Amrit Manthan

Since years we have all been hearing the story of the Amrita Manthan, the churning of the ocean by the Devas and Asuras to churn out Amrit (Nectar of Immortality). For many years I have been reading about this in many books including the most popular comics Amar Chitra Katha.  And of recently many popular authors have turned this out to be a block buster kind of absurd Indian history& geography and meaningless mythology.

I have in my earlier blogs had mentioned that the term Itihasa and Purana does not refer to History or Mythology but these are technical commentaries of our sacred Vedas. In this passage too I would be mentioning the word Itihasa and Purana and these are the technical commentaries and deep analysis.

So let’s read on the Itihasic story of Amrita Manthan. This passage has come out after referring to many of the puranic texts, the Bhagavatam, Puranas.  All the sources are also mentioned within the paragraphs.

I am sure you will enjoy reading this informative passage.

The itihasic story of Amrita-madhanam is narrated in detail in Shrimad-Bhagavatam Skandha 8, Adhyaya 5-10; as well as in the Mahabharata, Adi-parva, Adhyaayas 17, 18 & 19. It is briefly touched upon in some other Puranas too. To understand the gist of the story, the descriptions furnished in the Bhagavatam and Mahabharata would suffice.

(a) Vide Bhagavatam. The narration begins with a query from king Parikshit to sage Suka.

“Raja said. I wish to know how the Ocean of Milk was churned by Bhagavan and for what purpose the Mandara Mountain was borne on his back taking the form of a tortoise.” The story begins thus as usual. Once upon a time the Devas were overpowered by Asuras. The Devas approached Brahma seated in the middle of his Sabha which is situated on the top of the Maha-Meru, and represented their grievances to him.

Brahma accompanied by the Devas then went to Vishnu and praised Him. Bhagavan advised them to compromise with the Asuras for the time being and with their help to churn the Ocean of Milk, after throwing all the creepers, vegetables and grasses into it. The Devas were asked to use the Mandara Mountain for the churning rod and serpent Vasuki for the rope. Bhagavan assured that Amrita which bestows immortality could then be obtained by them and that the Asuras would not get the same.

Accordingly the Devas compromised with the Asuras for the purpose of obtaining Amrita from the Ocean. Both of them combined removed the great Mandara Mountain and secured the services of Vasuki to be used as a rope round it for churning the Ocean. The Asuras took hold of the head of the serpent and the Devas the tail. When the churning commenced, the mountain having had no support at the bottom, began to sink under water. Vishnu in the form of a Koorma or tortoise, a laksha Yojana in extent, then supported it from beneath; and the churning commenced again in right earnest.

A terrible poison named Haalaahalam first originated from the ocean, all the aquatic animals in it being disturbed and frightened by the churning.

All the Prajapatis then approached Sadasiva and prayed for immediate help. Siva kindly consented to swallow the poison, extracted it in his hand and drank it. The poisonous matter produced however a blue mark all round his neck; and it became an ornament to the pious.

Several rare objects were produced by further churning.

First came the divine cow named Havirdhaani which supplied materials for Yegnas leading to the Devayaana. The Rishis accepted her.

Then came the white horse named Uchai-srava.

Next was produced Iraawata the white elephant with its four tusks which excelled in whiteness and grandeur even the Kylasa mountain.

Then came the beautiful ruby called Kowsthubha which adorns the breast of Vishnu, as well as the divine tree named Paarijaatha which yields everything desired.

Fair women known as Apsaras who please the dwellers in Heaven by their beauty, attire and gait, then appeared.

Sri or the Goddess of Prosperity came next shining like lightning. She was honoured by all and married by Vishnu. She kindly cast her glance on the Prajapatis, Devas and the Prajas, and all of them felt secure and satisfied. But the Dytyas and Daanavas were not so graced, and they appeared broken-hearted.

Then appeared Goddess Vaaruni whom the Asuras accepted with the permission of Vishnu. 

