Gods and Demons Churn the Ocean
Creation - Chapter 9
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Creation - Chapter 9
Dive into the epic tale of the Churning of the Ocean, where gods and demons battle for immortality. Witness Vishnu's cunning, Indra's fall and rise, and Śrī's divine emergence in this celestial saga.
Parāśara said to Maitreya, "You asked about Śri's history. Here's the tale Marīci told me.
Durvāsas, a form of Śankara (Śiva), was walking on Earth. He saw a sky nymph holding a sweet-smelling flower garland from heaven's trees. Its scent filled the forest, charming all who lived there. Durvāsas, in a holy trance, asked for the garland. The beautiful nymph respectfully gave it to him. He put it on his head and walked on.
Soon, Durvāsas saw Indra, ruler of the three worlds. Indra was riding his mighty, inflated elephant Airavata, with other gods nearby. Durvāsas, still in a trance, took off the garland and threw it to Indra. Bees were drinking nectar from the flowers. Indra caught the garland and put it on Airavata's forehead. It shone there like the Ganges river on dark Mount Kailasa.
Airavata was drunk and dazed. The garland's smell attracted him. He grabbed it with his trunk and threw it on the ground. Durvāsas was very angry at this disrespect to his gift. He yelled at Indra:
"Vāsava, you idiot! You're drunk with power. You didn't respect my gift. This garland was blessed by Fortune (Śri). You didn't thank me, bow to me, or wear it happily. Because of this, you'll lose control of the three worlds. You treated me like a common Brahmin. Your pride caused this disrespect. Just as you threw down my garland, your power over the universe will fall. You've made me angry, and everyone fears my anger. Your big ego has offended me, and all fear me."
Parāśara continued, "Mahendra (Indra) quickly got off his elephant. He tried to calm Durvāsas. But the sage replied to the thousand-eyed god's excuses and bowing:
"I don't forgive easily. Kindness isn't my nature. Other sages might forgive, but I'm Durvāsas. Your rudeness, encouraged by Gautama and others, is useless. I don't feel sorry easily. Kind sages like Vasistha have praised you too much. Their praise made you proud enough to insult me. But who can look at my angry face, with its flaming hair, without shaking in fear? Words are useless. I won't forgive you, no matter how you act."
Parāśara said, "After this, the Brahmin left. The god-king got back on his elephant and went home to Amarāvati. From then on, Maitreya, the three worlds and Śakra became weak. All plants died. Sacrifices stopped, and people quit spiritual practices. They stopped doing good deeds. All beings became unstable. Greed took over people's senses. Humans wanted silly things.
Where there's energy, there's wealth. And wealth depends on energy. How can people without wealth have energy? Without energy, how can there be greatness? Without greatness, men can't be strong or heroic. A person without courage and strength will be looked down on by everyone. And when everyone looks down on you, your mind becomes weak."
Parāśara continued, "The three worlds lost all their strength and happiness. The Danavas and sons of Diti, enemies of the gods, saw their chance. These demons, always restless and ambitious, decided to attack the weakened gods. They went to war against the feeble and unlucky deities. Indra and the other gods, beaten in battle, ran to Brahma for help. They were led by Agni (Hutāsana), the god of fire."
The great father of the universe, Brahma, heard what had happened. He said to the gods:
"Go to Vishnu for protection. He is the god of high and low, the tamer of demons. He creates, preserves, and destroys without any outside cause. He is the father of all fathers, known as Pitāmaha. He is immortal and unbeatable. Vishnu is the cause of matter (prakriti) and spirit (purusha), and of all things that come from them. He takes away the sorrow of all who bow to him. He will help you.
Go to the north shore of the milk ocean (kshīroda). Pray to the supreme Hari with respectful words."
After telling the gods this, Brahma went with them to the milk ocean's north shore. There, they prayed to the supreme Hari (Vishnu). Their prayer was divided into several parts:
"We praise him who is everything, the highest lord of all. He is unborn (aja) and undying (avyaya). He protects the mighty ones of creation. We praise Narayana, who can't be seen or divided. He is the smallest of the small and the largest of the large. All things are in him and from him. He existed before everything."
"He is the god who is all beings. He is the end of all goals. He is beyond the final spirit and one with the highest soul. Wise people who want to be free think of him as the cause of final liberation (moksha). The qualities of goodness (sattva), passion (rajas), and darkness (tamas) that belong to nature are not in him. May that purest of all pure spirits be kind to us today."
"May Hari be kind to us. His power isn't limited by moments or days that make up time. May he who is called the supreme god, who needs no help, Hari, the soul of all physical things, be good to us."
