ॐ Hindu Of Universe ॐ
“God’s light is within you, It never leaves you.”
Neel Kanth
The Neel Kanth avatar holds significant importance in the mythology of Lord Shiva. It is said that during the Samudra Manthan (churning of the cosmic ocean), a potent poison (Halahala) emerged, endangering the world. In response, Lord Shiva consumed the poison to safeguard the world from its harmful effects. To prevent the poison from spreading, Mata Parvati placed her palm on his neck, allowing only the poison-free portion to be consumed. This particular manifestation of Lord Shiva is known as the Neel Kanth avatar, symbolizing his selfless act and the protective role he plays in preserving the world.
Neel Kanth Avatar
Lord Shiva is known for many things. His matted hair, snake around His neck, His trident, three eyes and the destruction the third eye causes when the Lord is angry. Another spectacular attribute of Lord Shiva is His blue throat. Ever wondered why is Shiva depicted as having blue throat? It is because Lord Shiva consumed a deadly poison for the benefit of all living beings! Let’s know the story of him being called “Neelkanth”, meaning, blue throat.
The Hindu scriptures are filled with numerous miracles of Lord Shiva. But among these many miracles, drinking of the poison is extremely significant for all human beings. It is not just a story of how Lord Shiva protects us in every way but also a lesson for us. The blue-throat of Shiva signifies that we do not always need to suppress or react to the vices. We sometimes need to modify the negativities and make them ineffective.
Samudra Manthan
Before we come to the significance of the blue-throat of Lord Shiva, let us have a look at that splendid story of Neelkanth or the blue-throated God. One must be familiar with the story of Samudra Manthan or churning of the ocean. To get the elixir or nectar from the bottom of the ocean, once the Gods and the demons came together to churn the ocean. While the churning was in process many things emerged out of the ocean. Precious gems, animals, gold, silver, Goddess Lakshmi, Dhanvantri etc. were some of the things which emerged from the ocean which were divided among the Gods and the demons.
Among the many things which came out of the ocean, a deadly poison named Halahala was also one of them. This poison was extremely deadly and soon all the beings who came in contact with it began to perish. Even the Gods and the demons were asphyxiated and were on the verge of dying. This is when Lord Brahma and Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva for help.
Only Lord Shiva had the power to control and digest the poison which was so deadly. Since He had the power, Lord Shiva took the responsibility to drink the deadly poison. He drank the poison which started spreading in His body. Soon the deadly poison started affecting Lord Shiva and His body started turning blue.
Parvati Saves Lord Shiva from the Poison
But did you know of Goddess Parvati’s role in this?
Alarmed by the fast spreading of the poison, Goddess Parvati entered Lord Shiva’s throat in the form of a Mahavidya and controlled the poison to His throat. Thus, Lord Shiva became blue-throated and came to be known as Neelkanth.
What is the Spiritual Significance of Neelkanth?
It is believed that the blue colour of the poison signifies the negative thoughts and vices in our lives. The poison contained in the throat of Lord Shiva signifies that the poison can neither be drunk nor spitted out. But it can be controlled and made ineffective over time. Hence, Neelkanth signifies that we need to control all our negative thoughts and keep working towards achieving our goal.
Why is Lord Shiva Called Neelkanth?Like many other gods, Lord Shiva has very specific stories associated with the names that he bears. Most of the times, he has sacrificed himself to save humanity or to do good to others. Thus, Neelkanth has a similar tale, which we read earlier.
How Lord Shiva came to be known as ‘Neelkanth’ also has a similar tale of self-sacrifice. He is beyond comparison in this field. Let’s see it, pointwise.
The churning of the sea. Or, the Samudra Manthan with all its moral significance.
In the search of the nectar, devas and rakshashas were engaged in the churning of the sea. Both of them were prompted by the desire to get nectar and be immortal.
The typical process of churning requires to have a rope that can be wound around the churning rod. In this case, Mount Mandara was used as the rod while Vasuki Naag was used as the rope.
