Natya Shastra ( Part 3)-- Birth of Apsaras

Birth of the Apsaras or the Celestial Maiden

Apsaras or the beautiful maidens of heaven are believed to be the deadliest weapons of heaven. the story of their birth is a very interesting one. There are lots of mention about the Apsaras in ancient Indian texts. Many stories that we hear today and are popular among kids have Apsaras in them. Every kid in the subcontinent knows that Apsaras are the beautiful females that dweels in heaven and is rulled by Indra.

The Story

On receiving the instructions from Lord Bhrama, Bharata started training his

Temple Carving in Cambodia

100 sons on the science of Dance, Drama and Music and in the process of doing so assigns different roles to them. The sage created the three dynamic styles of dance ---- the verbal or commonly known as Bharti (2) the subtle or the Sattbitti (3) the energetic or the Arabhatti. The great father Bhrama further instructed that these three styles can be merged to form an very interesting creation. He further adds that Bharata Muni will do good if he can pick up inspiration from the gracefull movements of Shiva which is filled with the Bhavas and Rasas. But this grace could not be perfected by the humans alone. So once again the great father came to rescue and created the Apsaras. It is believed that the great father Bhrama created the Apsaras from the cloud and water. Bhrama mentioned that these Apsaras will have the qualities of Water and can change form at will. They will be immortals and will have the powers to change the course of history.

In South East Asia

Stone structure in Indonesia

In many hindu mythological stories mention of Apsaras are common. They are suppose to be the elegant spirit who are also known as Vidhyadhari or the knowledgeable. The word Tapasa seems to have originated from the hard work of Apsaras in learing the art of dance, drama and music (TAAP or penance and APSARA). Almost all the Inidan temples have atleast a dozons of apsaras sculpted on the walls.

Mention of Apsara are found in Indonesian, Chinese, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Belure, and various other cultures. There are various stories associated to these beautiful maidens which are kind of similar to the Hindu concepts. The thread that connects these legends and stories cannot be fully ignored.

Historical Facts

The first known Chinese painting of Apsaras can be traced backed to the Sixteen States Period between 304 to 439 BC. For centuries the stories of beautiful flying Apsaras have intrigued people around the world. Even today performers in India dress up and narrates the stories of Apsara through out Asia.

Some of the most famous names of Apsaras are Menoka, Urvashi, Tilloktama, Rambha, Tara, Anjana, Chayya, Pushpavathi, Madura, Malini, Sanyalini, Uthpravahila etc.

Author's Note : We received quite a few requests to post few more details on Apsaras. The curiosity regarding this topic is understandable. In near future we plan to cover a series of stories related to Apsaras.

Next : Story of Bharata Muni and his instructions.

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