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Urvashi (Sanskrit: उर्वशी, IAST: Urvaśī) is the most prominent apsara mentioned in the Hindu scriptures like the Vedas, the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as the Puranas. She is regarded as the most beautiful of all the apsaras, and an expert dancer.
Urvashi, smitten by Pururava at that time, could not distinguish between her role and her self, and ended up saying 'Pururava' instead of 'Purushottama'. This lack of mindfulness angered Bharata Muni, who cursed her to fall to earth. This curse, actually, was a boon for her.
The Kathasaritsagara mentions that Tumburu's curse was responsible for the separation of the couple – King Pururavas and the apsara Urvashi. Pururavas was once visiting heaven, when Rambha was performing before her preceptor, Tumburu. Pururavas insulted her by finding a fault in her dance.
Urvashi was a celestial maiden in Indra's court and was considered the most beautiful of all the Apsaras. She was the consort of Pururavas, an ancestor of Pandavas and Kauravas. Later she left him and returned to heaven. [citation needed] When Arjuna came to heaven to meet Indra, she fell in love with him. But Arjuna refused her as he thought ...
An agitated Agastya cursed Urvashi to be born on earth as a devadasi, and Jayanta to become a bamboo tree in the Vindhya mountains. The duo bowed in reverence, and prayed for mercy. The sage said that the curse would end when Urvashi is presented with a talaikole (a bamboo staff, Jayanta) on her dance debut . As ordained, the lovers were ...
But Arjuna did not have any intentions of making love to Urvashi. Instead, he called her "mother". Because once Urvashi was the wife of King Pururavas the ancestor of Kuru dynasty. Urvashi felt insulted and cursed Arjuna that he will be a eunuch for the rest of his life. Later on Indra's request, Urvashi curtailed the curse to a period of one year.
Rambha (centre) sings in front of Vishvamitra, a painting from the Mughal Ramayana. Rambha and other apsaras are frequently sent by the king of the devas, Indra, to seduce rishis (sages) and ensuring that they don't gain divine powers by self-abnegation and austerities.
According to the Mahabharata, Vibhandaka, a renowned sage and a son of Kashyapa, travels in Mahahrada, when he sees Urvashi, the most beautiful apsara (nymph). Aroused, he emits his seed, which fell into the river. A doe, who is a cursed apsara, swallows it and becomes pregnant due to the sage's miraculous powers.