Monday, 6 February 2023 VIII.07 Cont'd. - Let us read the shlokas and meanings today of how Bhagavan conducted Amrutha Manthan and how Bhagavan Shiva saved everyone by drinking the Kalakuta poison.
The gods and demons go and convince the mighty and terrifying serpent Vasuki to become the churning rope.
As they take their positions, Bhagavan Maha Vishnu leads the Devas to go and catch Vasuki at his head-end. Seeing this, the Asuras feel humiliated!
तन्नैच्छन् दैत्यपतयो महापुरुषचेष्टितम् । न गृह्णीमो वयं पुच्छमहेरङ्गममङ्गलम् ।
स्वाध्यायश्रुतसम्पन्ना: प्रख्याता जन्मकर्मभि: ॥
इति तूष्णीं स्थितान्दैत्यान् विलोक्य पुरुषोत्तम: । स्मयमानो विसृज्याग्रं पुच्छं जग्राह सामर: ॥
T: The Asura chiefs thought it demeaning and inauspicious to hold the serpent's tail. They sulked. When Vishnu looked at them quizzingly, they said, " We are advanced in the study of the Vedic scriptures! We are well known for our high birth and accomplishments! We shall not stoop to hold the inauspicious end of the serpent! (Shows what a tenuous truce it was). Vishnu smiled and led the Devas to go and catch the tail end. The Devas and Asuras now began to churn the ocean.
विलोक्य विघ्नेशविधिं तदेश्वरो दुरन्तवीर्योऽवितथाभिसन्धि: ।
कृत्वा वपु: कच्छपमद्भुतं महत्प्र विश्य तोयं गिरिमुज्जहार ॥ ८ ॥
T: Alas, the Mandara mountain did not stay afloat, and sank into the ocean. Both sides were most disheartened. Bhagavan noticed the situation. Lo and Behold! He incarnated as a gigantic tortoise, Kurma Avatara, and went into the ocean, slid under the Mandara, and mightily lifted up the mountain to the right position for churning. Sage Vyasa says that as the Devas and Asuras began churning the ocean diligently, there was a massive swirl of the mountain. But Bhagavan Kachhapa or Kurma liked the mild scratching He felt on His back!
तथासुरानाविशदासुरेण रूपेण तेषां बलवीर्यमीरयन् । उद्दीपयन् देवगणांश्च विष्णुर्दैवेन नागेन्द्रमबोधरूप: ॥
उपर्यगेन्द्रं गिरिराडिवान्य आक्रम्य हस्तेन सहस्रबाहु: । तस्थौ दिवि ब्रह्मभवेन्द्रमुख्यैरभिष्टुवद्भि: सुमनोऽभिवृष्ट: ॥
T: Thereafter, Bhagavan entered the Asuras as the quality of Rajas, the Devas as the quality of Sattva, and Vasuki as the quality of Tamas to motivate each in the appropriate manner, with their various types of strength and energy. Simultaneously, Bhagavan manifested Himself with thousands of hands, and appeared on the summit of the Mandara mountain, like another great mountain, and held the Mandara with one hand. So He stabilised the Mountain from the top, raised it from the bottom, and created an efficient churning machine! Vyasa says that Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, along with Indra, the king of Devas, and the other gods, marvelled at Bhagavan's facilitation and offered prayers to the Lord and showered flowers upon Him.
Suddenly, Vasuki, that giant, terrifying serpent, with his thousand hoods and two thousand red eyes, started spewing fire, smoke and a poisonous swirl of gas that enervated Bali and other Asuras as well as all the Devas. Bhagavan coolly caused a cool breeze to blow and a refreshing shower of rain to cleanse them and cool them. Thus the chruning renewed.
Now Vyasa turns really poetic.
मेघश्याम: कनकपरिधि: कर्णविद्योतविद्युन्मूर्ध्नि भ्राजद्विलुलितकच: स्रग्धरो रक्तनेत्र: ।
जैत्रैर्दोर्भिर्जगदभयदैर्दन्दशूकं गृहीत्वा मथ्नन् मथ्ना प्रतिगिरिरिवाशोभताथो धृताद्रि: ॥
T: The Lord appeared like a blackish cloud. He was dressed in golden yellow garments, His earrings shone on His ears like lightning, and His hair spread over His shoulders. He wore a garland of flowers, and His eyes were pinkish. With His strong, glorious arms that confer fearlessness throughout the universe, He took hold of Vasuki and began churning the ocean, using Mandara Mountain as a churning rod. When engaged in this way, the Lord appeared like a beautifully situated mountain named Indranila.