The by-products of churning. Philosophically, it is said that if you churn things, you will get both bad and good products. This is what happened with this samundra manthan too. A vicious poison named as Halahala emerged. It seemed fatal and totally unbearable for anyone present.
It is best to take resort in Lord Shiva’s feet
To be safe from this poison, it was suggested that Lord Shiva should be propitiated. Thus all the devatās prayed for his intervention. He being Bholenath, easily pleased, agreed to help.
The task was not simple! Without doubt, managing such a poison was not easy. Lord Shiva, out of his infinite love for the creation, decided to gulp the poison. He did so. But it could have its effect, and so, he kept it in his throat.
It is believed that the poison was so lethal, it did not even spare Lord Shiva – it colored the neck blue. However, everyone was saved and nobody was heart.
The protector of the universe then got hailed as Neelkanth, the one having a blue neck. Since then, devotees propitiate this name whenever they want to seek divine protection from Lord Shiva.
The significance of this incident – This incident shows that we should keep the bad things at bay and should not allow them to get inside us. They are lethal and can hurt us, but Lord Shiva shows how overcoming these bad things, we can avoid damage to ourselves.
Thus, it teaches us a lesson that you should take a note of the negativity around you but yet not let it affect you as you continue your work and activities.
Also,did you know of this interesting(non related to topic),fact? Such is the essence of this name that even some type of bird in India is named as Neelkanth just because it has a blue neck. This name is not just a symbol but also very much a legend.
The Untold Story Of Samudra Manthan
The Samudra Manthan is one of the biggest episodes of Hindu mythology narrated in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, and Mahabharata. It explains the origin of Amrita – the magical nectar of immortality and the omnipotent god of destruction Shiva drank the Halahala poison.
Story of Samudra Manthan:
It was the story of that time when heaven was the adobe of deities and filled with glory. But, due to the curse of the greatest Indian sage, Durvasa Muni, Lord Indra, and other divinities lost their wealth, glory and became weak and mortal. Alongside heaven, the complete universe became inferior.
Taking advantage of this situation, Bali – the king of demons, attacked and won the battle against deities, obtaining control over the universe. To resolve the problem, everyone went to Lord Vishnu. Vishnu advised everyone to proceed with Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean). Hence, they can restore the prosperity in the universe and get their power and grandeur of heaven back. He also advised taking demons with them.
To churn the ocean, Mount Mandrachal was used (Mandara or Mandar Mountain). Along with Mandrachal, the god of snakes, Vasuki played the role of the rope during Samudra Manthan. While Samudra Manthan, Lord Vishnu took his Kurma avatar (incarnated as a tortoise) and supported Mt. Mandrachal on its back. And the Samudra Manthan finally began.
1. Halahal Poison:
During the process, 14 gems emerged, among which the first and most dangerous one was Halahal. Halahal or Kalkoot was a vicious poison that was harmful to both gods and demons. However, Lord Shiv prevented this problem by swallowing the poison, and he kept the poison in his throat, which is why he named as “Neelkanth.”
2. Kamdhenu Cow:
In Puranas, Kamdhenu is described as the cow who fulfilled every wish.
3. Uchchaihshravas Horse:
It’s a seven-headed white horse and is considered the fastest among all horses.
4. Airavata:
Airavata was a white, beautiful elephant with four tusks. It became the vehicle of Indra and was named Indrahasti or Indrakunjar.
5. Kaustubha Mani:
Lord Vishnu wore this gem in his heart.
6. Kalpavriksha:
In Puranas, Kalpavriksha or Kalpataru is the tree that fulfills everyone’s wishes like Kamdhenu.
7. Parijat Tree:
The flowers from Parijat Tree get prominently used to worship gods and goddesses.
8. Varuni:
Varuni is known as Madeira or wine, given to demons.
9. Rambha:
As per belief, Rambha was the main nymph of the court of India dev emerge from Samudra Manthan.
10. Goddess Laxmi:
Laxmi appeared from the ocean sitting on a lotus.
