Chapter 6 - Mount Mandara Transported for Churning the Ocean

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1. Oh king! Thus praised by the hosts of gods, the glorious Lord Hari, the supreme Ruler, manifested Himself to them with the effulgence of a thousand suns rising simultaneously.

2. By that very glaring effulgence, all gods got their eyes so much dazzled that they could not perceive the sky, the cardinal points, the earth and even themselves. How could they see the omnipresent Lord?

3. The glorious god Brahmā along with Śiva, beheld that immaculate Form, dark like emerald (blue like sapphire), with eyes reddish like the interior of a lotus.

4. It was clad in bright yellow silken garment (Pītāmbara) shining like burning gold, graceful and lovely in every limb, with beautiful countenance and attractive eyebrows.

5. It was adorned with a crown crested with highly precious gems and a pair of armlets (keyūras one on each arm); Its cheeks illumined by the bright splendour of the pendant ear-rings, added to the beauty of its lotus like countenance.

6. It was adorned with an ornamented girdle, bracelets, necklace and pair of anklets. It was wearing the decorative Kaustubha gem, the goddess Lakṣmī, and a wreath of sylvan flowers (on its breast).

7. It was attended upon by its missiles like Sudarśana and others in their personal form. Brahmā, the foremost among the gods, along with god Śiva, and with hosts of celestials, lay prostrate before him on the ground, and eulogized the Supreme Person (as follows);

Brahmā said:

8.^[1] I offer my obeisance again and again to you of whom birth, subsistence and destruction are beyond predication; who transcends the (three) guṇas: who is the ocean of (absolute) bliss attainable in the Final Beatitude; who is the subtlest of the subtle, yet whose glory is immeasurable and powers unlimited.

9. Oh Supreme Person! This form of yours is ever worthy to be adored by those who aspire after the (highest) bliss, through methods prescribed in the Vedas and tantras (liike pañcarātra). Oh Creator and Protector of the universe! In this form of yours which pervades the universe, I see (simultaneously) all the three worlds as well as ourselves.

10. In you who are self-dependent, the universe abided in you at the beginning; in you, it exists in the middle and it will be absorbed in you (after its dissolution) in the end. Just as the earth persists (as the material cause) in the beginning, the middle and the end of a pot, similarly you are the beginning, the middle and the end of this universe.^[2]

11. Through your Māyā—potency which absolutely depends on you, you have created the universe, and subsequently have entered into it (as its Inner Controller). The thoughtful people who are well-versed in Śāstras and who have (controlled and) concentrated their minds, perceive through their mind that you are not affected by guṇas, even though you abide in them (i.e. in the universe which is the product of guṇaś in which you have entered).

12. It is a well-known fact that, by adopting proper means, men get fire from wood (by friction of wooden pieces —araṇis), nectar i.e. milk from the cows, food and water from the earth (by agriculture and digging) and livelihood by working (in a profession or vocation), similarly thoughtful people, through their intelligence perceive You in (the world which is) the product of guṇas and describe you accordingly.

13. Oh Lord! Having seen You graciously (and thus fulfilling) our desire for a long time, we feel extremely blissful as elephants distressed by forest-conflagration do, on reaching the waters of the Gaṅgā, Oh Lord with a lotus in your navel.

14. Such as You are (as described above), do fulfill our desire for which we, the guardians of the Worlds have approached Your feet. Oh Lord (the pervader of the universe from inside and outside)! You witness everything. What is there to be made known to you from outside by others?

15. To You, I, Śiva, gods (and other beings), Dakṣa (and other Lords of creation)—We all are like sparks of fire emanating from fire (and appearing distinct from fire, though originally they are one). Separate as we are, what do we know of (the way to) our welfare? Oh Lord! Be pleased to advise us what may be beneficial to Brāhmaṇas and gods.

Śrī Śuka said:

16. Being thus prayed (and extolled) by Brahmā and others, and with a full understanding of their hearts, the Lord, in a voice like the rumbling of clouds, addressed the gods who, controlling their senses perfectly, stood with folded palms.

17. Although the Lord alone was capable to accomplish the object of the gods, he, being desirous of indulging in sportful activities like the churning of the ocean and others, addressed them as follows:

The Lord said:

18. Hello! Brahman, Śiva, gods and demigods! Listen attentively to my speech, so that all of you will attain welfare and desired object.

