Samudra Manthan (Samudra Mathana) - The Mythological Origins
There are two popular stories about how the process of Samudra Manthan (Samudra Mathana) leading to the creation of the Kumbha (kumbh) Purva
The seers have handed an old tale by oral tradition thus: at the beginning of this universe, the demigods and demons assembled together on the shore of the Kshera Samudra (Milk Ocean) which lies in the Vikunta region of the cosmos. The Devatas or Suras (demigods) and Danavas or Asuras (demons) desired to churn the ocean to produce the nectar of immortality – Amrutha (ambrosia), and agreed to share it afterwards. The Mandara or Meru Mountain was used as a churning rod, and Vasuki or AdiSesha, the king of serpents became the rope for the churning. With the demigods at Vasuki's tail and the demons at his head, they churned the ocean for one thousand years - a pot of nectar was eventually produced
Once Indra, the King of Devatas, while riding on an elephant came across a seer named Durvasa who offered him a special garland. Indra accepted the garland but put it on the trunk of the elephant. The elephant was irritated by the smell and it threw the garland on the floor. This enraged the sage as the garland was a dwelling of Sri-hi (fortune) and was to be treated as Prasada. Durvasa rishi cursed Indra and all devatas to be bereft of all strength, energy, and fortune
In battles that followed this incident, Devatas were defeated and Danavas (demons) led by king Bali, who gained control of the universe. The Devatas sought help from Lord Vishnu who advised them to tackle the Danavas diplomatically; the Devatas formed an alliance with Danavas to jointly churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality and to share it among them. However, Lord Vishnu told Devatas that he would arrange that they alone obtain the nectar
Churning of the Kshera Samudra (Milk Ocean)
Both the stories converge here on in explaining the process of churning of the Kshera Samudra (Milk Ocean)
The churning of the Ocean of Milk was an elaborate process. Mount Mandara or Meru was used as the dasher (churning tool), and Vasuki or AdiSesha, the king of serpents, became the churning rope. The demigods held the tail of the snake, while the demons held its head, and they pulled on it alternately causing the mountain to rotate, which in turn churned the ocean. However, once the mountain was placed on the ocean, it began to sink. Vishnu in his second incarnation, in the form of a turtle Kurma-avatara, came to their rescue and supported the mountain on his back
Note: The Mahabharata version of the story differs in many respects from the one in the various Puranas such as Bhagawata, Brahma-vaivarta purana, and Agni purana. E.g. in the Mahabharata, it was not Vishnu who took the Kurma -avatara, but the Akupara, the king of tortoises, who did it on request from Devatas and Danavas
The thousand years of churning yielded many new elements and treasures; they being
Halahal (Kalakuta) - Poison
During the Samudra Mathan by the first element that came out of the Milk ocean was Halahala (toxic poison). The demigods and demons were mortally terrified because the poison was so toxic that it might have destroyed all of creation. On the advice of Lord Vishnu, the demigods approached Lord Shiva for help and protection. Out of compassion for living beings, Lord Shiva drank the poison. It was so potent that it changed the color of Shiva's neck to blue. For this reason, he is also called Neelakantha - the “blue necked one” (Nīla meaning blue and Kantha meaning throat
Precious Treasures & Gems
All kinds of herbs were cast into the ocean and thirteen Ratnas (gems or treasures) were produced from the ocean and were divided between Devatas and Danavas. These were
- Lakshmi - the goddess of fortune and wealth & Lord Vishnu's consort
- Kaustubha - the most valuable jewel in the world
- Parijat - the divine flowering tree with blossoms that never fade or wilt
- Varuni - goddess and creator of alcohol
- Dhanvantari - the deity of medicines & doctors
- Chandra - moon
- Kamadhenu - the wish-granting divine cow
- Kalpavriksha - the wish-granting tree
- Airavata - the elephant of Indra
- Apsaras - various divine nymphs like Rambha, Menaka, Punjikasthala, etc.
- Uchhaishravas - the divine 7-headed horse
- Sharanga - the bow of Lord Vishnu
- Shankha - Lord Vishnu's conch
And finally Amrutha (Ambrosia) the nectar of immortality was produced
This list of treasures varies according to source. It is slightly different in the Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata
Amrutha or Amrita (Ambrosia) - The nectar of immortality
Finally Dhanvantari, the divine physician, emerged with a pot containing Amrutha or Amrita - the heavenly nectar of immortality. Fierce fighting ensued between Devatas and Danavas for the nectar
After the battle, which according to one legend the gods won by trickery, four drops of the precious potion fell to earth, when Jayantha (Jayanth) the son of the chief deity Indra carried the jar (Kumbha/kumbh) that held the ambrosia in the form of a giant bird - these places became the sites of the four Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela festivals, according to another legend he ran away with the jar and hid them on twelve locations on earth where few drops of ambrosia fell, four of these places are known and identified as the four sites for the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela, the other eight locations are being researched by our team
However, the demons eventually got hold of the Ambrosia and started celebrating. Alarmed, Devatas (demigods) appealed to Lord Vishnu, who then took the form of Mohini - a beautiful and enchanting damsel and distracted the demons
She is believed to have promised to distribute it equally amongst the two groups and sat them in different Panktees (Pantis) - lines opposite to each other and poured the Amrutha or Amrita to the Devatas who drank it immediately; however one danava disguised himself as a Sura and drank the Ambrosia. Due to their luminous nature, Surya (Sun) and Chandra (Moon) noticed his switching the sides. They informed Mohini, who had by now poured all the Ambrosia to the Devatas. He took his normal form as Vishnu and before the nectar could pass the demons throat; cut off his head with Sudarshana Chakra (the divine discus)
Thus story ends with the rejuvenated Devatas defeating the Danavas
Astrological implications
The Demons who head was cut off being immortal did not die, nor did the torso. The head was fitted on to a snake’s body and the torso was fitted with the snakes head, they became known as the ill-omened planets Rahu & Ketu. In order to take revenge on the Sun and Moon for exposing him, the immortal Rahu & Ketu occasionally swallow up the Sun or the Moon, causing eclipses
The demigods the Sun, Jupiter and Moon all played an important role in the eluding the Ambrosia from the demons. Therefore the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela is also fixed on the Astrological significance of these three planets