"May Hari, who is both cause and effect, be favorable to us. He is the cause of the cause, the effect of the effect. He is the effect of successive effects. He is the product of the effect of the effect of the effect, or elemental substance. We bow to him.
We bow to the cause of the cause, the cause of the cause of the cause, the cause of them all. We bow to him who enjoys and is enjoyed, who creates and is created, who acts and is acted upon. We bow to that supreme being."
"Vishnu's infinite nature is pure, intelligent, eternal, unborn, undecaying, inexhaustible, and beyond description. It never changes. It is neither gross nor subtle, nor can it be defined. We bow to that ever-holy nature of Vishnu.
We bow to him whose power to create the universe exists in just a tiny part of him. We bow to him who is one with the inexhaustible supreme spirit."
"We bow to the glorious nature of the supreme Vishnu, which neither gods, nor sages, nor I, nor Shankara (Śiva) can understand. Yogis, after constant effort, removing both good and bad deeds, see this nature in the mystical syllable Om. This is the supreme glory of Vishnu, who is the first of all. Of this one god, the triple energy is the same as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva."
"Oh lord of all, great soul of all, shelter of all, unchanging one, have pity on your servants. Oh Vishnu, show yourself to us."
Parāśara continued, "After hearing this prayer, the supreme deity, the mighty holder of the conch and discus, appeared before them. The gods saw the lord of gods carrying a shell, a discus, and a mace. He appeared in his primeval form, glowing with embodied light. Pitāmaha (Brahma) and the other deities gazed at him, their eyes moistened with rapture. They first bowed to him and then spoke:
'We bow to you repeatedly, oh indefinable one. You are Brahma; you are the wonder of the Pinaka bow (Śiva); you are Indra. You are fire, air, the water god, the sun, and Yama (death's king). You are the Vasus, the Maruts (winds), the Sadhyas, and Viśvadevas. This assembly of gods before you is you, for you create the world and exist everywhere.
You are the sacrifice, the oblation prayer, the sacred Om, and all creatures' ruler. You are all that's known and unknown. Oh universal soul, the whole world is made of you. We, beaten by the Daityas, seek your protection, oh Vishnu.
All-encompassing spirit, have mercy on us; shield us with your mighty power. Until we have your protection, we'll face pain, longing, hardship, and sorrow. But you erase all sins. So, oh pure one, favor us who seek your shelter. Oh lord of all, guard us with your great strength, along with the goddess who is your power.'
Vishnu answered, 'Gods, I will renew your strength. Follow my instructions. All of you gods, working with the Asuras, cast various medicinal herbs into the milk sea. Then, use Mount Mandara as the churning rod and the serpent Vāsuki as the rope. Churn the ocean to produce amrita (immortality nectar). Rely on my help for this task.
To secure the Daityas' help, make peace with them. Offer them an equal share of your joint efforts. Promise that drinking the Amrita from the churned ocean will make them strong and immortal. I'll ensure the gods' enemies don't drink the precious liquid; they'll only share the work.'
Following the god of gods' guidance, the deities allied with the demons. Together, they started the quest for the immortality nectar. They gathered various medicinal herbs and threw them into the milk sea, which gleamed like thin, bright autumn clouds.
They used Mount Mandara as the churning rod and the serpent Vāsuki as the rope. They began churning the ocean for Amrita. Krishna (Vishnu) positioned the gods at the serpent's tail, with the Daityas and Danavas at its head and neck.
Flames from Vāsuki's swollen hood scorched the demons, dimming their splendor. Meanwhile, clouds blown towards the tail by Vāsuki's breath refreshed the gods with rejuvenating showers.
In the milk sea's center, Hari (Vishnu) himself became a tortoise, serving as a pivot for the spinning mountain.
The mace and discus holder (Vishnu) appeared in other forms among gods and demons, helping pull the serpent king. In another massive form, he sat atop the mountain. With one energy portion, invisible to gods and demons, he supported the serpent king. With another, he empowered the gods."
Parāśara continued, "As the gods and Danavas churned the ocean, several divine entities emerged in sequence:
First arose Surabhi, the wish-fulfilling cow. She is the source of milk and curds. The gods and their allies watched her with delight, their eyes wide with wonder. In the sky, the holy Siddhas marveled at this sight.
Next came Vāruni, the goddess of wine. Her eyes rolled with intoxication as she appeared from the churning waters.
From the deep sea's whirlpool sprang the Pārijāta tree. This celestial tree is beloved by heaven's nymphs. Its blossoms release a perfume that spreads throughout the world.
A group of Apsaras then emerged. These nymphs of heaven were of surprising loveliness, blessed with both beauty and grace.
The cool-rayed moon rose next. As soon as it appeared, Mahādeva (Śiva) seized it.
