The Churning of the Ocean
It happened long ago that Indra, king of the gods, was cursed by the great rishi Durvasas, a portion of Siva, for a slight he put on him. Thenceforward Indra and all the three worlds lost their energy and strength, and all things went to ruin. Then the daityas or asuras put forth their strength against the enfeebled gods, so that they fled to Brahma for protection; he then advised them to seek aid from Vishnu, the tamer of demons, the undying God, creator, preserver and destroyer. So Brahma spoke, and himself led the gods along the northern shore of the sea of milk to Vishnu’s seat, and prayed his aid. Then the Supreme Deity, bearing his emblems of conch and disc and mace, and radiant with light, appeared before the grandsire and other deities, and to him again they all made prayer. Then Hari smiled and said: “I shall restore your strength. Do now as I command: Cast into the Milky Sea potent herbs, then take Mount Mandara for churning stick, the serpent Vasuki for rope, and churn the ocean for the dew of life. For this you will need the daityas’ aid: make alliance with them, therefore, and engage to share with them the fruit of your combined labour; promise them that by drinking the ambrosia they shall become immortal. But I shall see to it that they have no share of the water of life, but theirs shall be the labour only.”
Thus the gods entered into alliance with the demons, and jointly undertook the churning of the sea of milk. They cast into it potent herbs, they took Mount Mandara for the churning stick and Vasuki for the rope The gods took up their station at the serpents tail, the daityas at its head. Hari himself in tortoise shape became a pivot of the mountain as it was whirled around; he was present also unseen amongst the gods and demons, pulling the serpent to and fro; in another vast body he sat upon the summit of the mountain. With other portions of his energy he sustained the serpent king, and infused power into the bodies of the gods. As they labored thus the flames of Vasuki’s breath scorched the faces of the demons; but the clouds which drifted toward his tail refreshed the gods with vivifying showers.
First from the sea rose up the wish-bestowing cow Surabhi, gladdening the eyes of the divinities; then came the goddess Varuni, with rolling eyes, the divinity of wine; then sprang up the Parijata tree of paradise, the delight of Heaven’s nymphs, perfuming all the world with the fragrance of its flowers; then rose the troops of the apsaras, of entrancing lovliness and grace. Then rose the moon, whom Mahadeva seized and set upon his brow; and then came a draught of deadly poison, and that also Mahadeva took and drank, least it should destroy the world; it is that bitter poison that turned his throat blue,wherefore he is known as Nilakantha, blue throated, ever after. Next came Dhanwantari, holding in his hand a cup of the dew of life, delighting the eyes of the daityas and the rishis. Then came the goddess Shri, the delight of Vishnu, radiant, seated on an open lotus; the great sky-elephants anoited her with pure water brought by Ganga and poured from golden vessels, while the enraptured sages sang her praises. The Milky Sea adorned her with a wreath of unfading flowers; Vishvakarma decked her with celestial jewels. Then she, who was in sooth the bride of Vishnu, cast herself upon his breast, and there reclining turned her eyes upon the delighted gods. But little pleased were the daityas, for now they were abandoned by the goddess of prosperity.
The angry daityas snatched the cup of nectar from Dhanwantari and bore it off. But Vishnu, assuming an exquisite and ravishing woman-form, deluded and fascinated them, and while they disagreed amongst themselves he stole away the draft and brought it to the gods, who drank deep from the cup of life. Invigorated thereby, they put the demons to flight and drove them down to Hell, and worshipped Vishnu with rejoicing. The sun shone clear again, the Three Worlds became once more prosperous, and devotion blossomed in the hearts of every creature. Indra, seated upon his throne, composed a hymn of praise for Laksmi; she, thus praised, granted him wishes twain. This was the choice, that never again should she abandon the Three Worlds, nor would she ever forsake any that should sing her praise in the words of Indra’s hymn.
Whoso hears this story of the birth of Laksmi from the Milky Sea, whosoever reads it, that goddess of good fortune shall never leave his house for generations three; strife or misfortune may never enter where the hymn to Laksmi is sung.
Sister Nivedita and Ananda K. Coomaraswamy
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