At last appeared the divine Dhanwanthari, the great celestial physician and an incarnation of Vishnu carrying in his hand a pot filled with Amritam (nectar of immortality)

The Asuras suddenly snatched the pot from his hand, and the Devas complained about it to Vishnu who in the interest of the Devas assumed the form of a fair damsel and deceived the Asuras. Being enamoured of her, the Asuras handed over the pot to her and agreed to abide by the distribution of Amrita as she liked. The Asuras and the Devas were then seated in separate rows. She distributed the Amrita which destroys decrepitude and mortality, only to the Devas. The Asuras were pacified during the time by charming words.

Rahu in the disguise of a Deva sat between the Sun and the Moon, and partook of the Amrita. This having been pointed out by the Sun and the Moon, Vishnu in the form of the damsel cut off his head with the disc. The trunk fell down and the head became a planet. Rahu on account of this enmity now attacks both the Sun and the Moon during their eclipses.

When all the Devas partook of the Amrita, Vishnu changed his damsel form in the presence of the Asuras themselves and assumed his own form.

Thus ends the story as narrated in the Bhagavatam. No sensible and technically useful explanations are now available from our modern Pundits and Mahamahopadhyayas on the subject.

(B) Vide Adi-parva. The account of the Amrita-madhanam here is undoubtedly the same as in the Bhagavatam, but as usual there are slight differences in their details which we know by this time could never produce any itihasic inconsistencies. They would specially contribute additional clues to the scientific significance of the subject explained. We may therefore briefly notice such differences alone in this connection.

“The divine Narayana spoke thus to Brahma. The Devas and the Asuras combined should churn the Kalas-Ocean. The Devas will then understand the Amritam. The Mandara Mountain with its forest of trees and creepers extends in height to 11,000 Yojana, and it goes under the earth to the same extent. All the Deva-ganas being unable to raise the Mandara Mountain, they approached Vishnu and prayed to Brahma seated close by, for necessary help in raising the mountain. Vishnu immediately ordered Ananta to help them. He accordingly plucked it from the earth and delivered it to them. Using this mountain as the churning rod and serpent Vasuki as the rope, the Devas and the Asuras commenced churning the ocean with the object of extracting Amritam.”

While the saline ocean was thus churned a large number of aquatic creatures were destroyed having been crushed by the mountain. As the churning progressed waters in the ocean turned into milk, and by the mixture of extracts of medicines, in the course of further churning, the milk was converted into ghee.

When the Amritam was obtained and the Asuras took hold of it by force, Vishnu along with Nara snatched it back from them and distributed it among the Devas, Nara being engaged during the time in keeping the Asuras by force. Vishnu then assumed his own form leaving the form of the fair damsel which he took, and began to attack the Asuras with deadly weapons. A terrible battle then ensued between the Devas and the Asuras at a spot close to the saline ocean. The Devas being highly gratified by the Amritam obtained, kept it secure in a vessel. Indra along with the Devas then entrusted it to Kireeti for safe custody.

Now let us make some enquiries and dive deep to analyse the whole event.

According to the extremely absurd historical and literal interpretations foolishly made by some of the mere students of Sanskrit language in our own land, the whole Itihasa is reduced to a worthless fable of anachronisms, inconsistencies and irrelevancies of the worst type. Such thoughtless explanations could furnish no useful information for the account of the story of Amrita-madhanam as detailed in the Bhagavatam or in the Mahabharata. They are an unmerited abuse to the sacred literature and could not create any lasting impression upon the discerning public.

Let us first of all clearly understand the story itself.

Ø  How did the very proposal to churn the ocean originate?

The Devas were overpowered by the Asuras and the former wished to be always successful. For that purpose the Amrita-madhanam was suggested by Vishnu himself.

Ø  What does this very commencement of the story signify?

Vishnu is an unseen entity. The Asuras and the Devas are also unknown beings if they are beings at all. No learned Pandit could oppose these facts. The ocean they churned and the Amrita they secured must also therefore be purely unknown matters. This could not be denied either. The prevailing historical interpretations are thus undoubtedly conscious lies whatever might be their objects. Lies of course are inexcusable even in ordinary matters and much more so in the sacred field of religion. The story is a scientific Itihasa and every word used therein has its technical meaning.

