Apsaras in the Agni Purāṇa

Apsaras, “the divine women of svarga, “those who move in the waters””

The Agni Purāṇa counts the Apsaras among the ten devayonis, the beings of divine origin, and tells that the divine Apsaras rose from the ocean of milk at the churning, after the Kaustubha gem and before Lakshmī Devī. It names seventeen of them, Menakā, Urvaśī, Rambhā, Tilottamā, Ghṛtācī and the others, in the mantras that call on them to protect a king at his abhisheka. It shows them dwelling at Prayāga, riding in the chariot of Sūrya month by month and sporting in Kubera‘s city Alakāpurī, and it promises their company to the hero who falls in battle and to the giver of dāna.

In the Agni Purāṇa, which Agni-deva tells to Vasishṭha Maharshi, the Apsaras are one of the devayonis, the classes of beings of divine origin. Its lexicon names ten devayonis: the vidyādharas, the Apsaras, the yakshas, the rākshasas, the Gandharvas, the kinnaras, the piśācas, the guhyakas, the siddhas and the bhūtas. It adds that the word apsaras is feminine and is always used in the plural, and that Urvaśī and the others are the veśyās (courtesans) of svarga-loka.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 360

From the churning of the ocean

In the account of the Kūrma avatāra, the devas and the asuras churned the Kshīrābdhi, the ocean of milk, with Mandara mountain as the churning rod and Vāsuki as the rope, while Bhagavān Vishṇu in the form of the Kūrma held up the mountain. First the poison Hālāhala rose, and Bhagavān Śiva held it in his throat and became Nīlakaṇṭha. Then there arose, in order, Vāruṇī Devī (Surā), the Pārijāta tree, the Kaustubha gem, the cows and the divine Apsaras. After them Lakshmī Devī appeared and went to Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 3

Their form in the mūrti

Where the Agni Purāṇa gives the marks of the mūrtis of the Devī and her attendants, it says that the Apsaras are always beautiful, and that their eyes are pacca (green or yellow) in colour.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 50

The Apsaras named in the king’s abhisheka

In the mantras of the king’s abhisheka, which Pushkara teaches to Paraśurāma, every being, time and place is invoked to bless the king. Among them the Purāṇa calls on the divine Apsaras by name: “May the divine Apsaras protect you.” It names seventeen, the foremost among them:

  1. Anavadyā
  2. Anukeśī
  3. Menakā
  4. Sahajanyā
  5. Kratusthalā
  6. Ghṛtācī
  7. Viśvācī
  8. Puñjikasthalā
  9. Pramlocā
  10. Urvaśī
  11. Rambhā
  12. Pañcacūḍā
  13. Tilottamā
  14. Citralekhā
  15. Lakshmaṇā
  16. Puṇḍarīkā
  17. Vāruṇī

In the graha-yajña too, the homa of ten thousand, a lakh or a crore offerings to the nine grahas, the hosts of Apsaras are among all the beings called on to give abhisheka to the yajamāna “for the fulfilment of all your desires”, together with the devas, dānavas, Gandharvas, yakshas, ṛshis, the wives of the devas, the rivers, the mountains and the tīrthas.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 167, 219

Where the Apsaras dwell

  • At Prayāga. Brahmā, Bhagavān Vishṇu and the other devatās, the great munis, the rivers, the ocean, the siddhas, the Gandharvas and the Apsaras all live at the tīrtha of Prayāga, which gives both bhukti and mukti (Chapter 111).
  • In the chariot of Sūrya. Each month a different group of devas, ṛshis, Gandharvas, Apsaras, yakshas, serpents and rākshasas rides in the chariot of Bhagavān Sūrya (Chapter 120).
  • In Alakāpurī. In Kubera‘s capital Alakāpurī, in a palace of gold, the Gandharvas and Apsaras sport. The one who makes the gift of a thousand cows (sahasra-go-dāna) goes there (Chapter 211).

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 111, 120, 211

The puṇya that brings one to the Apsaras

The Agni Purāṇa names the Apsaras again and again in the phala of good deeds:

  • One who gives a female servant (dāsī) to excellent brāhmaṇas enjoys happiness in the loka of the Apsaras (Chapter 211).
  • One who gives fire and firewood on the roads and in other places in the cold season becomes radiant, and in svarga is served by the devatās, Gandharvas and Apsaras (Chapter 211).
  • Thousands of Apsaras come to the hero who gives up his life in battle. The Purāṇa says this in Pushkara‘s teaching on the consecration for battle (raṇa-dīkshā), where the king rouses his warriors by name and gotra before the fight (Chapter 236).
  • One who keeps the Go-vrata, or does japa of the Gomatī-vidyā, reaches Goloka, and in that loka he rejoices in a vimāna together with the Apsaras, served with dance and song (Chapter 292).

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 211, 236, 292

Sources

  • Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 3, 50, 111, 120, 167, 211, 219, 236, 292, 360