Rahu - A prelude to Kurma Avatar

By Sri Chiraan 2009/01/31 

Rahu was a demon, son of Simhika, he took penance or many years to obtain Amrut [nectar]. Bramha gave him the boon to obtain thus. Amrut gives one immortality. 

Once Sage Durvasa was giving a discourse on Lord’s supremacy. Indra was passing by, so the rishis listening to the discourse, made a garland and offered it to Indra as a mark of respect. Indra out of haughtiness, kept the garland on the Elephant [kumbhasthala]. As elephant  shook its head the garland fell down. Seeing the disrespect and carelessness of Indra, Durvasa cursed him to loose his opulence.

Immediately Demons took over the kingdom of swarga and Devatas lost their charm. All of them went to Kshirsagar and requested Narayana to end their plight. Narayana advised them, since their time is presently not favourable, they must make mends with Demons and get ready for great churning of the ocean together and share everything that comes out of it.

Devatas and Danavas agreed. To churn they chose the Mandar parvat. But none could lift it. So God effortlessly plucked it and summoned Garuda [Anantha], and he took it to the place of action. But again both Devatas and demons together tried to grip the Mandar parvat, but it slipped and fell on the earth and many got disabled and crippled under it. Again God with his left hand plucked it and placed it on Garuda, and also cured those crippled. Garuda with his wings held it for churning, but ocean could not be churned and it slipped to the bottom of the ocean.

Lord Narayana then took the form of the Tortoise [Kachchap] Kurma, held the mountain Mandar on its back, and brought it above the ocean and it stayed still supported on the Kurma. Narayana entered the mandar, devatas and demons to renew their strengths to churn the ocean with the Vasuki the snake offering the services as rope to churn the ocean with the golden Mandar.

Demons preferred to hold the face of the Vasuki as tail was inauspicious. But as the churning would commence, Vasuki breathed heavily and dispelled poison and fire though its mouth causing distress to Demons and Devatas at the tail were at ease. [Evil intentions bear always negative results and discomfort even if good choices are made, here though a face is more auspicious than tail, it turned out to be uneasy option].

While churning the deadly poison of KaalKuut emerged. This was very embodiment of Kali. By the boon of Bramha, it could not be even touched as it burnt heavily. Lord Vayu took it in his palm and in a Golden Vessel. He took a drop out of it, placed in his palm and rubbed it to reduce its potency, and then a small portion of it, placed on the tongue of Shiva, Shiva before it could reach his throat, fell unconscious, his Neck turned blue. [He was thus called NEELKANTH]. Lord Vayu drank the whole vessel full of poison and nothing happened as he digested it.

As the drop was being given to Shiva, a few droplets fell on the earth, as it was Kali himself, it spread rapidly and the poison assumed various forms of manifestations as serpents, wolfs, lions, and other poisonous creatures, and poisonous tribes of man eaters and cannibals. Many weapons of poisonous nature also emanated from it.

Lord Narayana placed his gracious palm on the Shiva,he got up, but unable bear heat of the poison, he chose to stay in the cold snow regions of Kailash near  Meru, but still his pain and heat was unbearable, thus he kept Ganga in his hair locks [Ganagadhar], still he could not relieve severe headache, thus he kept the Moon on his head. Yet to save himself from pain and swelling, he invited serpents round his neck to give soothing effect.

Churning continued a whole vessel of intoxicating Madya came up, Demons accepted it, and out came Uchhaishrava, Bali kept it for himself. Then came Airavat, it was given to Indra. Many Apsaras emanated they were all sent to Swarga. Then came Moon, Parija , Kamadhenu and Kalpavraksha, Kaustubha gem, Lord Narayana accepted it as a present from Bramha. Then came Indira Devi as Mahalakshmi, She adored the chest of Narayana as Srivatsa.

Then finally Lord Dhanvantari came up with a kamandalu and a vessel full of nectar [Amrut]. Rakshasas snatched it from HIM. God allowed it to be snatched. As one must commit crime to be punished, Demons transgressed the rule that everything must be shared ,thus were entitled to be punished. Demons started fighting amongst each other as Narayani the beautiful form of the Lord appeared.

Demons struck by her beauty handed over the pot of nectar to her distribute. Devatas and Demons sat in opposite rows and Mohini, poured the nectar to Devatas and just water to Demons. Here God betrayed Demons to validate the dictum according to the Dharma.

Dharmachhellam papajaneshu Dharma

Cheating evil people is akin to Dharma or One must not apply usual parameters of Dharma to sinners. One must pay back in the same terms as used by sinners.

But Rahu took his position between Sun and the Moon among the devatas. Lord put a drop in his palm [to honour the Bramha’s words]. But when alerted by Sun and moon, he slit of the throat of the Demon with his Sudarshan chakra. But by then the Nectar had already entered his neck. Thus his both head and the Body [headless kabandh] became immortal. Head became one of the navagraha's and the body is still in the Shubodh Sagar. Aspiring for things undeserving always results in disaster. Though Rahu aspired for Amrut but failed to obtain grace of Lord Narayana, he suffered. But vowed to avenge, thus time and again eclipses Sun and Moon, who suffer at the hands of Rahu owing to his immortality. Though Rahu’s head was severed by Narayana, just a mere touch of Amrut entitled him to survive. [What a greatness of Amrut the nectar]. 