11. Panchajanya Sankha:
A conch named Panchajanya emerged from Samudra Manthan.
12. Dhanvantri:
Dhanvantri is another incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
13. Chandra (Moon):
It’s said that Moon actually originated during Samudra Manthan that got placed on Lord Shiva’s head.
14. Amrit:
And, Amrit or nectar was the supreme treasure that gods and demons were fighting for. It is said to provide immortality if consumed.
Hence, Vishnu incarnated as Mohini and distracted demons, and finally, the nectar went to the gods, and they got back their power and glory.
Lord Shiva is known for many things. His matted hair, snake around His neck, His trident, three eyes and the destruction the third eye causes when the Lord is angry. Another spectacular attribute of Lord Shiva is His blue throat. Ever wondered why is Shiva depicted as having blue throat? It is because Lord Shiva consumed a deadly poison for the benefit of all living beings! Let’s know the story of him being called “Neelkanth”, meaning, blue throat.
The Hindu scriptures are filled with numerous miracles of Lord Shiva. But among these many miracles, drinking of the poison is extremely significant for all human beings. It is not just a story of how Lord Shiva protects us in every way but also a lesson for us. The blue-throat of Shiva signifies that we do not always need to suppress or react to the vices. We sometimes need to modify the negativities and make them ineffective.
Samudra Manthan
Before we come to the significance of the blue-throat of Lord Shiva, let us have a look at that splendid story of Neelkanth or the blue-throated God. One must be familiar with the story of Samudra Manthan or churning of the ocean. To get the elixir or nectar from the bottom of the ocean, once the Gods and the demons came together to churn the ocean. While the churning was in process many things emerged out of the ocean. Precious gems, animals, gold, silver, Goddess Lakshmi, Dhanvantri etc. were some of the things which emerged from the ocean which were divided among the Gods and the demons.
Among the many things which came out of the ocean, a deadly poison named Halahala was also one of them. This poison was extremely deadly and soon all the beings who came in contact with it began to perish. Even the Gods and the demons were asphyxiated and were on the verge of dying. This is when Lord Brahma and Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva for help.
Only Lord Shiva had the power to control and digest the poison which was so deadly. Since He had the power, Lord Shiva took the responsibility to drink the deadly poison. He drank the poison which started spreading in His body. Soon the deadly poison started affecting Lord Shiva and His body started turning blue.
Parvati Saves Lord Shiva from the Poison
But did you know of Goddess Parvati’s role in this?
Alarmed by the fast spreading of the poison, Goddess Parvati entered Lord Shiva’s throat in the form of a Mahavidya and controlled the poison to His throat. Thus, Lord Shiva became blue-throated and came to be known as Neelkanth.
What is the Spiritual Significance of Neelkanth?
It is believed that the blue colour of the poison signifies the negative thoughts and vices in our lives. The poison contained in the throat of Lord Shiva signifies that the poison can neither be drunk nor spitted out. But it can be controlled and made ineffective over time. Hence, Neelkanth signifies that we need to control all our negative thoughts and keep working towards achieving our goal.
Why is Lord Shiva Called Neelkanth?Like many other gods, Lord Shiva has very specific stories associated with the names that he bears. Most of the times, he has sacrificed himself to save humanity or to do good to others. Thus, Neelkanth has a similar tale, which we read earlier.
How Lord Shiva came to be known as ‘Neelkanth’ also has a similar tale of self-sacrifice. He is beyond comparison in this field. Let’s see it, pointwise.
The churning of the sea. Or, the Samudra Manthan with all its moral significance.
In the search of the nectar, devas and rakshashas were engaged in the churning of the sea. Both of them were prompted by the desire to get nectar and be immortal.
The typical process of churning requires to have a rope that can be wound around the churning rod. In this case, Mount Mandara was used as the rod while Vasuki Naag was used as the rope.
The by-products of churning. Philosophically, it is said that if you churn things, you will get both bad and good products. This is what happened with this samundra manthan too. A vicious poison named as Halahala emerged. It seemed fatal and totally unbearable for anyone present.