This heavy churning produced an adverse reaction from the creatures in the ocean. There suddenly appeared the dreaed Kalakuta poison that woulc destroy all creatures!
Bhagavan Shiva drinks Kalakuta Poison
तदुग्रवेगं दिशि दिश्युपर्यधो विसर्पदुत्सर्पदसह्यमप्रति ।
भीता: प्रजा दुद्रुवुरङ्ग सेश्वरा अरक्ष्यमाणा: शरणं सदाशिवम् ॥
विलोक्य तं देववरं त्रिलोक्या भवाय देव्याभिमतं मुनीनाम् ।
आसीनमद्रावपवर्गहेतोस्तपो जुषाणं स्तुतिभि: प्रणेमु: ॥
T: When that uncontrollable poison was forcefully spreading up and down in all directions, all the gods, along with the Lord Himself, approached Bhagavan Shiva. Feeling utterly vulnerable and very much afraid, they sought His protection. The gods observed Lord Shiva sitting on the summit of Kailasa with his wife, Bhavani, for the auspicious development of the three worlds. He was being worshipped by great saints parying for liberation. The gods offered him their obeisances and prayers with great respect.
प्रजापतय ऊचु:
देवदेव महादेव भूतात्मन् भूतभावन । त्राहि न: शरणापन्नांस्त्रैलोक्यदहनाद् विषात् ॥
त्वमेक: सर्वजगत ईश्वरो बन्धमोक्षयो: । तं त्वामर्चन्ति कुशला: प्रपन्नार्तिहरं गुरुम् ॥
गुणमय्या स्वशक्त्यास्य सर्गस्थित्यप्ययान्विभो । धत्से यदा स्वदृग् भूमन्ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाभिधाम् ॥
त्वं ब्रह्म परमं गुह्यं सदसद्भावभावनम् । नानाशक्तिभिराभातस्त्वमात्मा जगदीश्वर: ॥
त्वं शब्दयोनिर्जगदादिरात्मा प्राणेन्द्रियद्रव्यगुण: स्वभाव: ।
काल: क्रतु: सत्यमृतं च धर्मस्त्वय्यक्षरं यत् त्रिवृदामनन्ति ॥
अग्निर्मुखं तेऽखिलदेवतात्मा क्षितिं विदुर्लोकभवाङ्घ्रिपङ्कजम् ।
कालं गतिं तेऽखिलदेवतात्मनो दिशश्च कर्णौ रसनं जलेशम् ॥
नाभिर्नभस्ते श्वसनं नभस्वान् सूर्यश्च चक्षूंषि जलं स्म रेत: ।
परावरात्माश्रयणं तवात्मा सोमो मनो द्यौर्भगवन् शिरस्ते ॥
कुक्षि: समुद्रा गिरयोऽस्थिसङ्घा रोमाणि सर्वौषधिवीरुधस्ते ।
छन्दांसि साक्षात् तव सप्त धातवस्त्रयीमयात्मन् हृदयं सर्वधर्म: ॥
मुखानि पञ्चोपनिषदस्तवेश यैस्त्रिंशदष्टोत्तरमन्त्रवर्ग: ।
यत् तच्छिवाख्यं परमात्मतत्त्वं देव स्वयंज्योतिरवस्थितिस्ते ॥
छाया त्वधर्मोर्मिषु यैर्विसर्गो नेत्रत्रयं सत्त्वरजस्तमांसि ।
साङ्ख्यात्मन: शास्त्रकृतस्तवेक्षा छन्दोमयो देव ऋषि: पुराण: ॥
न ते गिरित्राखिललोकपाल विरिञ्चवैकुण्ठसुरेन्द्रगम्यम् ।
ज्योति: परं यत्र रजस्तमश्च सत्त्वं न यद् ब्रह्म निरस्तभेदम् ॥
कामाध्वरत्रिपुरकालगराद्यनेकभूतद्रुह: क्षपयत: स्तुतये न तत् ते ।
यस्त्वन्तकाल इदमात्मकृतं स्वनेत्रवह्निस्फुलिङ्गशिखया भसितं न वेद ॥
ये त्वात्मरामगुरुभिर्हृदि चिन्तिताङ्घ्रिद्वन्द्वं चरन्तमुमया तपसाभितप्तम् ।
कत्थन्त उग्रपरुषं निरतं श्मशाने ते नूनमूतिमविदंस्तव हातलज्जा: ॥
तत् तस्य ते सदसतो: परत: परस्य नाञ्ज: स्वरूपगमने प्रभवन्ति भूम्न: ।
ब्रह्मादय: किमुत संस्तवने वयं तु तत्सर्गसर्गविषया अपि शक्तिमात्रम् ॥
एतत् परं प्रपश्यामो न परं ते महेश्वर । मृडनाय हि लोकस्य व्यक्तिस्तेऽव्यक्तकर्मण: ॥
T: The Prajapatis, chiefs of the gods, said:
Oh greatest of all
gods, Mahadeva, Paramatma of all living entities and cause of their happiness
and prosperity, we have come to the shelter of your lotus feet. Now please save
us from this fiery poison, which is spreading all over the three worlds.
