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| | #REDIRECT [[Samudra Manthana]] |
| {{short description|Major episode in Hinduism}}
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| [[File:Sagar mathan (corrected version).jpg|thumb|350px|Various scenes from the samudra manthan episode]] | |
| The '''Samudra Manthana''' ({{lang-sa|समुद्रमन्थन}}, lit. ''churning of the ocean of milk'') is one of the best-known episodes in the [[Hindu mythology]] narrated in the [[Bhagavata Purana]], in the [[Vishnu Purana]]. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of [[Amrita]].
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| ==Etymology==
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| *'''Sāgara manthana''' (सागरमन्थन) - ''Sāgara'' is another word for ''[[Samudra]]'', both meaning a sea or large water body.
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| *'''Kshirasāgara manthana''' (क्षीरसागरमन्थन) - ''Kshirasāgara'' means the [[ocean of milk]] or milky ocean. ''Kshirasāgara'' = ''Kshira'' (milk) + ''Sāgara'' (ocean or sea).
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| ==Legend==
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| [[File:The churning of the Ocean of Milk, in a bazaar art print, c.1910's; the Suras or gods are on the right, the Asuras or demons on the left.jpg|thumb|The churning of the Ocean of Milk, in a bazaar art print, c.1910s; the Suras or gods are on the right, the Asuras or demons on the left]]
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| [[Indra]], the King of [[Swarga]], while riding on the elephant, came across Sage [[Durvasa]] who offered him a special garland given to him by a nymph. Indra accepted the gift and placed it on the trunk of the elephant as a test to prove that he was not an egoistic deva. The flowers on it had a scent that attracted some bees. Annoyed by the bees Airavata threw the garland on the ground. This enraged the sage as the garland was a dwelling of ''Sri'' (fortune) and was to be treated as a ''[[prasada]]'' or religious offering. Durvasa cursed Indra and all devas to be bereft of all strength, energy, and fortune.<ref>[http://www.mahakumbhfestival.com/2012/02/history-maha-kumbh-mela/ Story of Maha Kumbh Mela from Srimad Bhagvatam]</ref>
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| In battles following the incident, the Devas were defeated and the [[Asura]]s, led by [[Mahabali|Bali]], gained control over [[the universe]]. The Devas sought Lord [[Vishnu]]'s help, who advised them to treat the Asuras in a diplomatic manner. The Devas formed an alliance with the Asuras to jointly churn the ocean for the [[amrita|nectar of immortality]] and to share it among themselves. However, Vishnu told the Devas that he would arrange for them alone to obtain the nectar.
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| The churning of the [[Ocean of Milk]] was an extensive process: [[Mount Mandara]] was used as the churning rod, and [[Vasuki (snake)|Vasuki]], a [[Nagaraja|nāgarāja]] who abides on Shiva's neck, became the churning rope.
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| The Samudra Manthana process released a number of things from the Ocean of Milk. One of them was the lethal poison known as ''[[Halahala]]''. However, in some other variations of the story, the poison escaped from the mouth of the serpent king as the demons and gods churned. This terrified the gods and demons because the poison was so powerful that it could destroy all of creation.
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| In the variation, Lord Indra knew that Vasuki would vomit poisonous flames when twisted and pulled, and therefore advised the Devas to hold the tail end of the snake, without telling them the reason. First, the Devas held the head end of the snake, while the Asuras held the tail end. The Asuras were enraged by this, as the lower part of an animal is impure, or less pure, than the part that contains the head. They insisted on holding the head side of the snake. Lord Indra had an inkling that his reverse psychology would work. The Asuras demanded to hold the head of the snake, while the Devas, taking advice from Lord Indra, agreed to hold its tail. When the mountain was placed in the ocean, it began to sink. Vishnu, in the form of [[Kurma]] (lit. ''turtle''), came to their rescue and supported the mountain on his shell. The Asuras were poisoned by fumes emitted by Vasuki. Despite this, the Devas and the Asuras pulled back and forth on the snake's body alternately, causing the mountain to rotate, which in turn churned the ocean.
