VALMIKI RAMAYAN

SAMUDRA MANTHANA: OCEAN-CHURNING

Now Vishvāmitra spoke to Rāma about

The momentous Churning of the Ocean event

During which devas and asuras joined hands

And churned the primordial Ocean of Milk,

The used Mount Manda as the churning rod.

It was then that Lord Shiva gulped the poison

That first came out of it, but did not drink it fully,

Thus, leaving a blue color on his throat.

Dhanvantari appeared during this Churning,

As well as  a bevy of beautiful apsaras.

(Seductive celestial damsels).

During this momentous Churning emerged

A number of things that included

The magical horse Ucchaishvara,

The beverage vāruni also the Kaustubha gem

And the immortalizing amrita (nectar)  too.

DAITYAS AND DITI

It was during that ominous conflict between

Devas and Asuras, that the demonic Daityas

Descendants of  Kashyapa and Diti,

Were one and all fully destroyed.

All her sons now dead, Diti was in full grief.

 She then  began a series of austerities

At a place which was called Kushālplava.

She did with full consent

Of her husband Sage Kashyapa.

The goal of these penances, for her,

was to get a son who could kill Indra.

INDRA’S REACTION

Indra became aware of Diti’s plan.

He was at her service while she was

Fully dedicated to achieving this.

So at one time, while she was asleep,

Placing her head unknowingly

In a wrong posture, which broke the rules

Of purity, Indra sneaked into her womb

And  cut the fetus into many pieces

VISHALA

Vishvāmitra showed Rāma precisely

Where Vishāla was: The place where Diti

Did her austerities. The current ruler Vishāla,

One of Ikshvāku’s sons, had built that city.

They were now welcome to Vishālā

As very highly honored guests.

They stayed there as guests of Sumati,

The second queen of King Sagara,

MITHILA

Then they left for their destination which was:

Mithilā, Janakā’s kingdom’s capital.