Upāśruti

Upāśruti is a devī of the night, also called Niśā-devī. In the Mahābhārata, Udyoga Parva, she guides Śacī at the time when Nahusha wrongly demands Śacī as his queen. Bṛhaspati sends her. She leads Śacī through the darkness to Lake Mānasa, where Indra lies hidden inside a lotus stalk. Their meeting leads in the end to Indra’s return to his place and to the fall of Nahusha. The account is part of the Indravijaya narrative, in Chapters 15 and 16.

Who she is

Upāśruti is the devī of the night. She moves through the night unseen, and she serves as a guide for those who need to find their way in the dark. The Mahābhārata, Udyoga Parva, Chapters 15 and 16, tell of her.

Her part in the Indravijaya narrative

Śacī came to Bṛhaspati in fear and distress. Nahusha was demanding her as his wife, while her true husband Indra lay hidden and suffering. Bṛhaspati took her under his protection in due form. He also took a practical step and sent Upāśruti to guide her.

Under Upāśruti’s guidance through the darkness, Śacī was led to the sacred Lake Mānasa. There Indra had hidden himself in a lotus stalk. Śacī reached Indra and spoke with him. She advised him on his path of atonement for brahmahatyā-pāpa (the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa).

This meeting was the turning point of the whole account. It made Indra’s return possible. It also set in motion the events that exposed Nahusha’s pride and led to his fall.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Udyoga Parva, Chapters 15–16