Apsaras

The pages in the current category are some of the encouraging feed-backs I got about the AncientVoice Web site in the form of emails some running into lengthy dialogs. I spent considerable time receiving and answering them. But all the information generated in these emails are locked up inside them. I thought to make it useful for the general research community, so that the time I spent on it will be useful for more than just two people who are communicating (me and the other person). These contain a wealth of information, naturally emerged during the process of dialogs. It will help to answer similar questions somebody else may have. I can also avoid repeating what I told once. Being myself a researcher who unearth information from the ancient dialogs recorded in the epics and other ancient scriptures, I hope this will be useful for the general research community.

Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 16 Nov 2011 11:09 and updated at 17 Nov 2011 10:50

Kent Davis Editor, Translator, Publisher – DatAsia. Kent Davis is a publisher, educator, author and independent researcher. He is also a Southeast Asian specialist having worked and traveled in the area since 1990. Kent Davis has spent years researching and photographing what he calls the devatas, or carved female images, that appear throughout the Angkor Wat temple complex. His theory is that the ancient religious site was actually conceived and wrought to glorify women and the "feminine principles they represent".Further information on Kent Davis is available here:- http://www.devata.org/2009/02/the-mysterious-women-of-angkor-wat-the-phnom-penh-post/, http://makhali-phal.org/makhali-phal-research-network/

Table of Contents

Email Communication1

Kent Davis <email-ID>
Aug 27

to me
Dear Mr. Ravi,

I am very grateful for your work categorizing apsaras mentioned in the Mahabharata.
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh-category:apsara

Since 2005, I have been devoted to studying a group of women portrayed on the 12th century Hindu temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

They have wrongly been called apsaras (there are actual apsaras depicted at Angkor Wat above the samudra mathan), but I use the more general term devata in my investigation. You can see some of my work here http://www.devata.org/

I've come across a number of apsara names, with your list of Mahabharata names being the best documented.

Can you guide me to the sources for the names in black below? (the blue names are from your list)

Also, do you know of any other names to add?

Thank you again for providing your valuable resource.

With best regards,

Kent

Apsara names (81)
(Mahabharata)
Alamvusha, Ambika, Anavadya, Anuchana, Aruna, Asita
Budbuda
Chandrajyotsna, Chanrunetra, Chitralekha
Dandagauri, Devi
Ghritachi, Gopali, Gritachi, Gunamukhya, Gunuvara
Harsha, Hasini
Indralaxmi, Ira
Janapadi
Kamya, Karnika, Keshini (or Kesini), Kshema, Kumbhavoni
Lata, Laxmana,
Manorama, Marichi, Menaka, Misrakesi, Mishrasthala, Mrugakshi
Nabhidarshana.
Panchachuda, Prabha, Prajagara, Pramathini, Pramlocha, Prasami, Punjikasthala, Purvachiti (Purvachitti), Pushpadeha
Rakshita, Rambha, Ritusthala, Ruchi
Sahajanya, Samichi, Saurbhedi, Sharadvati, Shuchika, Some, Suchismita, Sugandha, Sukesi, Sumukhi, Supriya (Supria), Suraja, Surasa, Surata, Suvapuh, Swayamprabha,
Tilottama
Umlocha, Urvara, Urvashi (Urvasi)
Vapu, Varga, Varuthini, Vidvota, Vidyuta, Vidyutparna, Vidyutprabha, Vishvachi (Viswachi), Vududa, Vudvuda,

http://www.DatASIA.us
Publishing ~ Research ~ Education
Cambodia | Laos | Myanmar | Thailand | Vietnam

Jijith Nadumuri Ravi
Aug 29

to Kent
Dear Mr. Kent Davis

Thanks for your kind words.

I am now analyzing the nouns of Ramayana, Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas as well as Vishnu Purana, much like i did with Mahabharata. In these texts too there are many Apsaras mentioned. However my classification works for these texts is not complete. Some of the Apsara names that you had indicated in 'black' could be found in these texts.

I shall send you my detail answer by looking at each noun you indicated, in another email. On a quick look I could identify some of the 'black names' but with a different English spelling, as it is often possible when Sanskrit names are written in English.

