Lord Shiva is known by several names, each of which is associated with a specific deed or event in Indian mythology. One of them is Neelkanth, whose name comes from the account of Shiva’s “Samudra Manthan,” in which he swallowed the poison to prevent tragedy and the destruction of the Universe, as told in the Bhagavata Purana, Mahabharata, and Vishnu Purana.
The story takes place during a time when the Devas and the Asuras were at odds. Unfortunately, the Devas lost all of their strength, energy, and prosperity after Sage Durvasa cursed them after an incident with Svarga’s ruler, Indra. With such a defeat, the Devas eventually lost the war to the Asuras, commanded by Bali, who had now taken control of the entire Universe.
In their anguish, the Devas sought Lord Vishnu’s assistance, who advised them to be more tactful and judicious in dealing with the problem. Lord Vishnu requested that the Devas and Asuras create an agreement so that both sides can help churn the ocean in order to obtain the nectar of immortality. Lord Vishnu, on the other hand, had intended to make this nectar available solely to the Devas and not to the Asuras.
As a result, the Asuras and Devas began churning the ocean with Mount Mandara as a churning rod and Vasuki, the naga-raja (who clutches Shiva’s neck) as a churning rope in order to extract the nectar of immortality. The process of churning the ocean, while extracting the nectar of immortality, also generated a poison known as “Halahala,” which had the potential to wipe out all of creation. As a result of the deadly poison that was unleashed, everyone was on the verge of suffocating to death.
Agitated by the situation, the Devas sought Lord Shiva’s assistance, believing that he was the only one who could do the unthinkable and save everyone from the wrath. Concerned about the strange scenario, Bholenath swallowed the poison himself in order to save humanity from disaster and catastrophe.
Shiva’s throat went blue from the pain and ferocity of the poison while ingesting the Halahala. He didn’t want it to go down, so he kept the poison in his throat so it wouldn’t reach his stomach and kill him. There are additional versions of this story in which Shiva moaned in anguish while attempting to drink the poison, which Parvati could not see. That is why she gripped Lord Shiva’s throat to prevent the poison from dripping down and harming him. Lord Shiva was given the moniker “Neelkanth” because of the poison that was blocked in his throat, turning it blue.
What to conclude from the story of Samudra Manthan?
All of Lord Shiva’s truths in Indian mythology have a deep and profound message and meaning regarding life in general. Similar to how Shiva’s third eye isn’t visibly apparent but is more linked with the emergence of the conscious soul, the Samudra Manthan narrative could have a hidden message and meaning. Perhaps one of the hidden lessons is the act of assisting others in their time of need, despite being in a lot of suffering.
The story may also encourage one to emulate Lord Shiva, who is modest, compassionate, powerful, empathic, and willing to undergo great penance in order to benefit humanity. It also represents the idea that self-realization or the nectar of immortality may require a great deal of anguish and suffering.
The ocean also represents the human psyche, which is wide and contains both positive (nectar of immortality) and negative (poison “Halahala”) worlds. The Mandhara mountain (man=mind, dhara=in one line or flow) signifies the attention required to live a life that is perfectly balanced between the spiritual and material worlds.
Thus, the Indian Mythology story of the Samudra Manthan is a great instrument for realising Lord Shiva’s magnanimity and the capacity of each human being to be as magnanimous as him!