Chapter 7 - The Churning of the Sea for Nectar

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1-2. They (gods and demons) invited Vāsuki, the king of serpents, agreeing to give him his due share in the proceeds (lit. fruit viz. nectar arising out of that churning). They bound him round the mountain (Mandara) like a churning cord. Joyfully yet with a firm determination, they began (to chum the ocean) for the nectar. At first, Lord Hari took hold of the head-side (of the serpent) and gods followed him.

3-4. The lords of the demons did not approve of this act of the Supreme Person. We, who have mastered the Vedic lore and śāstric studies and are well-known for our noble birth and deeds, will not hold the tail, that dirty, inauspicious limb of the serpent. (Protesting thus) they stood aloof in silence Seeing that, the Supreme Person, smilingly left off the fore part (of Vāsuki), and took hold of his tail along with the gods.

5. Having thus defined their positions, the sons of Kāśyapa (both gods and demons), began to churn the sea of milk with utmost exertion, for the sake of nectar (amṛta).

6. Oh delight (descendant) of Pāṇḍu! While the sea was being churned, the mountain being unsupported (from below), sank down into the water, due to its own weight, despite the efforts of the mighty ones (gods and demons) to hold it up.

7. Finding their manly efforts frustrated by the much more powerful Providence, they became extremely dejected at heart, and their countenances grew pale.

8. Noticing the set-back caused by the Lord of obstacles, The Lord of infinite prowess and unfailing determination, assumed the wonderful form of a gigantic tortoise and diving deep into the water bore up the mountain (on its back).

9. Beholding the great mountain being so raised up, the gods and demons proceeded to churn up the sea. The Lord bore the mountain on its back which was, like another big continent, eight hundred thousand Yojanas in extent.

10. Supporting on his back the revolving mountain (which was set in motion and was) shaking by the velocity of the powerful arms of the chiefs of gods and demons, (the Lord, incarnated as) the First Tortoise of immeasurable power, regarded the circular motion of the mountain as pleasant scratching of his back, Oh dear King!

11. (Finding the need for still more vigorous efforts) with a view to invigorate their strength and energy, Lord Viṣṇu entered into the Asuras in his demonic form (i.e. his rājasic nature); He stimulated the power and energy of the hosts of gods by entering into them in his godly form (i.e. his sāttvic nature and into Vāsuki in the form of suspended consciousness (his tāmasic form).

12. The Lord of one thousand arms stood like another king of mountains, and stabilised the big mount Mandara by placing one hand over it. The gods headed by Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Indra in the heaven eulogised him and showered him with flowers.

13. Strengthened by the Supreme Lord as pressing the churning rod from above, supporting it from below in the form of a tortoise, entering into the bodies of gods and demons, the mountain (churning rod), and the serpent (the churning cord) the gods and demons lustily and joyously churned the ocean with the great mountain so violently, that all the crocodiles (and other acquatic animals) were greatly agitated.

14. The demons headed by Pauloma, Kāleya, Bali, Ilvala, and others whose splendour and energy was marred with the fire and smoke gushing forth from the thousand fearful eyes and nostrils of that big serpent, became like the Sarala trees consumed by forest conflagration.

15. Over the celestials whose splendour was dimmed by the flaming breaths of Vāsuki and whose clothes, excellent garlands, coats and faces became smoky in colour, the clouds, under the control and (direct command) of the Lord copiously poured showers, and (cool) breezes, impregnated with the waves of the sea, began to blow.

16. When no nectar could come out from the sea, though it was vigorously churned that way (as described above), by the leaders of the hosts of gods and demons, the Unconquerable Lord began to churn it himself.

17. When the Lord, dark blue like clouds, wearing brightly shining garment of golden hue, adorned with a pair of ear-rings, flashing like lightning, with glossy wavy locks of hair on the head, wearing vanamālā (a garden of sylvan flowers), with eyes reddish like red lotus, churned the ocean, supporting the mount Mandara from below, and holding in his triumphant arms vouchsafing protection to the worlds, the serpent, he shone like another rival mountain.

18. From the ocean that was being churned and (as a consequence of which) teeming shoals of fishes, crocodiles, sea serpents, and tortoises and whales, sea elephant, alligators and whale-eater timiṅgalas got agitated, there issued forth the most deadly poison called Halāhala.

19. As that effervescent, irresistible unbearable poison of deadly force spread in each and every direction, above and below, creatures along with their leaders became terribly afraid, and for want of protection flew to Lord Sadāśiva for protection.

20. Beholding that foremost of gods seated along with his divine Consort on the mountain (Kailāsa) for the creation (or prosperity) of the three worlds, and practising penance, so agreeable to sages, for their final Liberation, and thus setting up an ideal before them, they (the celestial patriarchs) paid obeisance to him and offered their prayer.

The Lords of Created Beings said:

21. Oh God of gods! Oh Supreme God! Oh Creator, the very soul of beings! Be pleased to save us who have sought shelter in you, from the poison that is burning the three worlds.

