Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 14 Feb 2010 10:31 and updated at 26 Feb 2010 18:57
Apsaras were considered to be female Gandharvas. However there are some ladies mentioned as Gandharvis referring to them as female Gandharvas. It is however not clear if there is any difference between the term 'Apsara' and the term 'Gandharvi'. There are no male equivalents of Apsaras mentioned in any of the ancient texts including Mahabharata. Apsaras could be a tribal sub-group belonging to the Gandharva tribe, with that name applied only to the female members of that tribe. There are some mention about Apa-Sakas 1, 2 (water-Sakas) who inhabited some large continental lake like the Dal Lake in Kashmir, Manasa lake in Southern Tibet, and later moved to regions around Caspian sea. It is not clear if Apa-Sakas had any connection with the Apsaras. The name 'Apsara' also indicate that their inhabitation was close to some lake ('Sara') or water-bodies ('Ap[a]'). The 'sara' can also mean the river Saraswati or one of the lakes in the course of Saraswati. Apsara Rambha is mentioned as inhabiting in the territory of Yaksha king Kubera as the wife of his son Nalakuvera. Manasa lake is in the Yaksha territory. This mention is in Ramayana. She then was mentioned as having an encounter with Rakshasas king Ravana. As per Mahabharata the Saraswati region also was mentioned as having settlements of Gandharvas and hence Apsaras could also live there.
| Total Occurrences | Name | Occurrences in the 18 Books of Mahabharata |
| 1 | Alumvusha | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Anuchana | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Charunetra | 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Chitralekha | 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Dandagauri | 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 4 | Devi | 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 13 | Ghritachi | 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Ghritachi's | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Gopali | 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Gritachi | 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Gunamukhya | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Gunavara | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Hasini | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Ira | 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Janapadi | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Kamya | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Karnika | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 29 | Kesini | 2 0 19 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Kesini's | 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Kumbhayoni | 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Lata | 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Madhuraswana | 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 4 | Manorama | 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 27 | Menaka | 23 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 8 | Misrakesi | 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 6 | Panchachuda | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Prabha | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Prajagara | 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Pramathini | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Pramlocha | 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Prasami | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Punjikasthala | 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Purvachiti | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 3 | Purvachitti | 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Rakshita | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 9 | Rambha | 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Ritusthala | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 15 | Ruchi | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Ruchi's | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 4 | Sahajanya | 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Samichi | 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Saradwati | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Saurabheyi | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Sauraveyi | 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Suchika | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Suchismita | 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 3 | Sugandha | 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Sukesi | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Sumukhi | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Supria | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Suraja | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 6 | Surasa | 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Surata | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Suvapuh | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Swayamprabha | 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 17 | Tilottama | 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Tilottama's | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Umlocha | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Urvara | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 32 | Urvasi | 5 1 18 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Urvasi's | 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Varuthini | 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Vidyota | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Vidyuta | 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 2 | Vidyutparna | 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 4 | Vidyutprabha | 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 6 | Viswachi | 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 1 | Vududa | 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| 3 | Vudvuda | 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Jijith Nadumuri Ravi
Research data published for the interest of people researching on Mahabharata.
Suggestions are welcome: email:moc.liamg|rnhtijij#moc.liamg|rnhtijij
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