46 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O best of the Kurus! The devatās and demons summoned Vāsuki, king of the serpents, promising to give him a share of the nectar. They coiled Vāsuki around Mandara Mountain as a churning rope, and with great pleasure and enthusiasm they began to churn the ocean.
Ajita first grasped the head portion of the snake and the devatās followed.
In order to make the demons take the head portion with poison, the Lord first grasped this portion. The devatās also grasped this portion.
The leaders of the demons did not like this action of the Lord. We shall not accept the tail of the snake, which is an inauspicious limb, since we have studied the Vedas and are renowned by birth and activities.
Seeing the demons standing silent, the Supreme Lord smiled, and giving up the front portion, took the tail of the snake, along with devatās.
The Lord smiled. You will die because of the intense poison, since you have such pride.
After thus adjusting how the snake was to be held, the sons of Kaśyapa, both devatās and demons, began churning the ocean of milk with great enthusiasm, desiring to get nectar.
O son of the Pāṇòu dynasty! While the ocean was being churned, Mandara Mountain, because it had no support, sank in the water, though held by the strong devatās and demons, because of its weight.
Having lost their valor by strong fate, the devatās and demons were disappointed, and the beauty of their faces faded.
Understanding the method at the time of an obstacle, the unlimitedly powerful Lord, whose determination is infallible, took the astonishing shape of a tortoise, entered the water, and lifted the great Mandara Mountain.
Seeing the method possible when there is an obstacle (vighneśa-vidhim), For this obstacle, there is this solution, the Lord took the form of a tortoise and lifted the mountain up. He thought, The form of the tortoise is suitable for lifting up the mountain in the water. Avitathābhisandhiḥ means he whose desires are always fulfilled.
When the devatās and demons saw that Mandara Mountain had been lifted, they were enlivened to churn again. The Lord supported the mountain on his back which extended for a hundred thousand yojanas. He resembled the great Jambudvīpa situated in the water.
Kūrma supported the mountain on his back. He resembled the other great island, Jambudvīpa.
O King! When the devatās and demons, by the strength of their arms, rotated Mandara Mountain, the tortoise accepted the rolling of the mountain as a means of scratching his body.
The rotating of the very heavy mountain on his back did not give Kūrma pain, but rather was pleasurable for him.
Thereafter, Viṣṇu entered the demons as the quality of passion. He entered the devatās as the quality of goodness, and entered Vāsuki as the quality of ignorance to stimulate and increase their strength and courage.
Seeing that they would not be able to continue after a few moments, and that Vāsuki would die from the pain of his body rubbing against the mountain, the Lord mercifully took action. He entered the demons as the energy of rajas (asurena). Īrayan means stimulating. He entered the devatās as the energy of sattva. He entered Vāsuki as the energy of tamas (abodha). By illusion in ignorance, Vāsuki would not be conscious of his pain.
Situated in another form like another huge mountain with a thousand hands, the Lord caught Mandara Mountain with one hand and stood on top of it. From the sky, the associates of Viṣṇu showered flowers upon him.
When he saw the mountain rising up, the Lord then took action. The phrase brahma-bhavendra-mukhyair (by the main persons among Brahmā, Śiva and Indra) indicates the followers of Viṣṇu. Or it can mean the devatās were at the milk ocean and their expansions remained in the sky to shower flowers.
Strengthened by the Lord who entered the devatās, demons, the mountain and the snake, and was also above and below the mountain, and eager for the nectar, they energetically churned the ocean, which caused disturbance to all the crocodiles.
The Lord was above as the thousand armed form, below as the turtle, in the devatās as sattva, in the demons as rajas, in Vāsuki as tamas and in the mountain as steadiness.
Their vitality destroyed by the smoke and fire emanating from the breathing of the thousand cruel mouths of Vāsuki, the demons headed by Pauloma, Kāleya, Bali and Ilvala became like pine trees burned by a forest fire.
The demons completely lost (āhata) their vitality. Sarala is a type of tree.
The devatās also lost their strength by the blazing breath of Vāsuki, and their garments, garlands, weapons and faces were blackened by smoke. Controlled by the Lord, clouds poured rain and breezes blew, carrying particles of water from the sea waves.
Though the devatās were distant, holding the tail, they were also affected by the fire from Vāsukis mouths.
When nectar did not appear from the ocean of milk from churning by the best of the devatās and demons, Ajita personally began to churn the ocean.
The nectar did not come out because first the impure parts had to be taken out. Only then could the nectar appear.
The Lord, whose complexion was like a blackish cloud and had reddish eyes, wearing yellow garments and a garland, his earrings shining like lightning, his disheveled hair shining on his head, grabbed the snake with his victorious arms, which award fearlessness throughout the universe, and began churning the ocean, using Mandara Mountain as a churning rod. The Lord, taking that mountain, appeared like a sapphire mountain.
He wore cloth of golden color and earrings shaped like makaras, flashing like lightning. He churned the ocean using the mountain as a rod (mathnā). Prati giri means an opposite mountain. Since Mandara was gold, the opposite mountain would be a mountain made of blue sapphire (the color of Viṣṇu).
