Apsaras: the epitome of beauty

Apsaras, the celestial females who enhance the eminence of heaven with their mesmerizing looks and beautiful moves, are one of the well-known characters of mythology. The glow of their golden faces and the sounds of their ghungroo echo throughout the Indra Lok when they perform their stunning steps with expressive eyes. However, you should surely know the story of the origin of these nymphs, which is as fascinating as they are. 

The mesmerizing beauty of Apsaras, Image Source- Indica Today

If you have read the previous parts of the Samudra Manthan series, the Devatas and Danavas were busy in the ocean, churning. Never had they imagined that this process was going to be so cumbersome and scary. They worked incessantly, unsure of how many more things they would encounter or how far the pious Amrit was.

A large whirl in the sea skipped their hearts a bit. A group of women came out of the white foam. Everyone's eyes were wide open, and they gazed at the group with awestruck eyes. It was impossible to look at the hundreds of Apsaras who had emerged from this massive churn.

Rambha, Menaka, Punyasthala, and others led the group. They were dressed in tempting sensual attire. Embellished with shining gold ornaments, they grabbed all the attention. The shine in their big eyes, the blush on their pink cheeks, and the smile on their red lips hypnotized everyone.

Everyone wanted to get the Apsaras, but according to the declaration of Lord Brahma, females had the freedom to choose their side. The apsaras chose the Gods or the demigods and thus stayed with them. 

There are also different stories related to apsaras in other epics and Puranas, which are surely not identical. One of the oldest books, the Rig Veda, portrayed them as the wives of the Gandharvas (divine men). However, it does not seem to mention any other nymph other than Urvashi, and the whole tale revolves around her relationship with her lover, Pururavas. 

There are even several instances of the nymphs in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, where they are depicted as very important supporting characters. An apsara named Tilottama once saved the world from the hands of the demonic brothers, Sunda and Upasunda. Similarly, in the Ramayana, Sita was saved from the lewd intentions of Ravana due to a curse given by the apsara Rambha.

Apsaras were often appointed to mesmerize everyone with their dance moves and seduce sages to break their penance. They also possessed several miraculous magical powers, as they could disguise themselves as any living creature and could even fly in the air. As they were born to impress, they knew sixty-four ways to please people. Some variations even say that they were immortal and their beauty was also eternal.

Apsaras' breaking the asceticism of sages is not uncommon in our mythology. There are even several interesting stories about that. One such tale was in the Mahabharata, related to Menaka and Viswamitra. Once upon a time, Viswamitra emitted such powerful energy through his asceticism that even Devraj Indra trembled with fear. Realizing the need of the hour, he summoned the beautiful apsara, Menaka, to break the penance of Viswamitra by seducing him.

Menaka was reluctant to sin against such a great ascetic, but she could not disobey Indra’s order, and thus she descended to Earth. A strong gust of wind ripped her garments as she reached for the sage. Seeing this, Vishwamitra could not control his lust and slept with Menaka. She gave birth to a daughter who was none other than Shakuntala, a very prominent character in mythology. 

Not only Shakuntala but also Hanuman is said to be the son of an apsara named Punjikasthala, who was cursed to become a monkey in her future birth.

At present, apsaras also dominate the field of art. Several beautiful sculptures depict the beauty of the apsaras. These arts have not only expanded throughout India but also to Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia, and China. One of the most important books in the field of art, the Natya Shastra, also mentions apsaras like Sundari, Devasena, Arjuni, Sulochana, and many more.

A sculpture portraying Apsara; Image source- Pinterest