Kshamā (Apsarā)

Kshamā · kshamā, “patience”

Kshamā was an apsarā, a gaṇikā of svarga proud of her beauty and youth, whom Indra sent to turn Yama from his tapas on the Godāvarī. When Yama looked upon her, she melted into a river, joined the Gautamī and rose to svarga in a vimāna, and her going to svarga was what turned Yama back to his duty. Brahmā tells her account to Nārada in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa, as part of the glory of Cakratīrtha and the Gaṇikā-saṅgama.

Sent to Yama

Moved by the grief of the vaiśya Viśvadhara for his dead son, Yama had left his city to meditate on Janārdana on the bank of the Godāvarī, and no creature died. Indra feared that Yama sought his throne. None of the apsarās would go against Yama, and Indra called out the army of the devas, but Bhagavān Hari sent his cakra to guard Yama. Then Menakā said to Indra: “None of us can even look at Yama. But among us is the gaṇikā Kshamā, proud of her beauty and youth. Send her to turn him back.” Indra honoured Kshamā as was fitting and said: “O gaṇikā, go and do my work, beautiful one. If you fulfil it and return, you will be as dear to me as Śacī.”

The Hindolaka song

Kshamā flew across the quarters and in a moment came near Yama, lighting up the ten directions. There she sang the sweet Hindolaka song with exquisite grace. Yama’s mind was moved; he opened his eyes and stared at her.

Kshamā becomes a river

At that very moment Kshamā melted and became a river and joined the Gautamī. The gaṇas and kiṅkaras sang her praises, and by the power of the tīrtha she rose to svarga, seated in a vimāna (a celestial chariot). Yama, seeing her go, was filled with wonder.

When Yama refused to take up his duty of taking away the creatures, Bhagavān Sūrya, his father, pointed to her: “Did you not see the gaṇikā plunge into the waters of the Gautamī and go at once to svarga, while the gaṇas and kiṅkaras sang her praises?” So Yama bathed at the confluence and returned to his city. The confluence where she joined the Gautamī is the Gaṇikā-saṅgama: one who fasts on the ekādaśī of the bright fortnight and bathes there attains the everlasting region.

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 18