Urvaśī and Durgaya

The Kūrma Purāṇa speaks of Urvaśī, the apsarā (heavenly dancer) of Svarga, in two places. In the family line of the Candra-vaṃśa (the lunar dynasty), it names the six sons that Urvaśī bore to Purūravas. In a longer account, it tells how King Durgaya of the Yadu line met Urvaśī, did wrong, and was freed of his pāpa (sin) by seeing Viśveśvara at Vārāṇasī, as Kaṇva Muni had directed. Both are in Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapters 22 and 23.

Purūravas and Urvaśī in the family line

The Kūrma Purāṇa records the line of the Candra-vaṃśa as follows. Ilā, daughter of Manu Vaivasvata, went to Budha, the son of Candra (the Moon), and became his wife. Their union produced Purūravas, who ruled as king. By Urvaśī, the divine apsarā of Svarga, he had six sons:

  1. Āyu
  2. Māyu (or Amāyu)
  3. Amāyu
  4. Viśvāyu (Vīryavanta)
  5. Śatāyu
  6. Śrutāyu

These six are called divya Urvaśī-putras, the shining sons of the apsarā Urvaśī.

The eldest, Āyu, had five sons by Prabhā, daughter of Svarbhānu. The first of these was Nahusha. From Nahusha came Yayāti, who has a large place in the Yādava line.

In these chapters the Kūrma Purāṇa gives only this result of the union. The account of the conditions that Purūravas and Urvaśī agreed on, how they were broken, Urvaśī’s leaving and their meeting again is found in the Ṛgveda (X.95) and the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa.

King Durgaya meets Urvaśī

The longer account in Chapter 23 is about King Durgaya, of the Yadu-vaṃśa, a descendant of Madhu. Durgaya was a righteous and powerful king, and he had a devoted and virtuous wife.

One day, on the bank of the Yamunā, Durgaya heard a divine voice singing with matchless sweetness, and he saw the apsarā Urvaśī. He was charmed and went up to her. They spent a long time together in śṛṅgāra-krīḍā (lovers’ play).

After a long time Durgaya came back to his senses (viveka) and told Urvaśī he wished to go back to his beautiful city. Urvaśī laughed and said: “O handsome prince, I am not yet content. Stay one more year.” Durgaya answered that he would go and come back quickly. Urvaśī agreed, on one condition: that in the meantime he would not be with any other apsarā. Durgaya agreed and left.

The wrong and the king’s fear

Durgaya went back to his capital. When he saw his faithful wife, he was filled with fear and shame. His wife was full of good qualities and devoted to dharma. She saw that he was afraid and asked him kindly what the cause was. He stayed silent. By her insight she understood what had happened. She spoke to him without anger: “Do not be afraid, Mahārāja. You must make prāyaśchitta (a rite of putting right a wrong) for the pāpa. If you stay afraid like this, your whole kingdom will be ruined.”

Kaṇva Muni’s advice

Durgaya left his city and went to the āśrama (hermitage) of the great ṛshi Kaṇva Muni. He bowed down and heard from Kaṇva himself the prāyaśchitta laid down for his wrong. Kaṇva sent him toward the Himālaya region, and on the way to Vārāṇasī.

As Durgaya travelled as Kaṇva had told him, he met a gandharva in the sky, shining with a divine garland (mālā). Durgaya thought of Urvaśī and wanted to give her this garland. A great battle with the gandharva followed. Durgaya won and took the garland. He went looking for Urvaśī by the Yamunā, but did not find her there. Overcome by kāma (desire), he went over the whole earth of the seven dvīpas (continents) in his search.

At last he entered the slopes of the Himālaya, reached the mountain Hemakūṭa, and then Lake Mānasa. There, on the shore of Mānasasaras, he found Urvaśī wandering and gave her the garland. They were together again. After a time Durgaya again wished to go back to his city, but Urvaśī was still unwilling to let him go.

Freedom at Vārāṇasī

Following Kaṇva Muni’s direction, Durgaya made his way back and came to Vārāṇasī (Kāśī). There he bathed in the Gaṅgā and offered tarpaṇa (water offerings) to the devas and the pitṛs (ancestors) as the śāstra lays down. He had the darśana (sight) of Viśveśvara in the form of the liṅga. In that moment he was freed from his pāpa. He then went back to his kingdom and ruled righteously. Later he performed a yajña (fire ritual) that Kaṇva Muni arranged.

Sources

  • Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 22 (the line of Purūravas and Urvaśī)
  • Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Poorvardha, Chapter 23 (King Durgaya and Urvaśī)