Eg:- Budbuda - > Vudvuda

Warm Regards

Email Communication2

Kent Davis <email-ID>
Aug 29

to me
Dear Jijith,

Please call me Kent. Thank you for your quick reply and especially for creating these tools to further understand these great bodies of human knowledge.

As with many things on the web, I came across AncientVoice by chance but your brilliant navigation and search tool drew me in. I was there for a couple of unexpected (but pleasant!) hours over the weekend. (-:

Now I realize that you are the founder and primary contributor to this site and I'm even more grateful for your speedy response. The scope of your project is mind-boggling but after reading your LinkedIn page I see how your scientific mind has made this possible.

I am also trying to bring science to a spiritual pursuit. In India I think this must be clearer to more people because spirituality is a part of everyday life. Here in the US (i.e. the West in general) spirituality and science are seen as opposites. My belief is that pure science and pure religion are the same. Well, that is another discussion! (-:

Back on topic, I agree that transliteration issues in English make these tasks more challenging. I have the same problems every day in my Khmer studies.

At the height of the Khmer empire (9th-13th c), Sanskrit was the main spiritual language, but the people spoke Old Khmer. Most of the great kings were Hindu. With Buddhist influence, Pali terms came in and some leaders emphasized that religion. But the Khmer empire left almost no written records. Everything is a puzzle. This is why my attention constantly goes to India to get clues to the mysteries I pursue.

In the 14th century, the Khmer empire fell to the Thais, who adopted many words but used a different language. And today? Well trying to make all these distorted words into sounds in English gets messy. (-:

I know my studies are just one tiny niche in your records. Countless other readers must find your approach helpful and enlightening. This is a long term project that I'm working on so I patiently look forward to your expanded analysis.

I am also working on an analytical project but my technical abilities are rather limited. May I send some details on this to ask for your guidance? Your technical background and connections may be exactly what I need to move forward.

Thank you very much for your help.

With best regards,

Kent

—

Jijith Nadumuri Ravi
Sep 5

to Kent
Dear Kent

I could work on on your list of Apsaras in the weekend. Below are the details:-

I have not seen most of the name used as the name of an Apsara, but as you said some of them are Devatas, Devis or princesses, queens etc. But some times these names appear as the name of gods (Devas) and of sages. I do not know why then, these are used as names of Apsaras in South East Asia. This could be a matter of further research. If they are some alternate spelling of an Apsara, I shall indicate that. I also give below some links to Vedas (rvs, avs, svs, yvs or yvk), Ramayana(vrm), Mahabharata (mbh) or Vishnu Purana (vp) that could help you, to understand more about each of these nouns / names.

Ambika

http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/yvs:ambika
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/yvk:ambika
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:ambika

Anavadya
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:anavadya

Aruna
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/yvk:aruna
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vrm:aruna
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vp:aruna
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:aruna

Asita
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/avs:asita
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vrm:asita
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:asita
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vp:asita
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:asita-devala ( a sage)

Budbuda
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:vudvuda (APSARA)

Chandrajyotsna
(no info: Could be a local Hindu princess in South East Asia)

Harsha
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:harsha
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh-category:deva-generic

Indralaxmi
(no info: Could be a local Hindu princess in South East Asia)

Laxmana
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vrm:lakshmana (brother of Rama, the hero of Ramayana)
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:lakshmana (same as above as well as Son of Duryodhana, villian of Mahabharata)
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vp:lakshmana (brother of Rama, the hero of Ramayana)

Marichi
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vrm:marichi ( a sage)
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:marichi ( a sage)
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vp:marichi ( a sage)
- this noun also indicate a tribe name, so there can be a women belonging to this tribe counted as an Apsara or as a Devata

Mishrasthala
(no info)
Could be related to Apsara Misrakesi
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vrm:mishrakesi

Mrugakshi
(no info): meaning of the name:- The one with the eyes of a deer.

Nabhidarshana
(no info): meaning of the name:- The one who reveal her naval

Pushpadeha
(no info); meaning of the name:- The one with flower like body

Saurbhedi
(no info)"- Saur means Solar, some times used to denote heaven (Swarga).

