Birth of Urvashi

11/22/08



Nara and Narayana are two avatharams or incarnations of Vishnu. Both
of them were doing severe penance. As usual, beautiful apsara ladies or divine damsels
were sent to distract them. Even though Nara was a partial incarnation of
God, he had some weaknesses of naran or man, befitting his name. When
Apsara ladies came to distract him, he lost his temper like regular
human beings and showed his severe anger and displeasure to them. They
were scared and disappeared quickly.

Then the beautiful apsara ladies went cautiously to Narayana and to
their surprise he was very calm. He did not have any human weaknesses
like lust, anger etc. So the apsara ladies started dancing around him
in the hope of attracting him. With a smiling face Lord Narayana
looked at them and just tapped on his thigh (ooru in Sanskrit). 

From his thigh, a beautiful lady, far more beautiful than all the apsara
ladies who came to distract him, emerged. She is called Urvashi
becasue she emerged from the thigh or ooru of Narayana. When they saw
the extremely beautiful Urvashi, they were all ashamed of their own
looks and their foolish attempt to distract Narayana. He has the
capability to produce the most beautiful lady from his own thigh and
still he is able to do severe penance with pure and lust free mind.

Apsara ladies apologized, did namaskar to Nara and Narayana and took
Urvashi with them to heaven. They never came back to distract them.
Urvashi became the chief dancer of Devendra's court.

Nara and Narayana come as Arjuna and Shreekrisna in Dwapara yuga and
Vishnu Bhagavan brings them to Vaikundham to see them together. That
is another interesting story called Santhaana gOpaalam.