SB 5.2.20
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 20
sā sūtvātha sutān navānuvatsaraṁ gṛha evāpahāya pūrvacittir bhūya evājaṁ devam upatasthe.
SYNONYMS
sā—she; sūtvā—after giving birth to; atha—thereafter; sutān—sons; nava—nine; anuvatsaram—year after year; gṛhe—at home; eva—certainly; apahāya—leaving; pūrvacittiḥ—Pūrvacitti; bhūyaḥ—again; eva—certainly; ajam—Lord Brahmā; devam—the demigod; upatasthe—approached.
TRANSLATION
Pūrvacitti gave birth to these nine sons, one each year, but after they grew up, she left them at home and again approached Lord Brahmā to worship him.
PURPORT
There are many instances in which Apsarās, heavenly angels, have descended to this earth by the order of a superior demigod like Lord Brahmā or Lord Indra, have followed the demigod's order by marrying someone and giving birth to children, and have then returned to their celestial homes. For example, after Menakā, the celestial woman who had come to delude Viśvāmitra Muni, gave birth to the child Śakuntalā, she left both the child and her husband and returned to the heavenly planets. Pūrvacitti did not remain permanently with Mahārāja Āgnīdhra. After cooperating in his household affairs, she left Mahārāja Āgnīdhra and all nine sons and returned to Brahmā to worship him.