Some
(no info):- Could be Soma? Soma = moon

Vapu
Vapu / Vapus means body
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vp:vapu
I know of an Apsara nemd Suvapu / Suvapus mentioned in some other Puranas. Vapu could be a short form of Suvapu, meaning one with a good body

Varga
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:varga (APSARA)

I too do my work as a spiritual pursuit to know my culture and civilization better. Your work on Khmer and the South East Asian studies is quite remarkable. However I do not have any deep knowledge in South East Asian History, other than some basic ideas.

I am only happy to provide you any help, based on my limited knowledge and time.

Warm Regards

Email Communication3

Kent Davis <email-ID>
Sep 5

to me
I could work on on your list of Apsaras in the weekend. Below are the details:-

Dear Jijith,

I am very grateful to you for your help. Thank you!

I hope you can continue to guide me on this topic in relation to the Indian scriptures. Also, because of your technical expertise, I want to ask for your input on another project.

In 2005, I began my study of the 1,800 unique women depicted at Angkor Wat. I call them by the general term devata but the evidence suggests that most (all?) of these images represent actual human women sanctified to represent celestial women. They are certainly not true apsaras, although apsaras are depicted in the temple.

The extraordinary thing is that almost all the portraits are intact and each one is different. My theory is that they are encoded with mathematical information (perhaps astronomical data) that will be revealed by analysis using a feature database.

Here is where my technical ability stops. But reading your resume on LinkedIn I am wondering if you can guide me to Indian resources that could advance my effort?

I lost the first three years of my research to a fire in 2008.
http://www.islander.org/4-23-08/hb_davis_fire.php

My wife and I were not hurt…which is all I could ask for…but even when my house was still burning I knew I had to begin my research on the women again. I returned to Angkor that year to reshoot all my photos.

Progress since then has been slow. I know what needs to be done but I don't know how to do it. With your technical skill I believe that you can guide me, if you will consider this request.

I've attached a short overview of the project. I have many more details that I can share later if you have the time to review them. I have had a friend build a relational database but it lacks some features I think are essential.

OK, back to the apsara names! (-:

Actually, I just gathered the names from various places on the web. See the attached jpg as an example. They are not part of any official or ancient documents, especially in Cambodia. The Khmer left almost no written information.

There is no name or description associated with ANY of the women at Angkor Wat. They are entirely forgotten and misunderstood.

The Khmer based their religion, government and society on Hindu heritage…but at the same time they were innovators and they had unique ideas that were very different from those in India. So India is a place to gather clues to the mysteries, but the answers may not be there.

Oh! One more important clue about the Khmer race…their legends say they are descended from the union of a nagini and a Brahmin! Also, their greatest temple Angkor Wat was built by the son of an apsara who married a man!

So there are apsaras in the story for sure. (-:

This could be a matter of further research. If they are some alternate spelling of an Apsara, I shall indicate that. I also give below some links to Vedas (rvs, avs, svs, yvs or yvk), Ramayana(vrm), Mahabharata (mbh) or Vishnu Purana (vp) that could help you, to understand more about each of these nouns / names.

I will examine the lists and links and come back to you with questions in the future. Again, I am very grateful for your contribution to this work.

I am only happy to provide you any help, based on my limited knowledge and time.

I understand too well that there are not enough hours in a day!

Please share your thoughts on the devata database when you get a chance.

I am driving to NJ tomorrow (about 1200 miles) so my communications will be spotty for a couple days.

Thank you again for your help, Jijith!

2 attachments — Download all attachments
apsara-Dictionary of Ancient Deities-2001.jpg
262K View Download
2008-03-15_devata_database.pdf
848K View Download

Jijith Nadumuri Ravi
Sep 10

to Kent
Dear Kent

Thank you for your detailed email. It is really difficult to witness the results of extensive research works getting lost to sudden natural disasters. I can identify with the pain you might have felt. However it is great that you are able to continue this valuable work.

