Samudra Manthan: The colossal churn

You must have heard that water is both the destroyer and the preserver. If we trace our mythology back to the epis, we will come across one well-known instance of Samudra Manthan. How the churning of the ocean gave birth to so many things and characters is worth a discussion, but we will keep it for the upcoming parts of the series. However, have you ever wondered what caused this mystical swirl in the sea? Let's find out.

Samudra Manthan, The giant churning by Devas and Asuras; Image source- Pinterest

Once Devraj Indra rode his elephant to meet Sage Durvasa, who bestowed a beautiful garland upon him. To demonstrate his modesty, Indra kept the garland on his dearest Vahana. The rich aroma of the flower garland, on the other hand, drew a swarm of bees to it. The elephant couldn't bear the buzzing bees any longer and threw the garland to the ground. Durvasa was outraged, and he cursed the entire Deva clan to lose their abilities.

The entire Deva Loka was still and silent. Rishi Durvasa’s curse had not only taken all his strength and potential but had also made the entire Deva clan powerless. Don't you think this would have been a golden opportunity for the Danavas to win over Devatas? Yes, it indeed was. The Demons defeated the Devas and conquered the entire universe.

This loss had put Indra under tremendous pressure, and he had lost all his hopes and ways. As a result, he decided to seek assistance from Vishnu. He suggested the only way to reclaim the powers was to drink the "drink of immortality" or 'the nectar of immortality,' which was stored in the depths of the cosmic sea. Collecting it from the core of the milky ocean was a tedious task, and this forced the Devas to ask Danavas for help. 

Devraj Indra approached the Demon Guru, Shukracharya, and asked for his help in obtaining the magical potion, which would then be shared equally by the two clans. Tempted by the drink, Shukracharya agreed to the proposal and ordered his demons to churn the giant ocean alongside the Devas. The day of Samudra Manthan came, and it was not a normal day for anyone. 

The serpent king Vasuki was used as the churning rope, and the Mandara mountain served as the churning rod. The King of Devata, Indra, joined hands with the King of Danava, Bali, and they started to lift the mountain towards the middle of the ocean. But little did they know that this was the start of all the problems. 

Carrying such a gigantic mountain was exhausting for everyone. Some lost their will, and some lost their lives. This incident left everyone in deep despair, and the Devas ran toward Vishnu again. He came forward with Garuda (Vahana of Lord Vishnu)and placed the mountain in the middle of the ocean. However, Garuda was soon sent away as Vasuki could not withstand his presence.

But the placement of Mount Mandara did not stand firm as the hefty mountain soon began to sink into the bed of the ocean. Lord Vishnu reclaimed his Kurta Avatara (turtle) and dove beneath the waves to support the mountain on his back. Lord Brahma was requested to sit on the top of the churning rod to provide the perfect balance, and the large serpent, Vasuki, was tied around the mountain.

The Devatas held the head part of Vasuki, and the Danavas were given the tail end. The churning process was just about to start when the Asuras expressed their disapproval and refused to cooperate. They considered the tail end to be inauspicious and impure in comparison to the head part, so they were adamant about holding the rope snake from the head. The devatas realized the need of the hour and handed over the head end to the Danavas and shifted themselves towards the tail. After adjusting every detail of the process, the Samudra Manthan was finally instigated.

The vast ocean was churned by the rotating mountain in the center, forming white foam in the Kshirasagara (Ocean of Milk). But, due to the constant twisting and turning, Vasuki began to vomit venom and blazing fire through his mouth. As the demons were at the head end, the lethal poison affected them the most and made them groan in pain. 

What will happen next? Will the poison kill everyone and the 'drink of immortality' remain explored at the bottom of the ocean? All your questions will be answered in the following parts of the series.

Vasuki vomiting venom during the Manthan; Image source- Rudraksha Ratna