Brahma-khaṇḍa · Chapter 8
Sourceशौनक उवाच- समुद्रमथनं सूत पुरा कस्मात्कृतं गुरो ।। हृदये कौतुकं जातं श्रोतुं मे वद चामरैः ॥१। सूत उवाच- ब्रह्मन्वच्मि समासेन सिंधोर्मथनकारणम् ।। दुर्वाससेंद्र संवादमितिहासं शृणुष्व तत् ॥२। महातपा महातेजा दुर्वासा ईश्वरांशजः ।। ब्रह्मर्षिः प्रययौ स्वर्गमिन्द्रं द्रष्टुं स चैकदा ॥३। तस्मिन्ददर्श काले तं गजारूढंv शचीपतिम् ।। दृष्ट्वा स्रजं पारिजातां ददौ तस्मै महामुनिः ॥४। गृहीत्वा तां स्रजं चेंद्रो विन्यस्य गजमूर्द्धनि ।। देवराट्प्रययौ ब्रह्मन्ससैन्यो नंदनं प्रति ५। हस्ती चादाय तां मालां छित्त्वा तु धरणीतले ।। चिक्षेप च महाक्रुद्धस्तमित्याह महामुनिः ॥६। त्रैलोक्यैकश्रियायुक्तो यस्मात्त्वमवमन्यसे ।। तव त्रैलोक्यश्रीर्नष्टा भवत्येव न संशयः ॥७। ततः शक्रो जगामाशु सुप्तश्च स्वपुरं पुनः ।। ददर्श जगतां माता चांतर्द्धानं गता स्वयम् ॥८। नष्टमंतर्द्धानवत्यां तदा तस्यां जगत्त्रयम् ।। क्षुत्पिपासान्विताः सर्वे चुक्रुशुर्वै निरंतरम् ॥९। न ववर्षुर्वारिवाहाः शुष्काश्चैव जलाशयाः ।। सर्वे ते शाखिनः शुष्काः फलपुष्पविवर्जिताः ॥१०। क्षुत्पिपासार्दिताः सर्वे ब्रह्मणः सन्निधिं ययुः ।। तं सर्वे कथयामासुः दुःखशोकं पितामहम् ॥११। देवानां वचनं श्रुत्वा धाता देवगणैः सह ।। भृग्वादिमुनिभिश्चैव प्रययौ क्षीरसागरम् ॥१२। विष्णुं समर्चयामास क्षीराब्धेरुत्तरे तटे ।। मंत्रमष्टाक्षरं वेधा जपन्ध्यायन्जगत्पतिम् ॥१३। ततः प्रसन्नो भगवान्सर्वेषां च दिवौकसाम् ।। वैनतेयं समारुह्य चागतः सदयः प्रभुः ॥१४। पीतवस्त्रं चतुर्बाहुं शंखचक्रगदाधरम् ।। दृष्ट्वा तं जगतामीशं पुंडरीकनिभेक्षणम् ॥१५। विष्णुं भवोदधेः पोतं वनमालाविभूषितम् ।। श्रीवत्सकौस्तुभोरस्कमानंदाश्रुपरिप्लुताः ॥१६। तुष्टुवुर्जयशब्देन नमश्चक्रुर्निरंतरम् ।। श्रीभगवानुवाच- वरं वृणीध्वं भो देवाः कस्माद्यूयं समागताः ।। वरदोऽस्मि तद्वदत वो ददामि च नान्यथा ॥१७। देवा ऊचुः- कृपालो ब्रह्मशापेन संपद्धीनं जगत्त्रयम् ।। क्षुत्पिपासार्दितं नाथ सदेवासुरमानुषम् ॥१८। रक्ष सर्वानिमाँल्लोकान्याताः स्म शरणं तव ।। श्रीभगवानुवाच- इंदिरा ब्रह्मशापेन चान्तर्द्धानं गता सुराः १९। यस्याः कटाक्षमात्रेण जगदैश्वर्यसंयुतम् ।। तदा यूयं सुराः सर्वे चोत्पाट्य स्वर्णपर्वतम्॥ २०। मंदरं घर्घरं कृत्वा सर्पराजेन वेष्टितम् ।। कुरुध्वं मथनं देवाः सदैत्याः क्षीरसागरम् ॥२१। तस्मादुत्पत्स्यते लक्ष्मीर्जगन्माता च भोः सुराः ।। तया हृष्टा महाभागा भविष्यथ न संशयः॥ २२। धारयाम्यहमेवाद्रिं कूर्मरूपेण सर्वतः ।। इत्युक्त्वा भगवान्विष्णुरंतर्द्धानं जगाम सः ।। जग्मुः सुरासुराः सर्वे समुद्रमथनं द्विज॥ २३। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे ब्रह्मखंडे समुद्रमथनोद्योगोनामाष्टमोऽध्यायः ८।