Oh lord, you are the cause of bondage and liberation of the
entire universe because you are its ruler. Those who are advanced in spiritual
consciousness surrender unto you, and therefore you are the cause of mitigating
their distresses, and you are also the cause of their liberation. We therefore
worship Your Lordship.
Oh lord, you are self-effulgent and supreme. You create this
material world by your personal energy, and you assume the names Brahma, Vishnu
and Maheshwara when you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation. You are
the cause of all causes, the self-effulgent, inconceivable, impersonal Brahman,
which is originally Parabrahman. You manifest various potencies in this cosmic
manifestation.
Oh lord, you are the original source of Vedic literature.
You are the original cause of material creation, the life force, the senses,
the five elements, the three modes and the mahat-tattva. You are eternal Time,
determination and the two religious systems called truth [Satya] and
truthfulness [Rita]. You are the shelter of the syllable Om, which consists of
three letters a-u-m.
Oh father of all creation, learned scholars know that fire is
your mouth, the surface of the globe is your lotus feet, eternal time is your
movement, all the directions are your ears, and Varuna, master of the waters,
is your tongue.
Oh lord, the sky is your navel, the air is your breathing,
the sun is your eyes, and the water is your semen. You are the shelter of all
kinds of living entities, high and low. The god of the moon is your mind, and
the upper planetary system is your head.
Oh lord, you are the three Vedas personified. The seven seas
are your abdomen, and the mountains are your bones. All drugs, creepers and
vegetables are the hairs on your body, the Vedic mantras like Gayatri are the
seven layers of your body, and the Vedic religious system is the core of your
heart.
Oh lord, the five important Vedic mantras are represented by
your five faces, from which the thirty-eight most celebrated Vedic mantras have
been generated. Your Lordship, being celebrated as Lord Śiva, is
self-illuminated. You are directly situated as the supreme truth, known as
Paramatma.
Oh lord, your shadow is seen in irreligion, which brings
about varieties of irreligious creations. The three modes of nature — goodness,
passion and ignorance — are your three eyes. All the Vedic literatures, which
are full of verses, are emanations from you because their compilers wrote the
various scriptures after receiving your glance.
Oh Lord, since the impersonal Brahman effulgence is
transcendental to the material modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, the
various directors of this material world certainly cannot appreciate it or even
know where it is. It is not understandable even to Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu or
the King of heaven, Mahendra. When annihilation is performed by the flames and
sparks emanating from your eyes, the entire creation is burned to ashes.
Nonetheless, you do not know how this happens. What then is to be said of your
destroying the Daksha Yajna, Tripurasura and the Kalakuta poison? Such
activities cannot be subject matters for prayers offered to you.
Exalted, self-satisfied persons who preach to the entire
world think of your lotus feet constantly within their hearts. However, when
persons who do not know your austerity see you moving with Uma, they
misunderstand you to be lusty, or when they see you wandering in the
crematorium they mistakenly think that you are ferocious and envious. Certainly,
they are contemptible. They cannot understand your activities.
