Upanishad in Asian Pale

COVER IMAGE:

“From the moment that they arose out of the waters of the Milky Ocean, apsaras robed in ethereal raiment and heavenly adornment awakened melody in a million lyres. The sight of them transformed the world. They crowd the sky with sunbeams, flash and gleam in lighting, give azure beauty to the day. They are the light of sunrise and sunset and the haunting voices of forest and field. They dwell in the soul as the muse pursued by the poet jotting in his lines, the artist sharing his soul on the canvas, the sculptor seeking the form in marble.” =Sri Arobindo, c. 1910.

Apsaras were supernatural female spirits of the clouds and waters skilled at dancing on air. They reside in the sky palaces of the gods to entertain and sometimes seduce gods and humans. In ancient India apsaras could change their shape at will if it served to please a god. The apsaras of the god Indra specialized in music, dance, and companionship. In folk culture they were associated with fertility rites. Their idealized womanhood emerged from Hindu mythology, but as Indic culture diffused into Central Asia via musicians, sculptors, and painters, the original emphasis on bodily beauty with erotic implications was translated into Central Asian ideals of fluid feminine beauty. In China apsaras became protectresses of a person’s luck while gaming and gambling. Apsaras have been likened to the muses of ancient Greece, though they cannot be compared with angels because they serve momentary pleasures rather that eternal salvation. Their demeanor, artistic skills, and elaborate garments have inspired courtly dance traditions all over Asia — Javanese, Cambodian, Thai, Sri Lankan, Indian, Tajik, Uzbek, Khazak. The cover of this book intentionally avoided the usual bookish self-promotions so the eyes of the reader could fully enjoy their seduction