अमोघबलमश्वानामुत्तमं जविनां वरम्। श्रीमन्तमजरं दिव्यं सर्वलक्षणपूजितम्
Unfailing in strength among horses, foremost among the swift, resplendent, ageless, divine, and honored with all auspicious marks.
कथं तदमृतं देवैर्मथितं क्व च शंस मे। `कारणं चात्र मथने संजातममृतात्परम्।।' यत्र जज्ञे महावीर्यः सोऽश्वराजो महाद्युतिः
'How was that nectar churned by the gods? Tell me where and for what reason that churning, superior even to nectar, took place, where that mighty, radiant lord of horses was born.'
ज्वलन्तमचलं मेरुं तेजोराशिमनुत्तमम्। आक्षिपन्तं प्रभां भानोः स्वशृङ्गैः काञ्चनोज्ज्वलैः
Blazing, the immovable Meru, the supreme mass of brilliance, with its golden, shining peaks, cast forth rays like the sun.
कनकाभरणं चित्रं देवगन्धर्वसेवितम्। अप्रमेयमनाधृष्यमधर्मबहुलैर्जनैः
Adorned with golden ornaments, wondrous, attended by gods and gandharvas, immeasurable, unassailable by people full of unrighteousness.
व्यालैरावारितं घोरैर्दिव्यौषधिविदीपितम्। नाकमावृत्य तिष्ठन्तमुच्छ्रयेण महागिरिम्
Encircled by fearsome serpents and illuminated by celestial herbs, there stood a great mountain, towering high, as if covering the heavens.
अगम्यं मनसाप्यन्यैर्नदीवृक्षसमन्वितम्। नानापतगसङ्घैश्च नादितं सुमनोहरैः
Inaccessible even to thought by others, adorned with rivers and trees, and resounding with the delightful cries of many kinds of birds.
तस्य शृङ्गमुपारुह्य बहुरत्नाचितं शुभम्। अनन्तकल्पमद्वन्द्वं सुराः सर्वे महौजसः
Ascending its beautiful peak, encrusted with many gems, all the mighty gods, free from enmity and of endless duration, gathered there.
ते मन्त्रयितुमारब्धास्तत्रासीना दिवौकसः। अमृताय समागम्य तपोनियमसंयुताः
There, seated, the dwellers of heaven began their deliberation, united in ascetic discipline, having assembled for the sake of ambrosia.
तत्र नारायणो देवो ब्रह्माणमिदमब्रवीत्। चिन्तयत्सु सुरेष्वेवं मन्त्रयत्सु च सर्वशः
There, as the gods pondered and conferred among themselves, the god Nārāyaṇa spoke these words to Brahmā.
देवैरसुरसङ्घैश्च मथ्यतां कलशोदधिः। भविष्यत्यमृतं तत्र मथ्यमाने महोदधौ
Let the gods and hosts of asuras churn the ocean with a mountain; when the great ocean is churned, ambrosia will arise there.
सर्वौषधीः समावाप्य सर्वरत्नानि चैव ह। मन्थध्वयुदधिं देवा वेत्स्यध्वममृतं ततः
Having gathered all herbs and all jewels, you gods shall obtain the ambrosia by churning the ocean with the mountain.
ततोऽभ्रशिखराकारैर्गिरिशृङ्गैरलंकृतम्। मन्दरं पर्वतवरं लताजालसमाकुलम्
Then, adorned with peaks like the summits of clouds, thick with interlacing creepers, was the best of mountains, Mandara.
नानाविहंगसंघुष्टं नानादंष्ट्रिसमाकुलम्। किंनरैरप्सरोभिश्च देवैरपि च सेवितम्
Filled with the cries of various birds and crowded with many fanged creatures, it was frequented by kinnaras, apsarases, and even the gods.
एकादश सहस्राणि योजनानां समुच्छ्रितम्। अधोभूमेः सहस्रेषु तावत्स्वेव प्रतिष्ठितम्
Rising eleven thousand yojanas high, and rooted just as deep below the earth by a thousand yojanas.
तमुद्धर्तुमशक्ता वै सर्वे देवगणास्तदा। विष्णुमासीनमभ्येत्य ब्रह्माणं चेदमब्रुवन्
At that time, all the hosts of gods were unable to lift it; approaching Viṣṇu as he sat, they spoke these words to Brahmā.