If the data is a set of images (of statues), what is needed is an image processing enabled database. However if it is 3D data (result of 3D surface-scan of statues) we need a 3D model database, with feature recognition. I am not sure if there exist any commercial software that is exactly suitable for your project. Some software types that comes closer, is the software used to perform feature-recognition in automobile-industries etc, but they have limitation in recognizing organic features like face, hands or nose. Others include face recognition software based on image-processing, medical-imaging / volume-rendering software or software used in the field of metrology with point-cloud analysis and feature-recognition modules. But none of them could help us directly to find hidden mathematical pattern that may lie hidden in the data. For this, we may need to write new software using some of these existing components.

On the origin of Kmer, from Naga-Brahmin aliance:- this is very interesting since in Mahabharata, there are description of such inter marriages. A good example is sage Astika, who was born to a Naga women and a Brahmana man. He was the one who prevented Kuru king Janamejaya, the descendant of Arjuna, from performing a great genocide of the Nagas.

Similarly, the union with men and Apsaras are commonly mentioned in Mahabharata. I consider these as inter-tribal marriages, considering Nagas, Apsaras, Gandharvas, Rakshasas etc as distinct human tribes. In ancient India, people married within ones own tribe. Other tribes were considered as alien, and they were either deified or defiled, and each consider only their own tribe as 'human' tribe. It is because of this that snake worshiping Nagas were described as snakes by the poets. Similarly the beautiful tribes of Apsaras got deified. Inter-tribal marriages were very rare. When they occur they usually become great news. This is my current understanding on this subject. It may change based on new information I may come across.

The Apsara name Vapu (skt. body) lead me to another name in Mahabharata. Vapustama.

http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:vapushtama
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-mbh-01:section-44

Below is my thoughts on this which could be useful to you.

Vapustama (Vapu(s)-tama:- one with best body) was the wife of Parikshit. King Janamejaya was born to Vapustama and Parikshit. King Suvarna-varman, the king of Kasi, was the father of Vapustama. Notethe surname 'Varma' and the word 'Suvarna'. It is the same surname of king Jayavarman of Ankor. I guess the term 'Suvarna' (skt. golden, best colored) is often used to denote Burma and South East Asia? The surname 'Varma' also has connection with Kamboja (location: Kashmir and west; people eg:- king Chandravarman) and Bhoja-Yadavas (People eg:- warrior Kritavarman). Suvarna-varman seems to be a Kamboja or Bhoja-Yadava king of Kasi during the period of Kuru king Janamejaya and could be a remote ancestor of Jayavarman of Ankor? Post Kurukshetra-war, the Kambojas had spread through Ganga and through the west and east coast of India with the objective of doing sea-trade which could have made them reach South East Asia to establish Kamboja (Cambodia) there. Kasi being on the banks of Ganga, seems to be an intermediately settlement of Kambojas in their migration, culminating at Cambodia.

Another aspect to it is that the Gandharvas are to be understood as belonging to Gandhara territories which is close to / overlapping ancient Kamboja territories in what is now northern Pakistan. Female Gandharvas were often described as Apsaras. Thus Vapustama is technically an Apsara.

Warm Regards

Email Communication4

Kent Davis <email-ID>
Sep 11

to me
Thank you for your detailed email. It is really difficult to witness the results of extensive research works getting lost to sudden natural disasters. I can identify with the pain you might have felt. However it is great that you are able to continue this valuable work.

Dear Jijith,

It was a powerful life experience and, ultimately, a positive lesson. The human mind is a very powerful thing…and I know there is far more to our universe than what we perceive in the temporal world.

You see? You have the perfect mind for this inquiry! (-:

Last year I completed an initial facial recognition study with Dr. Anil Jain at Michigan State University. Dr. Jain helped me because he was intrigued by the possibilities but unfortunately by the time I figured out what we needed to do he had no time left to give because there was no funding.

I've attached our initial study (which needed another refinement to truly become useful) and also a news article that resulted from the study.

