Vikramōrvaśīyaṁ
The romance of Purūravas and Ūrvaśi has been dramatized in Vikramōrvaśīyaṁ and this is based on the ancient story that is found in Ṛgveda. This is also a five-act drama that portrays love between them when they are together as well as when they are separated.
This story is actually based on a story in Ṛgveda. In Ṛgveda Ūrvaśi appears as hard-hearted because she spurns Purūravas’s love and affection. Sālāvṛkāṇāṃ hṛdayāni etā– On account of her mercilessness she is compared to a Jackal in Ṛgveda. However, Kāḷidāsa has brought out this story with a lot of changes. In the drama, Ūrvaśi and her companion Citralekha go to a picnic and they are kidnapped by Keśi. At that time Purūravas appears there and saves both of them. And, at the very first sight, both Purūravas and Ūrvaśi fall in love with each other. Purūravas was already a married man and his wife’s name was Āśinri. Both of them pined for each other. One day, Ūrvaśi was giving a dance performance in Indra’s court in a drama Lakṣmī Svayamvara scripted by Bharatamuni, the author of Nṛtya śāstra. And in that drama, there was a dialogue with the question, “Who would you like to marry?” As Ūrvaśi’s mind was full of love for Purūravas, she blurts out “Purūravas’ ’ instead of “Puruṣōttamaṁ” . Bharatamuni gets extremely offended and curses her saying, “You will live with the person you are thinking about. And you will also give birth to his son. But you will have to choose between the father and son, because the day they see each other, you will have to leave them both and return to heaven.” Indra who was watching all these, speaks to Ūrvaśi out of kindness and says, “I understand your love for Purūravas. He is my friend as well. Go to earth and live with him. But return after seeing your son” . And thus the curse became a blessing for Ūrvaśi and she descended to earth to love Purūravas. They started living happily. One day, King Purūravas and Ūrvaśi enter God Kārtikēya’s grove where women are prohibited. And if women enter it they will turn into a creeper and accordingly, Ūrvaśi also becomes a creeper. For many months Purūravas searches for Ūrvaśi but he fails to find her. Then the helpless Purūravas prays to God. Kārtikēya who was pleased by the prayers of Purūravas gives him a crimson jewel Saṅgamamaṇi and asks him to rub the particular creeper in the groove with it. King follows the instructions of Kārtikēya and releases Ūrvaśi who was in the form of a creeper. Ūrvaśi was actually pregnant when she was in the grove as a creeper. But Purūravas was unaware of her pregnancy. She delivers a male child without his knowledge, names him Āyu and sends away the child to sage Cyavana’s hermitage. The incident that happened at Kārtikēya’s grove was a ploy planted by the Gods to give time for Ūrvaśi to bear the child. One day, a raven snatches the Saṅgamamaṇi from Ūrvaśi and before Purūravas could shoot an arrow, someone else hits the bird and the bird falls down. The arrow was retrieved and that arrow carried the name of Āyu, the son of Ūrvaśi and Purūravas. Finally, the time comes for Āyu to meet Purūravas, but due to the curse, Ūrvaśi returns to heaven after their meeting.
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1. यदे्वोिनरं दुःख्तसुखं रद्रस्वत्तर्म् । पन्व्गाण्य ररुच्छ्य् र्रस य पह प्वशेषरः ॥ [प्वक्र्मो्वगाशीय्म् – ३.२१] yadevopanataṃ duḥkhātsukhaṃ tadrasavattaram | nirvāṇāya tarucchāyā taptasya hi viśeṣataḥ ||