Part 2.3.3 - Account of Urvaśī and Viśruta

[Full title: The Vedic Ākhyāna and Upākhyānas in the Saura-purāṇa (3) Account of Urvaśī and Viśruta]

Urvaśī is personified as an apsaras or heavenly nymph in the Vedic texts.^[1] There is another account of Urvaśī available in the Saura-purāṇa^[2] It is as follows: There was a king named Viśruta, son of Yādava Vītihotra. Once while promenading with his wife Bhāminī on the bank of Yamunā, he saw Urvaśī and got attracted towards her, who was then playing with a vīṇā.

Then both of them were engaged in sensual enjoyment. After passing of thousands of years in enjoyments the king wished to go back to his capital. But, Urvaśī requested him to stay with her. Viśruta promised her of his quick return from capital.

Having returned to the capital, Viśruta found his innocent wife and became afraid of sin. Bhāminī on the other hand, was aware of his activities and therefore encouraged him for expiation.

According to her suggestion Viśruta went to the hermitage of Kaṇva and after receiving his advice he proceeded to Himālaya for expiation. On the way to Himālaya, Viśruta saw Viśvāvasu, a gandharva, adorned with a beautiful garland and playing with his wife. Seeing that garland Viśruta remembered his company with Urvaśī and snatched away the garland from Viśvāvasu following a fight.

The king searched for Urvaśī everywhere, but could not find her. Then, as per the advice of Nārada, he went to the Mānasa-sarovara, situated in the southern part of Sumeru where he met Urvaśi. He then offered that garland to her and again enjoyed with her for hundred years.

Then Urvaśī asked Viśruta the happenings that took place when he reached his capital. Viśruta told everything. Listening to the incidents in detail Urvaśī asked him to leave her, but he did not agree. Then she transformed herself into an old women: “valibhiḥ palitākīrṇāṃ”.^[3]

Seeing her ugly appearance, the king left her, and as per Kaṇva’s direction, he devoted himself in expiation and the in worship of Śiva at Vāraṇasī. From Viśruta Urvaśi gave birth to seven sons.

Although this account is quite different from the Urvaśī-Purūravā ākhyāna of the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, but some reflection of that ākhyāna is clearly visible here. In the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, Urvaśī insisted on Purūravā to abandon her, and for that she did not even hesitate to be as cruel as a vṛka: “na vai straiṇāni sakhyāni santi sālābṛkāṇāṃ hṛdayānyetā”.^[4] Here too in a similar approach, Urvaśī converted herself to an old lady with a view to making her unattractive to Viśruta.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

M. M. Williams: Op. cit., p. 218.

[2]:

Saura-purāṇa, 31. 13-49.

[3]:

Ibid., 31. 43a.

[4]:

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, 10. 95. 15.