Shloka 66
Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
उनके नाम इस प्रकार हैं--अनूचाना और अनवसद्या
anūcānā ca anavasadyā guṇamukhyā ca guṇāvarā | adrikā ca somā ca miśrakeśī ca alambuṣā || marīciḥ śucikā caiva vidyutparṇā tilottamā | ambikā lakṣaṇā kṣemā devī rambhā manorāmā || asitā ca subāhuś ca supriyā ca vapuḥ punaḥ | puṇḍarīkā sugandhā ca surasā pramāthinī || kāmyā ca śāradvatī cety evam-ādyāḥ sahasraśaḥ | tāḥ sarvāḥ sampranṛtyanta gaṇā gaṇāḥ samāgatāḥ || menakā sahajanyā ca karṇikā puñjikāsthalā | ṛtusthalā ghṛtācī ca viśvācī pūrvacittikā || umlocā pramlocā ceti daśaite prasṛtāḥ smṛtāḥ || urvaśy ekādaśī tāsāṃ jaguḥ snigdhāyatālocanāḥ | dhātā aryamā ca mitraś ca varuṇo 'ṃśo bhagas tathā || indro vivasvān pūṣā ca tvaṣṭā savitā parjanyaḥ | viṣṇuś ca dvādaśaite 'dityāḥ smṛtāḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Nama para apsara itu demikianlah—Anūcānā dan Anavasadyā, Guṇamukhyā dan Guṇāvarā, Adrikā dan Somā, Miśrakeśī dan Alambuṣā; Marīcī dan Śucikā, Vidyutparṇā dan Tilottamā; Ambikā, Lakṣaṇā, Kṣemā, Devī, Rambhā, Manoramā; Asitā dan Subāhu, Supriyā dan Vapu; Puṇḍarīkā dan Sugandhā, Surasā dan Pramāthinī, Kāmyā dan Śāradvatī, serta banyak lagi. Berhimpun dalam rombongan, mereka pun mula menari berkelompok-kelompok. Antara mereka, sepuluh yang paling termasyhur ialah—Menakā, Sahajanyā, Karṇikā, Puñjikāsthalā, Ṛtusthalā, Ghṛtācī, Viśvācī, Pūrvacittī, Umlocā, dan Pramlocā. Dan sebagai yang kesebelas dalam kalangan apsara utama itu ialah Urvaśī; semua jelita bermata besar itu bernyanyi di sana. Lalu dua belas Āditya—Dhātṛ, Aryaman, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aṃśa, Bhaga, Indra, Vivasvān, Pūṣan, Tvaṣṭṛ, Savitṛ, Parjanya, dan Viṣṇu—berdiri di langit, meninggikan kemuliaan putera Pāṇḍu (Arjuna).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how cosmic powers and celestial beings publicly affirm a hero’s stature: greatness is not merely personal prowess but is recognized within a wider moral-cosmic order (represented by the Ādityas) and celebrated through refined arts (song and dance).
Vaiśampāyana lists many Apsarases who assemble and begin dancing; he notes ten especially famous ones and adds Urvaśī as the eleventh among the principal Apsarases. They sing, while the twelve Ādityas stand in the sky praising and magnifying Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu.