॥ श्रीहरीः ॥
॥ श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥
॥ श्रीवेदव्यसाय नमः ॥
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| Suras and Asuras performing Samudra Manthan |
Let us, today, explore an extravagant event of Samudra Manthan (समुद्र मंथन) - The churning of the ocean. The scene of the glorious समुद्र मंथन begins from the Astikaparva, Chapter 17 in the Adiparva.
There was a time, in the ancient days, when two sisters, Kadru and Vinata, embarked upon a journey. As they traversed the realms, their eyes fell upon the celestial steed, Ucchaihshrava (उच्चैःश्रवा), passing near them. This horse of the divine, the jewel among all steeds, had emerged from the depths of the seas during the great churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan - समुद्र मंथन). Endowed with boundless strength, unrivaled supremacy among the steeds, and a handsomeness beyond compare, he was adorned with eternal youth. Hailed and extolled by the devas (देव) themselves, Ucchaihshrava was the very embodiment of celestial grandeur.
Ugrashrava Sauti while narrating this event, Sage Shounak asks to him,
कथं तदमृतं देवैर्मथितं क्व च शंस मे ।
यत्र जज्ञे महावीर्यः सोऽश्वराजो महाद्युतिः ॥4॥
Transliteration
kathaṃ tadamṛtaṃ devairmathitaṃ kva ca śaṃsa me |
yatra jajñe mahāvīryaḥ so'śvarājo mahādyutiḥ ||4||
"O scion of the Sutas, illumine our understanding! Tell us, where and by what divine means did the Devas undertake the cosmic churning of the great ocean, from which arose Ucchaihshrava (उच्चैःश्रवा), the jewel among steeds, the sovereign of all horses, radiant and unparalleled in his celestial glory?"
To this the Ugrashrava responds,
जवलन्तमचलं मेरुं तेजोराशिमनुत्तमम् ।
आक्षिपन्तं प्रभां भानोः स्वश्रृङ्गैः काञ्चनोज्ज्व्लैः ॥5॥
कनकाभरणं चित्रं देवगन्धर्वसेवितम् ।
अप्रमेयमनाधृष्यमधर्मबहुलैर्जनैः॥6॥
Transliteration
javalantamacalaṃ meruṃ tejorāśimanuttamam |
ākṣipantaṃ prabhāṃ bhānoḥ svaśrṛṅgaiḥ kāñcanojjvlaiḥ ||5||
kanakābharaṇaṃ citraṃ devagandharvasevitam |
aprameyamanādhṛṣyamadharmabahulairjanaiḥ ||6||
"There exists an illustrious mountain named Meru (मेरु), resplendent in its divine effulgence. That (mountain) is the agglomeration of radiance and ultimately pious. By its blazing brilliance, it (mountain) even surpasses the splendour of the Sun. On that ornately adorned with gold, wondrously vivid, peak dwell devas (देव) and gandharvas (गन्धर्व). Boundless and immeasurable, this sacred mountain stands as a realm beyond mortal reach, for men burdened with the weight of their sins cannot even draw near its hallowed precincts."
The scene continues with the prominent description of the great peak of Meru. I shall highly encourage the readers to study the magnificent description of the glorius Meru.
Once, all the devas with the other residing on the mountain Meru, gathered on the peak of Meru, to ideate on the plan of execution to gain the elixir of immortality. Then,
तत्र नारायणो देवो ब्रह्माणमिदमब्रवीत्।
चिन्तयत्सु सुरेष्वेवं मन्त्रयत्सु च सर्वशः॥11॥
देवैरसुरसङ्घैश्च मथ्यतां कलशोदधिः।
भविष्यत्यमृतं तत्र मथ्यमाने महोदधौ॥12॥
सर्वौषधीः समावाप्य सर्वरत्नानि चैव ह ।
मन्थध्वमुदधिं देवा वेत्स्यध्वममृतं ततः॥13॥
Transliteration
tatra nārāyaṇo devo brahmāṇamidamabravīt|
cintayatsu sureṣvevaṃ mantrayatsu ca sarvaśaḥ||11||
devairasurasaṅghaiśca mathyatāṃ kalaśodadhiḥ|
bhaviṣyatyamṛtaṃ tatra mathyamāne mahodadhau||12||
sarvauṣadhīḥ samāvāpya sarvaratnāni caiva ha |
manthadhvamudadhiṃ devā vetsyadhvamamṛtaṃ tataḥ||13||
Narayan manifested amidst the unfolding plan and spoke unto Lord Brahma, "With Devas and Asuras united in their endeavour, let the ocean be churned. Obtained the elixir of immortality shall be, at the forefront of this churning." "Devas, may the churning endure unabated, even after having brought forth the divine herbs first followed by the divine gems. Elixir you shall be manifested with, at the culmination of this endeavour."
To be continued...
