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God’s manifestations

CHENNAI: The major manifestations of the Supreme Being are described in the Puranas, and the Lord also assumed many forms for specific purposes. The Bhagavata Purana elaborates His various incarnations and also the Narayaneeyam of Bhattatiri, which closely follows this Purana. One of the reasons for His manifestations was to intervene whenever the enmity between the celestials (Devas) and the demons (Asuras) intensified. As the celestials were His devotees and the Asuras troubled them the Lord intervened to help the Devas.

In their discourse, Damal Sri Ramakrishnan and Srimathi Perundevi Seshadri said during the churning of the milk-ocean to obtain nectar (Amrita) for restoring the splendour of the Devas, the Lord incarnated as a tortoise (Kurma) to lift the Mandara mountain (the churning rod) which sank, then appeared as Dhanvantari with the pot of nectar in His hand, and later as a bewitching lady, Mohini, to distribute the nectar. Once Sage Durvasa presented a garland to Indra, which he placed casually on his elephant Airavata and it sported with it, and trampled on it. The sage became furious and cursed that the celestials would lose their splendour. The heaven and its denizens became lacklustre. They finally took refuge in the Almighty and on His advice set out to churn the milk-ocean with the mountain Mandara as the churning rod and the serpent Vasuki as the rope.

The churning process went on and Lord Vishnu helped the Devas first by making the Asuras opt to hold Vasuki on its head side and the celestials its tail, so that when poisonous fumes emerged from the snake’s mouth the Devas were not much affected. Lord Siva helped by swallowing the poison (hence got the name Neelakanta when His consort obstructed its flow into His stomach by holding His neck). A lot of precious articles emerged from the ocean and finally Mahalakshmi appeared with a garland with which She garlanded Vishnu. Their auspicious wedding heralded the restoration of the lost glory of the Devas. When the Asuras snatched the pot of nectar from Dhanvantari, He intervened again as Mohini to ensure that the celestials drank the nectar by distracting the Asuras.

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