Literary Consummation of Eternal Lovers- Novel ‘Urvashi Pururva’ by Santosh Srivastava

Review by: Neelima Ranjan

Novel: Urvashi Pururva (Hindi)

Writer: Santosh Srivastava 

Publisher: Kitabwale Publication,  New Delhi

Price: ₹ 600/

Pages: 151

Santosh Srivastava is a well known and much read name in Hindi literature. She is adept at creating new rainbows in her own creative world. She has penned more than thirty books in almost different genres of literature. She has been felicitated with five international and twenty national awards. Researchers of Hindi literature and students of different universities are aspiring for M. Phil. and Ph.D. on her novels. A remarkable fact about her is that much has been written, discussed and spoken about her as a novelist, I won’t be exaggerating if I say that her readers and fans know a lot more about her than me. Her literature meets all social obligation in its own stride. This obligation is not strenuous or artificial, it is effortless and spontaneous woven as intrinsic part in her creations.

She calls her recently published novel ‘Urvashi Pururva’ as ‘the golden chapter of Indian culture’. I am sure that the readers will be overwhelmed by six years of research, the novelist did while writing this masterpiece. The present form has been chosen from the oldest love story from not only Puranas but also historical events. Giving this idyllic tale- love story of a dancer from Lord Indra’s court and king Pururva, the ruler from Chandra clan of Prathishthanpur, a form acceptable to modern readers must have not been easy.

This saga dates back to Satyug or even prior to that - the time since history was written. It has been presented, re-presented, written, re-written numerous times and in many forms. Most readers are familiar with this narrative. All the learned readers will definitely agree that it is not easy to write on a much known, much repeated and much explored plot. Kudos to Santosh ji on her grit for choosing it and giving it a new, fresh look and feel to a story so familiar. Her art and acumen as a writer must have helped her  in doing justice to integrity and intactness of the story. Another point is important enough to be mentioned here that no matter how much has been written or discussed on a story or subject, there definitely remains something untouched and unpolluted in it. I am positive that the novelist must have taken up this story line after much analysis, deliberation, ground work and research. If we think about ‘how’ it must have been very complex experience to establish balance between characters and storyline while penning this novel of 124 pages.

Time frame of Urvashi and Pururva has been established during 1600 BC. This fairy tale has been mentioned in Rigveda, incantations from vedas (ऋचाएँ), 18 Puranas in one or the other context. Vedas regards these two lovers as eternal man and woman. Urvashi is the celestial maiden, a nymph as already mentioned in Ramayan & Mahabharat whereas Pururva is a modern man of contemporary time. This love saga finds place in Brahman Puran too. The novelist in her introductory note writes about ‘Vikramorvashiya’ by Kalidas and also ‘Urvashi’ of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. ‘Soorsagar’ also has its reference. I have tried to analyse the storyline on the basis of these references. We cannot even count the number of stories, plays, mentions, plots, subplots etc that branch from this eternal saga of love and passion. Kalidas had written about the first sight of Urvashi and Pururva in detail and in the novel this scene seems like conjuring, trickery and illusion. Urvashi in her first appearance charms the readers and no doubt Pururva too. This is the magical charm of narrative by Santosh ji who knits the tale in a manner like a visual treat too. It feels like finding valuable seashells and pearls from the ocean.

Storyline can be traced centuries back but it is enveloped so well in incomparable passion of love that every single syllable looks drenched in love potion. In the play ‘Vikramorvashiya’ the story is about parting and reunion of Urvashi and Pururva with a reference about Aushinari, wife of Pururva getting letter from Urvashi before it reaches to Pururva and her handing this letter to her husband Pururva immediately. There is also an instance of Urvashi turning into a creeper with magic. The novelist presents the story using the creative freedom of a literary persona. If we analyse ‘Urvashi’ of Dinkar, the poetic dramatisation of this ancient legend with new meanings. The play presents union of love and eroticism with spiritualisation. In his creation Dinkar presents the love that pervades through nature beyond the horizon.

