Menaka is a lovely heavenly girl/nymph/celestial maiden (apsara) who is a minion of Indra,
the ruler of the gods, in Hindu mythology.
Menaka's main job is to seduce sages who are threatening to
dethrone Indra as king of the heavens.
Semen is seen as the concentrated essence of a man's vital
energy in traditional Indian culture, and celibacy is viewed as a way to
maintain and keep these energies.
Menaka's attracting abilities are employed to seduce these ascetics,
reducing their spiritual force.
The sage Vishvamitra, who is twice charmed by her charms, is
her most noteworthy companion.
Their first encounter leads in the birth of the maiden
Shakuntala, which is honored in the poet Kalidasa's play Abhijnanashakuntala.
Vishvamitra spends 10 years with Menaka during their second
liaison before abandoning her for renunciant existence in the bush.
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