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For other uses, see Apsara (disambiguation).

A rock statue of Apsara at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Note the features that make her a prototypical beauty.

Apsaras (Sanskrit: अप्सरा, apsarā), in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, are the female spirits of the clouds and waters. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Tennin are spirits similar to Western angels or fairies found in Japanese Buddhism. ... Apsara or Absara may refer to: Apsara, figures from Hindu and Buddhist mythology Apsara dance, a term for Khmer classical dance Vina Apsara, a character in Salman Rushdies novel The Ground Beneath Her Feet FF Absara, a font by Xavier Dupré [1] This is a disambiguation page: a list... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 83 KB)Apasara at Met, NYC File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 83 KB)Apasara at Met, NYC File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The central lobby of the museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as The Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums, located on the eastern edge of Central Park in Manhattan, New York, United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is an Indo-European Classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... A Hindu (archaic Hindoo), as per modern definition is an adherent of philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural system of the Indian subcontinent and the island of Bali. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... The word mythology (from the Greek μυθολογία mythología, from μυθολογειν mythologein to relate myths, from μυθος mythos, meaning a narrative, and λογος logos, meaning speech or argument) literally means the (oral) retelling of myths – stories that a particular culture believes to be true and that use supernatural events or characters to explain the...

In the Rig-Veda there is one Apsara, wife of Gandharva; in the later scriptures there are many Apsaras, created by Lord Brahma, who act as the handmaidens of Indra or the celestial damsels of his court who dance before his throne. The Rig Veda ऋग्वेद (Sanskrit á¹›gveda from á¹›c praise + veda knowledge) is a collection of hymns(each hymn is called a Rucha.) counted among the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas, and contains the oldest texts preserved in any Indo-Iranian language. ... Brahma (written Brahmā in IAST transliteration) (Devanagari ब्रह्मा, pronounced as brÉ™hmα:) is the Hindu creator god, and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

Natya Shatra lists the following apsaras: Manjukesi, Sukesi, Misrakesi, Sulochana, Saudamini, Devadatta, Devasena, Manorama, Sudati, Sundari, Vigagdha, Vividha, Budha, Sumala, Santati, Sunanda, Sumukhi, Magadhi, Arjuni, Sarala, Kerala, Dhrti, Nanda, Supuskala, Supuspamala and Kalabha.

Apsaras are said to be able to change their shapes at will, and specially rule over the fortunes of gaming and gambling. Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha and Tilottama are the most famous among Apsaras who are well versed in the arts of music and dancing. The total number of Apsaras at Indra's court is 26, each representing a distinct aspect of the performing arts. They can be compared with the ancient Greek muse. They may also, in their "Nature" capacity, be rendered comparable to the Greek nymphs, dryads, naiads, etc. Shapeshifting, transformation , transmogrification or morphing is a change in the form or shape of a person, especially: a change from human form to animal form and vice versa a change in appearance from one person to another Shapeshifting is not considered scientifically or medically possible for humans (and animal shapeshifting... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Gambling has had many different meanings depending on the cultural and historical context in which it is used. ... Urvasi was an Apsara in Hindu mythology. ... Menaka was sent by Indra, the king of the Gods, to break the severe penance undertaken by Sage Vishwamitra. ... Rambha in Hindu mythology is the Queen of the Apsaras, the magical and beautiful female beings in Devaloka. ... Tilottama in Hindu mythology is an Apsara. ... Music is an art, entertainment, or other human activity which involves organized and audible sound, though definitions vary. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... In Greek mythology, the Muses (Greek Μουσαι, Mousai) are nine archaic goddesses who embody the right evocation of myth, inspired through remembered and improvised song and traditional music and dances. ...

Apsaras are the wives of the Gandharvas, court servants of Indra. They danced to the music made by their husbands, usually in the various gods' palaces. In Hinduism, the Gandharvas are male nature spirits, husbands of the Apsaras. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... Music is an art, entertainment, or other human activity which involves organized and audible sound, though definitions vary. ... This article is about deities or gods from a non-monotheistic perspective. ... The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ...

One of their duties is to guide to paradise the heroes who fall in battle, whose wives they then become. They are distinguished as daivika ("divine") or laukika ("worldly").

The Apsara was associated with fertility rites. In Hinduism, the lower Apsaras (also Vrikshakas, fairies) are sometimes referred to as nature spirits, who sometimes lured men to their deaths. Fertility rites are religious rituals that reenact, either actually or symbolically, sexual acts and/or reproductive processes. ... Hinduism (Devnāgari: ), also known as Sanatana Dharma () and Vaidika Dharma - ) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the Indo-Aryan religion of the Vedas, and is generally regarded as the oldest major religion still practiced in the world today [1]. The term Hinduism is an amorphous concept... Categories: Stub ... by Sophie Anderson A fairy, or faery, is a creature from stories and mythology, often portrayed in art and literature as a minuscule humanoid with wings. ...

Apsaras are often depicted in Buddhist art as far afield as Cambodia and China, however. They are a common motif in the decorations of the Angkor temples. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Winged Victory of Samothrace exihibited in the Louvre. ... Angkor was the site of a series of capital cities of the Khmer empire for much of the period from the 9th century to the 15th century CE. Their ruins (13°24N, 103°51E) are located amid forests and farmland to the north of the Great Lake (Tonle...

An apsara from the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, China. Apsara near Jingshan Temple Cave, Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan, China. ...

An apsara relief from Angkor Wat, Cambodia Apsara relief from Angkor Wat, Cambodia, by Andrew Lih File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication in the public domain.

Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa
Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Indra | Lakshman | Hanuman | Surya | more...
Female Deities: Gayatri | Lakshmi | Saraswati | Durga | Devi | Sita | Radha | Kali | Parvati | Shakti | more...
Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata