An apsaras from the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, China.

A bas relief at the 12th century temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

An Apsaras (Sanskrit: अप्सरा: apsarāḥ, plural अप्सरस: apsarasaḥ, stem apsaras-, a feminine consonant stem) or Accharā (Pāli), is a female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Despite ending in -s, "apsaras" is to be construed as singular. The English plural is "apsarases". Frequently encountered English translations of the word "Apsaras" are "nymph," "celestial nymph," and "celestial maiden." Apsara near Jingshan Temple Cave, Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan, China. ... Apsara near Jingshan Temple Cave, Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan, China. ... The Longmen Grottoes (ch. ... 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. ... 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. ... Aerial view of Angkor Wat The main entrance to the temple proper, seen from the eastern end of the Naga causeway Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is an old Indo-Aryan language from the Indian Subcontinent, the classical literary language of the Hindus of India[1], a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Pāli is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... Buddhist mythology is a mythology within the Buddhism belief system. ...

Apsarases are supernatural beings: they appear as young women of great beauty and elegance who are proficient in the art of dancing. They are the wives of the Gandharvas, court servants of Indra. They dance to the music made by their husbands, usually in the palaces of the gods, and entertain gods and fallen heroes. In their assignment as caretakers of fallen heroes, they may be compared to the valkyries of Norse mythology. Apsarases 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 them. Apsarases are sometimes compared to the muses of ancient Greece, with each of the 26 Apsarases at Indra's court representing a distinct aspect of the performing arts. Apsarases are associated with water; thus, they may be compared to the nymphs, dryads and naiads of ancient Greece. They are also associated with fertility rites. In Hinduism, the lower Apsarases are sometimes regarded as nature spirits who may lure men to their deaths; in this respect they may be compared to the Slavic Rusalki or the Greek sirens. 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 Hinduism, the Gandharvas (Sanskrit: गंधर्व, gandharva) are male nature spirits, husbands of the Apsarases. ... Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र, indra) is the god of weather and war, and lord of Svargaloka in Hinduism. ... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the Valkyries, figures of Norse mythology. ... 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... A four-leaf clover is often considered to bestow good luck Luck can be defined as a chance happening, or as that which happens beyond a persons control. ... The term 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 Apsarases, the magical and beautiful female beings in Devaloka. ... Tilottama in Hindu mythology is an Apsara. ... For other uses see Muse (disambiguation). ... For other uses of nymph see Nymph (disambiguation). ... The Dryad by Evelyn De Morgan Dryads are tree spirits in Greek mythology. ... Naiad by John William Waterhouse, 1893 In Greek mythology, the Naiads (from the Greek νάειν, to flow, and νἃμα, running water) were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks, as river gods embodied rivers, and some very... Fertility rites are religious rituals that reenact, either actually or symbolically, sexual acts and/or reproductive processes. ... Hinduism (known as in some modern Indian languages[1]) is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. ... Animism is a belief system that does not accept the separation of body and soul, of spirit from matter. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In Greek mythology, the Sirens or Seirenes (Greek Σειρῆνας) were sea nymphs who lived on an island called Sirenum scopuli which was surrounded by cliffs and rocks. ...

Apsarases in Ancient Literature

Rig Veda

The Rig Veda tells of an Apsaras who is the wife of Gandharva; however, the Rig Veda also seems to allow for the existence of more than one Apsaras. The only Apsaras specfically named is Urvasi. An entire hymn deals with the colloqy between Urvasi and her mortal lover Pururavas. (Rig Veda, Book X, Hymn 95.) Later Hindu scriptures allow for the existence of numerous Apsarases, who act as the handmaidens of Indra or as dancers at his celestial court. The Rig Veda ऋग्वेद (Sanskrit ṛc praise + veda knowledge) is the earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas. ... // In Hinduism, the Gandharvas (Sanskrit: गंधर्व, gandharva) are male nature spirits, husbands of the Apsarases. ... Urvasi was an Apsara in Hindu mythology. ... Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र, indra) is the god of weather and war, and lord of Svargaloka in Hinduism. ...

Mahabharata

In many of the stories related in the Mahabharata, Apsarases appear in important supporting roles. The epic contains several lists of the principle Apsarases, which lists are not always identical. Here is one such list, together with a description of how the celestial dancers appeared to the residents and guests at the court of the gods: Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra The (Devanagari: ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the . ...

"Ghritachi and Menaka and Rambha and Purvachitti and Swayamprabha and Urvasi and Misrakesi and Dandagauri and Varuthini and Gopali and Sahajanya and Kumbhayoni and Prajagara and Chitrasena and Chitralekha and Saha and Madhuraswana, these and others by thousands, possessed of eyes like lotus leaves, who were employed in enticing the hearts of persons practising rigid austerities, danced there. And possessing slim waists and fair large hips, they began to perform various evolutions, shaking their deep bosoms, and casting their glances around, and exhibiting other attractive attitude capable of stealing the hearts and resolutions and minds of the spectators." (Book III: Vana Parva, Section 43.)