From the churning of the ocean, which disturbed the fish, sharks, tortoises and snakes and afflicted even the whales, water elephants, crocodiles and timiḍgila fish, a fierce poison called hālahala first appeared.
Because the plants offered in the ocean had both poison and nectar in them, first the poison had to be drawn out. Dvirūpa-koṣa says that the word can be written hālahala, hālāhala or halāhala. The fish became disturbed, wondering what disaster was occurring. Unmakara is a big makara. Timi and timiḍgala are types of fish.
O King! That most vicious poison spread in all directions as well as up and down. Seeing that intolerable poison with no cure, all the frightened devatās and demons, along with the Lord himself, took shelter of Lord Śiva.
The poison spread in all directions and up and down as well. It spread slowly; otherwise the whole creation would be destroyed. Prajāḥ here refers to the devatās and demons. Normal persons could not quickly cross the ocean and go to Kailāsa. Seeing this poison which had no remedy (aprati), they became afraid. Having no protection they went to Śiva. The Supreme Lord did not act in this situation because he wanted to give fame to his devotee Śiva, by giving him the half-moon as his head ornament.
They saw Śiva, best of the devatās, cherished by the sages who serve him by austerities for gaining liberation, seated on Kailāsa with his wife for the benefit of the three worlds. They offered respects by reciting prayers.
He was seated on Mount Kailāsa for the prosperity of the three worlds. He is revered by sages who practice austerities for attaining liberation.
The Prajāpatis said: O greatest of all devatās! Mahādeva! Soul of all living entities! Protector of all beings! Deliver us, who have come here in surrender, from the poison which is burning the three worlds.
O Śiva! Save us! Śiva does not save, but destroys, since he is the avatāra of destruction. But you give consciousness to all beings (bhūtātman) and you protect all beings (bhūta-bhāvana).
You alone are the controller of the whole universe and of bondage and liberation. Intelligent people worship you, the guru who takes away the distress of surrendered souls.
But Viṣṇu is the protector of all beings. Take shelter of him! You are the only lord. There are not many lords. You and Viṣṇu are one, the only difference being that you are touched by the guṇas and Viṣṇu is not.
O self-manifesting, powerful lord! When you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation by your energy of māyā, you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara.
They praise his form as the (third) puruṣa. When you perform creation, you take on the names of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.
You are the Supreme Brahman, difficult to comprehend, the cause of superior and inferior natures. You are Viṣṇu, the Lord of the universe, appearing with various energies.
They praise the Lords impersonal form as Brahman. You create the living beings with superior and inferior natures such as devatās and demons (sad-asad-bhāva-bhāvanam). They praise him as Viṣṇu: you appear with various energies.
You are the collection of all syllables, the origin of the universe, ahaḍkāra, the prāṇas, the senses the elements, the three guṇas, svabhāva,1 time, determination, truth, pleasing words, and dharma. The wise determine that you are the syllable oṁ.
This verse praises the Lord as the ultimate expression of all words. You are collection of all syllables. You are the prānaṣ, senses, elements starting with earth and the three guṇas. The wise say that oṁ is in you. They determine that oṁ (trivṛd-akṣaram) represents you.
O source of all planets! The wise know that fire, the essence of all devatās, is your mouth, the earth is your lotus feet, time is the movement of you who are the source of all the devatās, all the directions are your ears, and Varuṇa, master of the waters, is your tongue.
They praise the Lord as the total of everything in the universe in five verses. Fire is the soul of all the devatās. Śruti says agniḥ sarvā devatāḥ: Agni is all the devatās. O cause of the planets (loka-bhava)!
O lord! The sky is your navel, the air is your breathing, the sun is your eyes, and the water is your semen. The shelter of all kinds of living entities, high and low is your ahaḍkāra. The god of the moon is your mind, and Svarga is your head.
The shelter of all jīvas superior and inferior is your ahaḍkāra (ātmā).
O personification of the three Vedas! The seas are your abdomen, and the mountains are your bones. All herbs and planets are the hairs on your body, the Vedic meters are the seven dhātus of your body, and all dharma is your heart.
O form of the three Vedas (trayi-mayātman)!
O lord! The five Vedic mantras are your five mouths, from which the thirty-eight secondary mantras have arisen. He who is your Paramātmā is called Śiva. Visṇu, self-manifesting, is your shelter.
Your five mouths are the five mantras: tat-puruṣa, aghora, sadyojāta, vāmadeva, and īṣana, by which mouths arise thirty-eighty secondary mantras, by dividing the verses. He who has the position of Paramātmā for you is called Śiva. The self-revealed Viṣṇu is your shelter.
O lord! Your shadow is seen in irreligion. The three modes of naturegoodness, passion and ignorance which brings about various creations, are your three eyes. All the ancient Vedic literatures, composed of verses, are your glance. You, the soul of all beings, are the creator of scriptures.