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| The Devas then approached Lord [[Shiva]] for protection. Shiva consumed the poison to protect the three worlds and which in the process gave a blue hue to his throat. In some versions as Lord Shiva drank the poison, he was suffering intense pain, but could not die, as seen by [[Parvati]], his consort. She immediately places a hand on his throat, stopping the poison to flow any further, and by her ''[[Maya (religion)|Maya]]'' stopped it forever. As a result, his throat turned blue and he was henceforth called ''Neelakantha'' (the blue-throated one; "neela" = "blue", "kantha" = "throat" in [[Sanskrit]]).
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| ===Ratnas===
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| [[File:Sagar Manthan.jpg|thumb|Sagar Manthana]]
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| All kinds of herbs were cast into the ocean and fourteen [[wikt:ratna|Ratna]]s (gems or treasures) were produced from it and were divided between the Asuras and the Devas. Though usually the Ratnas are enumerated as 14, the list in the scriptures ranges from 9 to 14 Ratnas. According to the quality of the treasures produced, they were accepted by Shiva (because of consuming the poison), Vishnu, Maha Rishi's (for Kamadhenu or Surabhi), which was given by Vishnu, the Devas and the Asuras. There were three categories of Goddesses which emerged from the ocean; most lists include:<ref name="vp">{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Horace Hayman |author-link=Horace Hayman Wilson|title=The Vishnu Purana|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp044.htm#fr_236|year=1840}}</ref>
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| * [[Lakshmi]]: the [[Devi]] of Fortune and Wealth, who accepted Vishnu as Her eternal consort.
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| * [[Apsaras]]: various divine nymphs like [[Rambha (apsara)|Rambha]], [[Menaka]], [[Punjisthala]] etc., who chose the [[Gandharva|Gandharvas]] as their companions.
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| * [[Varuni]]: taken - somewhat reluctantly (she appeared dishevelled and argumentative) - by the Asuras.
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| Likewise, three types of supernatural animals appeared:
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| * [[Kamadhenu]] or Surabhi (Sanskrit: kāmadhuk): the wish-granting cow, taken by Brahma and given to the sages so that the ghee from her milk could be used for [[Yajna]] and similar rituals.
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| * [[Airavata]] and several other elephants, taken by Indra.
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| * [[Uchhaishravas]]: the divine seven-headed horse, given to Bali.
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| Three valuables were also produced:
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| * [[Kaustubha]]: the most valuable ratnam (divine jewel) in the world, worn by Vishnu.
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| * [[Parijata]]: the divine flowering tree with blossoms that never fade or wilt, taken to Indraloka by the Devas.
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| * [[Sharanga (Hindu mythology)|Sharanga]]: a powerful bow, given to Lord Vishnu.
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| Additionally produced were;
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| * [[Chandra]]: the moon which adorned Shiva's head.
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| * [[Dhanvantari]]: the "[[Vaidya]] of the Devas" with [[Amrita]], the nectar of immortality. (At times, considered as two separate [[wikt:Ratna|Ratna]])
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| * [[Halahala]]: the poison swallowed by Shiva.
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| This list varies from Purana to Purana and is also slightly different in the [[Ramayana]] and [[Mahabharata]]. Lists are completed by adding the following [[wikt:Ratna|Ratna]]:<ref name="vp"/>
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| * [[Shankha]]: Vishnu's conch
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| * [[Jyestha (goddess)|Jyestha]] ([[Alakshmi]]): the goddess of misfortune
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| * The umbrella taken by [[Varuna]]
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| * The earrings given to [[Aditi]], by her son Indra
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| * [[Kalpavriksha]]: a divine wish-fulfilling tree
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| * Nidra or sloth
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| * [[Amrita]] swallowed by the devatas and one [[Asura]] called [[Svarbhānu]], also known as Rahuketu, who was beheaded and sent into outer space as [[Rahu]] and [[Ketu (mythology)|Ketu]]
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| === The amṛta (The Final Ratna) ===
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| Finally, [[Dhanvantari]], the heavenly physician, emerged with a pot containing the [[Amrita|amṛta]], the heavenly nectar of immortality. Fierce fighting ensued between the Devas and the Asuras for it. To protect it from the Asuras, [[Garuda]] took the pot and flew away from the battlefield.