It is best to take resort in Lord Shiva’s feet
To be safe from this poison, it was suggested that Lord Shiva should be propitiated. Thus all the devatās prayed for his intervention. He being Bholenath, easily pleased, agreed to help.
The task was not simple! Without doubt, managing such a poison was not easy. Lord Shiva, out of his infinite love for the creation, decided to gulp the poison. He did so. But it could have its effect, and so, he kept it in his throat.
It is believed that the poison was so lethal, it did not even spare Lord Shiva – it colored the neck blue. However, everyone was saved and nobody was heart.
The protector of the universe then got hailed as Neelkanth, the one having a blue neck. Since then, devotees propitiate this name whenever they want to seek divine protection from Lord Shiva.
The significance of this incident – This incident shows that we should keep the bad things at bay and should not allow them to get inside us. They are lethal and can hurt us, but Lord Shiva shows how overcoming these bad things, we can avoid damage to ourselves.
Thus, it teaches us a lesson that you should take a note of the negativity around you but yet not let it affect you as you continue your work and activities.
Also,did you know of this interesting(non related to topic),fact? Such is the essence of this name that even some type of bird in India is named as Neelkanth just because it has a blue neck. This name is not just a symbol but also very much a legend.
The Story Of Samudra Manthan: The Churning Of The Ocean
Samudra Manthan is one of the famous Hindu mythology. You can find this mythology mentions in Bhagavata Purana, the Mahabharata, and the Vishnu Purana.
The meaning of the ‘Samudra Manthan’ is the churning of the ocean.
The meaning of Smaudra is an ocean, and Manthan is churning.
The story tells that, King of Gods, Indra gets cursed by the sage Durvasa. The Great sage Durvasa once offered the special garland to Dev Indra. The Dev Indra accepted the garland and thrown it on the tusk of his elephant Airawat. The elephant gets annoyed by the smell of the garland and trampled the garland on the floor. By seeing this incident, the sage Durvasa, get furious and cursed the Dev Indra and all deva to lose their all power, strength and, Fortune.
Due to this, Devraj Indra and Devs began to lose all battle against the demons, and King demon Bali gained control of the universe.
The helpless Indra knows that only Baikunthanath Vishnu can tell the solution for this problem. So Dev Indra with all gods reached to Lord Vishnu, praised him, and narrated his calamity.
Lord Vishnu said in a gentle voice that this is a time of disaster for you. The Demons are getting uplifted, and Devs are getting deprecated. But you have to spend this crisis period in a friendly manner.
Lord Vishnu said to Devs. If you want to regain your power, then you have to churn the oceans (Kshira Sagar) and bring out the magical nectar (amrita), and after drinking this magical nectar (amrita) can only help you to regain your powers. This famous churning is known as Samudra Manthan.
Devs were powerless, so they need the help of demons to accomplish this big task.
Lord Vishnu said to Devraj Indra accept every condition of demons for this task and take out your work in the end. By drinking (Amrita), you will become immortal, and you have the power to kill the demons.
According to God’s orders, Indra told Bali about the elimination of nectar from the churning of the ocean. The demon king Bali compromised with Devraj Indra and the sea was ready for churning.
The Mandarachal mountain adopted as a churning rod and, Vasuki (the King of Serpents) became the churning rope. But, as the pole installed into the water, it kept slipping into the depths of the ocean. So to stop this, Lord Vishnu instantly transformed himself into a tortoise and placed the mountain on his back. The Vishnu as the tortoise was his second avatar and called ‘Kurma.’
Lord Narayana exerted demonic power in the demons and devoutly power in the gods and given deep sleep to Vasuki Nag too so that he shouldn’t suffer.
The unintelligence demons thought that there would be some benefit in catching Vasuki Nag from his mouth and told to Devs that we are not inferior in power to anyone, we will take the place of a mouth.
The churning of the sea began, and the Mandarachal mountain began to roam on the broad back of the Lord Kurma.
The first item which comes out from the churning of the sea was the poison of water.
