Shloka 42
The Rise of Soma-vaṁśa: Budha’s Birth and Purūravā–Urvaśī; The Origin of Karma-kāṇḍa in Tretā-yuga
गन्धर्वानुपधावेमांस्तुभ्यं दास्यन्ति मामिति । तस्य संस्तुवतस्तुष्टा अग्निस्थालीं ददुर्नृप । उर्वशीं मन्यमानस्तां सोऽबुध्यत चरन् वने ॥ ४२ ॥
gandharvān upadhāvemāṁs tubhyaṁ dāsyanti mām iti tasya saṁstuvatas tuṣṭā agni-sthālīṁ dadur nṛpa urvaśīṁ manyamānas tāṁ so ’budhyata caran vane
Урваши сказала: «О царь, обратись под покровительство гандхарвов; они смогут вновь отдать меня тебе». Царь молитвами и славословиями ублаготворил гандхарвов, и те, довольные, дали ему девушку Агнистхали, точь‑в‑точь похожую на Урваши. Приняв её за Урваши, царь пошёл с нею по лесу, но затем понял, что это не Урваши, а Агнистхали.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that Purūravā was very lusty. Immediately after getting the Agnisthālī girl, he wanted to have sex with her, but during sexual intercourse he could understand that the girl was Agnisthālī, not Urvaśī. This indicates that every man attached to a particular woman knows the particular characteristics of that woman during sex life. Thus Purūravā understood during sexual intercourse that the Agnisthālī girl was not Urvaśī.
FAQs
The Gandharvas, pleased by Purūravā’s prayers, give him an agni-sthālī (fire-pot), but he becomes so attached and deluded that he mistakes it for Urvaśī while wandering in the forest.
In this episode, the Gandharvas respond to his praise by granting a ritual means (sacred fire) rather than fulfilling his emotional fixation—redirecting him toward dharma and regulated life instead of uncontrolled longing.
Strong attachment can distort perception; the verse warns that obsession makes us project our desires onto objects and situations, so spiritual discipline and clarity are needed to see reality as it is.