Apsara

For other uses, see Apsara (disambiguation).
See also: Apsara Dance

A 12th-century sandstone statue of an apsara from Madhya Pradesh, India

Apsaras[1][2] (Sanskrit: अप्सरा, IAST: Apsarā, Pali: अच्छरा, romanized: Accharā[3][4] Khmer: អប្សរា[5] Thai:นางอัปสรา) are a member of a class of celestial beings in Hindu and Buddhist culture.[6][7][8][9][10][11] They were originally a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters, but, later play the role of a "nymph" or "fairy". They figure prominently in the sculptures, dance, literature and paintings of many South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures.[12]

The apsaras are described to be beautiful, youthful and elegant, and are said to be able to change their shape at will; making anyone fall for their beauty. There are two types of apsaras—laukika (worldly) and daivika (divine). They are great in the art of dancing, and often wives of the gandharvas, the court musicians of Indra. The apsaras reside in the palaces of the gods and entertain them by dancing to the music made by the Gandharvas. The 26 apsaras of Indra's court are each said to symbolise a different facet of the performing arts, drawing comparisons to the Muses of ancient Greece. They are also renowned for seducing rishis in order to prevent them from attaining divine powers. Urvashi, Menaka, Rambha, Tilottama and Ghritachi are the most famous among the apsaras.[13][14]

In Japan, Apsara are known as "Tennin" (天人); "Tennyo" (天女) for "female Tennin" and "Tennan" (天男) for "male Tennin".

  1. ^ Suryakant Tripathi Nirala. (2024). अप्सरा [Apsara (In English)]. New Delhi, India: Vani Prakashan. 172 pp. ISBN 978-935-7-75687-7
  2. ^ Yashpal. (2009). अप्सरा का शाप [Apsara ka shrap (Curse of Nymph) (in English)]. (Reprint of 1931). New Delhi, India: Rajkamal Prakashan. 171 pp. ISBN 978-818-0-31382-0.
  3. ^ American Oriental Society. (1849). "Memoir on The History of Buddhism, read before the Society May 24, 1844, by Edward E. Salisbury, Professor in Yale College", in JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ORIENTAL SOCIETY VOL. I. Boston, MA: The American Oriental Society. p. 116.
  4. ^ Stevenson, A. et al. (2010). "apsara", in Oxford Dictionary of English. (3rd Ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2,069 pp. ISBN 978-019-9-57112-3 cited in Bowker, J. (2000). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 78.
  5. ^ Singh, Jasmeet (22 July 2016). "Everything You Must Know About the Apsara Traditional Dance – Green Cultural Travel". Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  6. ^ Higham, C.. (2014). Encyclopedia of Ancient Asian Civilizations. N.Y., United States: Facts On File, Inc. p. 24. ISBN 978-143-8-10996-1
  7. ^ Thakur P., Kalidasa, and Arthur W. Ryder. (2012). "GLOSSARAY: Apsara", in ABHIJNANSAKUNTALAM (The Recognition of Sakuntala--A Well-known Sanskrit Play by KALIDASA, The Greatest Poet and Dramatist in the Sanskrit Language.) (Improvised Edition): Originally Translated by Arthur W. Ryder. N.C., United States: Lulu Press, Inc. 202 pp. ISBN 978-110-5-42805-0
  8. ^ Madhumita Dutta and Soumya Narayan Datta. (2021). "The Mythology of the Apsara Urvasie and its modern interpretation by Arundhuti Bhadra", in URVASIE From Mythological To Postmodern Reflections. West Bengal, India: Cognition Publications. p. 52. ISBN 978-939-2-205019
  9. ^ Kumar, Ajit et al. (2020). Apsara Sadhana (Evocation Magic of Ancient Hindu Celestial Beauties): Ramba, Urvasi, Tilotama, Sasi Devi, Kanchanamala, Kulaharini, Ratnamala, Bhusani and Many More Information Regarding Attraction. N.p.: Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP. 44 pp. ISBN 979-865-8-82171-9
  10. ^ K. Narayanaswami Aiyar. (1915). THE PERMANENT HISTORY OF BHARATA VARSHA (India) Vol. I. Tamil Nadu, India: Bhaskara Press. p. 420.
  11. ^ Stewart, P. and Rienjang, W. (2020). The Global Connections of Gandharan Art Proceedings of the Third International Workshop of the Gandhara Connections Project, University of Oxford, 18-19th March, 2019. Oxford, United Kingdom: Archaeopress Publishing Limited. p. 240. ISBN 978-178-9-69696-7
  12. ^ "Apsara | Indian religion and mythology". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  13. ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 68.
  14. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Apsaras" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 231.