Chapter 56 - The Cursing of the Nymph Urvashi

Having heard this story, Lakshmana, the Slayer of His Foes, with joined palms, addressed the effulgent Rama, saying:—

“O Kakutstha,howdid that Twice-born One, worshipped by the Celestials, and the king, having cast off their bodies, regain them once more?”

Thus questioned by Lakshmana, Rama, having truth for his prowess, answered:—

“Following on their mutual cursing, those two virtuous Ones, that Sage among monarchs and the foremost of ascetics, having discarded their bodies, lived in their subtle forms.

Thereafter, the great Rishi Vasishtha, desirous of regaining his physical shape, sought out his sire, and that virtuous Sage in his subtle body, paid obeisance to the feet of that God of Gods, the Grandsire, and addressed him, saying:—

“‘O Lord, through King Nimi’s curse, I am deprived of my physical body, O Lord of Lords, O Mahadeva, I am merged in air! Those deprived of a body suffer great misfortune; many righteous deeds may not be performed without a body, O Lord, by your favour grant me another form!’

“Then Brahma Svyambhu, whose powers are immeasurable, said to him:—

“‘Do you enter the vital seed of Mitra and Varuna, O You illustrious One! You shalt then be born without a mother, O Foremost of the Twice-born, and, endowed with great virtue, shalt regain your state.’

“Thus spoke the divine Grandsire, and Vasishtha, circumambulating him, instantly left for Varuna’s abode. At that time, Mitra, being worshipped by the foremost of the Celestials was reigning over Varuna’s kingdom and the chief Apsara, Urvashi, came there by chance in company with her friends.

“Beholding the lovely Urvashi sporting in the waters, Varuna was seized with extreme delight and desired to unite himself with that nymph, whose eyes are as large as lotus petals and whose face was as radiant as the moon, but she, with joined palms, answered him saying:—

“‘Mitra has already invited me for this purpose, O Chief of the Gods!’

“Then Varuna, being stricken with desire, said:—

‘Since you dost not wish to be united with me, I shall loose my vital seed in the vessel created by Brahma, 0 You of lovely hips and beautiful complexion, thus shall my desire be satisfied.’

“Hearing this amiable speech, Urvashi was highly gratified and said to him:—

“‘Be it so, for my mind is fixed on you, though my body belongs to Mitra, O Lord!’

“At these words of Urvashi, Varuna discharged his powerful vital seed, that shone like fire, into the vessel.

Then the divine Urvashi immediately sought out Mitra and he, in the height of anger, said to her:—

“‘Why didst you desert me, who first chose you? For what reason hast you taken another, O You without moral sense? For this misdeed, I condemn you to live in the world of men for a time; you shalt be united with the son of Budha, the royal Sage Pururavas, who rules over Kashi! Go to him, O Sinful One!’

“Then Urvashi, under the influence of that curse, went to Pratisthana to Pururavas, the beloved son of Budha, and she bore him a lovely child, Ayu, who was full of valour and became the father of Nahusha, the equal of Indra in glory, and when the Lord of the Celestials loosed his thunderbolt on Vritra and suffered eclipse, Nahusha reigned in his stead for thousands of years.

“In consequence of this curse, Urvashi, of charming teeth, beautiful eyes and graceful brows, descended on earth where she passed many years and, the period of the curse having expired, she returned to the Region of Indra.”