Urvashi cursed Arjuna for refusing her; the curse later hid him in exile as Brihannala

The name Urvashi evokes the beauty of heaven, a striking form and an alluring personality. In the Hindu Puranic tradition she is counted among the finest apsaras of heaven, and tales of her beauty appear in many texts. But the episode of Arjuna and Urvashi in the Mahabharata is not merely a story of beauty and attraction. Love, rejection, self-respect, dharma, propriety, anger, curse and destiny are all woven finely into it.

If the tale is read only as Urvashi professing love and Arjuna refusing, its larger meaning is lost. The episode brings out several facets of the human mind: the right to express love, the strength to accept rejection, control over emotions, the clash between duty and personal desire, and how something that seems a misfortune can later turn into a boon.

Urvashi was one of the foremost apsaras in Indra's court in heaven. Her beauty, skill in dance and alluring personality earned her a special place. The love story of Urvashi and King Pururava is also well known in the Puranic tradition, so her name is linked not only with the beauty of heaven but also with love and emotion. In the Mahabharata her role appears in a different context. Here she is not just an alluring apsara but a figure who is clear about her feelings and wants her wish to be accepted.

During the Pandavas' exile in the forest, Arjuna performed hard penance to obtain divine weapons. Pleased with his valour and penance, he received them. Indra then summoned Arjuna to heaven. There Arjuna learnt not only the use of arms but also several arts. Through the gandharva Chitrasena he learnt dance and music. Arjuna himself did not know at the time that this knowledge would be of use in the year of incognito exile that lay ahead.

It was during this stay in heaven that Urvashi and Arjuna met. Seeing Arjuna's radiant personality, valour and looks, Urvashi was drawn to him and declared her love. Given the way of life of the apsaras of heaven, this was not unusual for her. In her eyes her feelings were natural, and she wanted Arjuna to accept her in the same spirit. But Arjuna saw it very differently.

Rather than see Urvashi as a woman, Arjuna viewed her through his lineage. Pururava was Arjuna's ancestor in the Chandravansh, and Urvashi was connected to Pururava, so Arjuna regarded her as a mother. He felt no insult or contempt towards her. For him it was a question of dharma and propriety. He told Urvashi that she was tied to his forebear and was therefore like a mother to him, and that he did not think it right to accept her love.

Urvashi could not accept the refusal. She had expressed her feelings plainly, so Arjuna's refusal struck her not as a mere personal rejection but as a blow to her self-respect. It is natural to want to be loved, but the other person is under no obligation to accept that love. Her anger too has to be seen in the context of the tale of that age. The hurt in her heart turned into rage.

Enraged by Arjuna's refusal, Urvashi cursed him. She said that by this curse Arjuna would lose his manhood for a period. For Arjuna the curse was deeply distressing. Yet the episode shows destiny's strange play once again. Arjuna told Indra about it. Indra reassured him and said the curse would serve him later. So it turned out.

After the forest exile, the Pandavas had to spend a year in incognito exile, on the condition that no one recognise them during it. In this period Arjuna took the form of Brihannala. He lived in King Virata's court in a woman-like guise and taught dance and music to the princess Uttara. Arjuna had the knowledge of dance and music, and the state brought on by Urvashi's curse proved useful for his incognito exile. What first seemed a misfortune became the means of his protection.

The most striking part of the whole tale is the curse turning into a boon. The curse Urvashi gave in anger helped Arjuna in his later incognito exile. As Brihannala he was able to hide his true identity, and the Pandavas' incognito exile was completed.