Ø  Who are the Devas and the Asuras?

Devas refers to the Satwic nature in man while the Asuras to the Rajasic and Tamasic.

If the Asuras thus overpower the Devas, man deteriorates in his religious (read Dharmic) progress. To be free from the molestation of the Asuras, man must churn his own Samudram and secure Amritam. 

The Samudram here refers to man’s Buddhi. As it is, this Buddhi is Itihasically described as the ocean of endless grief and therefore saline.

By the prescribed process of churning, the saline ocean should be converted into a milky, white or Satwic one. By further churning, its essence or ghee should be produced before securing the Amritam.

That the ocean here refers to the man’s Buddhi has been assured in the very beginning by naming it klzaedix ( Kalasho-Dhadhi).  The Amritam to be secured has also been plainly pointed out as representing the highest religious (read Dharmic) knowledge.

Kalas or pot here plainly refers to the human brain, and the Amritam to something worth knowing, but not literally useful for drinking. Those spiritual story tellers (those who lead Sath Sanghs) who still cannot grasp the gist of the scientific Itihasa do not deserve even to touch the sacred text else they confuse the already confused innocent Hindus.

Ø  Why should the Devas work along the wicked Asuras to obtain the Amritam?

The historical interpreter is particularly in a fix here. The Devas and the Asuras belong to man and he cannot get rid of the Asuras easily. His Devas should work along with his Asuras until the latter are completely destroyed. The Amrita-madhanam is the process to be undergone for this very destruction of Asuras. The general idea of the technical Amrita-madhanam is thus far, clear enough.

Ø  How to churn the ocean is the next question.

The Manthara Mountain should be used as the rod and Vasuki as the rope. This mountain is said to be 11,000 Yojana in extent above and below the earth.

The diameter of this material earth is not more than 8,000 miles or 1,000 Yojana. It could not therefore contain the Manthara Mountain. The number 11 Itihasically suggests the eleventh factor in human psychology namely; the Manas. dzeiNÔyai[ - mn @kadz< tej>, Certainly, Manas is the proper rod for churning the Ocean of Buddhi.

Ø  What stuff is the rope made of?

Vaasu or Vasuki signifies Jiva or Prana. Prana is of course the necessary rope to turn the mountain of Manas in the Ocean of Buddhi. The Devas were however unable to uproot the Mandara mountain for using it as the rod for churning. They had to be assisted by Ananta under the command of Vishnu.

We know that Ananta or Sankarshana is the Adhi-dyvas for Manas, Indriyas and the Bhootas.

Thus, without the blessings of Ananta the great Mandara Mountain could not be utilised for the Amrita-madhanam. Again, when this mountain was used for churning, it began to sink under water as it had no support beneath. Vishnu had therefore to assume the form of Koorma and support it.

This refers to a stage of progress in churning at which the Manas loses its balance and gets confounded. It has then to be strengthened by the meditation of Vishnu as Koorma-Avatara. The itihasic significance of Koorma-Avatara is clearly explained (vide Koorma Purana). The meditation of this great Avatara is meant only for those who are engaged in the religious Amrita-madhanam.

“That which courses with the swiftness of vapours in water.” Kow, Jalam or APA refers to the Tatwam, and the itihasic significance of Koorma-Avatara scientific and not mythological.

We have now clearly understood the main object and the exact process of Amrita-madhanam, though they are found to be entirely different from what they are caricatured to be, by the learned Pundits in the land.

We have now only to enquire into the technical significance of the various strange products of the Amrita-madhanam detailed.

First product- Halahala- the dreaded poison.

The first product is the deadly poison named Haalaahalam which Siva kindly swallowed. It produced a blue mark round his neck. This poison is clearly explained however as representing the impurities in the waters of the Ocean. To swallow this poison is also said to be an accomplishment to the wise.

Halam literally means a deformity, and Haalaahalam here signifies the deformities of the Buddhi of man which should be got rid of. Surely this is the first thing to be done in any worthy enterprise.