The novelist here includes clairvoyance and intangibilities of love, awakening of conscious heart, imbuing of all senses of Urvashi in supernaturally passionate love and finally submitting herself to unbearable indulgence and romantic bond. This includes impassioned love with a great many images and forms of love. Story is everlasting, plot is same but the women characters in the novel tempt and force readers again and again to find the underlying characteristic features.

Let us begin with Urvashi, the lead character of the love story, the divine idol of love, feminine beauty and eroticism with perseverance of persona and also embodiment of the age long saga. A courtesan, a dancer of Lord Indra’s court Urvashi doesn’t belong to earth but when she falls in love with Pururva, she is only a woman in love, a paramour. She does not bother about pristine youth, the probable changes in the body after bearing a child and all worldly effects on a woman in high place. She is a complete woman, love incarnate. All small waves of life meet and merge into main tidal wave of love, warmth and tenderness. While in Indra’s court she is lost in thoughts of Pururva while performing and misses a step. A nymph from the other world, then suffers with a curse from Brahma and is sent to earth and live there. Love of Pururva is like blood stream in her existence. She asks  Pururva to make three promises if he wanted to wed her. The impatient and boisterous lover in  Pururva doesn’t even think for a split second and agrees to all her conditions. While with Pururva she keeps wondering, ‘Is it really possible that earth is far more beautiful than heaven?’ (क्या देवलोक से सुंदर भूलोक हो सकता है?’) She never tells Pururva that due to the curse - as soon as Pururva sees his son, Urvashi has to go back to Indra’s court. She does all this for her insatiable love for her lover as she was ready to bear all the consequences only if she could stay back with Pururva sees. He undying love and devotion for Pururva can be seen when she herself doesn’t even have a glimpse of her own son for sixteen years- she wanted to stay with her love. As soon as Pururva sees his son, Urvashi goes back to Indralok. Here I could not digest how ecstasy of love surpasses in importance than the innocent bond of motherhood and mother’s natural attachment with her son. Urvashi and Pururva stayed together for 16 years complementing each other with dancing and music. Love for each other was a compulsive inevitable force for both of them. This makes us think about modern time : the conflict and dilemma of modern men and women for whom their relationship is paramount and it leaves no place to accommodate even their own children.

Then there is Aushinari- religious, very beautiful, serene and elegant. She is wife of Pururva and queen of Pratishthanpur. Her marital life had been an example of pure undulated selfless love until Urvashi entered. She has been aptly called a virtuous and saintly woman, an epitome of faithfulness in marriage. Her sincerity for her husband is exemplary even when she is heart broken to find her husband madly in love with another woman. She still gives her benefit of doubt that perhaps Pururva really owed to his people and needed a heir for the throne- that’s why he did what he did. He needed a son to keep his dynasty intact and safe. She knows her rights as a wife but accepts Urvashi as co-wife. The novelist here pens a flicker of consciousness, the voice of all women, presented here in a monologue of Aushinari: ‘If a husband were impotent, will his wife do what Pururva did for getting a child? This question has remained unanswered since times immemorial.’

(यदि पति नपुंसक हो तो क्या पत्नी संतान प्राप्ति के लिए वह सब करेगी जो महाराज ने किया? यह प्रश्न अनुत्तरित है सदियों से।)

Here we cannot forget to mention one more respectable lady from the novel, Sukanya, the daughter of King Sharyati and wife of Saint Chyavan. It was just by an unintentional mistake that she became a culprit in case of her husband losing his sight. She then herself chose to marry and serve  the aged saint Chyavan as penance. Later the son of Urvashi and Pururva, Vayu was brought up by Sukanya for sixteen years.

The story moves smoothly while the readers get acquainted with characters of the novel. The novelist presents a detailed account of the codes and treatises written by saint Chyavan. The details are woven seamlessly about garden around the monastery of Rishi in a picturesque and self explanatory manner. The writer writes about the medicinal herbs and plants in an incontestable style. That is the beauty of her style. She does not stress on the facts in a persuasive way but mentions it casually so as to make it natural.