Even personalities like Lord Brahma and other gods cannot
understand your position, for you are beyond the moving and non-moving
creation. Since no one can understand you in truth, how can one offer you
prayers? It is impossible. As far as we are concerned, we are creatures of Lord
Brahma’s creation. Under the circumstances, therefore, we cannot offer you
adequate prayers, but as far as our ability allows, we have expressed our
feelings.
Oh greatest of all rulers, your actual identity is
impossible for us to understand. As far as we can see, your presence brings
flourishing happiness to everyone. Beyond this, no one can appreciate your
activities. We can see this much, and nothing more.
श्रीशुक उवाच
तद्वीक्ष्य व्यसनं तासां कृपया भृशपीडित: । सर्वभूतसुहृद् देव इदमाह सतीं प्रियाम् ॥
T: Sage Shuka continued his narrative to King Parikshit:
When Bhagavan Shiva, ever merciful and commiserating with the suffering of all, who is the dear friend of all beings, spoke to His consort, Sati, as follows.
श्रीशिव उवाच
अहो बत भवान्येतत् प्रजानां पश्य वैशसम् । क्षीरोदमथनोद्भूतात् कालकूटादुपस्थितम् ॥
आसां प्राणपरीप्सूनां विधेयमभयं हि मे । एतावान्हि प्रभोरर्थो यद् दीनपरिपालनम् ॥
प्राणै: स्वै: प्राणिन: पान्ति साधव: क्षणभङ्गुरै: । बद्धवैरेषु भूतेषु मोहितेष्वात्ममायया ॥
पुंस: कृपयतो भद्रे सर्वात्मा प्रीयते हरि: । प्रीते हरौ भगवति प्रीयेऽहं सचराचर: ।
तस्मादिदं गरं भुञ्जे प्रजानां स्वस्तिरस्तु मे ॥
T: My dear Bhavani, just see how all these living entities have been placed in danger because of the poison produced from the churning of the Ocean of Milk. It is my duty to give protection and safety to all living entities struggling for existence. Certainly it is the duty of the master to protect his suffering dependents. People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of Bhagavan, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them. My dear, when one performs benevolent activities for others, tBhagavan Sri Hari is very pleased! And when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison, for all the living entities may thus be relieved of their woe and be happy because of my deed.
श्रीशुक उवाच
एवमामन्त्र्य भगवान्भवानीं विश्वभावन: । तद् विषं जग्धुमारेभे प्रभावज्ञान्वमोदत ॥
तत: करतलीकृत्य व्यापि हालाहलं विषम् । अभक्षयन्महादेव: कृपया भूतभावन: ॥
तस्यापि दर्शयामास स्ववीर्यं जलकल्मष: । यच्चकार गले नीलं तच्च साधोर्विभूषणम् ॥
तप्यन्ते लोकतापेन साधव: प्रायशो जना: । परमाराधनं तद्धि पुरुषस्याखिलात्मन: ॥ ४४ ॥
निशम्य कर्म तच्छम्भोर्देवदेवस्य मीढुष: । प्रजा दाक्षायणी ब्रह्मा वैकुण्ठश्च शशंसिरे ॥ ४५ ॥
प्रस्कन्नं पिबत: पाणेर्यत् किञ्चिज्जगृहु: स्म तत् । वृश्चिकाहिविषौषध्यो दन्दशूकाश्च येऽपरे ॥ ४६ ॥
T: Sage Shuka continued: After informing His consort Devi in this way, Lord Shiva began to drink the poison, and Devi, who knew perfectly well the capabilities of Lord Shiva, gave him her permission to do so. Thereafter, Lord Shiva, who is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it.
As if in a virulent counter to its being tamed, the poison born from the Ocean of Milk manifested its potency by marking LordShiva’s neck with a bluish line. That line, however, is now accepted as an ornament of the Lord! That is why He is called Nilakantha!
It is said that great personalities almost always readily accept suffering to ameliorate the suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshipping Bhagavan who is present in everyone’s heart.
Upon hearing of this act, everyone, including Devi Dakshayani, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and the people in general, praised most effusively this deed performed by Lord Shiva, who is worshipped by the gods and who bestows benedictions upon tall.
Scorpions, cobras, poisonous drugs and other animals whose bites are poisonous took the opportunity to drink whatever little poison had fallen and scattered from Lord Shiva’s hand while He was drinking.
Har Har Mahadev!
