A story about creative sparks - son of Mercury and the first king of the Moon dynasty (Part I)

King Pururavas falls in love with Urvashi, a celestial nymph - an Apsara from Indra's court. Will she love him back? What would he need to give up for her to agree to be his lover?

Let me tell you a story. A story about the son of Buddha, the Vedic planetary deity of Mercury, the overseer of Wednesdays, the keeper of our intellectual prowess.

King Pururavas was the son of Buddha (Mercury) and Ila. Buddha is the son of Moon* , which makes Pururavas the grandson of Moon, and the first king of the lunar dynasty (Chandravamsha). Pururavas was a righteous and benevolent king, a great warrior and ruler, loved by his subjects and heir to many riches.

One day, while Pururavas was deep in the forest, he came upon a celestial nymph, an Apsara. She was beautiful like no other woman Pururavas had ever seen. He could not take his eyes off of her.

The beautiful Apsara was Urvashi. She was on visiting Earth with her companions, away from her usual home in the heavenly court of Indra. Frolicking with her friends, Urvashi didn’t notice him at first. But soon, the intensity of his stare made an impression on her, she could feel as if someone was around. And sure enough, when she looked up, her eyes met with those of Pururavas.

Urvashi: Who are you, noble one, who stares at poor maidens playiing in the meadows?

Pururavas: I am Pururavas of Chandravamsha. You are no ordinary maiden, pray, tell me who you are?

Urvashi hesitated.

Pururavas: I have seen no woman as beautiful or charming as you. It is true that I have fallen in love with you. Pray, tell me, who are you?

Urvashi looked at the king’s earnest eyes, and felt a pang in her own heart. She knew it was time for her and her friends to head back to the heavens, but she stayed back to chat with this handsome man who she had come up on her in the deep forest.

As the day wore on, and Urvashi knew she would be missed in Indra’s court, she tried to bid farewell to the King. But the king had by then completely fell in love with her, and was ready to do anything to keep her on earth.

Pururavas: Urvashi, my dear, you will break my heart if you leave. You must stay and be my queen.

Urvashi: Oh dear king! You forget that you and I belong in different realms of existence. I am immortal, you are mortal. You live on Earth, and I in the heavens. Our paths are not meant to cross, let alone intertwine in matrimony.

Pururavas: I do not care what is meant to be or not. The separation of the realms is for those who cannot see beyond their existence, not for those who know that nothing belongs to one or the other realm, we all belong to one, and one to all.

Urvashi smiled, the King’s logic was questionable, but his sincerity was real. Besides, by then, she had started feeling fond of this earthly man.

Urvashi: I will stay, but I have three conditions.

Pururavas: Of course, anything you need.

Urvashi: You must take care of my pet sheep. And no harm should ever come to them.

Sheep? Pururavas looked around and saw two pairs of lamb eyes staring up at him. Of course, he could take care of them. He was the king, he had expected her to ask for something bigger.

Urvashi: Second - I like ghee for my meals.

Pururavas smiled. Of course.

Urvashi: And third - you cannot be seen naked by anyone.

Anyone?

Urvashi: Anyone except myself, and that too only at the appropriate times.

Urvashi was at the end of her list of conditions. The king agreed without a second thought, he would have moved heaven and earth to win her over. Taking care of two sheep, getting ghee for meals and ensuring he was clothed at almost all times seemed hardly an ask.

As he lifted her up on to his chariot and whisked her off to his palace, Indra must have watched from the heavens. Urvashi was one of his favorite Apsaras after all, and her absence in his courts would not be tolerated for long. But Urvashi seemed happy with Pururavas, and there was little Indra could do at the moment. He would need to bide his time.

Pururavas could not believe his luck, and he rode as fast as the wind, eager to get home before nightfall. Little did he know how their love story would unfold.

(To be continued…)

Happy Wednesday!

Om Buddhaya Namah.

Footnote:

*Mercury is the son of Moon and Tara, who was the wife of Jupiter.