Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 95
The Consecration (Anointing) of Indra
ननृतुश्चाप्सराः संघा गंधर्वा ललितं जगुः । वेदमंत्रैस्ततो देवा ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः
nanṛtuścāpsarāḥ saṃghā gaṃdharvā lalitaṃ jaguḥ | vedamaṃtraistato devā brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ
అప్సరాసమూహాలు నర్తించాయి, గంధర్వులు మధురంగా పాడారు; ఆపై దేవతలూ, వేదపారంగత బ్రాహ్మణులూ వేదమంత్రాలను జపించారు.
Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue-speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nanṛtuścāpsarāḥ = nanṛtuḥ + ca + apsarāḥ; vedamaṃtraistato = vedamaṃtraiḥ + tataḥ.
FAQs
They commonly appear as the celestial dancers and musicians who accompany divine events, marking auspiciousness and celebration in heaven-like assemblies.
It indicates Brahmins who are thoroughly learned—figuratively having reached the “far shore” of Vedic knowledge—thus qualified to recite mantras in a ritual context.
It emphasizes harmony between devotion and right practice: celebration (music and dance) is paired with disciplined sacred recitation (Vedic mantras), suggesting reverence expressed through both joy and ritual order.