śaunaka uvāca- samudramathanaṃ sūta purā kasmātkṛtaṃ guro || hṛdaye kautukaṃ jātaṃ śrotuṃ me vada cāmaraiḥ ||1| sūta uvāca- brahmanvacmi samāsena siṃdhormathanakāraṇam || durvāsaseṃdra saṃvādamitihāsaṃ śṛṇuṣva tat ||2| mahātapā mahātejā durvāsā īśvarāṃśajaḥ || brahmarṣiḥ prayayau svargamindraṃ draṣṭuṃ sa caikadā ||3| tasmindadarśa kāle taṃ gajārūḍhaṃv śacīpatim || dṛṣṭvā srajaṃ pārijātāṃ dadau tasmai mahāmuniḥ ||4| gṛhītvā tāṃ srajaṃ ceṃdro vinyasya gajamūrddhani || devarāṭprayayau brahmansasainyo naṃdanaṃ prati 5| hastī cādāya tāṃ mālāṃ chittvā tu dharaṇītale || cikṣepa ca mahākruddhastamityāha mahāmuniḥ ||6| trailokyaikaśriyāyukto yasmāttvamavamanyase || tava trailokyaśrīrnaṣṭā bhavatyeva na saṃśayaḥ ||7| tataḥ śakro jagāmāśu suptaśca svapuraṃ punaḥ || dadarśa jagatāṃ mātā cāṃtarddhānaṃ gatā svayam ||8| naṣṭamaṃtarddhānavatyāṃ tadā tasyāṃ jagattrayam || kṣutpipāsānvitāḥ sarve cukruśurvai niraṃtaram ||9| na vavarṣurvārivāhāḥ śuṣkāścaiva jalāśayāḥ || sarve te śākhinaḥ śuṣkāḥ phalapuṣpavivarjitāḥ ||10| kṣutpipāsārditāḥ sarve brahmaṇaḥ sannidhiṃ yayuḥ || taṃ sarve kathayāmāsuḥ duḥkhaśokaṃ pitāmaham ||11| devānāṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā dhātā devagaṇaiḥ saha || bhṛgvādimunibhiścaiva prayayau kṣīrasāgaram ||12| viṣṇuṃ samarcayāmāsa kṣīrābdheruttare taṭe || maṃtramaṣṭākṣaraṃ vedhā japandhyāyanjagatpatim ||13| tataḥ prasanno bhagavānsarveṣāṃ ca divaukasām || vainateyaṃ samāruhya cāgataḥ sadayaḥ prabhuḥ ||14| pītavastraṃ caturbāhuṃ śaṃkhacakragadādharam || dṛṣṭvā taṃ jagatāmīśaṃ puṃḍarīkanibhekṣaṇam ||15| viṣṇuṃ bhavodadheḥ potaṃ vanamālāvibhūṣitam || śrīvatsakaustubhoraskamānaṃdāśrupariplutāḥ ||16| tuṣṭuvurjayaśabdena namaścakrurniraṃtaram || śrībhagavānuvāca- varaṃ vṛṇīdhvaṃ bho devāḥ kasmādyūyaṃ samāgatāḥ || varado'smi tadvadata vo dadāmi ca nānyathā ||17| devā ūcuḥ- kṛpālo brahmaśāpena saṃpaddhīnaṃ jagattrayam || kṣutpipāsārditaṃ nātha sadevāsuramānuṣam ||18| rakṣa sarvānimā~llokānyātāḥ sma śaraṇaṃ tava || śrībhagavānuvāca- iṃdirā brahmaśāpena cāntarddhānaṃ gatā surāḥ 19| yasyāḥ kaṭākṣamātreṇa jagadaiśvaryasaṃyutam || tadā yūyaṃ surāḥ sarve cotpāṭya svarṇaparvatam|| 20| maṃdaraṃ ghargharaṃ kṛtvā sarparājena veṣṭitam || kurudhvaṃ mathanaṃ devāḥ sadaityāḥ kṣīrasāgaram ||21| tasmādutpatsyate lakṣmīrjaganmātā ca bhoḥ surāḥ || tayā hṛṣṭā mahābhāgā bhaviṣyatha na saṃśayaḥ|| 22| dhārayāmyahamevādriṃ kūrmarūpeṇa sarvataḥ || ityuktvā bhagavānviṣṇuraṃtarddhānaṃ jagāma saḥ || jagmuḥ surāsurāḥ sarve samudramathanaṃ dvija|| 23| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe brahmakhaṃḍe samudramathanodyogonāmāṣṭamo'dhyāyaḥ 8|
English translation
Saunaka said :
1. O Sūta , O preceptor, why was the ocean churned by the gods in ancient days? Curiosity is produced in my mind to hear it.
