Monday, June 9, 2014

Mohini

In Sagara manthana:

Gods and demons decided that they want to bring Amritha (nectar) from heavens. For that they were supposed to churn ksheera sagara (ocean of milk).

How big a rope do you need to churn the ocean? When gods and demons were discussing that, it was concluded that Vasuki, the lord of snakes will be the rope and the mountain Meru parvata will be the trunk.

But once the churning started, Vasuki and mountain started sinking. Then Vishnu  took his incarnation as Koorma or turtle and supported Meru parvata.

Demons argued and got to hold Vasuki's head and Gods held tail. Due to poisonous breath of the serpent many demons died.

The first thing to come out of ocean was not nectar but  very powerful poison called halahala. It was so strong that all living would have died.

All the gods requested God Shiva and he swallowed the entire poison to save world. His wife Parvati, stopped the poison from entering his stomach by pressing his throat.

After halahala other things came out of ocean. Lakshmi was one of them whom God Vishnu married. Then there came kalpavraksha and kamadhenu, a tree and a cow which would fulfill all wishes.

Finally nectar came. By this time demons were infuriated as they had nothing so far. But giving nectar to demons will make them very strong and they will never die. And hence cause havoc on heaven and earth.

Some scheme was to be evolved to avoid demons from getting nectar. For this Vishnu took the form a beautiful woman and appeared in front of fighting Gods and demons. This was Mohini.

Mohini offered to distribute nectar among equally. She asked them to stand in two different lines - one of gods and one of demons. Bewitched by her beauty, all agreed to this.

She kept on poring nectar to gods and by the time she finished their line nectar was empty.


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