The epic tale of Samudra Manthan begins with a curse from Sage Durvasa. Once, he gave Mahadev’s Vaijayanti garland to the king of the gods, Indra. Indradev placed the garland on Gajaraj’s head. Gajaraj dropped the garland and crushed it under his feet.
Seeing this, Sage Durvasa said, “Indradev, you have insulted Mahadev’s Vaijayanti garland, and in anger, he cursed all the gods to become poor.” Due to the curse, the power of the gods diminished.
Bali’s Attack and the Amrit Kalash
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the king of demons, Bali, tried to capture heaven. Bali defeated the gods and took the Amrit Kalash with him.
When Indradev saw that the Amrit Kalash was not in its place, he chased Bali. As soon as Indradev saw Bali with the Amrit Kalash, he asked Bali to stop, and the two of them began fighting over the Amrit Kalash. When they pulled the Amrit Kalash towards each other, some drops of Amrit fell, and within a short time, the Amrit Kalash slipped from their hands and fell into the ocean.
Gods Seek Lord Vishnu’s Help
Now that all the Amrit had dissolved in the ocean, the gods became sad and went to Lord Vishnu, asking for help.
Lord Vishnu said:
“Gods and demons, churn the Ksheera Sagar (Sea of Milk) together.
Many gems and divine things will come out of the churning.
Amrit will be the most important among them.
Gods, you will drink the Amrit and become immortal and powerful again.”
He also advised:
“If any big work has to be done, then one should make peace with one’s enemies as well. Gods! Accept whatever the demons want from you. Because everything happens peacefully, nothing happens by getting angry. Make friends with the demons so that they, too, get ready for the churning.”
After this, the gods reached the demon king Bali. Wise Indra, explaining in a very sweet voice, told King Bali all the things which the Lord himself had taught him. Then the gods and demons made a treaty and became friends, and together they all started working hard for the Samudra Manthan.
Preparation for churning
- On the advice of Lord Vishnu, Mount Mandara was made the churning rod.
- Vasuki Nag was made the rope (churning string).
- First of all, all kinds of grass, straws, creepers, and medicines were put in the Ksheer Sagar.
After this, Lord Vishnu himself went and uprooted the Mandara mountain with his power, placing it in the middle of the ocean. But because of its weight, the mountain slowly started sinking into the sea.
Seeing this, Lord Vishnu took the form of a giant tortoise (Kurma) and became its base. The gods and demons included Nagaraja Vasuki by promising him that he would also have a share in the nectar obtained from the churning.
After this, they wrapped Vasuki around the mountain like a rope and started churning the sea for the nectar with great enthusiasm and joy.
Read: The 10 Avatars of Lord Vishnu
Halahal Vish
When the gods and demons were performing the Samudra Manthan with the help of Lord Vishnu, there was great turmoil in the sea. First of all, a very fierce poison called Halahal came out. This deadly poison began to spread everywhere – up, down, and in all directions. There was no way to avoid this unbearable poison.
Terrified, all living beings, including the creator, sought shelter under Lord Shiva, crying out:
“Please protect us from this age-old poison that is burning the three worlds!”
Seeing the distress of the people, Lord Shiva, full of compassion, felt great pain in his heart.
Lord Shiva Drinks the Poison
Lord Shiva agreed to drink the poison. The Goddess Parvati, who knew his divine power, approved of this from the bottom of her heart. Lord Shiva is extremely kind. His grace remains on all living beings.
He lifted the poison in his palm and drank it. At the same moment, Goddess Parvati placed her hand on his throat and said:
“Just as you are stopping this poison from spreading across the world by holding it in your throat, in the same way, I too will stay in your throat as Shakti and will not let this poison go down.”
The Name Neelkanth
The poison affected Lord Shiva, turning his throat blue, and thus he became known as Neelkanth. A little of the poison, however, dripped from his hand. It was consumed by scorpions, snakes, poisonous creatures, and toxic herbs, which explains their venomous nature.
Thus, when the effect of the poison completely vanished from the sea, the gods and demons were relieved, and they started Samudra Manthan again with renewed enthusiasm.
Divine gems obtained from Samudra Manthan
During the churning, many divine things appeared one after the other:
1. Kamdhenu Cow
Then the cow of desire appeared from the sea. She is the best of all cows, in whom all the gods and goddesses reside. She fulfills everyone’s wishes and is known as Mother Cow Kamdhenu.
