| Pururavas | |
|---|---|
 A 20th century illustration of Pururavas | |
| Other names | Purūravā |
| Texts | Mahabharata,Rigveda,Vikramōrvaśīyam,Puranas |
| Gender | Male |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Spouse | Urvashi |
| Children | Ayus, Amavasu, Vishvayu or Vanayus, Shrutayu or Dhimat, Shatayu (or Satayu), and Dridhayu |
| Dynasty | Chandravamsha |
Pururavas (Sanskrit: पुरूरवस्,Purūravas) is a character inHindu literature, aking who served as the first of theLunar dynasty.[1]
According to theVedas, he is a legendary entity associated withSurya (the sun) andUsha (the dawn), and is believed to reside in the middle region of the cosmos. The Rig Veda (X.95.18) states that he was a son ofIlā[2] and was a pious ruler. However, theMahabharata states that Ila was both his mother and his father. According to theVishnu Purana, his father wasBudha, and he was ancestor of the tribe of Pururavas, from whom descended theYadavas,Kauravas, andPandavas of Mahābhārata.
Pururavas was born inTreta Yuga, as the son of Budha and Ila. Budha was the son ofChandra, the moon god, and thus Pururavas was the first Chandravamsha King. Since he was born on Mount Puru, he was called Pururavas.[3]
According to thePuranas, Pururavas reigned fromPratisthana (Prayaga[4]). He performed a penance toBrahma and as a reward, he was made the sovereign of the whole earth. Pururavas celebrated a hundred Ashwamedha Yajnas. Theasuras were his followers, while thedevas were his friends.
According to theMahabharata, Pururavas was the one to bring three kinds of fire on the earth (for sacrificial purpose) from the region ofGandharvas, where he metUrvashi and fell in love with her. In the Sambhava Parva, Pururavas is said to be intoxicated with his powers, and he quarreled with the Brahmanas.Sanatkumara came from the region ofBrahma to counsel him. But Pururavas turned deaf ear to the counsel. Angered by this, the sages cursed Pururavas and he was destroyed.
Once, Pururavas, andUrvashi, anapsara, fell in love with each other. Pururavas asked her to become his wife, but she agreed on three or two conditions. The most retold conditions are that Pururavas would protect Urvashi's pet sheep and they would never see one another naked (apart from love making).[5]
Pururavas agreed the conditions and they lived happily.Indra started missing Urvashi and he created circumstances where the conditions were broken. First he sent somegandharvas to kidnap the sheep, when the couple was making love. When Urvashi heard her pets' cries, she scolded Pururavas for not keeping his promise. Hearing her harsh words, Pururavas forgot that he was naked and ran after the sheep. Just then, Indra flashed lightning, and Urvashi saw her husband naked. After the events, Urvashi returned to heaven, and left Pururavas heartbroken. Urvashi descended upon the earth and bore Pururavas many children, but they were not completely reunited.
He had six (or seven or eight according to different accounts) sons. The names of these sons are: Ayu (or Ayus), Amavasu,[6] Vishvayu, Shrutayu, Shatayu (or Satayu), and Dridhayu.Nahusha, the son of Ayu, is a well-known name in theRigveda.[7]
The earlier version of the narrative of Urvashi and Pururavas is found in theRigveda (X.95.1–18) and theŚatapaṭha Brāhmaṇa (XI.5.1). The later versions are found in theMahābhārata, theHarivaṃsa, theViṣṇu Purāṇa, theMatsya Purāṇa,[8] and theBhāgavata Purāṇa.
The Ṛg-veda, X.129 contains a conversational fragment, written in a highly wrought poetic style. The hymn suggests that Uṣas (also known as Urvaśi) is aGandharvi orApsara (a heavenly nymph). Having been united with a human king, Purūravas, and after living together for four autumns, suddenly left him on his unintentional violation of the stipulated conditions of the union. Later Purūravas made futile entreaties to her to return to him.[8]
The narrative displays multiple levels of symbolism by playing on the multiplicity of meanings in the Vedic Saṃskṛta terms. While it is a love poem, expressing the conflict of interest between a lover and his beloved, who spurns his love, it also expresses the immortal relationship between the Sun (Purūravas) and the Dawn (Uṣas). In addition to these two levels of meaning, it also offers mantric prescriptions for a ritual activity bent on taking rebirth as a Gandharva or Apsaras.
The love story of king Pururavas and celestial nymphUrvashi is found in theSanskrit drama,Vikramōrvaśīyam, written by the poetKalidasa. The story is more dramatized like the addition of Pururavas another wife and with variations from the original story.[9]
Gudipati Venkata Chalam has authored the dramaPurūravä, which has gained critical acclaim with theTelugu audience. This drama has been modernized inPurūravä, an animated version of the drama released in Amazon Prime in US and UK.
Media related toPururavas at Wikimedia Commons