The Exploits of Individual Apsarases

The Mahabharata documents the exploits of individual Apsarases, such as Tilottama, who rescued the world from the rampaging asura brothers Sunda and Upasunda, and Urvasi, who attempted to seduce the hero Arjuna. Tilottama in Hindu mythology is an Apsara. ... // In Hinduism In Hindu mythology, the Asura (Sanskrit: असुर) are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes misleadingly referred to as demons. ... Sunda may refer to: Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the western part of the Malay archipelago Greater Sunda Islands Lesser Sunda Islands Sunda Strait, the strait between Java and Sumatra Sunda Shelf, part of the continental shelf of Southeast Asia, covered by the South China Sea which isolates... A mythological character from the great epic Mahabharata, Upasunda (उपसुन्‍द) was an asura prince and the brother of Sunda. ... Urvasi was an Apsara in Hindu mythology. ... Krishna to Arjuna: Behold My mystic opulence! Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, arjuna) is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. ...

The Theme of the Nymph and the Sage

A story type or theme appearing over and over again in the Mahabharata is that of an Apsaras sent to distract a sage or spiritual master from his ascetic practices. One story embodying this theme is that recounted by a woman named Sakuntala to explain her own parentage. (Book I: Adi Parva, Section 71-72.) Once upon a time, the sage Viswamitra generated such intense energy by means of his asceticism that Indra himself became fearful. Deciding that the sage would have to be distracted from his penances, he sent the Apsaras Menaka to work her charms. Menaka trembled at the thought of angering such a powerful ascetic, but she obeyed the god's order. As she approached Viswamitra, the wind god Marut tore away her garments. Seeing her thus disrobed, the sage abandoned himself to lust. Nymph and sage sported together for some time, during which Viswamitra's asceticism was put on hold. As a consequence, Menaka gave birth to a daughter, whom she abandoned at on the banks of a river. That daughter was Sakuntala herself, the narrator of the story. Shakuntala, a painting by Raja Ravi Varma In Hindu mythology Shakuntala was considered to be the mother of Emperor Bharata and wife of Dushyanta who was founder of Paurav vansha. ... Brahmarishi Viswamitra or Vishwamitra (Sanskrit: विश्वमित्र, viṣvamitra) is one of the most venerated sages of Hinduism. ... Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र, indra) is the god of weather and war, and lord of Svargaloka in Hinduism. ... Menaka was sent by Indra, the king of the Gods, to break the severe penance undertaken by Sage Vishwamitra. ... Menaka was sent by Indra, the king of the Gods, to break the severe penance undertaken by Sage Vishwamitra. ... In Hinduism In Hinduism the Maruts, also known as the Marutgana and the Rudras. ...

Natya Shastra

Natya Shastra, the principle work of dramatic theory for Sanskrit drama, lists the following apsarases: 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. The Natya Shastra or Nātyaśāstra is the principal work of dramatic theory in the Sanskrit drama of classical India. ...

Two Apsarases dance on a stone pillar in the 11th century temple of Bayon at Angkor in Cambodia.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 799 × 599 pixels Full resolution (1161 × 871 pixel, file size: 597 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I took this picture myself. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 799 × 599 pixels Full resolution (1161 × 871 pixel, file size: 597 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I took this picture myself. ... Categories: Stub | Architecture of Cambodia | Tourism of Cambodia ... Angkor was the site of a series of capital cities that is rk of the Khmer empire for much of the period from the 9th century to the 15th century CE. (The angkor people relyed on the jungle for protection and food. ...

Apsarases in the Visual Arts

Apsarases represent an important motif in the stone bas-reliefs of the Angkorian temples in Cambodia. Descriptions of the temples often distinguish between two types of depictions of female celestials: depictions of figures who are dancing or are poised to dance, which are called "Apsarases" or "Apsaras;" and depictions of figures who are standing still, facing forward, in the manner of temple guardians or custodians, which are called "Devatas." (Maurice Glaize, Monuments of the Angkor Group, p.37.) Detail from the Elgin Marbles, an example of bas-relief Greek soldier in Armour in bas-relief     Bas-relief is a method of sculpting which entails carving or etching away the surface of a flat piece of stone or metal. ... Angkor was the site of a series of capital cities that is rk of the Khmer empire for much of the period from the 9th century to the 15th century CE. (The angkor people relyed on the jungle for protection and food. ...

Khmer classical dance, the indigenous ballet-like performance art of Cambodia, is frequently called "apsara dance." This appellation reflects the belief that the Khmer classical dance of today is connected by an unbroken tradition to the dance practiced in the courts of the Angkorian monarchs, which in turn drew its inspiration from the mythological court of the gods and from its celestial dancers, the Apsarases. Dancers from the court of King Sisowath at Angkor Wat in the early 20th century in costume for the dance drama called Reamker. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• The Rig Veda in the English translation prepared by Ralph T.H. Griffith is available online at sacred-texts.com.
• The Mahabharata in the English translation prepared by Kisari Mohan Ganguli is available online at sacred-texts.com.
• The Monuments of the Angkor Group by Maurice Glaize is available online in English translation.

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. ...

See also

• Tennin, a Japanese development of the Indian apsaras
• The Depiction of Apsarases at Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Bayon in Cambodia
• The Depiction of Devatas at Angkor Wat, Preah Khan and Ta Prohm in Cambodia

Tennin (天人) including the female tennyo (天女) (Sanskrit: apsara) are spirits found in Japanese Buddhism that are similar to Western angels or fairies. ...

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