She was the producer of the materials for the sacrifice. Therefore, to obtain holy ghee, milk, and other offerings useful for sacrifices leading to Brahmaloka, the Brahma-vadi sages accepted her.
2. Ucheshrva Horse
Then came out a horse named Ucheshrva. He was as white as the moon. King Bali expressed his desire to take it. So it was given to him.
3. Airawat Elephant
Then a magnificent elephant named Airavat appeared. He had four large tusks, and his beauty surpassed even the brightly coloured Mount Kailash. Airavat was given to Indra, the king of the gods.
4. Kaustubh Mani
Next came a radiant gem called Kaustubh Mani. Lord Vishnu desired to wear this jewel on his heart.
5. Kalpavriksha
After this, the Kalpa tree (Kalpavriksha), which adorns the heavenly world, appeared. It fulfils the desires of the people by giving them whatever they desire standing below its shelter, just as it fulfils the desires of all on earth.
6. Rambha (Nymph)
After that, the nymph Rambha appeared. She was dressed in beautiful clothes and wore gold necklaces around her neck. With her graceful movements and luxurious appearance, she delighted the gods.
7. Varuni Devi
After churning the ocean, Varuni Devi appeared in the form of a lotus-eyed maiden. With God’s permission, the demons took her away.
8. Goddess Lakshmi
After this, the idol of beauty, Goddess Lakshmi herself, appeared. Her beauty, generosity, youth, grace, and glory attracted everyone.
She wished to find an innocent and immortal man with all good qualities, but she did not find such a man among them.
Only Lord Vishnu, in whom all auspicious qualities reside, was worthy. So, Goddess Lakshmi placed a beautiful garland of fresh lotuses around the neck of Lord Vishnu.
Read the full story here: Wedding of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu
9. Dhanvantari
When the gods and demons churned the ocean even more with the desire for nectar, a very divine being appeared. He was actually a partial incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
He became famous as Dhanvantari, the originator of Ayurveda and the divine physician of the gods.
10. Amrit Kalash
When the demons looked at Dhanvantari and the pot filled with nectar in his hands, they quickly and forcibly snatched it away. When the demons snatched away the pot full of nectar, the hearts of the gods were filled with sadness. Seeing their poor condition, Lord Vishnu said, “Gods, do not be sorry. By my illusion, I create division among them, and that will become your chance.”
The Arrival of Mohini
A fight soon broke out among the demons themselves. The weaker ones opposed the stronger demons who had seized the Kalash. At that moment, Lord Vishnu, who knows all solutions, took the form of a wonderful and indescribable woman named Mohini.
When they saw that a very beautiful woman was coming towards them, those people, fascinated by lust, said:
“We belong to the same caste. Yet we all want the same thing, which is why there is a knot of jealousy and hatred in us. Please distribute the nectar impartially, as per justice, so that there is no quarrel between us again.”
They trusted her and handed over the pot of nectar to Mohini.
The Nectar for the Gods
Demons are cruel by birth. Feeding them nectar would be a great injustice, like feeding milk to snakes.
So she made separate rows of gods and demons, seating each group apart. After captivating them with her gestures and charm, she approached the gods, sitting at a distance, and began to offer them the nectar to drink, which, when consumed, destroys old age and death.
Conclusion
At the time when Lord Vishnu, in the form of Mohini, was giving nectar to the gods, the demon Rahu came in disguise and sat among them, drinking the nectar along with the gods. But immediately, the Moon and the Sun exposed him. As soon as he tasted the nectar, Lord Vishnu cut off his head with the sharp-edged Sudarshan Chakra.
Due to not drinking the nectar completely, Rahu’s torso fell lifeless, but his head became immortal. Lord Brahma later placed it in the sky as a planet. Since then, Rahu seeks revenge by attacking the Sun and Moon during eclipses.
Thus, despite all their efforts, the demons remained deprived of nectar, and the gods drank the nectar, which gave them immortality.
This story teaches that victory is achieved only through cooperation, patience, and God’s grace.
Read: What is Sanatan Dharma?
I’m Manohar Prajapat, founder of Sanatan Pathway.I write about Sanatan Dharma, Bhakti Leela, Hindu festivals, and the timeless wisdom of the Vedas — to help people live a more peaceful, dharmic life rooted in Indian spirituality.🕉 Read more at sanatanpathway.com