Your shadow exists in the waves of adharma such as pride. The three guṇas by which various creations arise are your three eyes. O lord (deva)! The Vedas composed of verses are your glance. Another version has sākṣat manuḥ. Manuḥ also means the Vedas.
O protector of mountains! Your supreme light known as Brahman which is devoid of rajas, tamas and sattva and devoid of distinctions is not known by the devatās, Viṣṇu or Indra.
O protector of mountains! Your light which is para Brahman cannot be understood by the protectors of planets. Since the form of Viṣṇu (vaikuṇṭha) is the Supreme Brahman, it is not a fault if Viṣṇu does not know this impersonal Brahman belonging to him, since it is like knowledge of a flower in the sky. That does not destroy his omniscience. Or the words from giritra to surendra can all be taken as vocative case.
Destroying the poison is nothing for you, who have destroyed many places of violence, such as Dakṣas sacrifice, the city of Tripura, and the demons Kāla and Gara. You are not even aware that the universe at the time of destruction turns to ashes by the sparks of fire emanating from your eye.
It is not difficult for you to destroy the poison that is now present. The action of destroying this poison is not to be praised, since you destroy all the places where there is violence to living beings, such as Dakṣas animal sacrifice. This is too insignificant. Kāla and Gara were two demons that Śiva killed, but also this refers to the poison. It is mentioned in the past tense to express the fact that it is necessary to destroy it. You are not even aware that the universe is destroyed when you glance. Thus destroying this poison will be insignificant for you.
Persons criticize you as a ferocious, violent person obsessed with the burning grounds and engaged in flirting with Umā, though you are engaged in intense austerity and your feet are the object of meditation by the best of ātmārāmas. Devoid of shame, they do not know your pastimes
Your greatness cannot be understood by superficial materialists. Though you are engaged in flirting with Umā, you are actually engaged in austerity. It is not a show of lust, for the best of the ātmārāmas meditate on your feet. Though this is so, people criticize you as a ferocious, violent person. You should be praised as the opposite. Those who criticize you do not know your activities. How unfortunate! They do not know your pastimes. Your pastimes involving misconduct involving display of lust and anger are mocked by people. Filled with lust and anger, do they have no shame in criticizing you, upon whose feet the best of ātmārāmas meditate?
Even Brahmā cannot understand the real truth about you, who are great, superior to moving and non-moving beings and difficult to understand. What to speak of us trying to understand you! We, who have been created by Marīci and others, who were created by Brahmā, can only praise you according to our ability.
What to speak of such persons understanding you! Even Brahmā does not understand the truth about you. We, who have been created by Marīci and others, who were created by Brahmā (tat-sarga-sarga-viṣayāḥ), can only praise you according to our ability, and not accurately.
O great lord! We do not understand your superior form. We only know that you, whose activities are hard to understand, make your appearance for the happiness of the people.
You appear in order to make people happy. You should make the people happy by destroying the poison.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Lord Śiva, the friend of all living entities, on seeing the danger to the devatās, became afflicted out of compassion. He spoke to his eternal consort, Satī, as follows.
Lord Śiva said: O Bhavānī! See how all these living entities have been placed in danger because of the poison produced from the churning of the ocean of milk.
It is my duty to give safety to all living entities struggling for existence, since it is the duty of the master to protect his suffering dependents.
Among people who are bewildered by the Lords māyā and who are always engaged in animosity toward one another, the devotees protect other living entities at the risk of their own temporary lives.
But you, being an ātmārāma, should ignore these jīvas subjected to mutual hatred in the material world. This verse answers.
O gentle Bhavānī! When one performs benevolent activities for others, the Supreme Lord is very pleased. And when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison. May all the living entities have auspicious existence because of me!
Me means because of me. Svastiḥ means auspicious existence.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After informing Bhavānī in this way, Lord Śiva, protector of the universe, was about to drink the poison, and Bhavānī, knowing his ability, gave her permission.
Thereafter, Lord Śiva, protector of the living entities, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison into his palm and drank it.
He took the poison spread everywhere, and reduced it into his palm.
The poison manifested its potency on Śiva. The blue line that the poison made on Lord Śiva's neck is now accepted as an ornament of Śiva.
Jala-kalmaṣaḥ means the poison. The poison showed its potency even on Śiva (tasyāpi).
Generally well bred people suffer because of others suffering. This is most satisfying to the Supreme Lord, the soul of all beings.
Upon seeing this act of generous Śiva, the lord of the devatās, Bhavānī, Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu, and the people in general praised him.
Scorpions, cobras, poisonous plants and other poisonous animals drank whatever little amount of poison splashed from Śivas hand as he drank.
The scorpions, snakes, and others, such as dogs and jackals, drank what fell from the hand of Śiva when he drank.
Thus ends the commentary on the Seventh Chapter of the Eighth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
The Seventh Chapter describes how the Lord appeared as Kūrma, as well describes the various items churned from the ocean, Śiva drinking poison, and glorification of Śiva. Vāsuki is king of the snakes. Inviting Vāsuki by promising him a share of nectar, they wrapped him around the mountain as a rope and began to churn the ocean.