Shloka 66
The Bhīma-Dvādaśī
Kalyāṇinī) Vow and the Anangadāna-Vrata (with a Courtesan-Conduct Discourse
दृष्ट्वा च तामप्सरसामभीष्टां वेश्याकृतामन्यभवांतरेषु । जाताथ सा वैश्यकुलोद्भवापि पुलोमकन्या पुरुहूतपत्नी
dṛṣṭvā ca tāmapsarasāmabhīṣṭāṃ veśyākṛtāmanyabhavāṃtareṣu | jātātha sā vaiśyakulodbhavāpi pulomakanyā puruhūtapatnī
Ayant vu cette apsaras tant désirée —qui, en d’autres naissances, avait été faite courtisane—, elle naquit alors, même d’une lignée vaiśya, comme fille de Pulomā, épouse de Puruhūta (Indra).
Unspecified narrator (contextual narration within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa)
Concept: Karma and rebirth can move a being from celestial status to stigmatized roles and back into honored relational identities; social birth does not exhaust spiritual narrative.
Application: Avoid contempt for anyone’s background; recognize unseen histories and cultivate compassion. Use one’s present station for dharmic action and devotion.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An apsaras of striking beauty stands at the threshold between worlds: behind her, Svarga’s jeweled halls shimmer; before her, a humble merchant household suggests a vaiśya birth. A translucent overlay shows past-life shadows of a courtesan’s sorrow, while her present identity as Pulomā’s daughter and Indra’s wife is crowned by a quiet, bittersweet radiance.","primary_figures":["the apsaras (Pulomā’s daughter)","Indra (Puruhūta)","Pulomā"],"setting":"Liminal scene blending celestial court and an earthly vaiśya home, with symbolic doorway between realms","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["silver white","sapphire blue","soft gold","rose pink","smoky brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: apsaras portrayed with ornate jewelry and gold leaf halo, split-scene composition—left: Svarga palace with Indra (Puruhūta) enthroned; right: modest vaiśya household with Pulomā, past-life courtesan shadow motif subtly behind, rich reds and greens, heavy gold embellishment and traditional iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate apsaras in graceful stance at a doorway between a jeweled celestial pavilion and a simple earthly courtyard, cool moonlit palette, refined facial features, gentle melancholy, subtle narrative layering of past and present births.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined apsaras with stylized eyes, Indra in upper panel, earthly household in lower panel, strong red-yellow-green pigments, clear iconographic separation of realms with decorative borders, karmic transition suggested through patterned bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central apsaras framed by lotus and floral borders, deep blue background with gold motifs, small Indra figure in a top medallion, earthly household vignette in side panel, peacocks and lotuses adding lyrical contrast to the karmic narrative."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft veena","distant celestial chimes","night insects","gentle ankle-bell tinkle","low drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tāmapsarasāmabhīṣṭām = tām + apsarasām + abhīṣṭām; anyabhavāṃtareṣu = anya-bhava-antareṣu; jātātha = jātā + atha; vaiśyakulodbhavāpi = vaiśya-kula-udbhavā + api.
FAQs
“Puruhūta” is an epithet of Indra, the king of the gods, meaning “he who is invoked/called upon much.”
It links a celestial apsaras with a sequence of births, indicating karmic variation across lives—being born even in a vaiśya family—and identifies her as Pulomā’s daughter and Indra’s wife.
Implicitly, it underscores the Purāṇic theme of transmigration: status and circumstance can change across births due to prior actions and destiny, even for exalted beings like apsarases.