Spiritual Significance of Samudra Manthan
The story represents the spiritual endeavour of a person to achieve self-realization through concentration of mind, withdrawal of senses, control of desires and practice of austerities and asceticism.
The Devatas and Danavas represent the positives and negatives respectively of one's personality. The participation of both the Devatas and Danavas signifies that when one is seeking bliss through spiritual practice, one has to integrate and harmonize both the positive and negative aspects and put both the energies to work for the common goal. The ocean of milk is the mind or the human consciousness. The mind is like an ocean while the thoughts and emotions are the waves in the ocean
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Mythological element
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Etymology
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Symbolizing
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Karma
Action to be taken
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Leading to
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Ksherasagara
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Kshera = white
Sagara = ocean
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The ocean of Knowledge/Light
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Yama, Niyama, Asana & Pranayama
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Pratyahara
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Kurma
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Kur = into
Rma =the real self
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Pratyahara -withdrawal of the senses into oneself
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Abandoning the out worldly attractions
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Dharana
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Mandhara
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Mana = mind Dhara = a single line
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Concentration – single minded devotion
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Dyana & Manana
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Tool for mind control
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Vasuki
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Va = Self
Sukhi = happiness
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Control of desires
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Thoughts drawn from the universal consciousness
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jump in the Prajna level
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Devatas &
Danavas
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Good thoughts & Bad thoughts
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Judgement of actions
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Atma Jnana
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Halahala
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Hala = bad
Ahala = good
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Suffering & Pain, disbelief of the good
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Become Shiva like
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Vairagya
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Shiva
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Shiv = the Peaceful one
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Non attachement
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Cultivate Asceticism
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Siddhis
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Ratnas
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Small nuggets of wisdom
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Rewards on the path to salvation
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More Siddhis
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Dhanvantari
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Health & Longevity
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Right thought & action
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Expansion of the Prajna
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Lakshmi
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Universal enrichment
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Benefitting & contributing
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Towards the singular consciousness
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Mohini
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Delusion of pride
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Negation of the Ahankara
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The unity of the Pindanda & the Brahmanada
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Amrutha
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Self-realistion or Brahmajnana
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Samadhi
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- This Spiritual representation is based on the ADWAITA SIDHANTHA of the Vedanta Darshana propagated by His Holiness Adi Shankarācharya
