Mandalam Musings Day 23- Importance of Churning the Milky Ocean

 

Mandalam Musings Day 23-

Importance of Churning the Milky Ocean

Vasuki, the serpent, (the rope) represents our desire and willingness to persevere. When the Devas and Asuras asked for help, Vasuki obliged without hesitation, although the task was not easy. Without the desire and a ‘can do’ attitude, nothing can be achieved, and religious progress is no exception. People think that religion and spirituality are for the weak and lazy, but that is not true. Vasuki was instrumental in utilizing the mighty hill Mandhara (concentration and awareness) to its full potential.

Kurma, the tortoise, Lord Vishnu’s Avatar, was there at the exact moment to give the Mandhara hill a firm base. The results of our work depend on how strong our foundation is. The Lord himself became a strong foundation as the Devas and Asuras decided to work together for a common cause. He would not let the hill sink down. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that a cooperative effort for the betterment of fellow beings and the society at large will never go unrewarded. Kurma also represents the mental balance one must have as he pursues the spiritual sadhana. It is about control of the mind. It decides whether “I am going to be swayed by the thoughts appearing in my mind or am I going to decide what thoughts are to be entertained consciously and what thoughts are to be discarded at the bud”. The question is who is in control here – me or the thoughts? Am I the one thinking these thoughts or are the thoughts making me do things?

Halahala, the poison vomited by the serpent (in another version of the story,  it emerged out of the ocean) is the outpouring of negative emotions and thoughts that would come to disturb and stop us from proceeding in the path of awareness and eventually hinder our spiritual awakening. It shows that the path of spirituality may be full of obstacles, but the Lord Siva Himself is ready to help and guide us. After all, He is the Lord of meditation and renunciation.

Mahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth, Kamadhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow, Kalpavisksha, the wish-fulfilling tree, Dhanwantari, the knowledge of well being and natural medicine, etc. are siddhis (special abilities) one may attain as gifts from the divine as we proceed on our path to realization. Some people may stop at some of these attainments or half-way, and do not follow through to reach the final goal.

Finally, the elixir of immortality, Amrut, is the God-realization where all the differences cease to exist, and the reality becomes clear. That is the aim all should have in undertaking serious pursuits. Interestingly all serious and earnest pursuits become spiritual, ultimately. In the Samudra Manthan episode, in the end, the Lord decided to serve the hard-earned Amrut only to Devas. They only possessed the quality to accept the ultimate gift, not the Ausras, although they also put in the effort. One must be worthy of accepting certain gifts, lest they might misuse it for their own detriment.