The esoteric version of the story of Urvaśī and Purūravas

 

The story of Purūravas and Urvaśī, as per puranas, is as follows:

Purūravas was the son of Budha and Ila. Budha was the son of Chandra, the moon god, and thus Purūravas was the first Chandravamsha King.

Once, Purūravas, and Urvaśī, an apsara, fell in love with each other. Purūravas asked her to become his wife, but she agreed on three or two conditions. The most retold conditions are that Purūravas would protect Urvaśī's pet sheep and they would never see one another naked (apart from love making).

Purūravas agreed the conditions and they lived happily. Indra started missing Urvaśī and he created circumstances where the conditions were broken. First, he sent some gandharvas to kidnap the sheep, when the couple was making love. When Urvaśī heard her pets' cries, she scolded Purūravas for not keeping his promise.

Hearing her harsh words, Purūravas forgot that he was naked and ran after the sheep. Just then, Indra flashed lightning, and Urvaśī saw her husband naked. After the events, Urvaśī returned to heaven, and left Purūravas heartbroken. Urvaśī descended upon the earth and bore Purūravas many children, but they were not completely reunited.

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The earliest version of the narrative of Urvaśī and Purūravas, containing a dialogue between them, is found in the Rig Veda (10.95.1–18). The background details of the above narrative, viz., who Urvaśī and Purūravas are, how they met, etc, are not mentioned in Rig Veda.

 And, the expanded version can be found in Śatapaṭha Brāhmaṇa (XI.5.1). It is in Śatapatha Brāhmana, the details of the above narrative were mentioned.

However, wherefrom those details had been obtained, is not mentioned in Śatapatha Brāhmana.  Further, a romantic angle was build up in respect of this narrative in Śatapatha Brāhmana.

The composers of Puranas, wherein this narrative was included, and all translators of Rig Veda in subsequent generations, including Sāyaṇa, simply followed the narrative of Śatapatha Brāhmana and added spice wherever found necessary.

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Actually, this narrative of Urvaśī and Purūravas in Rig Veda is not a romantic one, but a parable to highlight spiritual struggles of a seeker.

Here, we have to understand that Urvaśī is not a damsel, who acts at the behest of Indra, as mentioned in Puranas.

Urvaśī is none other than Saraswati, the divinity mentioned in Rig Veda as female form of the ALL-PERVADING ENERGY or BRAHMAN or the formless Almighty.

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The 18 Riks of Rig Veda 10.95, composed in esoteric sense and indicating spiritual struggles of a seeker, but were interpreted in a romantic angle in Śatapatha Brāhmana.

Consider the following:

Rig Veda 10.95.4

sā vasu dadhatī śvaśurāya vaya uṣo yadi vaṣṭy antigṛhāt |

astaṃ nanakṣe yasmiñ cākan divā naktaṃ śnathitā vaitasena ||

If, Uṣas, this Ūrvaśī, offering food and wealth to her father-in-law, loves (her husband),she has gone from the neighbouring house to her husband's home, where she loved (her lord), being delighted night and day by his embraces.”

Rig Veda 10.95.5

triḥ sma māhnaḥ śnathayo vaitasenota sma me 'vyatyai pṛṇāsi |

purūravo 'nu te ketam āyaṃ rājā me vīra tanvas tad āsīḥ ||

“Thrice a day, Purūrava, have you embraced me, you have loved me without a rival; I have followed(you) to your dwelling, you, hero, have been the sovereign of my person.”

•  It was stated above that Urvaśī and Purūravas made love for 3 times a day, whenever Purūravas wished for
• The general meaning of the word vaitasa,  used in the above 2 Riks,  is penis. 

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Thus, the romantic version was found place in the Śatapatha Brāhmana, instead of the spiritual version.

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The following additional information is to be noted.

1)   In Rig Veda 10.95.7, Urvaśī says to Purūravas that the divinities strengthened him, (just) as for great battle, for the smiting of Dasyus.

2)  In Rig Veda 10.95.13, Urvaśī promises to handover his son at an appropriate time

3)  Purūravas vents his frustration and states that either he would die or fall prey to Wolves - Rig Veda 10.95.14

4)  At that juncture Urvaśī advises him not to die and not to let the unkindly wolves eat him - Rig Veda 10.95.15

5)  In Rig Veda 10.95.16, Urvaśī says that she roamed among mortals and spent the nights for 4 autumns,ie., for 4 years once a day and ate a drop of ghee

6)  In Rig Veda 10.95.17, it was mentioned that Urvaśī  fills the midspace or antariksha

7)   In Rig Veda 10.95.18, Urvaśī addresses Purūravas as Aila (ऐल) meaning the son of iḻā

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According to my understanding, the spiritual version of the narrative of Urvaśī and Purūravas, is as follows:

• The esoteric meaning of wife is Sādhana (साधन) or spiritual practice
• The other meaning of vaitasa is  yielding to superior force.  It indicates that surrendering to SUPERIOR power or BRAHMAN during Sādhana (साधन) or spiritual practice
• Smiting of Dasyus, as per Rig Veda, indicates to overcome one’s weaknesses, viz., EGO, JEALOSY, ANGER, etc
• In general, the result of copulation will be the birth of children.  The esoteric meaning of wishing for/obtaining a son – in spiritual parlance,  is the result of Sādhana (साधन) or spiritual practice,ie, attaining WISDOM or SELF-REALISATION
• The word Purūravas has been defined as पुरूरवा बहुधा रोरूयते meaning "one who makes a lot of sound".  Making lot of sound can be interpreted as facing lot of struggles in spiritual practice.
• Purūravas has been described as Aila (ऐल) meaning the son of Ila (Rigveda. 10.95.18).
• We have to remember that iḻā, sarasvatī and mahī or bhāratī are the 3 divinities mentioned in Rig Veda.
• iḻā works on Earth or the beginning point of a SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. Every spiritual aspirant is an Aila (ऐल) or the son of iḻā, as everyone has to start the journey from iḻā
• sarasvatī rules atmosphere or antarikṣa and helps a SPIRITUAL ASPIRANT in progressing
• mahī or bhāratī rules the heaven or the destination point in a SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
• vaitasa also means yielding to superior force.   Purūravas used to surrender to sarasvatī, and pray 3 times a day.
• He was struggling in his SPIRITUAL JOURNEY and praying sarasvatī for progressing in his journey
• Even after struggling for 4 years, he could not find the dawning of SELF REALISATION OR BLISS
• At that juncture the DIVINE Saraswati aka Urvaśī advises him not to give up his spiritual pursuit or fall prey to his weaknesses.  She advises him to overcome them

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As this is a parable, this should be understood in the meaning that if a SPIRITUAL aspirant gives up Halfway through, one’s ignorance will not leave and WISDOM/SELF-REALISATION will not dawn upon.

So, one must continue his SPIRITUAL pursuit further.