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| The Devas appealed to Vishnu, who took the form of [[Mohini]] and, as a beautiful and enchanting damsel, distracted the Asuras; then, she took the amṛta and distributed it among the Devas, who drank it. An Asura named [[Svarbhanu]] disguised himself as a deva and drank some nectar. Due to their luminous nature, the Sun god [[Surya]] and the moon god [[Chandra]] noticed this disguise. They informed [[Mohini]] who before the nectar could pass the Asura's throat, cut off his head with her discus, the [[Sudarshana Chakra]]. From that day, his head was called [[Rahu]] and his body [[Ketu (mythology)|Ketu]], which both later became planets. The story ends with the rejuvenated Devas defeating the Asuras and that's why the eclipse mode of the moon means Rahu swallows moon as his revenge. Although, Rahu only has a head and no body. So the god moon ''chandra'' comes out from the throat of Rahu and we see the moon again in sky.
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| ==== Origin of the Kumbha Mela ====
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| The medieval [[Hindu theology]] extends this legend to state that while the Devas were carrying the amṛta away from the Asuras, some drops of the nectar fell at four different places on the Earth: [[Haridwar]], [[Allahabad|Prayaga]] (Prayagraj),<ref>https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/education-today/featurephilia/story/allahabad-to-be-renamed-as-prayagraj-a-look-at-up-govt-s-renaming-streak-1368908-2018-10-16</ref> [[Trimbak]] ([[Nashik district|Nashik]]), and [[Ujjain]].<ref name="KM_2003">{{cite journal |jstor=3591863 |title=Making the Colonial State Work for You: The Modern Beginnings of the Ancient Kumbha Mela in Allahabad |author=Kama MacLean |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=62 |issue=3 |date=August 2003 |doi=10.2307/3591863 |pages=873–905 }}</ref> According to the legend, these places acquired a certain mystical power and spiritual value. A [[Kumbh Mela|Kumbha Mela]] is celebrated at these four places every twelve years for this reason. People believe that after bathing there during the Kumbha mela, one can attain [[moksha]].
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| While several ancient texts, including the various [[Puranas]], mention the ''Samudra Manthana'' legend, none of them mentions the spilling of the amṛta at four places.<ref name="KM_2003" /><ref>{{cite book |author=Arvind Krishna Mehrotra |title=The Last Bungalow: Writings on Allahabad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4DRuAAAAMAAJ |year=2007 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-14-310118-5 |page=289 }}</ref> Neither do these texts mention the Kumbha Mela. Therefore, multiple scholars, including R. B. Bhattacharya, D. P. Dubey and Kama Maclean believe that the ''Samudra Manthana'' legend has been applied to the Kumbha Mela relatively recently, in order to show scriptural authority for the mela.<ref name="Kama_2008">{{cite book |author=Kama Maclean |title=Pilgrimage and Power: The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, 1765-1954 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MALacgnsroMC&pg=PA5 |date=28 August 2008 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-533894-2 |pages=88–89 }}</ref>
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| ==Comparative mythology==
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| This myth has been analyzed [[comparative mythology|comparatively]] by [[Georges Dumézil]], who dubiously connected it to various [[Indo-European mythology|hypothetical "Indo-European" myths]] and even the European medieval legend of the [[Holy Grail]], reconstructing a proto-myth (the "[[ambrosia]] cycle", or "cycle of the [[mead]]") about a theoretical [[trickster]] deity who steals the drink of immortality for mankind but fails in freeing humans from death. Dumézil later abandoned his theory, but the core of the idea was taken up by Jarich Oosten, who posits "similarities" with the [[Hymiskviða]]. In this Old Norse poem, beer is prepared for the gods by the [[jötnar|Jotunn]] sea god Ægir, after Thor and Tyr recover a giant kettle Ægir needs to make the beer. Oosten claims the serpent [[Jörmungandr]] takes the place of Vasuki, although its role in the story is not at all similar or comparable.<ref name="eiec">{{Cite encyclopedia |first=J. P. |last1=Mallory |editor-first1=J. P. |editor-last1=Mallory |editor-first2=Douglas Q. |editor-last2=Adams |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture]] |title=Sacred drink |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1997 |page=538}}</ref>
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| ==See also==
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| *[[Dasavatar]]
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}}
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| ==External links==
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| {{commons category|Samudra manthan}}
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| * [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01019.htm The story of the churning as found in the Mahabharata]
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| * [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp044.htm The story of the churning as found in the Vishnu Purana]
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| * [http://www.valmikiramayan.net/utf8/baala/sarga45/bala_45_prose.htm The story of the churning as found in the Ramayana]
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| {{HinduMythology}}
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| [[Category:Puranas]]
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