at Indra's court representing a distinct aspect of the performing arts. Being dancers by birth and training, the apsaras are physically very powerful, and especially their legs are strong enough to overpower even the demons known as Asuras. The apsaras had actively taken part in the destruction of the Asura armies when Durga was killing Mahishasura, engaging themselves in a lustful dance and trampling the demon soldiers with their feet; the demons had succumbed to their strength and were crushed by their footfalls even as they held them in a seductive thrall. The apsaras are also associated with fertility rites.

There are two types of apsaras; laukika (worldly), of whom thirty-four are specified, and daivika (divine), of which there are ten.

The Bhagavata Purana also states that the apsaras were born from Kashyapa and Muni.

The Mahabharata documents the exploits of individual apsaras, such as Tilottama, who rescued the world from the rampaging asura brothers Sunda and Upasunda, and Urvashi, who attempted to seduce the hero Arjuna.

A story type or theme appearing over and over again in the tales is that of an Apsara sent to distract a sage or spiritual master from his ascetic practices. One story embodying this theme is that recounted by the epic heroine Shakuntala to explain her own parentage.

Origins and Legacy

The Ghandarvas are Indra’s court musicians. Apsaras are their consorts, described as beautiful dancing girls who complement the music. According to the Puranas, the elixir of immortality was lost in the Ocean of Milk. The gods had let it slip of to the asuras. They therefore needed the apsaras assistance to recover it. As such these goddesses were born from the ocean of milk as water nymphs. They were pulled from the ocean by the devas and Vasuki, the serpent god.

The asparas emerged with exquisite beauty and powers over both mortal and immortal males due to their unsurpassed beauty and elegance. They had the ability to change their forms to suit their purpose of fulfilling a particular chore. Temple carvings are replete with aspara stories. Of note are the 1800 Angkor Watt dancing asparas. In Tantric practice, Aspara Mantra is used to charm a lover.

Notable Incidents

Menaka

Once upon a time, the sage Viswamitra generated such intense energy by means of his asceticism that Indra himself became fearful. Deciding that the sage would have to be distracted from his penances, he sent the apsara Menaka to work her charms. Menaka trembled at the thought of angering such a powerful ascetic, but she obeyed the god's order. As she approached Viswamitra, the wind god Pavan tore away her garments. Seeing her thus disrobed, the sage abandoned himself to lust. Nymph and sage engaged in sex for some time, during which Viswamitra's asceticism was put on hold. As a consequence, Menaka gave birth to a daughter, whom she abandoned on the banks of a river. That daughter was Shakuntala herself, the narrator of the story.

Mohini

Mohini is an Apsara who originated as an incarnation of Vishnu, and later manifested herself as an expression of the original power-form known as Shakti. She was instrumental in two missions: the rescue of the elixir known as Amrita, and the killing of the pyrogenetic demon called Bhasmasura.

In the first incident, Mohini faced the demon camp on her own, and successfully regained possession of the Amrita after vanquishing the demons with her sexuality and strength. In the second one, she was recalled by the gods to counter Bhasmasura, who had received a boon that anyone he lay his hands upon would be reduced to ashes. Mohini engaged him in a dance, and in a clasping move, forced his arms onto his own body, resulting in his death.

Tilottama

Tilottama was invoked by Brahma as the ultimate Apsara, and was key to the destruction of Sunda and Upasunda, two demon brothers who had taken over the world. She was created out of the essences of all kinds of beauty, and held a power over anyone who laid eyes upon her. Tilottama began by creating discord between the brothers on who would lie with her, and then broke both of them with her body.

Urvashi

Urvashi's name means 'she who can control heart of others' ("Ur" means heart and "vash" means to control). She is a most important part of Indra's court and was considered the most beautiful of all the Apsaras. She is the mother of Rishyasringa, the sage who later played a crucial role in the birth of Rama. She had also become the wife of king Pururavas. She is perennially youthful and infinitely charming, but always elusive. She is a source as much of delight as of dolor.

Stories surrounding her origin and her naming vary, thus adding to her mysterious appeal. Some tales say that once the revered sage Naranarayana was meditating in the Himalayas. Indra, the king of the gods, did not want the sage to acquire divine powers through meditation and so he sent two apsaras to distract him. The sage, in contempt, struck his thigh - and created a woman so beautiful that she far outshone Indra’s apsaras. This was Urvashi, named from 'uru', the Sanskrit word for thigh. Later the sage gifted Urvashi to Indra, and she occupied the pride of place in Indra’s court. Other legends speak of the exceptional beauty and thunderous strength of her thighs, and the way she had used them to control and dominate many formidable kings and warriors who had wished to be with her. Urvashi's nature was to entirely bend and subjugate her consorts to her will and whim, and her physicality played a prominent role in this. The name of one of her consorts was Pururavas, which means "crying much or loudly", which subtly refers to the submissive role he played to Urvashi; she used her powerful thighs to cow him, and his cries of submission became well-known over time.

Cultural Influences

Natya Shastra, the principal 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.

Apsaras represent an important motif in the stone bas-reliefs of the Angkorian temples in Cambodia (8th–13th centuries AD), however all female images are not considered to be apsaras. In harmony with the Indian association of dance with apsaras, Khmer female figures that are dancing or are poised to dance are considered apsaras; female figures, depicted individually or in groups, who are standing still and facing forward in the manner of temple guardians or custodians are called devatas.

Khmer proverbs describe an Apsara as both soft and strong, a remarkable dichotomy. This is an echo of the stories in which apsaras show physical dominance over desirous males.

Images of Devatas and Apsaras are delicately carved in the sandstone of many Angkorian temples. If some of them did not stand the test of time and others were defaced (some of them can be seen in Preah Khan) many are still today beautifully preserved in Angkor Wat where about 1800 have been counted.

Apsaras and Devatas are fantastic photography subjects as they always look different in the direct sunlight of midday or the warmer light of sunrise and sunset. They can be seen in groups or alone so photographers can play with the depth of field to isolate one.