Krishnarpana

Venus - The Bhargava Manmath Mohini

 By Sri Chiraan 2009/01/12

• Shukra is a planet that encompasses all the emotions of a man on the earth.
• The Shukracharya [presiding deity for the planet] is a great rishi and exhibits all kinds of knowledge.
• He is daitya guru. But Param vaishnava. He is first to invent Mrut sanjeevani Vidya [giving life to dead].
• Venus is the planet that imparts beauty with lustrous hair. [Rukmini devi had a beautiful curly hair].
• Venus also gives warrior like nature.
• Parashurama is the Vishnu rupa that arises out of Venus.
• Parashurama killed all the kshatriyas on the earth not once but 21 times. 
• So Venus is also a violent planet.
• Venus gives great urge for knowledge because its father is sage Brighu, the ultimate in knowledge.
• Without the blessings of Bhrigu no knowledge can be mastered in this world.
• Venus is known as Bhargav.
• Venus is the most sensuous planet.
• Kaamdev is the manifestation in Venus. One who stirs the heart of the people is known as Manmath.
  • People can stay calm and unnerved and controlled when their Mann [mind] is still.
  • When this mind whirls due to churning [mathan], one loses self control and is infatuated and yearns for a mate. The very presence of Manmath, churns ones heart, where come then the senses listen. Manmath is specially present in darkness of night, on the bosom of a woman, in the vicinity of jasmine, mango leaves, full moon night and picturesque view of mountains, forests, lakes and gardens. Thus these arouse passion in the man. But even this Manmath looses his senses before Rati, who is responsible for this [of course Lord Narayana who is sakshat Manmath Manmath. one who churns the heart of Manmath].
  • But the same Manmath can also become ferocious like Skanda [avatar of Manmath, the great commander of Devatas].
  • Shiva under the influence of Venus mated with Parvati for a 1 lakh year. The retas became so hot and energetic due to prolonged mating that it became golden in colour and Parvati unable to bear it gave it to krittikas, thus ferocious Kartikeya was born. Venus gives rise to martial nature.
• Same venus [Manmatha] can be very obedient Bharath.
• Venus also gives rise to innocence and vairagya seen in Bharath, Sanat kumar, Samba [all avataras of Manmath].
  • Venus is a poet [Kalidasa].
  • Venus is also an Astrologer [Sahadev].
  • Venus strongly placed in horoscope automatically makes one a good daivagnya [Jyotishi].
  • Kalidasa  in uttarakalamrita says Venus in Saturn antardasa exhibits its virakta swabhava [withdrawal tendencies].
  • Narada was a great poet but also a virakta.
• Venus in kendra exalted gives Mahapurush yoga.
  • Kings born in this yoga are handsome, great warriors, excellent administrators, knowledged and excellent singers [King Vikram of Ujjain appeases Shani with rare exposition of Deepak Raga].
• So Venusians exhibits all the qualities that are there in this world.
• And no planets gives enjoyments akin to Venus.
• It gives the great intoxication of the self Ahankara to the Souls due to abundance of joys.
• Shiva is the adhipati for Ahankara.
• Shiva is Ashvaththama as Ahankara.
• Venus as learned and angry in Shiva gives Durvasa.
• But same Shiva can be most calm and serene and Viraktha as Shuka muni.
• Lagnadhipati if weak and aspected by Venus and Moon attains sanyasa in the later years of the life.

During samudra manthan when Amruta came up, Devatas and Rakshasas started fighting for it. But Amrut was meant only for Devatas as per the wishes of Narayana. One who partook Amrut he became immortal, and rakshas if immortal would create havoc in the universe. So to delude Rakshasa from Amru t[nectar], Narayana took the form of Mohini, one of the most beautiful female forms of Narayana, a 16 years damsel who could get everyone yearning for her beauty.

Rakshasa as they were lechers by nature lost their senses and asked Mohini to distribute nectar for them. Mohini in all her beautiful and youthful peak, suggested that she would feel shy at the piercing glances of rakshas [who could just not take their eyes off her beauty even for blinking], thus everyone must close their eyes, and she would pour the nectar in each one’s palm . Demons agreed and Devatas also agreed.

So Devatas and Demons formed a row and Mohini out of her maya created two pitchers, one with original Amrit and other with sweet water. Amrit she gave it to Devatas, and just water to Demons, who drank it out of their ill senses.

Shiva was lying unconscious due to consuming of Poison [halahal] that had just emanated  before Amrit, his neck had become deep blue and thus he came to be known as NEELKANTHA.

He could not witness the Mohini rupa of Narayan. Having heard the beauty of the Mohini, he pleaded Narayana to show him his beautiful rupa once again. Narayana asked him to come next morning along with his wife Parvati.

When Shiva came to Vishnus abode, having a look at the Mohini he lost all his control he just embraced her in passion, even when Parvathi was present. Narayana smilingly brings back Shiva into his senses.

This is the same Shiva who had burnt Manmath to ashes when he tried to disturb the tapasya . But such a controlled Shiva who had won Manmath, lost to the MANMATH MANMATH Shriman Narayana.

Sri Krishnarpanamastu