22. You alone are the Almighty Ruler capable of causing bondage and emancipation of the whole worlds, the wise adore you as such, and as the father (or preceptor) who removes the afflictions of those who seek refuge in you.

23. Oh all pervading Lord! When you, through your own Potency consisting of three guṇas, undertake to create, preserve and destroy the universe, Oh self-seeing perfect Lord, you assume (severally) the appellations Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.

24. You are that Supreme mysterious Brahman, the creator of beings, of the higher (gods) and the lower order (sub-human beings). You are the supreme soul who appear as the universe by means of your various powers (such as Sattva, Rajas and Tamas). Hence you are the Controller and Master of the Universe.

25. You are the source of the Word (Vedas) and (hence you stand self-revealed); you are the prime cause of the uni- verse (viz. the principle mahat), the soul (the cosmic ego or ahaṃkāra); the three guṇas (viz. sattva, rajas and tamas) which bring forth the Vital airs (prāṇas), cognitive and conative sense-organs (indriyas) and the material object (dravya) and the essential nature (Sva-bhāva) of everything, you are the Time spirit (causing commotion and imbalance of guṇas). the will to create (kratu). the Truth, the (cosmic) Order, the righteousness. The śāstras declare that Pradhāna constituting of the three guṇas is based on (and supported by) you, (or the Praṇava consisting of three syllables A U M reveals you)^[1]

26. Oh Creator of the universe! Fire which represents, gods in its person (as the distributor of sacrificial offerings to gods) is your mouth; the wise know that the earth is your lotus-like feet; Time is the motion, the cardinal points, the ears, and Varuṇa (the Lord of waters) the palate, of you who are the soul (the Inner controller) of all gods.

27. The sky represents your navel; the wind, your breath, the sun, your eyes, water, (your semen; the support of all jīvas (individual souls) elevated (like that of god Brahmā) and ordinary (like those of sub-human beings), is your ego; Soma or the Moon-god, your mind, and the heavens, your head.

28. The seas symbolize your abdomen, the mountains your bones; all plants and herbs your hair; the Vedic metres seven humours in your body; the dharma as enunciated in the Vedas your heart, Oh embodiment of the three Vedas.

29. Oh Lord! the five upanisads^[2] (the sacred hymns or mantras known as Tatpuruṣa, Aghora, Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, and Īśāna) from which the collection of thirty eight mantras evolve, denote your (five) faces; that self-effulgence constituting the supreme principle which is designated as Śiva is your (real) absolute state.

30. Your shadow is seen in the waves of unrighteousness (such as hypocrisy, covetousness (by which destruction is caused; your (three) eyes are sattva, rajas and tamas (which bring about the creation of the universe); Oh Lord, the eternal Veda mainly composed in meters (like Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh) stand for your glance; for you are the omniscient^[3] propounder of the śāstric lore.

31. Oh Lord of mountains! Your supreme effulgence where the modes of Prakṛti like sattva, rajas and tamas have no place, and which is nothing but the supreme Brahman transcending all distinctions and differentiations, is absolutely inacessible to all the guardian deities of various spheres and to Brahmā, Viṣṇu^[4]  and Indra.

32. That you destroyed Kama (the god of Love), the sacrifice (of Dakṣa), Tripuras—the three cities (constructed by Maya) subdued the god of death, consumed the (Halā- hala) poison (which is as good as consumed as you are certain to drink it up just now) and killed innumerable troublemakers of living beings, is not so much praiseworthy, on your part, as your unawareness of the razing down of this universe—your own creation by the sparks emanating from the fire in your own (third) eye (you remaining absorbed in deep meditation)^[5] 

33. Shameless are they who talk nonsense that you are always accompanied by (your consort) Umā of whom you are (excessively) enamoured, though (actually) the pair of your feet are contemplated in their hearts by the world’s preceptors who are absorbed in the spiritual bliss of the soul. (They are certainly brazen-faced) who (glibly) prate that you are a ferocious and murderous denizen of the funeral-place when you are a performer of austere penance (as an ideal to the sages)! Never can such (people lost to shame) understand your sportive ways.

34. Even god Brahmā and others are incapable of accurately comprehending your essential nature, much less are they able to praise you who are all-pervading and transcendental to Prakṛti (The primordial nature) lying beyond the causal relation. How is it possible for us (the recent-most) creation of the creations (like Marīci and others) of Brahmā to extol you? The prayer offered by us (to the best of our ability) is limited to our (meagre) capacity^[6]  .

35. Oh Supreme Lord! What we behold is only your (apparent) visible form, but not the transcendental one. (We however, consider ourselves blessed even with this). Though your activities are unmanifest, this manifestation of yours is meant for the weal (and protection) of the world.

Śrī Suka said:

36. Observing the calamity of those (gods other beings) and being overwhelmed with compassion for them, the Deity, the friend of all beings, spoke thus unto his beloved consort Satī (i.e. Umā) (lest his beloved Umā should prohibit him from drinking the Halāhala poison).

Lord Śiva said:

37. “Oh! What a pity! Behold, Oh Bhavānī! What calamity has befallen these creatures from the poison Kālakūṭa, produced from the churning of the sea of milk.