Ø  Where is now the meaningless mythology shamelessly proclaimed about it?

Second Product- Kaali. (The terrible)

“Just after Siva swallowed the poison at the instance of Brahma for the protection of the Lokas,

Goddess Jyeshta fully ornamented and of dark colour appeared.

“The name of the black goddess is commonly used to denote wickedness and ugliness. It literally means the elder sister of Sri here. Itihasically she denotes slayer of the wicked. The sweeping and cleaning implements belong to her

Third product- Sri (Goddess of Wealth)

In the course of further churning, Sri or Lakshmi appeared whom Vishnu accepted as his wife. She is the goddess of prosperity who refers to the luster or religious merit accruing to the devotee at every stage of development. Vide Bramhavaivartha Purana. 

This Sri was at the very outset displeased with the Dytyas and the Daanavas.

Sri thus refers to the luster of Satwic nature of man but never to the Rajasic and Tamasic which the Asuras represent. Even when the Asuras were so highly advanced in religious devotion as to perceive Sri by churning the ocean, they were not blessed by her.

Technically she represents the religious process of purification which is absolutely necessary for the appearance of Sri. She is thus a very important product of Amrita-madhanam that deserves to be welcomed by all.

Fourth product- Havirdhaani (the divine cow)

The next sea-product is Havirdhaani the divine cow whom the Rishis accepted for the use of Devayaana-Yegna.

Agnihotri and Devayaana-Yegna clearly refers to the Gnana-kanda of the Vedas which the divine cow represents. Man has no right to the use of Gnana-kanda before he extracts and swallows Haalaahalam. It is earnestly hoped that the Havis mentioned here will not be mistaken for the flesh of the cow itself by the modern orthodox Dikshits.

Fifth product- Ucchai-Shrava (the white horse)

Next comes Ucchai- Shrava the white horse. This undoubtedly denotes the careful study of the Vedas known as Sravanam which by the knowledge it procures renders man’s Buddhi white or Satwic.

Sixth product- Iraavatha (the four tusked white elephant)

The Iraavatha or the white elephant appears then with its four tusks. Iraa-Apa-that-vath.  Something similar to APA or Tatwams is Iraavatha here. It refers to a higher stage of religious knowledge than that denoted by Uchai-srava. The four tusks represent the four Purushartas.

Seventh product- Kowsthubha (ruby)

The next sea-product is the ruby named Kowsthubha, which Vishnu took for himself. As a red ruby Kowsthubha naturally denotes Raaga, love or Bhakti. The devotee’s Bhakti is worn as an ornament by Vishnu. Kusthubo jaladhi Thatrabhava. That which originated from the ocean. Since the ocean represents man’s Buddhi here, the Bhakti referred to must be of a highly intellectual and philosophical character. Such a Bhakti is known as Sankhya and Adhyaatmic.

  

Eighth product- Paarijaatha (celestial tree)

Next to the Kowsthubha, the divine Paarijaatha tree appeared which furnishes everything desired by those residing in Heaven.

It is thus named in reference to its origin from Buddhi. It is clearly stated as stationed in the DEVA Loka. The desires fulfilled by the tree must also therefore be highly religious.

Ninth product(s) - Apsaras (Celestial damsels)

They sprout up from the APA. They represent the effects by way of Siddhis consequent on the knowledge of the Tatwams. Vide Vayu-Puranam.

Tenth product- Soma (the tranquil mind)

Next came the pleasant Soma with his innumerable cool rays.

The cool Soma who followed her is explained away by our Pundits as referring to the Moon. It is absurd to say that the world was without a moon till then. It undoubtedly refers to the purified Manas of man - cNÔma mnsae jat>, This Soma must naturally follow Jyeshta and precede Sri. Vide Purusha- sooktha

                                                                 

Eleventh product- Vaaruni

The goddess Vaaruni came after. She was accepted by the Asuras with the permission of Vishnu.

Ø  Could this literally or historically signify anything sensible?