All the gods and demons started burning due to the flame of that poison, and their radiance began to fade for this, Devs and Demons prayed to Lord Shankar. On their prayer, Lord Mahadev kept the poison on his palm and drank it, But Mahadev has not drunk the poison down from the gorge.
Due to the drinking of Halahala poison, Shiva’s gorge turned blue. Therefore the Lord Mahadev is called Neelkanth.
A little amount of poison dripped from Lord Mahadev’s palm on the earth, which was drunk by poisonous animals like snakes, scorpions, etc.
After consuming the poison by Lord Shankar, the ocean churning started again.
The second treasure which emerged out from the ‘Samudra Manthan’ was Kamadhenu cow, which was kept by the sages.
Then, a (Uchchaihshravas) seven-headed flying horse came out, which was kept by Daityaraja Bali. After that white elephant, ‘Airavat’ came out, which was taken by Devraj Indra, and after ‘Airavat,’ a very precious gem Kaustubhamani emerged, which was kept by the Lord Vishnu.
Then, Kalpavriksha came out, and Apsara named Rambha appeared and, all these two kept in heaven. Next, the Goddess Lakshmi came out from churning the sea. Goddess Lakshmi herself accepted to Lord Vishnu and married to him.
After that, Varuni appeared in the form of a girl whom the demons received.
Then, one after another, many things come out like Parijat tree, Shell, etc. and finally, Dhanvantari Vaidya appeared with the nectar.
Violent fighting gets started between devs and demons after seeing the Dhanvantri with nectar.
The demons snatched the nectar from Dhanvantari’s hand and started fighting for it among themselves. (When the demon was snatching the amrita pot from Dhanvantari’s hand, the few drops of nectar get fell to the four different places: Allahabad Prayag at (Uttar Pradesh), Haridwar at (Uttrakhand), Ujjain at (Madhya Pradesh) and Nasik at (Maharashtra). Therefore Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years in these places.)
Due to the curse of Durvasa Muni on Devs. They didn’t have enough power to fight among demons and to take that nectar, so they stood frustrated and watching them fight among themselves.
Seeing the despair of the Gods, Lord Vishnu instantly took the form of beautiful woman Mohini and reached out to the demons fighting among themselves.
Seeing the Viswamohini avatar of Lord Vishnu ‘Mohini,’ Devas and Demons get fascinated and looked at him again and again.
When the demons saw that Mohini coming towards them, they forgot all their quarrel and started staring at her beauty.
The demon said, “O beautiful! Who are you?
It seems that to deal with our dispute, we are punishing ourselves. Come good luck! You are welcome. Make us drink this sweet with your lotus.
Vishnu, in the form of Vishwamohini, said, “O Devs and Demons! Both of you are brothers due to being the son of Maharishi Kashyap, yet you fight with each other.
I am an arbitrary woman. Wise people never believe such a woman, then how are you, believing in me? It is good that everyone should together meet and drink Amritpan.
On hearing such proverbial words of Vishwamohini, Demons got more confidence in him. He said, “Beautiful! We have full faith in you. We will consume Amritpana the same way you share.
Demon provides nectar pot to Mohini to distribute the nectar among all.
Vishwamohini took the nectar pot and asked the Devs and the demons to sit in separate rows.
After that, the demons plastered with their sarcasm, and Mohini began to drunk nectar to the Devs.
The demons became so obsessed with their sarcasm that they forgot to drink nectar.
The demon Rahu get understood the trick of Lord Vishnu. He sat down among the gods after making the form of a deity and put the received nectar in his mouth.
When the nectar gets reached in Rahu gorge, the moon and the sun called out and said that he is Rahu Demon.
Hearing this, Lord Vishnu immediately separated Rahu’s head from the neck with his Sudarshan Chakra. Due to the effect of nectar, his head and torso became two planets named Rahu and Ketu and, they get established in space.
They are the one who makes eclipse to sun and moon due to their hates.
In this way, Lord Vishnu gets disappeared from, there, by making drinking nectar to the gods.
