Introduction
The story of the Churning of the Milky Ocean, also known as Samudra Manthan, is one of the best-known episodes in Hindu mythology. It is a tale of how the gods and the demons worked together to extract the nectar of immortality, from the depths of the ocean.
The churning of the ocean has been mentioned in various Hindu scriptures, including the Vishnu Purana and the Mahabharata. It is believed to have taken place during the Satya Yuga, the first and most virtuous of the four Yugas. The story of Samudra Manthan is an important part of Indian mythology and is celebrated every twelve years at the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik.
Featured Image: Samudra Manthan: The Churning of the Ocean of Milk
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Churning of the Milky Ocean Story
- The Treasures from the Churning of the Milky Ocean
- The Deeper Meaning of the Churning of the Milky Ocean
The Churning of the Milky Ocean Story
The story begins with the gods (devas), and the demons (asuras), seeking immortality. They were aware of the existence of “Amrita”, the nectar of immortality, but it was located in the depths of the ocean (samudra). The only way to obtain it was to churn (manthan) the ocean, until the nectar emerged.
As the legend goes, Vishnu advised the other gods to churn the Milky Ocean in order to recover lost treasures and the nectar of immortality (Amrit) that would enable them to defeat the demons.
Knowing the gods would not be able to churn the great ocean themselves, Vishnu made an alliance with the Asuras. If they helped to churn he would give them a fair share of the treasures and the nectar of immortality. The demons agreed and Vishnu proposed to use Mount Meru (Mandara) as a churning rod and the giant serpent, Vasuki, as a churning rope. The serpent was coiled around the mountain and each side by alternate pulling of the rope caused the mountain to rotate and churn the ocean. The devas held the serpent’s tail and the asuras held its head, however, after some time they turned pale because of the fumes coming out of Vasuki’s mouth.
Lord Vishnu as Kurma Avatar
However, as they churned, the mountain began to sink into the sea. To help them, Vishnu assumed the form of a tortoise (Kurma avatar). He dived into the bottom of the ocean and supported the weight of the mountain on his back, thus allowing the churning to continue.
The Halahala Poison
As a result of this churning, a deadly poison called “Halahala”, or “Kalakuta” also emerged, which could destroy the entire universe. To save the universe from destruction, Lord Shiva stepped forward and drank the poison. As the poison went down it turned his throat blue, and he was henceforth known as “Neelkanth” or “the blue-throated one”.
Once the poison was removed, the churning process continued, and eventually, the nectar of immortality emerged from the depths of the ocean. The nectar was placed in a vessel, and the devas and the asuras began to fight over it. The devas, who were weaker than the asuras, were losing the battle when Lord Vishnu intervened.
Lord Vishnu as Mohini Avatar
The devas and asuras started fighting over the vessel of amrita but Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, took it and flew away. On the way a few drops of amrita fell on four places: in Haridwar, Prayagraj, Nasik and Ujjain.
Lord Vishnu took the form of Mohini, a beautiful and enchanting damsel, and approached the asuras in a diplomatic manner. He convinced them to let the devas have the nectar first and promised to distribute it equally between the two groups. The asuras, enchanted by Mohini’s beauty, agreed to the proposal, and the nectar was given to the devas.
However, one of the asuras named Rahu, disguised himself as a deva and drank the nectar. As soon as the Sun god Surya and the moon god Chandra realized it, they told Mohini who beheaded him with the Sudarshan Chakra before the nectar went down his throat. But a few drops he swallowed made his body immortal. The asura was cut in 2 parts and since then his head is known as Rahu and his body as Ketu.
The Treasures from the Churning of the Milky Ocean
The churning of the ocean not only produced the nectar of immortality but also many other valuables and treasures. These include gems, goddesses, supernatural animals and other valuables. The list of valuables varies according to version of the myth and is also slightly different in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Ratnas (jewels)
The gems that emerged were divided between the asuras and the devas. The scriptures mention from 9 to 14 ratnas and among them were two of the most valuable gems: The Kaustubha and the Chintamani. The Kaustubha is one of the most divine and precious gems and resides on the chest of Lord Vishnu. On the other hand, the Chintamani is a divine jewel capable of fulfilling its owner’s wishes.
Goddesses
The following goddesses emerged from the churning of the milky ocean:
Lakshmi: Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and fortune, and is the divine consort of Lord Vishnu. Together with the goddesses Parvati and Saraswati, they form Hinduism’s supreme trinity of goddesses.
Alakshmi or Jyestha: Lakshmi’s elder sister, Alakshmi, who is the goddess of misery and misfortune.
Nidra devi: The goddess of sleep
Apsaras: Beautiful celestial maidens like Rambha, Menaka, Punjisthala, Urvashi emerged from the ocean.
Varuni or Madira: Varuni is the goddess of Wine, who was taken by the Asuras.
Supernatural Animals
From the churning of the milky ocean, the following three supernatural animals emerged:
Kamadhenu: Kamadhenu was the wish-granting cow. It was taken by Lord Vishnu and handed over to the sages. yajnas.
Airavata: Airavata was a white elephant with 4 trunks. The Airavat was taken by Lord Indra.
Uchhaishravas: Uchhaishravas was a seven-headed horse and was given to Bali. Snow-white in colour, the Uchhaishravas is said to be the king of horses.
Other Treasures from the Churning of the Milky Ocean
Parijata: The tree that produces the most fragrant, never-withering flowers was taken by Lord Indra to Devaloka. Other Puranas mention Kalpavrikha as the tree that came out instead of Parijata.
Sharanga: The mighty bow crafted by the master weapon maker Vishwakarma. The Sharanga was given to Vishnu and it is said to be even more powerful than the Shiva’s bow.
Surya and Chandra: The sun and the moon emerged from the ocean and were given their respective roles in the sky. Shiva decided to take Chandra (the moon), and he adorned him on his head. Since then Shiva is also known as “Chandrashekhar”.
Dhanvantari and Amrita: Dhavantari is the healer of the devas and he came out of the Manthana holding the pot of Amrita in his hand. According to some texts, he is said to be the father of Ayurveda.
Amrita: The divine nectar of immortality.
Halahala: A deadly poison that emerged from the ocean and was consumed by Lord Shiva to save the world.
According to other scriptures, among the valuables that emerged were also the Panchajanya, Lord Vishnu’s conch, a divine umbrella, and a pair of earrings gifted by Indra to Aditi.
The Deeper Meaning of the Churning of the Milky Ocean
The story of Samudra Manthan is not only a tale of the gods and the demons but also a metaphor for the struggle between good and evil. The churning of the ocean represents the spiritual practice of churning one’s mind to obtain the nectar of knowledge and wisdom. The nectar of immortality represents the control of the universe and the knowledge of the scriptures.
Lord Vishnu, in his various forms, represents the intervention of divine power to ensure that the nectar of immortality is only consumed by those deemed worthy.
