ABC
Religious texts
Religious schools and traditions
Heavenly beings and deities
Legendary and historical figures
Legendary and real places
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- Three-body doctrine
- Universal ruler
- Vesak
- Ye-dhamma formula
- Yoga
Apsaras
Heavenly beings and deities
Apsaras (Skt. ‘moving through water’) are female aerial divinities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. For Hindus, they are dancers at the court of Indra, the king of the gods; they are also viewed as the companions of celestial musicians whose task it is to entertain the gods.
In Buddhist mythology, apsaras are mortal beings and thus — like humans and animals — are subject to the eternal cycle of rebirth. As nature spirits, they inhabit the clouds and bodies of water. In Buddhist art, they are typically depicted as dancers or flying musicians.