As soon as the Lord Vishnu was disappeared, the plight of the demons ended.
Demons become very angry and started attacking the Devs.
The violent Devasur war started in which Devraj Indra defeated Daityaraj Bali and withdrew his Indralok.
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA NAMAH.
The Ratnas Of Samudra Manthan
Samudra Manthan or the churning of the ocean is one unique occasion when the Devas and their arch-nemesis, the Asuras, unite for an important reason. The churning of the ocean was a result of a curse by Sage Durvasa. Once, he offered a garland to Indra, the king of Devas. Indra accepted the garland and showed his happiness, putting the garland on his elephant, Airavata, as an ornament. Airavata, irritated by the scent of the garland, picked it with his trunk and threw it on the ground. Durvasa was furious and cursed Indra and the devas to lose their kingdom, power, and glory.
As a result, Indra’s mighty vahana instantly went into oblivion. Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, could no longer stay in the same realm as the Devas, and parted ways with her consort, Vishnu. She made the depths of Kshir Sagar her new home. Due to Lakshmi’s absence in Devlok, the devas lost all their riches. The luminous Chandra, adorning Shiva’s matted hair, disappeared too. Robbed of their power, the devas were soon defeated by the asuras in battle. The defeated devas approached Lord Vishnu for a solution, who advised them to churn Kshir Sagar, to obtain Amrit. Amrit or the elixir of immortality would help the devas regain their powers. The Asuras willingly offered to assist their half-brothers since they too wanted immortality and invincible powers by consuming Amrit.
Mount Mandara was used to churn the ocean, which was kept afloat in the ocean by Kurma, Vishnu’s turtle avatar. The Naga king, Vasuki, who Shiva wears as a garland, became the churning rope. Several precious items, ratnas, emerged from the cosmic ocean which were distributed amongst the Devas, the Asuras and the Sages.
Halahala
The Halahala was a deadly poison that had the potential to destroy all beings in the three realms. None amongst the armies of asuras and devas stepped in to stop the poison from spreading into the universe as they feared the poison would destroy them too. Lord Shiva descended from Mount Kailash to consume the poison. Goddess Parvati, Shiva’s consort, used her powers to stop the Halahal in Shiva’s throat, and as a result, his throat turned blue. Thus he came to be called Neelkanth.
Airavata
Airavata, the king of elephants, was a white coloured winged being with six trunks and six pairs of tusks. He said to dig his trunk deep into the ground and reach water which is inaccessible to humans. He uses his trunk to spray the water in the form of monsoon showers. After appearing from the cosmic ocean, Airavata chose to serve his master Indra, who was delighted to reunite with his loyal vahana.
Uchhaisravas
Often considered as the king of the horses, the seven-headed, snow-white horse, was one of the three animals that appeared during the Samudra Manthan. The magnificent steed was taken by Indra. Eventually, Uchhaisravas came into the hands of King Mahabali, the asura king, who ruled over the three worlds.
Once Goddess Lakshmi was spellbound by the beauty of Uchhaisravas and forgot to pay attention to her consort, Vishnu. This infuriated him and he cursed Lakshmi to be born as a mare.
The colour of Uchhaisravas’ tail once became a topic of debate for two sisters, Kadru and Vinata. The sisters studied the horse from a distance and Vinata declared that the horse’s tail was white, while Kadru insisted that the tail was black. The sisters decided to come back and see the horse the next day. Whoever of the two had guessed the wrong colour, would have to become the slave of the other. Kadru won the bet by treachery as she commanded her sons, the Nagas, to cover the tail of the horse. Thus Vinata ended up becoming Kadru’s slave.
