APSARAS: An Archetypal Exploration of Unmotherly Mothers

Abstract

Apsaras, in Indian scriptures, are the holy hierodule of heaven with astounding beauty, grace and sensuality who are common to all the gods in Indra’s court. Their dalliance with the mortals and sages begets progenies leading to notable dynasties. While motherhood is typically based on a worldview wherein fertility and nurturance are considered as integral to the essence of femininity, mythology abounds with archetypal images of Apsaras who are biologically mothers but are not maternal. This paper attempts to explore the archetype of the heteira (Wolff, 1956) within the feminine psyche and their roles as inconsistent mothers that does not necessarily make them less of a woman. The myth of the birth of Apsaras from the milky ocean is amplified to the dynamic principle of creation. Explorations into the myth of Menaka-Vishwamitra shed light upon the Apsara’s role as not only a means to test the seeker’s resolve or to create impediments in sadhana but also to guide the seeker-seer in the path of inner-illumination.