Apsara
Mythology: Buddhist and Hindu
A female spirit of the clouds and waters.
Apsaras are beautiful, supernatural female beings. They are known to be youthful and elegant, and superb in the art of dancing. They are the wives of the Gandharvas, the court musicians of Indra. They dance to the music made by the Gandharvas, usually in the palaces of the gods, entertain and sometimes seduce gods and men. As ethereal beings who inhabit the skies, they are sometimes said taking flight, or at service of a god, they may be compared to angels.
They are said to change their shape at will, and rule over the fortunes of gaming and gambling. Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha and Tilottama are the most famous among them. They are sometimes compared to the muses of ancient Greece, with each of the 26 Apsaras at Indra's court representing a distinct aspect of the performing arts. They are associated with fertility rites.
Two types of Apsaras are known; Laukika (worldly), of whom thirty-four are specified, and Daivika (divine), of which there are ten.
The Bhagavata Purana states that the Apsaras were born from Kashyap and Muni.
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Book of Shadows (MYTHICAL CREATURES A-Z)
RandomThis book is about all the mythical creatures around the world. I hope that you have fun exploring and learning about new creatures. I know its hard for people to find mythical creatures when writing a book or simply to read about, I tried. Finally...
