S for Samudra Manthan: The Churning of the Ocean - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaskar, 

This is my second most favorite topic of the challenge. Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the celestial milky ocean, is a wonderful episode from Srimad Bhagavatam. It gets a brief mention in the Adi Parva before the actual story begins. 

So, one day, the gods held a meeting on Mount Meru and discussed how too many of them were getting killed or injured due to the constant attacks of the daityas (anti-gods). They asked Brahma for help, who took them to Maha Vishnu. He advised them to churn the Kshera Saagaram (Ocean of Milk) to obtain the nectar of life, amrita (an elixir that would make them immortal). He also told them to strike a deal with the anti-gods since the churning wasn’t an easy task. 

Once the whole thing was settled, Mount Mandara was chosen as the churning rod. However, it sank into the water. That’s when Kurma Raja (the king of Tortoise) agreed to hold the mount on his back. The ocean agreed to allow them to churn her if they shared the gifts with her. 

Acting on Maha Vishnu’s advice, the gods requested Ananta (Sesha Naga), a majestic snake, to carry Mount Mandara to the ocean and act as the rope. The anti-gods held Ananta’s face while the gods held his tail and began to churn. 

It was a back-breaking job, but both sides refused to give up. Maha Vishnu gifted them the necessary strength to keep going. The order and list of items that appeared from the ocean vary in different versions. 

As they churned, the moon rose from the water and went into the sky. Then came out goddess Lakshmi, sitting on a lotus flower. She married Maha Vishnu. 

Suradevi (the goddess of wine) came out of the waves. The anti-gods thought it was nectar, but realized the truth later. The gods invited Suradevi (also called Varuni) to live in heaven. She accepted the invitation. 

Note: There’s a Sura Devi Temple in Dehradun. 

The Kaustuba jewel came out dazzling and adorned Maha Vishnu’s chest. It is a large and radiant ruby. 

The apsaras came out dancing and chose to stay in the heaven. 

Next, the Kalpavriksham (the wish-fulfilling parijata tree) appeared from the ocean. Indra’s wife, Sachi Devi, requested to place it in her celestial garden. 

Three animals – Surabhi (Kamadhenu)- the wish-fulfilling cow, Airavata- the four-tusked elephant, and Ucchaihsravas- a winged white horse, also appeared as a result of the churning. Surabhi was gifted to the rishis by Brahma. Indra took Airavata, and King Bali asked to keep Ucchaihsravas. 

Halaahala or Kalakuta, the most deadly poison, came out fuming, choking everyone. They were terrified and asked Shiva to handle the poison as it could destroy the world (in many versions, the poison comes out first and is followed by other items). Shiva agreed and held the Kalakuta in his throat. This turned his throat blue, and he got the name Neelakanta. 

I recently read a book, Floral Folklore, which had a mini addition to this story. According to the story in the book, a few drops of the Kalakuta still dripped onto the earth. Aconite plants grew from this poison and contain the same properties. 

At last, Dhanvantri, the physician of the gods, arrived through the waves, carrying a pot of amrita in his hands. The devas and daityas were excited. The daityas stole the pot from him and ran away into the caves. 

Maha Vishnu transformed into a beautiful young woman called Mohini and went to retrieve the pot of amrita. He then distributed the amrita among the gods. A daitya sneaked past and consumed a drop of the amrita. Though he was captured and killed, the amrita made him immortal. He became Rahu and Ketu (Rahu is the head and Ketu is the body), the two shadowy planets added to the rest in Vedic astrology. 

The remaining amrita was safeguarded in the secret chambers of heaven with guards and magic protecting the place. 

I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z.

The AI images are made on Bing.