( The OO in this name is pronounced like 'oo'in 'root'. The SH is pronounced like one between the sounds of 's'in 'sip' and 'sh'in 'ship'. )
Oorvashi was one of the divine dancers in the heaven. Rambha, Menaka, Thilothama, Harini, Hema, Ghrithaachi etc, were her colleagues.
Usually, the lord of gods Indra, employs these damsels to entice and distract great sages in severe penance whom he dreaded fearing danger to his position, as reaching great heights in penance and performing of a hundred great sacrifices were the two ways to acquire heaven and its rulership. Several examples can be cited for such disturbances caused by these girls to the sages. That shows that our ancestors recorded how difficult it is to win over human natural temptations .
When the Paandavas were in the forests in their exile, Vyaasa approached them to console. Knowing Yudhishthira's concern about the difficulty in standing against such great warriors as Bheesma, Drona, Kripa, Asvaththaama and Karna in the possible war after the 13 year exile period, Vyaasa advised him to send Arjuna to meditate upon lord Shiva to acquire great asthras from him. Accordingly Arjuna went on the mission and was successful in propitiating not only lord Shiva but many other gods too.
Arjuna could do nothing. Indra learnt that and praised Arjuna for his stoic will power and consoled him that Oorvashi's curse would last only for one year per his choice. Also, Indra entrusted Arjuna to Chithrasena, one of his Gandharva followers, to train him in music and dance .
That one-year-lasting curse came handy to Arjuna for his incognito year of the exile, when he guised himself as a eunuch and worked as a dance and music instructor to royal girls in king Viraata's palace .
Doesn't this episode show what heavy yields come from a high standard character?
At that moment,Arjuna was summoned by Indra to the heaven to destroy two groups of terrible demons that were undefeatable to the gods due to their great strength and powers derived by the boons of lord Brahma to them . Arjuna used his newly acquired missiles and devastated Indra's enemies without leaving a trace of them.
The gods were very pleased about this and honoured Arjuna by offering him the same throne as their king's and awarded a resplendantly bejewelled divine crown that gave him a super-human look and halo. Oorvashi too was taking part in the celebrations of honor for Arjuna. She fell for him and approached him that night when he was alone in his camp palace. Arjuna felt pleased for her visit to him. He bowed to her in honor and prayed to her, to grace him by telling what he could do for her. The lustful divine damsel demanded that they together should enjoy the sensual bliss.
Arjuna was very upset and summarily rejected her desire, not in the least willing to be a deviant of moral standards ( Remember, Arjuna was Indra's son and, in heaven , Oorvashi would consort with Indra. That made her a mother-equivalant elder to Arjuna.). Her persuasion lead to no improvement towards her success. And the fire of her feminie ego fanned by the unexpected insult from a human male incised her heart to the maximum. She burst out a curse on him, " You senseless poor human creature ! How dare you disregard me, a lead divine damsel of fame ! This rude behavior of you will make you a eunuch !! That settles your pride. "
"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."
DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA