SAMUDRA MANTHAN

This story from the Vishnu Purana is a familiar often told one but one that never fails to grip our imagination.

Durvasa Muni had a greenish-red complexion, a long beard, and tall stature. An ascetic dressed in rags, he carried a stick of the sacred Bilva tree with him wherever he went. Sage Durvasa was of a severe disposition and prone to anger.  In order to preserve and maintain the laws of dharma Durvasa, using his yogic power, would utter a curse upon those who chose to flout these laws. Everyone feared an encounter with the muni.

One beautiful morning, as the golden rays of the sun bathed the earth in a warm glow, Indra, the king of the Devas, embarked on a majestic journey. Riding atop his magnificent white elephant Airavata, Indra made a grand and resplendent figure. Airavata, with its gleaming tusks and celestial presence, moved with an elegance befitting its divine nature. Indra himself was bedecked in glittering, golden ornaments and was dressed in rich finery. Sitting on his imposing vahana, Indra exuded an air of supreme authority and divine splendour.

As they rode along they encountered, along the way, Sage Durvasa. The sage in his ascetic garb stood in stark contrast to the opulence of Lord Indra. Sage Durvasa on recognising the King of the Devas immediately offered his respects in the form of a garland of flowers. Indra unthinkingly placed the garland around Airavata’s neck. The elephant using his trunk removed the garland and tossed it on to the ground. What was worse he inadvertently stomped on it and destroyed it completely.

The flower garland offered to Indra by a yogi personified the energy of growth, creation, and prosperity. The blooms appear on earth but drawn to the heavenly light, open heavenwards. In the human body, this energy is represented by Kundalini, which originates in the lower abdomen from the Kanda (bud) and rises to the crown of the head, where it blooms in the form of a thousand shinning lotus petals.

Through his careless actions Indra had spurned the divine gifts of growth, creation and prosperity. Sage Durvasa incensed at the disrespect shown by Indra cursed, “Indra you and your Devas in heaven will lose all your powers, importance and glory!” 

The curse was simply Durvasa’s way of informing Indra of the consequences of his actions. In fact Durvasa had forewarned Indra of what was to befall all the denizens of heaven. 

Sage Durvasa’s curse began to have immediate effect. The Devas decline began almost instantly. They lost battle after battle to the Asuras until even heaven came under siege.

Completely bereft of all their strength and splendour Indra along with the Devas went to Vaikuntha to appeal to Lord Vishnu for help.  Indra begged. “Lord we are incapable of fighting the Asuras or even defending ourselves. I beg you Lord help us to defeat the Asuras before they drive us out altogether and leave us with no place to reside.”

Lord Vishnu replied, “In order to save yourselves you will need to obtain the amrit (the nectar of immortal life) by churning the Milky Ocean.”

The Lord cautioned, “The Samudra Manthan, churning of the ocean, is an extremely arduous task and you will need to garner the support of the Asuras to be able to do it. I suggest that should you require the help of the Asuras you approach them with diplomacy.”

The Devas knew that they were incapable of performing the Samudra Mathan on their own especially now that their powers had reduced so considerably. After a great deal of thought and much discussion they decided they would entice the Asuras into helping them by offering the Asuras half of the amrit, the nectar of immortal life.

As expected, the Asuras when offered half the elixir of immortal life agreed to join the Devas in the Samudra Manthan. Together they lifted the Mandara Mountain and used it as the churning rod. Vasuki, the divine snake coiled around Lord Shiva’s neck was used as the churning rope. The Asuras chose to hold Vasuki’s head while the Devas gripped his tail.  The Asuras and Devas tugged Vasuki back and forth in their efforts to churn the ocean. Unfortunately with no firm base to be set upon the pole kept slipping.  This was when Lord Vishnu decided to step in and help. The Lord in his kurma, tortoise, avatara provided a firm base for the mountain pole on his back. The churning began in earnest.

Very soon Vasuki, because of the constant pulling from either end began to emit powerful, poisonous fumes. Unmindful of the fumes the mighty Asuras continued with their efforts of churning the ocean.  

The churning brought up several treasures from the depths of the ocean. Fourteen ratnas (gems) rose to the surface. They were divided equally between the Devas and Asuras. Kamadhenu, the wish fulfilling cow emerged and Lord Vishnu granted it to the sages.  A seven headed horse named Uchchaihshravas also arose from the ocean and was taken by the Asuras. The Parijat tree that bloomed eternally was moved to heaven by the Devas. The ocean revealed yet another tree, Varuni, which produced alcohol and wine. The Asuras wanted and were given Varuni. Chandra the moon that adorns Lord Shiva also arose from the ocean as did the goddess of wealth Lakshmi.

Even after receiving these invaluable gifts the Devas and Asura’s never lost sight of their ultimate goal of finding the amrit and hence continued to churn the ocean. They were determined to obtain the elixir of immortality.

After a while the ocean began to release the lethal poison Halahala. The poison was so noxious that it could have destroyed the entire universe and all creation. The terrified Devas and Asuras were in a quandary as how they could prevent the Halahala from spreading. The Devas knew that salvation would only be possible with Lord Shiva’s help.

The Devas approached Lord Shiva and pleaded with him, “Lord” they said, “The poison Halahala is a threat to the universe. It will, if allowed to run rampant, destroy all creation. Only you have the power to save the universe from extinction.”

