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.
देवाश्च दानवाश्चैव दग्धाश्चैव विषेण ह। अपाक्रामंस्ततो भीता विषादमगमंस्तदा
The gods and Danavas, scorched by the poison, fled from there in fear and fell into despair.
ब्रह्माणमब्रुवन्देवाः समेत्य मुनिपुंगवैः। मथ्यमानेऽमृते जातं विषं कालानलप्रभम्
The gods, together with the foremost sages, approached Brahma and said: 'As we churned for ambrosia, a poison has arisen, blazing like the fire of destruction.'
तेनैव तापिता लोकास्तस्य प्रतिकुरुष्वह। एवमुक्तस्तदा ब्रह्मा दध्यौ लोकेश्वरं हरम्
'By this, the worlds are tormented; please counteract it.' Thus addressed, Brahma then meditated upon Hara, the lord of the worlds.
त्र्यक्षं त्रिशूलिनं रुद्रे देवदेवमुमापतिम्। तदाऽथ चिन्तितो देवस्तज्ज्ञात्वा द्रुतमाययौ
He thought of the three-eyed, trident-bearing Rudra, the god of gods, consort of Uma; knowing this, the god swiftly appeared.
तस्याथ देवस्तत्सर्वमाचचक्षे प्रजापतिः। तच्छ्रुत्वा दवेदेवेशो लोकस्यास्य हितेप्सया
Then the lord of creatures related everything to the god; hearing this, the lord of the gods, desiring the welfare of the world,
अपिबत्तद्विषं रुद्रः कालानलसमप्रभम्। कण्ठे स्थापितवान्देवो लोकानां हितकाम्यया
Rudra drank that poison, blazing like the fire of destruction, and held it in his throat, wishing for the good of all beings.
यस्मात्तु नीलता कण्ठे नीलकण्ठस्ततः स्मृतः। पीतमात्रे विषे तत्र रुद्रेणामिततेजसा
Because his throat became blue, he is remembered as 'the blue-throated one'; when Rudra of immeasurable energy drank the poison,
देवाः प्रीताः पुनर्जग्मुश्चक्रुर्वै कर्म तत्तथा। मथ्यमानेऽमृतस्यार्थे भूयो वै देवदानवैः
The gods, pleased, resumed their work and again the gods and Danavas churned for the sake of ambrosia.
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.
ते धूमसङ्घाः संभूता मेघसङ्घाः सविद्युतः। अभ्यवर्षन्सुरगणाञ्श्रमसंतापकर्शितान्
Those masses of smoke became clouds filled with lightning, and they rained down upon the hosts of gods, who were exhausted and afflicted by toil.