भवन्तावत्र कुरुतां बुद्धिं नैःश्रेयसीं पराम्। मन्दरोद्धरणे यत्नः क्रियतां च हिताय नः
Let your honors devise the highest and most beneficial plan here; let effort be made for our welfare in raising Mandara.
तथेति चाब्रवीद्विष्णुर्ब्रह्मणा सह भार्गव। अचोदयदमेयात्मा फणीन्द्रं पद्मलोचनः
Viṣṇu, together with Brahmā and Bhārgava, said, 'So be it,' and the lotus-eyed, immeasurable soul urged the king of serpents.
ततोऽनन्तः समुत्थाय ब्रह्मणा परिचोदितः। नारायणेन चाप्युक्तस्तस्मिन्कर्मणि वीर्यवान्
Then Ananta, mighty in strength, rose up at the command of Brahmā and at the words of Nārāyaṇa, to perform that task.
अथ पर्वतराजानं तमनन्तो महाबलः। उज्जहार बलाद्ब्रह्मन्सवनं सवनौकसम्
O Brahman, then that immensely powerful Ananta lifted up the king of mountains by force, along with its plateau and dwellers.
ततस्तेन सुराः सार्धं समुद्रमुपतस्थिरे। तमूचुरमृतस्यार्थे निर्मथिष्यामहे जलम्
Then, together with the gods, he approached the ocean, and they said to him, 'For the sake of ambrosia, we will churn these waters.'
अपांपतिरथोवाच ममाप्यंशो भवेत्ततः। सोढाऽस्मि विपुलं मर्दं मन्दरभ्रमणादिति
Then the lord of waters spoke, 'Let me also have a share; I will endure the great agitation caused by the turning of Mandara.'
ऊचुश्च कूर्मराजानमकूपारे सुरासुराः। अधिष्ठानं गिरेरस्य भवान्भवितुमर्हति
The gods and asuras said to the king of tortoises in the deep, 'You ought to become the support for this mountain.'
कूर्मेण तु तथेत्युक्त्वा पृष्ठमस्य समर्पितम्। तं शैलं तस्य पृष्ठस्थं वज्रेणेन्द्रोऽभ्यपीडयत्
Having agreed, the tortoise offered its back, and Indra pressed the mountain placed upon its back with his thunderbolt.
मन्थानं मन्दरं कृत्वा तथा योक्त्रं च वासुकिम्। देवा मथितुमारब्धाः समुद्रं निधिमम्भसाम्। अमृतार्थे पुरा ब्रह्मस्तथैवासुरदानवाः
Using Mandara as the churning rod and Vasuki as the rope, the gods, along with the Asuras and Danavas, began to churn the ocean, the repository of waters, for the sake of ambrosia, as Brahma had formerly directed.
एकमन्तमुपाश्लिष्टा नागराज्ञो महासुराः
The great Asuras seized one end of the serpent king.
विबुधाः सहिताः सर्वे यतः पुच्छं ततः स्थिताः। अनन्तो भगवान्देवो यतो नारायणः स्थितः
All the gods together took their place at the tail, where the divine Ananta, Lord Narayana, stood.
वासुकेरग्रमाश्लिष्टा नागराज्ञो महासुराः।' शिर उत्क्षिप्य नागस्य पुनः पुनरवाक्षिपन्
The great Asuras grasped the head of Vasuki, the serpent king, and repeatedly pulled it upwards and then downwards.
वासुकेरथ नागस्य सहसा क्षिप्यतोऽसुरैः। सधूमाः सार्चिषो वाता निष्पेतुरसकृन्मुखात्
As the Asuras swiftly pulled Vasuki, the serpent, smoke and blazing flames issued repeatedly from his mouth.
वासुकेर्मथ्यमानस्य निःसृतेन विषेण च। अभवन्मिश्रितं तोयं तदा भार्गवनन्दन
O Bhargava's descendant, as Vasuki was churned, the water became mixed with the poison that emerged from him.
मथनान्मन्दरेणाथ देवदानवबाहुभिः। विषं तीक्ष्णं समुद्भूतं हालाहलमिति श्रुतम्
Then, as the gods and Danavas churned with Mandara using their arms, a sharp poison arose, known as Halahala.