The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 18

Section XVIII. ( Astika Parva continued. )

Sauti said, "There is a mountain of name Mandara adorned with peaks like those of the clouds. It is the best of mountains, and is covered all over with intertwining herbs. There no end of birds pour forth their melody, and there beasts of prey roam about. The gods, the Apsaras, and the Kinnaras visit this place. Upwards it riseth eleven thousand yojanas, and descendeth downwards as much. The gods failed to tear it up and they came to Vishnu and Brahma who were sitting, and said, 'devise you some efficient scheme. Consider, ye gods, how Mandara may be upraised for our good."

Sauti continued, "And Vishnu, with Brahma, assented to it, O son of Bhrigu! And the lotus-eyed one laid the hard task on the mighty Ananta, the prince of Snakes. And the mighty Ananta, directed thereto both by Brahma and Narayana, O Brahmana, upraised that mountain with the woods thereon and with the dwellers of those woods. And the gods came to the shore of the Ocean with Ananta, and addressed the Ocean saying, 'O Ocean, we have come to churn thy waters for obtaining nectar.' And the Ocean replied, 'be it so, as I am to have a share of the nectar. I am able to bear the agitation of my waters by the mountain.' And the gods went to the king of the tortoises and said to him, 'O Tortoise-king, thou shalt have to hold the mountain on thy back.' The tortoise-king agreed, and Indra placed the mountain on the former's back by means of instruments.

"And the gods and the Asuras made Mandara their churning staff and Vasuki the cord, and set about churning the main for amrita. The Asuras held Vasuki by the hood and the gods by the tail. And Ananta who was for Narayana, at intervals raised the Snake's hood and suddenly lowered it. And in consequence of the friction he received at the hands of the gods and the Asuras, black vapours with flames issued out of his mouth which becoming clouds charged with lightning poured down showers to refresh the tired gods. And blossoms beginning to rain on all sides of the gods from the trees on the whirling Mandara, also refreshed them.

"And, O Brahmana, out of the deep then came a tremendous roar, like unto the roar of the clouds at the universal dissolution. Various aquatic animals were crushed by the great mountain, and gave up their being in the salt-waters. And many dwellers of the lower regions and inhabitants of the world of Varuna were killed. From the revolving Mandara, large trees were torn up by the roots, and flying into the air like birds, they fell into the water. And the mutual friction of the trees produced a fire which surrounded the mountain. And the mountain looked like a mass of dark clouds charged with lightning. O Brahmana, the fire increased, and burnt the lions, elephants and other creatures that were on the mountain. And carcasses of no end of animals floated down the waters. Then Indra extinguished that fire by descending showers.

"O Brahmana, after the churning had gone on for sometime, the gums of various trees and herbs mixed with the waters of the Ocean. And the celestials attained immortality by properties of amrita, and with the liquid extract of gold. By degrees, the milky water of the agitated deep produced clarified butter by virtue of the gums and juices. But nectar did not rise even then. And the gods appeared before boon-granting Brahmā seated on his seat and said, 'Sir, we are spent, we have not strength left to churn further. Nectar hath not yet arisen. So that now we have no resource save Narayana.'

"Hearing them, Brahma said to Narayana, 'Lord, vouchsafe to grant the gods strength to churn afresh the deep.'

"And Narayana agreeing to grant their various prayers, said, 'O wise ones, I grant ye sufficient strength. Go, insert the mountain and churn the waters.'

"Re-equipped with strength, the gods began the churning again. After a while, the mild Moon of a thousand rays emerged from the ocean. Thereafter, Lakshmi dressed in white, and wine, the white steed, and then the celestial gem Kaustuva which graces the breast of Narayana. Lakshmi, wine, and the steed fleet as the mind, all came before the gods on high. Then arose the divine Dhanwantari himself with the white vessel of nectar in his hand. And seeing him, the Asuras set up a loud cry, saying, "Ye have taken all, he must be ours.'

"And at length rose the great elephant, Airavata, of huge body and with two pairs of white tusks. And him took the holder of the thunder-bolt. But the churning still went on, so that poison at last appeared, and began to overspread the earth, blazing like a flame mixed with fumes. And at the scent of the fearful Kalakuta, the three worlds were stupefied. And then Mahadeva of the Mantra form, solicited by Brahma, to save the creation swallowed the poison and held it in his throat. And it is said that the god from that time is called Nilakantha (blue-throated.) Seeing all these wondrous things, the Asuras were filled with despair, and prepared to enter into hostilities with the gods for the possession of Lakshmi and nectar. Thereupon Narayana called his bewitching Maya to his aid, and assuming a ravishing female form, coquetted with the Asuras. And the Daityas, ravished with her charms, lost their reason and unanimously placed the nectar in the hands of that fair woman."

So ends the eighteenth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.