Kamdhenu
Kamdhenu was one of the precious ratnas obtained from the cosmic ocean and is considered to be the mother of all cattle. Kamdhenu is depicted with the face of a woman, the body of a cow with a pair of wings and the tail of a peacock. She was given to the Saptrishis as she provided them with ample milk. The milk was used to prepare curd and ghee which were regularly required for their sacred rituals. According to the Mahabharata, Kamdhenu was in the possession of one of the Saptrishis, Jamadagni. The sage invited King Kartavirya Arjuna to a feast. The greedy king learnt about the resourcefulness of Kamdhenu and forcefully took Kamdhenu and her calf away from the sage. The sage’s son, Parshurama, the sixth avatar or incarnation of Vishnu, single-handedly defeated the king and his army, successfully retrieving the sacred cow and her calf.
Apsaras
Apsaras are female heavenly spirits of Devaloka or the home of the gods. They are associated with music and dance. After appearing from the cosmic ocean, they chose Gandharvas as their companions. The Gandharvas served as musicians in Indra’s court. Indra, who was constantly insecure about his throne, often commanded the enchanting apsaras to distract sages or asuras from their tapasya to achieve his own ends.
Parijat
From the depths of the ocean, sprung a divine flowering tree called the Parijat. The flowers of the tree were white, with a tinge of orange at the stalk. Indra decided to keep the beautiful flowering tree with the enchanting fragrance for himself and planted the tree in his garden in Devaloka. Yugas later, Krishna and Indra duelled over the tree as Krishna wanted to bring the tree bearing the scented flowers to Prithvilok for his wives Satyabhama and Rukmini. Eventually, Krishna defeated Indra, and took the tree. The tree has a special significance in Hinduism, as it is forbidden to pluck its flowers and only the fallen flowers can be used to worship deities.
Vishnu’s Sharanga bow, Panchajanya Conch, and Kaustubh Mani
The Sharanga bow was one of the two divine bows crafted by Vishwakarma, the architect of the gods. Vishnu used the bow in his Parshurama, Rama and Krishna avatars. Before returning back to his holy abode, Vishnu, in the form of Krishna, left the bow in the possession of Varuna, the god of oceans.
In ancient times the sound of the conch signified the beginning of a war. Vishnu’s conch, Panchajanya is a symbolic way of portraying his role as the preserver of the universe. God steps into battlefields again and again, in different avatars to save humanity.
Kaustubh Mani is a sacred precious gemstone that is embedded in the necklace worn by Vishnu. The gemstone is said to be as beautiful as an exotic lotus and as radiant as the sun.
Chandra
The moon God Chandra appeared as one of the precious ratnas and took refuge in the matted hair of Shiva. His father-in-law, Prajapati Daksha once cursed him for not being a good husband to his daughters. Due to the curse, Chandra lost his powers and his body started withering. After extensive prayers, Shiva came to the deity’s rescue and wore him as an ornament in his hair to neutralize the curse. However, Chandra still waxes and wanes as a result of that curse.
Lakshmi and Alakshmi
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, prosperity and fortune. She is one of the three supreme goddesses, with Saraswati and Parvati. She emerged from the cosmic ocean draped in her red and gold saree while seated on a grand lotus with smaller lotuses in her hands. After a long time of separation, the goddess was finally reunited with her consort, Lord Vishnu. Her return brought back the riches of the devas, giving Devaloka its earlier splendour.
The arrival of Lakshmi was followed by her counterpart and elder sister, Alakshmi, who had unkempt hair and was draped in a single white cloth. She is the goddess of misfortune, poverty and misery and is said to visit houses filled with ego, pride, selfishness, and envy. Unlike her sister Lakshmi, who likes sweet food, Alakshmi has an appetite for hot, sour and pungent food. So, many Hindu households often hang lemon and chillies at their doorstep to satisfy the appetite of the goddess of misfortune.
Dhanvantri
Dhanvantri, the physician of the gods, appeared from the turbulent ocean carrying the pot of Amrita. Dhanvantri was responsible for teaching the ancient knowledge of medical science, Ayurveda, to mortals. Brahma created Ayurveda, before he created mankind, but the vast knowledge of medical science was difficult for mortals to understand. So, Dhanvantri split the original text into eight divisions and taught his disciples.
