In the delightful forests, beloved by the gods, King Pururavas found supreme happiness beside the celestial Urvashi. The sages, curious about this union, asked, “How did Urvashi, goddess among Gandharvas, come to dwell with a mortal king, leaving the gods behind? Tell us, O wise one.” Suta replied, “It was Brahma’s curse that compelled Urvashi to approach the mortal king Aila. The beautiful Urvashi joined him, but only under certain conditions. To free herself from the curse, she set restrictions: she could not be seen by fire, nor unite with him against her will. Two sheep were to be kept near their bed, and only as much food as clarified butter was to be consumed. These were the terms, O king. If you honor this agreement for as long as you wish, I shall remain with you—this was their pact.” The king faithfully observed every detail of their agreement, and so the radiant Urvashi dwelled with Pururavas. For sixty-four years, Urvashi, bewildered by her curse yet devoted, lived as a human. The Gandharvas, her celestial kin, grew concerned and said, “Let us consider how Urvashi, the ornament of heaven, might return once more to the gods.” Vishvavasu, renowned among speakers, spoke: “A condition binds her; it is blameless. When that agreement is broken, she will leave the king. I will tell you how she will abandon him. I will suddenly appear to fulfill your purpose.” With these words, Vishvavasu departed to enact the plan. That night, he arrived and stole one of the sheep. Urvashi, with a gentle smile, acted as though the sheep were her own child. Sensing the Gandharvas’ presence, Urvashi, lying on the bed, said to the king, “My son is being taken away.” The king, contemplating this, stood naked, thinking, “If the queen sees me thus, the agreement will be broken.” Then the Gandharvas took the second sheep. As it was taken, Urvashi cried to Aila, “Both my sons have been taken, O king, as if I were left without a protector.” Hearing her, the king rose and ran out naked, following the tracks of the sheep. The Gandharvas conjured a great illusion—a magnificent palace. Suddenly, as the illusion revealed itself, Urvashi saw the king naked. Upon seeing him so, the apsaras of changing form vanished. Once the Gandharvas saw Urvashi had disappeared, they left the sheep behind and all vanished from that place. Finding the two sheep abandoned, the king returned home. Not seeing Urvashi, he was overcome with grief and lamented. He wandered across the earth, searching everywhere for her. At last, the mighty king found her in Kurukshetra. At the Plaksha ford, in a pond filled with lotuses, Urvashi plunged into the water and played there with five beautiful apsaras. Spotting the king nearby, Urvashi said to her companions, “This is that supreme man.” She pointed him out, and the five apsaras with crested hair appeared. Seeing Urvashi, the king was overjoyed and poured out many words: “Come here, stay, remain in my mind, stay in my speech, O beautiful one.” They exchanged subtle words, but Urvashi said to Ila, “O lord, I am pregnant by you. After a year, your son will be born—there is no doubt.” The king spent a night alone with her. Filled with joy, the illustrious king returned to his city. When a year had passed, he went again to Urvashi. After spending another night with her, the great-minded king, tormented by longing, pleaded, “Be with me always.” Urvashi replied, “The Gandharvas have granted you a boon; choose it, great king, and tell them yourself.” He said, “I choose to always dwell in the same world as the great-souled Gandharvas.” The Gandharvas answered, “So be it.” They filled a vessel for Agni and said to Pururavas, “By performing a sacrifice with this, O king, you will attain the highest world.” Taking his son, the king set out for the city; leaving the child in the forest, he returned home. Once more, he took the visible fire and saw an ashvattha tree nearby, marveling at its presence. He went to the Gandharvas to report, bringing Agni with him. Hearing this, Agni instructed him to make a fire-stick from the ashvattha wood. Pururavas fashioned the fire-stick and kindled fire as prescribed. Sacrificing with it, he was told, “You will attain our world, O king.” Having kindled the fire and divided it threefold, Pururavas performed the sacrifice. By performing many kinds of sacrifices, he attained the world of the Gandharvas. In the Treta age, that mighty charioteer Gandharva dwelled there; once there was only one fire, and Ila established those women. Thus, O best of the twice-born, King Ila was powerful in the most sacred land, adorned by great sages. That lord of the earth established his kingdom at Prayaga, the illustrious one, on the northern bank of the Yamuna, at Pratishthana.