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Apsara Urvashi attracts King Pururava
Once, King Pururava was roaming in a forest. Suddenly, he saw Urvashi, the celestial nymph. King Pururava got sexually attracted to Apsara Urvashi.
However, Urvashi laid down some conditions to accept his proposal. In that, one of the conditions was that the king should protect Her two pet rams which she considered dearer than her own life. Another condition was that she should not seet the king unclothed except during cohabition. So, in a haste, he accepted all her conditions. Giving a yes to all her conditions, the two retired to the lovely gardens of the Devatas, Chaitraratha.
Apsara Urvashi, through her celestial expertise of passion and attraction, satisfied all the desires of the king. Her beauty, gesture, gait and mannerisms mesmerized Pururava. Her bodily fragrance and sweet scented mouth captivated Pururava as they rejoiced with each other for countless years.
Thus, Urvashi spent countless years on Earth.
Gandharvas in Search of Urvashi
However, in Swarga Loka, Indra became agitated as he found Urvashi missing.
So, Indra summoned the Gandharvas and immediately asked them to present Urvashi in the court. Following his orders, the Gandharvas reached the celestial garden, where Apsara Urvashi and Pururava were sensually enjoying themselves.
In the dead night, where not a ray of light shone, the Gandharvas abducted the two rams, which were left unattended by the King. Apsara Urvashi could not bear the separation from the two rams.
She began wailing as she bitterly criticized her husband (Pururava) as unworthy and incapable of protecting her life (the two rams). Her bitter words pierced the heart of Pururava.
King Pururava Breaks the Promise
He immediately rushed forth, towards the Gandharvas to bring back the two rams. But, in haste he forgot to cloth himself. In a state of nudity, he chased the Gandharvas. However, they disappeared, leaving behind the two rams on the spot.
Their effulgence was like that of streaks of lightning. In that brightness, Urvashi saw her husband in the natural state, wherby he had broken his promise of being nude under ordinary conditions.
According to Urvashi’s first condition, except from the time of intercourse she would not see Pururava in an unclothed state. If she did, she would leave him and this was a condition that Pururava had accepted.
Hence, they had to part ways. In this way, the Gandharvas took Apsara Urvashi with them to Swarga Loka.
King Pururava Becomes Depressed
Now, Pururava grew pensive as Urvashi was missing. He started roaming around the globe, constantly remembering the moments they spent with each other.
Madly in love, trying to find her, he reached the banks of river Saraswati. There he saw a spark of light emerging from the body of a young damsel.
On closer inspection, he found Apsara Urvashi.
Pururav’s joy knew no bounds as he went closer to her and uttered the most famous adaption of the Vedic Texts. He says: “Oh Urvashi my life, please do not go away from me. Come close to me and we shall now talk to each other, our heart’s deepest feelings.
My senses, ungratified as they were, pines for you.
By remaining away from me, at a distant, you are submitting me to the lord of death. My youthful body shall fall lifeless and become a meal for carnivores Vultures and Wolves as it no longer experiences your embrace, your touch.”
Saying thus, the king expressed his dejection and sorrow. However, Apsara Urvashi replied: “Oh Virtuous glorious king Pururava, do not speak such words.
Do not die and become susceptible to meek creatures like wolves and vultures (she meant sense organs) as you are a man of high ideals.
You do not know a woman. She becomes a killer of her near and dear ones, her husband or brother.
When possessed by passion and desire for something, a woman becomes villainous. Due to uncontrollable passion, these unchaste women seek sexual pleasure from numerous men. Their object of love, their lovers keep changing as they associate with ignorant and evil people.
This makes them cruel, merciless, deceitful and untrustworthy.
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Future of Apsara Urvashi and Pururava
Now, let me tell you that I am going to bear your child, after which destiny has assigned us one night to cohabit. Later, you shall have 5 more sons from me, other than the one I already conceive.
After hearing the news of her pregnancy, King Pururava proceeded to his capital.
From Urvashi Pururava had 6 sons Ayu, Amavasu, Vishvayu, Shrutayu, Shatayu, and Dridhayu. At the end of that year, he got to meet Urvashi once again. He saw that she birthed his eldest son, Ayu.
In ecstasy, the passionate Pururava cohabited with Apsara Urvashi that night, as intimated by her, in their previous meeting. The next morning, King Pururava sat grievous and depressed.
He could not bear separation from Apsara Urvashi. However, Urvashi lovingly pacified him and suggested that he should invoke the grace of the Gandharva Gods.
Pururava Pleases the Gandharvas
While he was glorifying the Gandharva gods, by the means of prayers, he bestowed upon him a fire pitcher by which he could ascend to the realm of Urvashi. However, he could perceive the vessel to be Apsara Urvashi herself.
Blinded with passion, he roamed with the vessel in the forest. He tried to sexually engage with that vessel, thinking it to be Urvashi. However, reality struck on him like a thunderbolt. So, he left the pitcher in the forest andr returned to his palace, while he was still contemplating on Apsara Urvashi.
However, this was the period of transition from Satya Yuga to Treta Yuga. In this period, the knowledge of the three Vedas (Rig, Yajur and Sama) dawned upon the king.
Notable Contributions of King Pururava
So, he rushed back to the same spot where he had deserted the pitcher vessel. There he noticed that a Peepul tree was sprouting from the womb of a Sami tree.
Next, he chopped two tender branches from the tree beside to kindle fire. Then, through his power of visualization, he considered the lower stick to be Apsara Urvashi, while the one placed above it as Himself.
The piece that intervened between the two sticks, he visualized that to be his son. Then he began churning the three pieces, with a deep desire to attain Apsara Urvashi’s abode. He chanted the Mantras that had dawned upon him as a result of the Yuga transition.
He uttered the mantra to light fire. In this way an agni came into existence, by the name Jaatveda. Jaatveda means everything that comes into existence via food.
Hence, he brought into existence three types of sacred Agnis: Ahavaniya, Garhapatya, and Dakshinagni. They came to be known as his sons, as for the first time, such a variety came into existence on the planet.
Before this glorious age, before the age of Pururava, there existed only one deity, Sri Narayana, only one Agni and not three, only one caste known as Hamsas, Only one Veda in the form of Pranava, Om, the seed of all speech.
However, the diversity came into being only after Pururava successfully expounded them, as the Vedas dawned upon him during the transition of the Yugas.
After seeking the realm of Apsara Urvashi, King Pururava worshipped Sriman Narayana who is beyond all the senses. After his death, he attained the realm of the Gandharvas via the 3 Agnis, adopted by him as his sons.