Apsaras — Divine dancers born of Muni and Kaśyapa.
Joined Gandharvas in milking the cow Earth; worship Barhi-
ṣad pitṛs. Love sports with Gandharvas over the Hima-
layas.
1 A group of celestial women who often go to Mount
Kailāsa.
2 Thirty-four
3 wait on Indra.
4 Joined the gods in
offering prayers to Hari.
5 Take their origin from the sport-
ful motion of Hari.
6 Danced at the
avatār of Kṛṣṇa.
7 Went
to Dvāraka with gods and prayed for the return of Hari to
Vaikuṇṭha.
8 Their association with the wise and the
righteous.
9 Welcome Kṛṣṇa back to his own region.
10 Were asked by Indra to obstruct the completion of Mārkaṇ-
ḍeya's
tapas.11 Dance in front of the Sun god and move
with him by turns.
12 Live in Meru: Kāmadeva was their
overlord;
13 born on earth as 16000 gopis during Kṛṣṇa's
avatāra;14 sprung from the churning of the ocean;
15 strew
fired grain at the conquering tour of Lalitā.
16 Fourteen
birth spots for them distinguished.
17 Once when the
Apsaras ladies, all daughters of Agni, were engaged in water
sports in Mānasa, there came Nārada. Without saluting
him they asked him how to attain the Lord as husband. He
gave them a
vratam but cursed that they would be sepa-
rated from the Lord and become slaves of robbers; became
the
rekhas on the body of Vāmana.
18 [Footnote] 1) M. 6. 45; 10. 24; 15. 3; 22. 59; 120. 1.
[Footnote] 2) Bhā. II. 1. 36;
IV. 6. 9.
[Footnote] 3) Vā. 69. 4; 101. 28.
[Footnote] 4) Bhā. VI. 7. 4.
[Footnote] 5) Ib.
VII. 8. 38.
[Footnote] 6) Ib. VIII. 5. 40.
[Footnote] 7) Ib. X. 3. 6; 4. 11.
[Footnote] 8) Ib. XI.
6. 3.
[Footnote] 9) Ib. XI. 12. 3.
[Footnote] 10) Ib. XI. 31. 2.
[Footnote] 11) Ib. XII. 8. 16.
[Footnote] 12) Ib.
XII. 11. 47; Br. II. 23. 27 and 50.
[Footnote] 13) Br. II. 15. 49; III. 8. 15;
7. 25-26.
[Footnote] 14) Ib. III. 71. 243-4; IV. 2. 26.
[Footnote] 15) Bhā. VIII. 8. 7.
[Footnote] 16) Br.
IV. 18. 9.
[Footnote] 17) Ib. IV. 33. 18-25.
[Footnote] 18) M. 70. 21-5; 246. 54.