Disciple:
Salutations, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Blessings.
Disciple:
In the last episode, Shantanu shared the story of Rahu's birth. That was Part 1. Today, he will continue with Part 2 of the story of Rahu’s birth.
Shantanu:
Last time, I concluded where Mount Mandara was brought to the ocean for the great churning (Samudra Manthan). I will start from there today.
Gurudev:
Excellent. Please begin.
Shantanu:
As I mentioned in the last episode, the story concluded with the arrival of Mount Mandara. For the ocean churning to begin, both the Devas (Gods) and the Asuras (Demons) reached an agreement. Lord Vishnu visited the Asura King, Bali, and convinced them that they would receive an equal share of the nectar of immortality (Amrita). On this condition, the Asura clan agreed to cooperate with the Devas.
Shantanu:
Next, the serpent Vasuki—the snake we see around Lord Shiva’s neck—was brought in. Vasuki was to be used as the churning rope. He was wrapped around Mount Mandara. It was decided that the Asuras would hold the head side, and the Devas would hold the tail side.
Shantanu:
However, once the churning began, the mountain started to sink into the ocean floor because there was no base to support it. At that moment, Lord Vishnu took the form of the Kurma (turtle) avatar. He placed the mountain on his back to provide a stable base, and the churning resumed.
Shantanu:
Initially, the Asuras had held the tail and the Devas the head. But the Asuras soon objected, saying, "Gems and jewels will emerge from the snake's head during the churning, and we won't get them if we hold the tail. We want the head side; let the Devas take the tail." Following a brief dispute, the Devas agreed and moved to the tail.
Shantanu:
As the churning continued with Mount Mandara, a deadly poison called Halahala emerged first. The fumes were so toxic that many Asuras near the head began to die. Their teacher, Shukracharya, was present and used his Sanjivani Vidya (the knowledge of reviving the dead) to bring them back to life.
Shantanu:
The poison was so potent it threatened to destroy all creation. Lord Shiva decided to intervene and drank the poison to save the world. He held it in his throat, which turned blue, earning him the name Neelkantha. Some drops of the poison spilled onto the earth, giving rise to venomous snakes, scorpions, and other toxic insects.
Shantanu:
After the poison, a goddess named Jyestha emerged. She was very unattractive and emitted a foul odor. When Lord Vishnu saw her, he turned his head away in distaste. He told her she must leave, or the churning could not continue. Brahma and Shiva eventually told her that she would reside in dirty, corrupt, and unholy places. She became known as Alakshmi (the goddess of misfortune).
Shantanu:
After she left, Goddess Lakshmi emerged, seated upon an eight-petaled lotus. Lord Vishnu accepted her as his consort.
Shantanu:
Following Lakshmi, the Kaustubha gem emerged. It was an incredibly precious jewel, which Lord Vishnu chose to wear on his chest. You can see this gem on the chest of Vishnu idols in many temples.
Shantanu:
Finally, Dhanvantari (the physician of the gods) emerged from the ocean carrying the pot of Amrita (nectar). The moment the Asuras saw the nectar, they abandoned their posts and rushed toward Dhanvantari, desperate to achieve immortality before the Devas.
Shantanu:
Now, we come to Rahu and Ketu. They were two brothers. Ketu was the son of Goddess Danu, and Rahu was the son of Simhika. Seeing the chaos, the two brothers conspired to disguise themselves as Devas to get a taste of the nectar.
Shantanu:
The Devas were worried because they couldn't match the Asuras in a physical scramble for the pot. They appealed to Lord Vishnu. Vishnu then assumed the form of Mohini—an enchantingly beautiful woman. Her beauty was so distracting that the Asuras forgot all about the nectar and became mesmerized by her dance.
Shantanu:
While the Asuras were distracted, Mohini began distributing the nectar to the Devas. Rahu and Ketu, disguised as Devas, sat in the line. However, the Sun God (Surya) and the Moon God (Chandra) recognized them and signaled to Lord Vishnu.
Shantanu:
Just as Rahu and Ketu swallowed a drop of the nectar, Vishnu reverted from Mohini to his original form and released his Sudarshan Chakra. The disc decapitated both Rahu and Ketu. However, because the nectar had already reached their throats, their heads became immortal, even though their bodies perished.
Shantanu:
After the nectar was distributed and the churning ended, Indra regained his kingdom and his treasures, including the elephant Airavata and the cow Kamadhenu, which had been lost due to a curse. The Devas returned to their positions of power.
Shantanu:
Meanwhile, the immortal heads of Rahu and Ketu returned home. Their family—Kashyapa Muni, Simhika, and Danu—as well as their wives, Singhadevi and Chitralekha, were horrified. They couldn't believe their husbands now consisted only of heads.
Shantanu:
Kashyapa Muni scolded them, asking why they had resorted to trickery when they already had the blessings and teachings of the Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva). Rahu and Ketu admitted that their greed for immortality had blinded them.
Shantanu:
Rahu had a son named Meghasur. When he saw his father’s condition, he was enraged and wanted to declare war on the Trinity. Kashyapa Muni stopped him and advised him that instead of war, he should perform intense penance (Tapasya) to please the Gods.
Shantanu:
Meghasur followed the advice and performed such severe penance that the three worlds shook. Eventually, the Trinity appeared before him and asked what he desired. Meghasur asked for his father's full body to be restored.
Shantanu:
Lord Shiva explained that once a cosmic act is performed, it cannot be undone as it would violate the laws of creation. However, Lord Vishnu offered a compromise: "From this day forward, your family will be able to see Rahu and Ketu with their full bodies, but to the rest of the world, they will remain only as heads."
Shantanu:
Meghasur was satisfied with this and returned home. The family was happy to see them whole again, but deep down, Rahu and Ketu harbored a grudge against the Sun and the Moon for exposing them. I will conclude today’s part here and explain their struggle and how they found a place among the planets in the next episode.
Gurudev:
Wonderful. But there is one detail you missed. When Mohini was running with the pot of nectar to keep it away from the Asuras, she grew tired and rested in four places.
Shantanu:
Yes, that's right.
Gurudev:
At those four locations, drops of the Amrita spilled. That is why we celebrate the Kumbh Mela at those spots. Do you remember the four places?
Shantanu:
One was Nasik... and Allahabad (Prayagraj).
Gurudev:
Yes, Allahabad, Nasik... where else?
Shantanu:
Haridwar!
Gurudev:
And the fourth?
Shantanu:
Is it Kashi? No, not Kashi.
Shantanu:
Ujjain!
Gurudev:
Right, Ujjain. So, the four places are Prayagraj, Nasik, Haridwar, and Ujjain. Because drops of nectar fell there, these are the sites of the Kumbh.
Shantanu:
Thank you, Gurudev. I will cover the rest in the next episode.
Gurudev:
Blessings to all. Stay well and healthy. Namaste.