19. You do go just now and conclude a peace-treaty with the Daityas and Dānavas who are favoured by time, till you find that growth (prosperous time) has now returned (till Fortune smiles on you).

20. When an object to be achieved is important, an alliance should be entered into, even with enemies. When once, you have accomplished your purpose, you may behave as a serpent does with a mouse.^[3]

21. Without any delay, efforts should be made to produce the nectar, by drinking which a being in the jaws of death will become immortal.

22-23. Having thrown all kinds of plants, grasses, creepers and herbs in the sea of milk, and making mount Mandara as the churning rod and Vāsuki (the king of snakes) as the churning rope, you churn the ocean well assiduously with My help. The Daityas shall undergo the trouble of churning while you shall reap the fruit thereof.

24. Oh gods! You agree to whatever desire the Daityas express. All objects are not successfully achieved through anger (and confrontation), as through conciliatory methods.

25. You need not be afraid of the Kālakūṭa poison that will come out of the (churned) sea (for god Śiva will drink it). You should not evince any desire or covetousness (for the objects churned out) or express any anger if Daityas do so.

Śrī Śuka said:

26. After instructing the gods in this way, the glorious Supreme Person, the Ruler (of the universe) who acts according to his own free will, disappeared from their view, Oh king.

27. Having bowed down to the Venerable Lord (who had disappeared), god Brahmā and Śiva returned to their respective regions, while gods approached Bali (the king of demons).

28. The praiseworthy king of Daityas who knew the opportune time when to wage war. and when to make peace, restrained his generals, who got excited at the sight of their enemies in that unprepared condition.

29. Then (the gods) approached Bali, the son of Virocana, seated (on a throne) and guarded by Asura generals, endowed with the highest royal splendour after the conquest of the three worlds.

30. The highly intelligent Indra consoled Bali with many soft words, and spoke to him everything as per briefings of the Supreme Man.

31. The (oral) proposal was acceptable to Bali and to other Asura rulers like Śambara, Ariṣṭanemi and other residents of Tripura who were present.

32. Then gods and Asuras reached an agreement, and after contracting a friendly alliance, they made great efforts for obtaining the nectar, Oh tormentor of enemies.

33. Then, being arrogantly proud (of their physical strength), they (gods and demons) forcibly pulled out the mount Mandara. Shouting lustily, they with their Parigha- like long and powerful arms, proceeded to take it to the sea.

34. Being thoroughly exhausted by carrying the heavy burden, Indra, Bali and other gods and demons became unable to take it any further and helplessly left it on the way.

35. While the mountain of gold was falling there, it crushed to death under its weight many gods and demons.

36. Knowing that they (gods and demons) had got their arms, thighs and necks broken and were dispirited and nervous, the Eagle-bannered Lord manifested himself there.

37. Having seen the gods and Dānavas (demons) have been crushed by the falling of the mountain, he, by his mere glance, restored gods to life as if they were unhurt.

38. Sportively, with one hand, he placed the mountain on Garuḍa, and mounting it (Garuḍa), he went to the sea surrounded by the hosts of gods and demons.

39. Having taken down the mountain from his shoulders and placing it near the water (of the sea) Garuḍa, the best and foremost among birds, being discharged by Lord Hari, went his way.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Padaratnāvalī: Again and again I salute to you who are Aja (Birthless-Viṣṇu), the creation, subsistence and dissolution of the universe, the very personification of various attributes (e.g. Ānanda, Vijñāna), the ocean of bliss impossible to those who identify themselves with the physical body, and of limitless glory.

[2]:

Padaratnāvalī differs: According to Padaratnāvalī God is not the material cause but the supreme cause on which other causes depend. The particle ca in Padaratnāvalī’s text indicates that if Brahman be the material cause even non-sentient material world would be sentient. Bhāgavata Candrikā accepts God as the material cause of the universe, but God is unaffected by changes (upādānatve'pi tasya nirvikāratvam).

[3]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā—Just as a serpent caught in box by a snake-charmer formed friendship with a mouse outside (to make a hole into that box). When the serpent creeps out of that box, it eats up that mouse. Similarly you should behave now.