Then, a deadly poison formed in the sea. The Nāgas, or snake gods, quickly took possession of this potent venom.
Dhanvantari appeared next. He was dressed in white and carried the cup of Amrita (the nectar of immortality) in his hand. The sight of him filled the sons of Diti and Danu (the demons) and the Munis (sages) with joy and satisfaction.
Then, the goddess Śrī emerged from the waves. She sat on a full-blown lotus and held a water-lily in her hand. Her beauty radiated brilliantly.
Great sages, overjoyed, sang hymns praising her glory.
Viśvāvasu and other heavenly musicians performed songs.
Ghritāchī and other celestial nymphs danced before her.
Gangā and other holy rivers attended to help with her bathing.
Sky elephants, using golden vessels, poured pure waters over her.
The personified sea of milk presented her with an ever-fresh flower garland.
Viśvakarma, the divine craftsman, adorned her with heavenly jewels.
After her divine bath and adornment, Śrī, in full view of all celestial beings, chose to rest upon Hari's (Vishnu's) breast. From there, she gazed upon the deities, who were filled with rapture by her glance.
The Daityas, however, were not pleased. Led by Viprachitti, they felt angry and abandoned. They saw the goddess of prosperity (Lakshmi) turn away from them as Vishnu did the same.
In their anger, the powerful Daityas forcibly grabbed the Amrita cup from Dhanvantari's hand.
Vishnu, ever resourceful, took on a female form. This enchanting figure fascinated and confused the demons.
Taking advantage of the demons' distraction, Vishnu recovered the Amrita and gave it to the gods. Sakra (Indra) and the other deities quickly drank the ambrosial nectar.
Enraged by this turn of events, the demons raised their weapons and attacked. But the gods, now strengthened by the Amrita, fought back fiercely. They defeated the demon host, forcing them to flee. The demons scattered through space and eventually hid in Pātāla, the subterranean realms."
Parāśara continued, "After the demons fled, the gods rejoiced greatly. They paid homage to Vishnu, the holder of the discus and mace, and resumed their reign in heaven. The effects of this victory spread throughout the universe:
The sun shone with renewed splendor.
It once again performed its appointed task.
The celestial luminaries resumed their proper orbits in the sky, oh best of Munis.
Fire blazed aloft once more, beautiful in its splendor.
The minds of all beings were animated by devotion.
The three worlds again were filled with prosperity.
Indra, the chief of the gods, was restored to power.
Seated upon his throne, once more in heaven and exercising sovereignty over the gods, Sakra (Indra) eulogized the goddess who bears a lotus in her hand:
"I bow down to Śrī, the mother of all beings, seated on her lotus throne, with eyes like full-blown lotuses, reclining on the breast of Vishnu. You are:
Siddhi (superhuman power)
Swadha and Svaha (offerings to gods and ancestors)
Sudha (ambrosia), the purifier of the universe
Evening, night, and dawn
Power, faith, intellect
Sarasvati, the goddess of letters
You, beautiful goddess, are:
Knowledge of devotion
Great knowledge
Mystic knowledge
Spiritual knowledge that confers eternal liberation
The science of reasoning
The three Vedas
The arts and sciences
Moral and political science
The world is peopled by you with pleasing or displeasing forms. Who else than you, oh goddess, is seated on that person of the god of gods, the wielder of the mace, which is made up of sacrifice, and contemplated by holy ascetics?
Abandoned by you, the three worlds were on the brink of ruin; but they have been reanimated by you. From your propitious gaze, oh mighty goddess, men obtain:
Wives, children, dwellings
Friends, harvests, wealth
Health and strength, power, victory, happiness, are easy to attain for those upon whom you smile.
You are the mother of all beings, as the god of gods, Hari, is their father; and this world, whether animate or inanimate, is pervaded by you and Vishnu.
Oh you who purify all things, forsake not our:
Treasures, granaries, dwellings
Dependants, persons, wives
Abandon not our:
Children, friends, lineage, jewels
Oh you who abide on the bosom of the god of gods, they whom you desert are forsaken by:
Truth, purity, goodness
Every amiable and excellent quality
While the base and worthless upon whom you look favorably become immediately endowed with:
All excellent qualifications
Families and power
He on whom your countenance is turned is:
Honorable, amiable, prosperous
Wise, of exalted birth
A hero of irresistible prowess
But all his merits and advantages are converted into worthlessness from whom, beloved of Vishnu, mother of the world, you avert your face.
The tongues of Brahma are unequal to celebrate your excellence. Be propitious to me, oh goddess, lotus-eyed, and never forsake me more."
Thus concludes the ninth chapter of the first part of the Vishnu Purana.