Episode 44

Urvasi’s romantic love and Arjuna’s reverence [i]

Indriya Nigraha (Controlling the senses) is the theme of this story. Any ordinary human being is prone to fall prey to sensual desires. Urvasi, a celestial beauty approaches Arjuna with heart laden with desire upon the orders of Indra and Arjuna refuses to accept her on the grounds of dharma.  We see Urvasi also invoking the etiquette of heaven where romance has little restrictions. The beauty of Maha Bharatha is that it discusses dharma at each stage – be it a war or romance. In this story we find the concept of ‘karma bhumi’ and how the earthly etiquette is different from heavenly etiquette and how Arjuna could refute the arguments of Urvasi.

We also see in the story how the curse of Urvasi was going to be a boon for Arjuna.

The Story

In the last episode we have seen Arjuna propitiating Lord Siva and obtaining the divine Pāśupatāstra. Lord Siva himself told that Arjuna was in no way inferior to him in valor and virtues. All the gods appeared before Arjuna and blessed him with various astras. Arjuna was delighted.

On seeing the achievements of Arjuna, Lord Indra sent his divine chariot to Arjuna’s place and invited him to heaven. Alighting Indra’s chariot was something that comes in the wake of performing hundreds of yagnas of the nature of Rājasūya and Aswa Medha and ordinary mortals just cannot think of it.

Arjuna humbly requested Matali, the driver of the chariot to alight first and then he would humbly follow him just as a meritorious person entering the right path. Then he took his bath in the celestial waters of the Ganga and turning towards the Himalaya Mountains he told, ‘You are the abode of rishis, sages and the meritorious persons. Now I take leave from you on my way to heaven. I am indebted for all the fruits, and flowers that you have given to me all these days’.  Then he alighted the chariot and proceeded to the abode of gods in the blue skies. 

The way to heaven was pleasant with divine music and the Vedic chanting of sages. Arjuna saw Siddhas, Marutganas, the Vasus, Rudras, Brahmarishis, emperors like Dilipa, and celestial singers like Narada and Thumbura. Ultimately, he reached the place of Amaravati and saw Devendra. He bowed his head on the feet of his father and Indra pleasantly embraced and took him on his lap. With all love and affection, Indra caressed Arjuna with his palm and escorted him to his throne. Arjuna was blessed with the honor of sitting next to Indra on his throne. 

Arjuna spent nearly five years in heaven on the orders of Indra but he was not enjoying the bliss. He was always remembering his brothers and wife who reposed their faith on him; and the humiliation at the court of Duryodhana was disturbing his peace of mind. Sensing the disturbing mood, Indra called Arjuna to his place and asked him to learn the music, dance and the like from a gandharva by name Chitrasena. Arjuna obliged and with the help of the gandharva, he learnt Gandharva Veda and became expert in nritya (Nritya is broadly categorized as one of three parts of Sangita, the other two being gita (vocal music, song) and vādya or instrumental music). Still he was not so happy as he was thinking about his brothers only. 

On one day on the orders of Indra there was a big dance performance in the court of Indra by all the eminent apsarasas (dancers in the court of Indra)  like Ghritachi, Rambha, Urvasi, Menaka, Tilottama, Varudhini, Svayamprabha, Misrakesi, Danda Gowri, Gopali, Kumbhayoni, Madhurasvara, Chitralekha, Chitrasena and the like. There was festivity all around, and Arjuna was viewing Urvasi even without a blink. Even Urvasi could able to observe Arjuna looking at her alone. Indra thought that his son’s mind was gravitated towards Urvasi. He ordered Chitrasena to convey his message to Urvasi that she should propitiate Arjuna for a night and Arjuna should know the art of living in the loving company of ladies (तथा त्वया विधातव्यं स्त्रीषु सङ्गविशारदः) [ii]

Chitrasena reached Urvasi and she was pleased to hear the orders of Indra. Arjuna was known for his valor, aura, and all manly virtues. He was a man who studied all Vedas and Itihasas and known for his steadfastness and capabilities. By his virtues he was capable to rule the heaven. Chitrasena appraised the virtues of Arjuna and she was delighted. She was already struck by the arrows of cupid (Manmatha’s magical effect) and she was longing to have a romantic night with Arjuna.

With all eagerness she took a celestial bath and dressed to lay her beauty at the feet of Arjuna. She dressed her hair attractively and decked it with aromatic flowers. With the blinking eye lids, sweet talks and celestial outlooks she looked as though her face was inviting a pleasant moon -Arjuna (शसिनं वक्त्रचन्द्रेण साह्वयन्तीव गच्छति) [iii]. Unable bear the weight of the chest, the waist was twirling into lines and the beautiful thread around the waist was waning and wavering. With a little inebriation and with an abundant happiness she looked cute worthy to be sought after by gods and demigods.

Urvasi’s arrival in the dead of the night was a surprising thing for Arjuna and he could not know immediately the intentions of Urvasi. He could not stare at her and bent his head down and asked, ‘Oh Divine Lady! I am your servant. I bow to you and seek your orders’. Urvasi got aghast at the attitude of Arjuna. ‘Oh, great warrior! In the court of Indra, I saw you staring at me without a blink and I have come here to satisfy your desire and Indra also blessed me in this endeavor. I am attracted at your virtues and valor and I cannot live without you’.

