apsaras f. — (rAH -rA) . [ adByaH saraMti udgacCaMti, sf-asun Uṇ. 4. 236 ; cf. Rām. apsu nirmaTanAdave rasAttasmAdvarastriyaH . utpeturmanujaSrezWa tasmAdapsaraso'Bavan ] 1 A class of female divinities or celestial damsels who reside in the sky and are regarded as the wives of the Gandharvas. They are very fond of bathing, can change their shapes, and are endowed with superhuman power ( praBAva ). They are called svarveSyAH and are usually described as the servants of Indra, who, when alarmed by the rigorous austerities of some mighty sage, sends down one of them to disturb his penance, and her mission is generally successful; cf. yA tapoviSezapariSaMkitasya ( pb ) sukumAraM praharaRaM maheMdrasya V. 1. They are also said to covet heroes who die gloriously on the battle-field; cf. R. 7. 53. Bāṇa mentions 14 different families of these nymphs (see K. 136 ). The word is usually said to be in pl. ( striyAM bahuzvapsarasaH ); but the singular, as also the form apsarA , sometimes occur; niyamaviGnakAriRI menakA nAma apsarAH prezitA Ś. 1 ; ekApsaraH &c. R. 7. 53 and see Malli. thereon; anapsareva pratiBAsi V. 1. 2 Direction or the intermediate point of the compass ( dik ca upadik ca ). Comp. — tIrTaM N. of a sacred pool in which the Apsarasas bathe; probably it is the name of a place, see Ś. 6. — patiH lord of the Apsarasas, epithet of Indra.