Mr Ashish Kumar
(It is difficult to comment about young author Mr Ashish Kumar and his mythological/spiritual writing. He has well researched Hindu Philosophy, Science and quest of success beyond the material realms. I am really mesmerized. I am sure you will be also amazed. We are pleased to begin a series on excerpts from his well acclaimed book “Samudramanthanam” . According to Mr Ashish “Samudramanthanam is less explained and explored till date. I have tried to give broad way of this one of the most important chapter of Hindu mythology. I have read many scriptures and take references from many temples and folk stories, to present the all possible aspects of portrait of Samudramanthanam.” Now our distinguished readers will be able to read this series on every Saturday.)
Amazon Link – Samudramanthanam
☆ Weekly Column – Samudramanthanam – 12 – Airavata ☆
Another round of churning started. This time both teams Suras and Asuras were doing it with calm mind. Bali the king of Asura thought in his mind “I am satisfied with what I have means kingdom of underworld but my other Asura friends and our guru ‘Sukrachrya’ are not satisfied. Sukra says we need to increase our power so that we can permanently dominate over heaven and Sura”
In other hand Sura king ‘Indra’ is thinking “as Lord Vishnu given us surety that liquid of immortality comes as an end product of this churning which will make all Suras Immortal. But when amrita comes from ocean; will we be able to drink it alone? We have to be careful about it”
Soon sound of trumpet come and mount Mandara start tilt in left side. All were worried. Four elephants in four direction started to come down from space and start raining from their tusk.
Then suddenly mount Mandara fall one side in ocean and a huge elephant started to come up in the upper layer of ‘Kshirasāgara’. O! it is ‘Airavata’ who once taken ocean support due to anger and disappointment when sage ‘Durvasa’ given crush to ‘Indra’.
Yes, Airavata who was once Indra mount emerge from ocean with very large body and having seven trunks. Indra in wonder because before his ‘Airavata’ go to ocean he contains only single trunk.
Indra said, “O! Gajaraja, king of elephants welcome back I was like lifeless without you, come again and be my mount.
Gajraja Airavata said, “King, I was not disrepair because of Sage ‘Durvasa’ curse but because of your arrogance. O! king of Sura and now I can’t live in heaven whose king is “Indra’ better is I’ll live here in this ‘Kshirasāgara’.
Indra replied, “You fool, are you forget that you are talking to king of Swarga, heaven the great ‘Indra’.”
Lord Vishnu appear again and said, “Indra duty of a king is to protect and serve his people and subject not to be served by them. Your arrogance is increasing with flow of everchanging time. The words which were said by Gajraja Airavata are on our instructions, just to check your patience and ego. I am sorry Indra but you lost in this test. Now I have to consult with Brahma, Shiva and other great sage to make someone else like ‘Varuna’ as a king of Heaven”
After listening this a smile emerge on the face of ‘Varuna’.
Indra fall in the feet of Lord Vishnu and said “God please doesn’t do this and keep mercy on me. You can understand my situation. This churning making me restless. In one end waiting for amrita I am losing my senses on other hand we have to do this churning with our born rivals Asura who are already attack over us when we go there to do planning of this churning. Above all this, there is a most important thing of my angriness is on the behavior of ‘Airavata’ himself”
King of Asura Bali said, “Lord of universe I think you are right it is time to change the king of heaven. Now affairs of heaven must be given in to the hands of Asura. I as a king of Asura take vow that I will run worldly affairs which is managed by heaven with whole honesty. Indira said some Asura have attack over them when they are our guest but he hasn’t mention that I as the king of Asura has killed that Asura by my own hands who attacked over our guests. Also till now we didn’t get anything from this churning of ‘Kshirasāgara’, so Gajraja Airavata belongs to Asura”
© Ashish Kumar
New Delhi
≈ Blog Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM ≈