Hero of this love story is Pururva, the first king of Chandra clan and son of Buddh and Ila. He is wise, religious, daring, powerful and extremely good-looking. He had been bestowed with powers of Chandra, the Moon. It has been said that he could visit abode of Indra on a no moon night. He saved Urvashi from being kidnapped once and there it was- the love at first sight. Pururva was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu. His intense love for Urvashi compelled him  to go through a number of challenges. He is caught in deep love characterised by cavernous emotions and daring summons. Urvashi had been disgraced in Indra’s court and had to leave heaven but she looks forward to meeting Pururva on earth. The definition of love spoken by Pururva is showcase of Santosh Ji’s rich and impressive diction:

‘When the tiredness of love seems sweet, the burden of duties seems as light as flowers, burning in passion grants you peace- All these put together mean the soul of man is soaked in the syrup of warmth and fervour of love’. (जब प्रेम पथ की थकन मधुर लगे, कर्तव्यों का बोझ पुष्प सा हल्का लगे, विरह में दग्ध होना शीतल लगे, तब मनुष्य की आत्मा प्रेम की चाशनी में पगी होती है।)

There is mention of contemporary form of hermaphrodites or kinnars. The novelist writes about confusing emotions of courtesans from Indra’s court when they talk among themselves: ‘Everything is timeless in heaven, whereas it is happier to die on earth while creating thing, babies and dying in its aftermath joyfully.’ (देवलोक में सब कुछ शाश्वत है जबकि भूलोक में सृजन करते हुए उसके आनंद में जीते हुए मृत्यु होना अधिक सुखकर है।)

References from different treatises have been chosen wisely by Santosh ji. She has recreated those to solve her purpose successfully. Each reference has admissibility and acceptability.     The beauty of nature, difference species of vegetation and enticing description of various seasons is truly heartwarming. Let us quote from the book: Spring has quietly entered the earth, forests thrive with greenery and colourful flowers, water sources bubble with glass-like transparent water, the wind loaded with enticing fragrance and calming aroma of flowers, echoing chirping of birds and melodious ragas sung by songbird nightingale. It seemed that all the five arrows of Love God Cupid had hit the earth hard yet softly and drenched the forests in romantic love.’  (भूलोक पर बसंत का आगमन हो चुका था। वन प्रदेश पुष्पित पल्लवित हो, काँच की तरह पारदर्शी जल के झर-झर बहते जल प्रपातों, सुरभित बासमती पवन, कलरव करते पक्षियों और कोयल की मधुर तान से गुंजायमान हो रहा था। कामदेव के पाँचों बाण मानो वन प्रदेश को श्रंगार रस से सराबोर कर रहे थे।)

This is indisputable eternal truth that man and woman are complementary to each other. The story leads us to understand spiritual experience as ultimately practicable and sensual enjoyment realisation and thereafter meditation of it. Pururva can be called a man of all times, a symbol of conflict and duality between love and renunciation- He left all worldly pleasures as soon as Urvashi left him. The main female character of the novel Urvashi is a woman experiencing conflict between lust(symbol of sensual earthly pleasures) and Karmasu Kaushlum Yoga (कर्मसु कौशलम् योग).

This story of Santosh Srivastava is surrender and submission of two opposites with no opposition— earth and heaven, sky and ground, a barren woman and a complete woman. The tale encompasses the dignity of womanhood, an extraordinary saga of love with one end in heaven and other on the earth both connected by love. He story-telling technique is superb, storyline conforms to relevant times and dialogues pique readers’ interest. All these elements can be related to essence of modern-day society too. It is enjoyable to re-visit treatises- the golden history of our country, India through relationship between earth and heaven. It’s a must read for readers of legends, mythology and ancient historical literature.

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Reviewer's Bio: Dr Neelima Ranjan, a professor of English retired from Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Department.  She lives in Bhopal, M P. Due to her intense interest in literary activities she has been practicing creative writing for many years. She has published 5 books in Hindi and one in English. Her genre is poetry, article writing and review of books mainly. She had been felicitated with a number of prestigious awards for her writing skills.

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Setu, December 2025