Lord Shiva, known for his kind heart, instantly agreed to help the Devas. He decided that he would consume all the poison that emerged from the ocean. As He began to drink the poison, gradually His face began to turn blue. Goddess Parvathy seeing the poison enter her husband rushed to save Him. She held His neck so tightly that not a drop of poison could do down His throat into the rest of His body. Lord Shiva consumed all the Halahala and his throat turned blue. From that day on Lord Shiva came to be known as Neelakantha or blue throated one.  

Finally after over a thousand years of churning the pot of amrit began to emerge. Both the Devas and the Asuras charged to consume the elixir.  Just at that very moment, much to their consternation Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s incredible eagle, swooped down and carried away the pot of amrit. 

As Garuda soared up high a few drop fell from the pot. It is said that the drops fell at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik and hence these spots have enormous religious significance for devout Hindus.

The desperate scuffle to claim the pot of amrit brutally reminded the Devas of their dire plight. Sage Durvasa’s curse had sapped their strength, leaving them powerless against the relentless Asuras in the fierce battle for the precious amrit. The Devas were worried that the amrit would be consumed by the Asuras and then the Asuras would be not only invincible but immortal too. Such a catastrophe would nullify the very purpose of the ocean's churning.

Aware of their concerns and despair Lord Vishnu promised that He would ensure that the Asuras did not receive the amrit.

The Lord took the form of an exquisitely beautiful woman Mohini. The Asuras were mesmerized by her beauty. With a voice as soothing as a lullaby, Mohini assured them, “I will distribute the elixir of immortality equally among all of you.”

The Asuras, their gazes locked onto her radiant form, barely registered her promise. Enchanted and entranced, they offered no objection as the ethereal Mohini drifted gracefully towards the Devas to serve them first. All thought and reason vanished, leaving the Asuras spellbound as they watched Mohini glide past them, her every movement a symphony of grace and beauty.

While the other Asuras remained entranced by Mohini's ethereal beauty, one astute Asura named Rahu with cunning and stealth, transformed himself to resemble a Deva and seamlessly joined their ranks in the queue for the amrit.

Sure enough when it was his turn Rahu slyly consumed the elixir. The moment he did so Surya the sun God and Chandra the moon God saw through his deception. They immediately informed Vishnu of Rahu’s true identity. In a flash Vishnu beheaded Rahu with His sudarshana chakra. However a few precious drops had already slipped down, rendering both parts of his body immortal. From that day forward, the severed head of the Asura was known as Rahu, and the detached torso became Ketu both eternally lingering in the cosmos.

The Asuras, previously besotted by Mohini’s bewitching beauty, suddenly snapped back to reality. To their horror, they realized that while they had been spellbound, all the precious elixir of immortality had been distributed to the Devas. The magical potion was gone, leaving nothing for the Asuras but the bitter taste of their own folly.

This story so full of drama and imagery is a story-teller’s favourite. Yet often in all the pageantry we overlook the symbolic significance of the legend. The significance of the story is that this is a story about each one of us. The churning of the oceans signifies our struggle within this samsara, (mortal life) to realize our own true identity - the Self/ Brahman/ Infinite Consciousness.

The Asura’s symbolize our evil, unrighteous tendencies and the Devas our pure, dharmic tendencies. Each one of us has a bit of Asura and a bit of Deva in us. Often the deva side is weaker and the influence of the Aura is far stronger.

Every day we face the churning of life - the relentless tug-of-war between our desires and our better judgement. We long to indulge and yet we yearn for some self-control. Our actions are often determined by our vasanas, desires– good (deva) and bad (asura) and we end up vacillating between them. Just as Mount Mandara was pulled to one side by the Asuras and to the other by the Devas we too are torn between our inner conflicts. 

In the journey of life, we often encounter alluring treasures that can distract us from our quest for the Truth. Just as the ocean yielded a bounty of treasures, we may find ourselves enticed by wealth, fame, power, or status. On the other hand just as the ocean disgorged poisonous fumes and the toxic Halahala, we may face unethical, harmful, or toxic experiences. Despite these temptations and trials, we must press on in our relentless pursuit of the Truth, mirroring the steadfast determination of the Devas and Asuras. The journey may be fraught with distractions and dangers, but our resolve must remain unshaken.

Just as both the Devas and Asuras sought immortality we too are on a quest for realization - the realization that I am that Truth.

However in the end immortality eluded the Asuras because, despite their relentless efforts, they were ultimately enticed by Maya, the illusion embodied by Mohini. Mohini symbolizes the worldly temptations and distractions that ensnare us, diverting our attention from our ultimate goal – the realization of the Absolute Truth.  

In contrast, the Devas remained unwavering in their pursuit of the amrit and immortality. Their dedication to the dharmic path never faltered, and they consistently sought the Lord’s guidance and support. Their steadfast commitment and divine reliance led them to ultimate success, granting them the immortality they sought.

LIFE LESSONS

1. From Indra we learn that we must respect others and always be grateful for the gifts we receive.

2. From Indra and the Devas we learn that in times of difficulty we can always count on God for help.

3. We learn from the Devas to faithfully follow Dharma and remain righteous.

4. We learn from the Asura that that our worldly pursuits can only give us transient, momentary pleasures.

5. We learn from the Devas that if we remain unwavering in our determination to attain our ultimate goal we will achieve it.

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