38. Certainly, it behoves me now to offer protection to these who are anxious to save their lives; for the protection of the afflicted is the sole concern (duty) of those who are powerful.

39-40. Saintly persons protect (the lives of) beings by sacrificing their own lives which they regard as transient. Oh auspicious lady! Lord Hari, the soul of all (creatures), is pleased with the man who extends mercy to created beings who, being deluded by the illusive potency of the Supreme Self, become the enemies of each other. When the glorious Lord Hari is pleased, I feel delighted along with the mobile and immobile creation. I, therefore, swallow up (the whole of) this poison. May blessings (and happy life) proceed from me to all the creatures.”

Śrī Śuka said:

41. Having thus persuaded his consort, Pārvatī, the glorious Lord Siva, who confers Bliss upon (or protects) the universe, proceeded to swallow up the poison; She, too, being aware of his prowess, expressed her approbation.

42. The liquid-poison (the concentrated impurities of the churned sea) showed its power even in his case inasmuch as, it reduced his throat blue, though it became an ornament of that benevolent Deity.

43. Generally righteous persons become afflicted at the torments and troubles of other people; for that (mitigation of those troubles) constitutes the highest type of worship of the Supreme Person, the Soul of the Universe.

44. Observing the wonderful feat (of swallowing up of the deadly poison) of Lord Śiva, the God of gods who fulfills the desires of his devotees, all creatures, Dakṣa’s daughter his consort Satī), god Brahmā and Viṣṇu eulogised him.

45. What (negligible) little poison leaked down from his palms while drhiking, was conserved by scorpions, serpents, poisonous herbs and plants, cobras and other biting animals like dogs, jackals etc.).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

This verse is variously interpreted:—

(i) Bhāgavata Candrikā: They say that You are the authority of śāstras, the cause of the world, the Supreme Self Who is of the nature of vital breath (prāṇas), senses, the five elements (bhūtas) whose body is Time, the Brahman, The Inner Controller of all, dharma (religiousness or to be adored with piety) and the three-syllabled (AUM) praṇava is regarded as representing You.

(ii) Padaratnāvalī: You are the root-cause of understanding; You are the promoter of life (senses etc), Your Will is the Truth itself; You are of the nature of existence (sat) consciousness (cit) and bliss (ānanda), You are the dharma as You preserve the (social) order; You are designated by the letter OM (as stated by upaniṣads).

(iii) Siddhāntapradīpa: Kratu—Pravṛtti dharma—leading to worldly life.

Satya & ṛta—Nivṛtti dharma—leading to renunciation of worldly life.

(iv) Bālaprabodhini: satya—factual statement—Truth.

ṛta—sweet speech.

dharma—sacrifices and other rituals.

[2]:

The text of the five mantras or upaniṣads are as follows:

(i) tat puruṣāya vidmahe, mahādevāya dhīmahī /
tanno rudraḥ pracodayāt //

(ii) aghorebhyo'tha ghorebhyo ghora-ghora-tarebhyaḥ /
sarvatas sarva-sarvebhyo namas te astu rudra-rūpebhyaḥ /

(iii) sadyo-jātaṃ prapadyāṃ sadyo jātāya vai namaḥ /
bhave bhavenāti-bhave bhajasva māṃ bhavod-bhavāya namaḥ /

(iv) vāmadevāya namo, jyeṣṭhāya namo, rudrāya namaḥ, kālāya namaḥ, kala- vikaraṇāya namo bala-vikaraṇāya namo, bala-pramathanāya namas sarva-bhūta- damanāya namo, manonmanāya namaḥ //

(v) īśānas sarva-vidyānām īśvaras sarva-bhūtānāṃ, brahmā'dhipatir brahmano'dhipatir brahmā śivo me astu sadāśivam //

Bhāvārtha-dīpikā-prakāśa has given the details how these five mantras or upaniṣads are broken up into thirty-eight mantras.

For exemple, from the 1st upaniṣad Tatpuiuṣāya evolve the following mantras:—

(1) taṭ-puruṣāya vidmahe śāntyai /
(2) mahādevāya dhīmahī vidyāyai /
(3) tanno rudraḥ pratiṣṭhāyai /
(4) pracodayāt dhṛtyai /

[3]:

for saṅkhyātmanaḥ—Padaratnāvalī reads sākṣāt Manuḥ ‘Manu’ himself Who enunciated the śāstras represents Your glance, from which originated the divine sage, by your free will.

[4]:

Vaikuṇṭha:—Bhāgavata Candrikā explains that here the Supreme Soul is eulogised. As he abides in Rudra, He i.e. the Supreme Soul is rightly regarded as inaccessible to Vaikuṇṭha or upendra.

[5]:

Padaratnāvalī—states that the praise of Hara is really that of Hari, as mentioned in ‘Hari’, ‘the soul of all is pleased hereby’ sarvātmā prīyate Hariḥ).

[6]:

Our praise is an expresssion of our earnest devotion. Padaratnāvalī.