Arjuna just could not listen her and closed his ears. ‘Oh, mother, it is not appropriate on your part to talk like this. You are like mother and stand on the same footing of Kunti, Madri and Sachidevi Indra’s wife)’. Urvasi could not understand the logic of Arjuna. Arjuna continued, ‘Oh, mother! You are the mother of our lineage since our Puru vamsa started when you spent some years with Purūrava, my great - great grandfather in the erstwhile past. It is true that I stared at you but when I was staring at you, I was imagining the past – as to how you were instrumental in my lineage’.

Urvasi could not know how to counter the reasoning of Arjuna.  She culled out her intellect and told, ‘Oh, Arjuna. This is heaven and there are no boundaries in romance in this place. The kings of Puru vamsa come here after performing yagnas just to have romance with us. I have come here with a heart laden with desire and you please do not disown me by invoking earthly etiquette’. 

But Arjuna was stood by his word and begged her to treat him as a son. Urvasi got wild. The very beauty looked useless when it was rejected. With shivering lips and angry outlook, she cursed Arjuna. ‘You shall become a eunuch and spend your life dancing amidst ladies’. She left the place with heavy heart. 

Arjuna was embarrassed at the turn of events and poured out his agony to Chitrasena. Indra heard everything from Chitrasena. He was quite pleased with the stoic virtues of Arjuna in refusing to fall into the traps of Love (kāma pāśa). He praised Arjuna for he had conquered the indriyas (sense organs). He blessed Arjuna that the curse would become a boon in the period of Incognito of one year (Pandavas were supposed to spend one year incognito as per the conditions of the game of dice). He further blessed that the curse would be operative for one year and thereafter he would gain back his manliness.

Arjuna was pleased with the benevolence of Indra and totally forgot the curse since it was destined to be a boon for him.

Understanding the story

In this story, we find Ved Vyasa discussing the beauty of an apsarasa, Urvasi in an extraordinary fashion. The description is not done without reason. She was fascinated at the handsomeness of Arjuna and gravitated her mind towards him.  Naturally she wanted to present her beauty in the best possible fashion. There is a saying that ‘beauty when not presented is boring’. Maha Bharata is a treatise that discusses all aspects of human life and romance is one field which cannot be neglected in life.

Further there is a definite reason to describe the beauty Urvasi. She was an apsarasa, a celestial beauty and she was asked by Indra to reach Arjuna. Normal humans cannot escape from the drives of sense organs and they easily fall prey to arishadvargas like kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (attachment), mada (pride) and matsarya (jealousy). Arjuna could display control over indrias (sense organs) that he had not fallen prey to the sweet talk of a sensuous beauty. The beauty of Maha Bharata is that it talks ethical values before each action- be it war or romance. The characters of Maha Bharata discuss the issues, ponder over the pros and cons and proceed to take decisions. 

Arjuna was seen invoking the principles of human etiquette – for a son cannot romance with mother. Then Urvasi retorts that the rules of romance are not applicable in heaven. A few commentators of Maha Bharata say that Arjuna refuted the arguments of Urvasi on the sound principles that he was an earthly person born in a ‘karma bhumi’ and he was bound by karmas – whether upon earth or in heaven. The theory of karma says that each good deed brings forth punya (merit) and each bad deed brings forth pāpa (sin). A man attains good or bad worlds depending upon his merit or sin. Arjuna, being an earthly mortal human being, does not want to attract the sin by romancing with a mother.

Was Urvasi correct in her demeanor? The pangs of love were so powerful that she could not listen to the reasoning given out by Arjuna. She was also correct in her own way- since Arjuna stared at her; she was ordered by Indra; and she was not bound by the earthly etiquette. No one can dispute the dharma that she was trying to establish.

Why did she curse? A deep lover gets anger when disowned by the lover. Gita says:

ध्यायतो विषयान् पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते।

सङ्गात् सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते।। [iv]

Meaning - By contemplating on objects of the senses, one develops attachment to them. Attachment leads to desire, and from desire arises anger.

Urvasi, though an apsarasa, is not an exception to this eternal truth. Hindu philosophy, therefore, emphasizes that if you want to gain vairagya, you should abandon attachment towards anything. Desire is thus the root cause of all human misery. Urvasi cursed Arjuna and left the place.

In Maha Bharata, Krishna has chosen Arjuna to spread the message of Gita. It is because Arjuna displayed the firmness and mastery over the sense organs. The yoga that he has attained made him worthy to receive the Vedantic thoughts imbedded in Gita.

Points to ponder

1. Does Hindu philosophy advocate licentious romantic life? What are the limits to romance envisaged in ancient India?
2. What are ethical values that we find in this story?
3. What do you mean by ‘karma bhūmi? Discuss.

Footnotes

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[i] This Story is taken from Vana Parva of Maha Bharata written by sage Ved Vyasa.

[ii]  tathā tvayā vidhātavyaṃ strīṣu saṅgaviśāradaḥ - Vana Parva 45.3.

[iii] śasinaṃ vaktracandreṇa sāhvayantīva gacchati - Vana Parva 46.7.

[iv]  dhyāyato viṣayān puṃsaḥ saṅgasteṣūpajāyate।

saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmātkrodho'bhijāyate।। -  (Gita 2.62)

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