Some software types that comes closer, is the software used to perform feature-recognition in automobile-industries etc, but they have limitation in recognizing organic features like face, hands or nose. Others include face recognition software based on image-processing, medical-imaging / volume-rendering software or software used in the field of metrology with point-cloud analysis and feature-recognition modules. But none of them could help us directly to find hidden mathematical pattern that may lie hidden in the data. For this, we may need to write new software using some of these existing components.

Having pondered this problem for 6 years I can tell you that it is easier than the first impression implies.

Yes, the natural tendency is to seek technological solutions…pattern recognition, etc…but the reality is that there is far better data there that is far easier to extract.

These stone portraits were done by sculptors. That in itself introduces a multitude of variables:

what is the skill of the artist?
what is the style of the artist?
what end result does the sponsor want to achieve? (e.g. realistic or idealistic?)
what are the informational priorites (i.e. how accurately must certain features appear)

Just for fun look at this cartoon…

That's a four star general. It is just a cartoon but it conveys the concept.

Here is a REAL four star general…covered with symbols ALL of which hold meaning

The women of Angkor Wat clearly represent a very complex hierarchy.

We don't need to track analog subtleties so much as we need to define who is holding what flower in what position. How many necklaces does she have? How many florets in her crown? Where is she located|? etc.

I have identified 65 characteristics that are clearly visible. Where I need help is with the manpower to enter the data and a database that will present the data properly. I think I can afford to do this project in India with the right representative, but it would be too expensive here. Also, I personally think that Indian people will understand this task at a higher level.

I have another description of this concept that I will send soon. In the meantime please ponder the above. (-:

I am convinced that there is a powerful link between the ancient Indian histories and what happened in Cambodia. These are not just fairy tales. There is a basis in reality.

I like the way you describe this very much. i.e. events that became "great news". It is very logical and rings of truth.

I have discovered something that I will be more comfortable to discuss with you sometime via Skype. It is a scientifically provable direct genetic connection between the Khmer and India. It resonates with what you cite above.

The Apsara name Vapu (skt. body) lead me to another name in Mahabharata. Vapustama.

http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:vapushtama
http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-mbh-01:section-44

Below is my thoughts on this which could be useful to you.

This is a marvelous puzzle and when I read observations like yours it sparkles with the promise of truth revealed.

The lineages and intermarriages were very important and there is more I want to discuss about what happened at Angkor Wat. These women do represent bloodlines…but whose and from whence I don't know.

Ah I know both of us have many obligations other than this pursuit of knowledge but let's continue our conversations. Who knows where it will lead?

2 attachments — Download all attachments
2010-Angkor-Wat-Devata-Facial-Analysis.pdf
637K View Download
Faces-of-Angkor-Wat-Cambodia-Weekend-Magazine.pdf
1566K View Download

Jijith Nadumuri Ravi
Sep 16

to Kent
Dear Kent

I guess, if i am not wrong, that you plan to do the feature recognition manually? For example, a software that could automatically identify the feature sets (position of ornaments on body, style of eyes, nose, lips / 65 characteristics) as defined by you and applied on thousands of images (of Apasara / Devata statues) and feed the resultant data into data sheets (Excel, or some database) is desirable, but costly or take much effort to develop. So you plan to employ some skilled IT workers, who are exposed to Indian culture thus familiar with Apsara statues and ancient vocabulary who can look at these photographs and fill up the data into data sheets. This could be slow but the end result will be that you have a searchable database of features as defined by you. Am I right?

Please let me know your thoughts on this.

Warm Regards

Email Communication5

Kent Davis <email-ID>
Sep 21

to me
Dear Jijith,

I am very grateful for your response and ideas. I am on the road and will respond at length very shortly.

I just wanted to know how much I appreciate your input.

With best regards,

Kent

Email IDs, telephone numbers, passwords and other sensitive information are withdrawn. Some of these emails are short appreciations; some are lengthy dialogs on topics as wide as Astras (celestial weapons) and Apsaras (celestial dancers). Some participants stopped communications once they got all the relevant information and some others continue to encourage me, giving the energies to do my research works. Some participants gave me books authored by them, as gifts. Some others helped me in my career. I thank all of them for their appreciation and participation and their continued patronage of this web-site.

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