Vaaruni is evidently Varuna’s daughter. Itihasically, Varuna’s region is in the West with its capital named Nimlochani. During the horizontal circuit of Savita round the Maanasothara Mountain or Buddhi, the region of Varuna in the West refers to the closing Sandhya before Prakriti-Laya in the North.

Goddess Vaaruni thus denotes the closing Sandhya. The highest status that an Asura could secure even by Amrita-madhanam is this Vaaruni and nothing beyond. In fact the Asura loses his character at this stage, and virtually disappears. This is exactly what is meant by the destruction of the Asuras by Vishnu at the end of the story.

Without caring in the least for the sacredness of the subject or even for common sense, our modern Pundits would readily convert the Asuras into drunkards and Vaaruni into a valuable liquor which they obtained in the Amrita-madhanam. They have converted our very serious Dharmic literature into meaningless mythologies and absurd Indian history and geography.

Twelfth and the last product- Amrita (Nectar of Immortality)

The Amritam was at last brought by the celestial physician named Dhanwanthari who undoubtedly represents the true physician for the never-ending ills of the man of Samsara. Vide Sree Vishnu Maha purana.

The name Dhanwanthari is in itself ingeniously coined. The Dhanu or bow represents the Pranava-mantra.  The divinity seated within this Pranava is Dhanwanthari the doctor who keeps Amrita in his hand to save mankind from mortality. The Amrita itself is called Soma because it represents the knowledge of the technical Kshetragna or Sabda-brahman. (Supreme Being within us). 

This very Soma is the Amrita here referred to as having been produced by churning the ocean.  The itihasic period specified for the occurrence of the Amrita-madhanam is described thus. Vide Adhyaya 5, Skandha 8, Bhagavatam.

“The sixth Manu is named Chaakshusha the son of Chakshu. In his period a portion of Vishnu incarnated as the son of Sambhooti and Vairaja and was known by the name Ajitha. It was He who procured Amrita to the Devas by churning the ocean. When the Mandara mountain was sinking, He took the form of Koorma and supported it.”

A Manwantara never represents ordinary period of time as too often misinterpreted, but denotes a stage of religious advancement. Chakshu and Chaakshusha signify perceptible, and therefore refers to actual yogic practice. Sambhooti and Vairaja technically allude to the Mahat-Tatwam or Brahma. Vide Sankara-bhaashyam on Isaavasya Upanishad.

From the technical points noticed above, it is clear that the itihasic story of Amrita-madhanam describes in detail the practical yogic process which leads in the end to the knowledge of Soma which procures the Amrita or Immortality to the mortal man. 

There is yet one more important point which could not be omitted in this connection. Vishnu is said to have deceived the Asuras while giving the Amritam to the Devas, and Nara or Kireeti kept the Asuras back by fighting with them.  The Amrita was also in the end entrusted to the custody of Kireeti by Indra and the Devas.

That this Nara, Kireeti or Arjuna belonging to the Mahabharata represents no human character of ancient Indian history. Nara represents the Jivatma and Narayana the Paramatma. Nar- Narayan denotes the union of Jivatma with Paramatma.

Thus, the Amrita under reference is always in the custody of the Jivatma representing the technical Twam or Aham. That Amrita signifies the knowledge of the Self is clearly pointed out here.

The gist of the whole story of the Amrita-madhanam is summarized and told in Shrimad-Bhagavatam.

Ø  “It is clear that, although the Devas and the Asuras performed the same Karma, at the same time and place, the results were different for both.

Ø  The Devas by their devotion to Hari, obtained the Amrita while the Asuras failed to get it.

Ø  Whatever is done by man with desires, by thought, word or deed in the interest of Asu or Prana, wealth, physical body, wife and children etc is ASAT (or Asura) on account of selfishness and absence of unity with Hari.

Ø  But whatever is done without desire and with the feeling of unity with Hari is SAT (Deva) and it is fruitful like pouring water at the foot of a tree and not over its branches.”

If only one is prepared to read and understand the religious story as a scientific Itihasa, all the apparent relics and historical absurdities will immediately vanish.  

                                                  HariOM

HV Nath