Lakshmi Emerges
How Lakshmi came in this world
Why was the ocean churned:
According to Hindu mythology, once upon a time, the fights between Gods and demons became extremely frequent. The Gods decided to procure the elixir or ambrosia or "Amrit" from the ocean's depth.
They wanted to gain immortality and overpower the evil demons for good. They realized they had undertaken a tough job. Neither the gods by themselves nor the demons by themselves could accomplish this task. The Gods decided to lure the demons to help them in this mighty task but make sure that none of the potion was drunk by the demons.
The task of the churning of the ocean:
The greedy demons agreed to help the Gods in acquiring the elixir. And so began the arduous task of churning the mighty ocean or "Samudra manthan". "Samudra" means the ocean and "manthan" means to churn.
To begin the task, the gods and the demons, needed a churning rod, a rope to tie it with, something to stabilize the rod from below, and two parties to pull from either side.
The ocean's vastness finally made them decide upon the mountain called "Mandrachal Parbat" for the churning rod. Lord Vishnu provided his serpent called "Vasuki nag" as the rope. "Vasuki nag" was tied around the "Mandrachal Parbat," and the demon side held its head while the God's team held the tail.
To stop the churning rod from slipping here and there, Lord Vishnu took the incarnation of a tortoise form called "Matsya Avatar". The high churning rod was mounted on the back of the tortoise to stabilize it. And so the churning began.
Gifts from the ocean:
Days turned into nights, and months turned into years, and still, the Gods and the demons churned away tirelessly. The sea became frothy and white. In due course of time, the ocean started to react to their hard work, and all kinds of gifts began to emerge from its depths.
In total, fourteen precious presents called "14 ratnas" or jewels came out. They were * Rambha * Dhanu* Poison * Dhanvantri* Varuni * Kalpdrum* Elixir * Shashi* Shankh * Mani * Gajraj * Baj* Dhenu * Sri Lakshmi
The emergence of Poison from the ocean:
One item that came gushing out of the sea was Poison or "halahal." Both the Gods and the demons stepped away. Everyone felt scared. Who would step forward to accept this gift from the ocean? It was then that the mighty God Shiva came forward and took the Poison. He put it to his mouth and drank it all.
As the lethal liquid moved down his throat, he held it from going down into his stomach by his incredible power. The Poison stayed in his throat, and due to its immense potent heat and energy turned the Lord's throat blackish blue. The Gods and the demons felt very grateful to Shiva for saving their lives. They bowed to him and prayed for his mercy and kindness always. From that day, Lord Siva came to be known as "Neel Kanth" or the God with a blue neck.
The emergence of Lakshmi from the ocean:
Then, Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the frothy milky sea. She was so bright and beautiful, sparkling, and full of splendor that the Gods and the demons could not take their eyes off her radiant perfection.
She emerged standing on a lotus and carrying a lotus in her one hand and a golden pot in her other hand. The vessel she carried had a never-ending continuous overflow of riches coming out of it. She wore a scintillating red saree and sparkling jewels.
The light and joy she spread all around enchanted every onlooker. They beheld the goddess of prosperity as if in a trance. Everyone wanted her. She, however, only saw Lord Vishnu in her eyes. Lord Vishnu stepped up to her and took her as his beloved wedded wife.
Goddess Lakshmi is the giver of both material and spiritual wealth. Together with Lord Vishnu, Lakshmi protects and preserves this world and helps us acquire all the riches and resources we need for a complete life.
The emergence of elixir from the ocean:
Finally, the ocean released the pot of elixir from its well-churned water. The God of medicine called "Dhanvantri" emerged from the sea, carrying the precious pot in his hands. The demons lept forward.
Chaos ensued as everyone pushed forward to grab a little of the potion that would give them immortality. Lord Vishnu was looking at this development with a worried frown. He knew that the demons should never be allowed to drink this potion, or they would create eternal destruction in the world.
He thought fast and transformed himself into a beautiful woman called "Mohini" or one who charms and has great attracting powers. The Gods and the demons fell under her charms immediately.
She suggested they all calm down. Mohini, then, volunteered to share the elixir between the Gods and the demons equally. Everyone agreed. By using trick, guile, and charm, Mohini quickly distributed the potion to only the Gods.
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