The Journey of Learning

Churning of the Ocean of Milk

It was past midnight by the time Vishwamitra finished telling the stories of Uma and Ganga. Reminiscing about the achievements of their ancestors, Rama and Lakshmana could not get much sleep the rest of the night. Ready for the next part of the journey, they were one of the first to reach the banks of the Ganga early the next morning.

Large boats and barges had been arranged for them to cross the Ganga. It took time for the carts and animals to be loaded on to the barges.

It was post Noon by the time they crossed over to the northern banks of the Ganga. The tall fort and palace towers of the majestic city of Vishala greeted them as they alighted. As the caravan wound its way towards the city, the Rshi entertained the princes with its history.

"Eons ago, during the Krta Yuga (age), this place was known as Kushaplava. Diti, the mother of Daityas did Tapas here to avenge the death of her sons and gave birth to the Maruts, the Lords of the Winds," he began.

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Sage Kashyapa, son of Rshi Marichi, was married to several daughters of Daksha Prajapati. The sons of Aditi and Kashyapa were known as Adityas, also called Devas. They were well-known for their valour and virtue. The sons of Diti known as Daityas were strong giants. They eventually joined hands with Rakshasas and moved to the nether worlds.

There was always a fierce competition between the sons of Aditi & Diti. In the beginning of the Krta Yuga, the celestials were not free of illness, old age or death. The yearning for  conquering death united the fighting step brothers. They consulted wise sages and decided to churn the Ocean of Milk together and obtain Amrta, the elixir of life.

It was no mean task but the Adityas and Daityas were no ordinary celestials. Strong and energetic, they ripped out the enormous Mount Mandara and made it their stirrer. The gigantic, thousand-headed Vasuki, the king of snakes, became their churning rope. Rolling the snake around the mountain, holding its head and tail ends tight to keep Mandara afloat, they started churning the Ocean of Milk.

A thousand years passed. Fatigue set in. Vasuki could no longer withstand the friction or being tugged on either end. Tired, his heads reached up and his fangs dug into Mount Mandara for support. Copious amounts of deadly poison started oozing out of his fangs. The venom caused the mountain-rocks to catch fire and dissolve. The fiery, poisonous, molten lava began flowing down into the Ocean. The impurities in the Ocean of Milk merged with the venomous lava, resulting in a lethal poison named Halahala and scorched everything in its vicinity. Fumes emanating from Halahala made the air deadly, killing many of the celestials who were churning. Soon, the fire and poisonous air spread far and wide, killing other creatures of the world.

The sons of Aditi and Diti ran to Lord Rudra for shelter, praying to him to prevent the destruction of the universe. The protector Lord Vishnu appeared amidst them to suggest a solution.

"You are the first among the Celestials, O Wielder of the Trident," Vishnu said to Rudra with a smile, "As the eldest, you have the rights on the first offering in any sacrifice. Please accept deadly Halahala as the first oblation from the Yajna of the churning of the Ocean of Milk. The fate of the worlds is in your hands."

Lord Rudra concentrated the essence of Halahala and collected it from the ocean. He drank it up in one gulp. It is said that the poison stayed in his neck, giving it a dark hue. Thus, he gained the name Shitikantha.

The churning resumed. But the Adityas and Daityas were tired from years of toil, as was Vasuki. With the snake loosely coiling around Mandara and the churners unable to maintain a tight-grip, the mighty mountain sank down to the bottom of the Milky Ocean and caved its way into Patala.

The sons of Aditi and Diti now ran to Vishnu for help. "You are our ultimate refuge, Lord," they prayed to him, "The Ocean of Milk is being churned for the good of the three worlds. Mandara, the stirrer has sunk and we are incapable of retrieving it. Please help us by bringing it on to the surface and holding it afloat while we churn."