Sūta said :
2. O brāhmaṇa , I shall tell you in brief the reason for the churning of the ocean. Listen also to the account of the dialogue between Durvāsas and Indra .
3. Once, the brāhmaṇic sage Durvāsas who had practised great (i.e. severe) penance, who was very lustrous, who was born of a portion of the Lord, went to heaven to see Indra.
4-6a. At that time he saw Śacī ’s lord (i.e. Indra) mounted on the elephant (called Airāvata ). Seeing a garland of Pārijāta (flowers) the great sage gave it to him (i.e. to Indra). O brāhmaṇa, Indra, the lord of gods, taking that garland, and putting it on the head of the elephant went with his army to Nandana (garden). The elephant seizing that garland, cut it off and hurled it on the ground.
6b-7. The great sage, getting very angry, thus spoke to him: “Since, you being endowed with the glory of the three worlds, are thinking lightly (of me), there is no doubt that your glory of the three worlds would perish”.
8-12. Then Indra quickly went to his city and then slept. The mother of the worlds saw (this) and disappeared. When she disappeared, the three worlds also disappeared. All (creatures) being hungry and thirsty constantly cried. The clouds did not shower (rain), and reservoirs of water went dry. All the trees were dried up and were bereft of fruits and flowers. All (gods) oppressed by hunger and thirst approached Brahmā . They told the grandsire about their distress and grief. Hearing the words of gods, the Creator, along with hosts of gods and sages like Bhṛgu , went to the milky ocean.
13-16. The Creator, muttering the eight-lettered hymn and meditating (on Viṣṇu ), worshipped Viṣṇu, the lord of the world, on the northern shore of the milky ocean. Then Viṣṇu was pleased with all the gods, and the kind lord having mounted upon Garuḍa came there. (Gods) on seeing Viṣṇu who had worn a yellow garment, who had four arms, who had held a conch, a disc and a mace, who was the lord of the worlds, whose eyes resembled lotuses, who was a boat of (i.e. to cross) the ocean of mundane existence, who was adorned with a garland of wood-flowers, who had a curl of hair and the Kaustubha gem on his chest, had their eyes full of tears of joy, and praised with cries of victory and continuously saluted him.
The lord said :
17. O gods, choose a boon. Why have you come to me? I am the giver of boons. So speak (out). I (shall) give you (what you want). (This will not be) otherwise.
Gods said :
18-19a. O kind one, due to the brāhmaṇa’s curse, the three worlds are bereft of wealth; O lord, with gods, demons and men they are oppressed by hunger and thirst. Protect all these worlds. We have sought your refuge.
The lord said :
19b-23. O gods, Indirā (i.e. Lakṣmī ), due to whose mere glance the world is endowed with glory, has vanished due to the curse of the brāhmaṇa (viz. Durvāsas). Then, O gods, all of you, along with the demons, having uprooted the golden mountain Mandara and making it, with the king of serpents going round it, the churning-rod, churn the milky ocean. O gods, from it Lakṣmī, the mother of the world will spring up. O glorious ones, there is no doubt that because of her you will be delighted. I myself, in the form of a tortoise, shall fully hold the (Mandara) mountain (on my back).
Saying so, that lord Viṣṇu disappeared. O brāhmaṇa, all the gods and demons went for churning the ocean
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43524, revision 335791 (2022-04-15T03:21:25Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365292.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.