Amrita
As soon as Dhanvantri appeared with the pot of Amrit, the Asuras snatched the pot and planned to consume the entire pot of elixir. Vishnu devised a plan and took the form of an enchanting woman, Mohini. Mohini used her charm to lure the asuras out of hiding and used the opportunity to take the pot back to the Devas. While the devas were consuming the elixir to regain their divine strength back, one of the asuras, Rahuketu disguised himself as a deva to taste the Amrit. However, he was discovered just as he was pouring the liquid into his mouth. Vishnu instantly hurled the Sudarshan Chakra and beheaded Rahuketu but the amrita had already reached the asura’s throat. Rahuketu’s head and body were flung on opposite sides of the universe and became Rahu and Ketu.
Neelkanth, the story behind our favourite blue god and the Manthan Mythology
Neelkanth is a name which we fondly refer to God Shiva with. Lord Shiva in Indian mythology is considered to be the creator of the universe and one of the most powerful gods. He in fact finds a spot among the three most powerful gods in the universe, and his name is assertively taken alongside Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, three of them together who make for eternal strength as per Indian Mythology.
There is a very intriguing tale behind how Lord Shiva came to be known as Neelkanth; the one with the blue neck. A story that can be volumes of pages and very gripping if deep-dived into.
The story of Samudra Manthan or the Manthan Mythology holds a special significance in Hindu culture. It is the only story in our Puranas where the Devas and the Asuras (the good and evil) come together and join hands for a common purpose. The story is so special it finds a place in two of the most important books of Indian Literature, the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavad Purana.
The phrase Samudra Manthan literally means the Churning of the Ocean/Sea. Got you intrigued? Let’s briefly look into why the ocean was churned and how the Neelkanth name was derived from this churning of the ocean tale.
Once an act of God Indra makes Sage Durvasa very angry who in turn curses Indra and all Gods that they would lose wealth, power, and immortality. After the incident, when the Gods (Devas) fight a battle with the Asuras (Demons), they end up as the loser, and Bali king of Demons takes control of the universe. Having experienced the defeat at the hands of Asuras, and loss of numerical strength in the battle, then Indra and his fellow Gods decide to do something and first approach God Brahma who clearly informs them that he is not the right person to guide them to obtain a solution to the problem, but tells them to go to God Vishnu. After listening to Indra, God Vishnu prepares a detailed plan of obtaining Amrit/nectar through the process of churning the Ocean of Milk. He also tells the Gods, it is an uphill task, and hence they need to take help from the Asuras as well. Accordingly, the Gods contact the Asuras and invite them to participate in the Samudra Manthan who happily agree to do so. As the per plan of Vishnu Mount Mandara is chosen as a churning rod/stirrer, and Vasuki the King of Serpents, is selected as a churning rope. While positioning Mandara as a stirrer in an ocean, due to its own weight when the mountain starts sinking, Vishnu puts himself in action. By taking the shape of a Kurma/tortoise. He goes down Mandara and supports it from the base. In this way, Vishnu burdens himself with the load of mountain Mandara.
Additionally, to avoid the mountain from wobbling during the process of churning, God Brahma is made to sit on the top of Mandara to provide the necessary stability during the rotation of a stirrer. Under the supervision of Vishnu, the Gods and the Asuras start the process of churning the ocean, and one by one thing start coming out of the Ocean of Milk. In total, fourteen Ratna/Jewels are obtained from Samudra Manthan; some of them are beneficial things and some are harmful objects too. As per the legend, Halahal the poison comes first and the poison of the Halahal is considered to be one of the most poisonous ones.
Worried that the poison or the Halahal will poison the entire humankind, the devas and the asuras rush to Lord Shiva to request him to help them save mankind. Without giving it a second thought Lord Shiva consumes the poison and the venom of the Halahal makes his neck turn blue. So much so that to date every visual description of Lord Shiva is seen with a blue neck.
They say belief is everything and if it is to be believed then this tale goes to say the power of Lord Shiva who saved mankind from the venomous poison and is fondly referred to as Neelkanth for doing the same.