Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s2.46

c12.s2.46

4. APSARASAS:—A fourth class of semi-divine beings shown in the sculpture is that of Apsarasas engaged in dance and music. Urvaśī and Śachī are mentioned in the Rigveda and several others in the Yajurveda accompanying the solar car in a festive dance. At Bharhut four of them are depicted, viz. Alambusā, Miśrakeśī, Sudarśanā and Subhadrā. The scene itself is labelled as Sādika sammadam turam devānām, where Sādika is the same as Saṭṭaka (a spring festival), sammada, performance of joy, turam as tūrya, play of instrumental music in the assembly of gods (devānām).