apsara | अप्सरा
Apsara (Devanagari: अप्सरा; ISO 15919: apsarā) refers to a celestial nymph or damsel.
Although they are material beings, their bodies are composed of tej (the fire element of panch mahabhuta). Because their bodies are taijas (Devanagari: तैजस्; ISO 15919: taijas), they differ significantly from earthly beings:
- They are not made of flesh and bone.
- They are lustrous, fragrant, and free from physical afflictions.
- They do not produce bodily waste and are therefore always considered ritually pure.
Role Residing in Swarga, they entertain the devatas by dancing to music composed by the Gandharvas. Famous Apsaras include Urvashi, Menaka, and Rambha.
As attendants to Indra, the King of Heaven, they have been deployed to disrupt the tapasya (austerities) of ascetics, such as Vishvamitra. However, because Apsaras are material beings, their allure cannot sway those absorbed in the Divine. For example, they failed to disrupt the tapasya of the child-saint Dhruva, nor could they distract divine personalities like Arjuna or Shukdev Paramhansa.