Kalakuta Poison and the Banishment of Jyeshtha

Verse 1 (padma.4.9.1)

सूत उवाच । ततोऽमरगणास्ते च सगंधर्वाः सदानवा । उत्पाट्य मंदरं शैलं चिक्षिपुः पयसां निधौ ।

sūta uvāca tato'maragaṇāste ca sagaṁdharvāḥ sadānavā utpāṭya maṁdaraṁ śailaṁ cikṣipuḥ payasāṁ nidhau

Suta said: Then those hosts of immortals, together with the gandharvas and the danavas, uprooted Mount Mandara and cast it into the Ocean of Milk.

Verse 2 (padma.4.9.2)

ततः सनातनः श्रीमान्दयालुर्जगदीश्वरः । अधारयद्गिरेर्मूलं कूर्मरूपेण पृष्ठतः ।

tataḥ sanātanaḥ śrīmāndayālurjagadīśvaraḥ adhārayadgirermūlaṁ kūrmarūpeṇa pṛṣṭhataḥ

Then the eternal, glorious, merciful Lord of the world took the form of a tortoise and bore up the base of the mountain upon his back.

Verse 3 (padma.4.9.3)

अनंतं तत्र संवेष्ट्य ममंथुर्दुग्धसागरम् । एकादश्यां मथ्यमाने चोद्भूतं प्रथमं द्विज ।

anaṁtaṁ tatra saṁveṣṭya mamaṁthurdugdhasāgaram ekādaśyāṁ mathyamāne codbhūtaṁ prathamaṁ dvija

Winding Ananta about it there, they churned the Ocean of Milk. O brahmin, on the eleventh day, as it was churned, the first thing to rise up —

Verse 4 (padma.4.9.4)

कालकूटविषं ते तु दृष्ट्वा सर्वे प्रदुद्रुवुः । ततस्तान्विद्रुतान्दृष्ट्वा शंकरश्चोक्तवानिदम् ।

kālakūṭaviṣaṁ te tu dṛṣṭvā sarve pradudruvuḥ tatastānvidrutāndṛṣṭvā śaṁkaraścoktavānidam

was the Kalakuta poison; seeing it, everyone fled. Then, seeing them flee, Shankara spoke thus —

Verse 5 (padma.4.9.5)

भोभोऽमरगणा यूयं विषं कुरुतमादरम् । वारयिष्याम्यहं तूर्णं कालकूटं महाविषम् ।

bhobho'maragaṇā yūyaṁ viṣaṁ kurutamādaram vārayiṣyāmyahaṁ tūrṇaṁ kālakūṭaṁ mahāviṣam

'O hosts of immortals, take care regarding this poison; I shall swiftly hold back this great poison, Kalakuta.'

Verse 6 (padma.4.9.6)

इत्युक्त्वा पार्वतीनाथो ध्यायन्नारायणं हृदि । महामंत्रं समुच्चार्य विषमादद्भयंकरम् ।

ityuktvā pārvatīnātho dhyāyannārāyaṇaṁ hṛdi mahāmaṁtraṁ samuccārya viṣamādadbhayaṁkaram

Having said this, the Lord of Parvati, meditating on Narayana in his heart and uttering the great mantra, took that terrible poison upon himself.

Verse 7 (padma.4.9.7)

महामंत्रप्रभावेण विषं जीर्णं गतं महत् । अच्युतानंतगोविंद इति नामत्रयं हरेः ।

mahāmaṁtraprabhāveṇa viṣaṁ jīrṇaṁ gataṁ mahat acyutānaṁtagoviṁda iti nāmatrayaṁ hareḥ

By the power of the great mantra, that great poison was consumed and destroyed. Hari's three names — Achyuta, Ananta, Govinda —

Verse 8 (padma.4.9.8)

योजपेत्प्रयतो भक्त्या प्रणवाद्यं नमोंऽतिकम् । विषभोगाग्निजं तस्य नास्ति मृत्योर्भयं तथा ।

yojapetprayato bhaktyā praṇavādyaṁ namoṁ'tikam viṣabhogāgnijaṁ tasya nāsti mṛtyorbhayaṁ tathā

whoever, purified, with devotion recites them preceded by Om and followed by namah, has no fear from poison, disease, fire, or death.

Verse 9 (padma.4.9.9)

ततो हृष्टमना देवा ममंथुः क्षीरसागरम् । ततोऽलक्ष्मीः समुत्पन्ना कालास्या रक्तलोचना ।

tato hṛṣṭamanā devā mamaṁthuḥ kṣīrasāgaram tato'lakṣmīḥ samutpannā kālāsyā raktalocanā

Then the gods, glad at heart, churned the Ocean of Milk once more. Then Alakshmi arose, black-faced and red-eyed,

Verse 10 (padma.4.9.10)

रूक्षपिंगलकेशा च जरतीं बिभ्रती तनुम् । सा च ज्येष्ठाब्रवीद्देवान्किंकर्तव्यं मयेति वै ।

rūkṣapiṁgalakeśā ca jaratīṁ bibhratī tanum sā ca jyeṣṭhābravīddevānkiṁkartavyaṁ mayeti vai

with rough, tawny hair, bearing the form of an old woman. That goddess, named Jyeshtha, said to the gods: 'What am I to do?'

Verse 11 (padma.4.9.11)

देवास्तथाब्रुवंस्तां च देवीं दुःखस्यभाजनम् । येषां नॄणां गृहे देवी कलहः संप्रवर्तते ।

devāstathābruvaṁstāṁ ca devīṁ duḥkhasyabhājanam yeṣāṁ nṝṇāṁ gṛhe devī kalahaḥ saṁpravartate

The gods spoke thus to that goddess, the very embodiment of sorrow: 'In whatever house of men there is quarreling,

Verse 12 (padma.4.9.12)

तत्र स्थानं प्रयच्छामो वस ज्येष्ठे शुभान्विता । निष्ठुरं वचनं ये च वदंति येऽनृतं नराः ।

tatra sthānaṁ prayacchāmo vasa jyeṣṭhe śubhānvitā niṣṭhuraṁ vacanaṁ ye ca vadaṁti ye'nṛtaṁ narāḥ

there we assign you a place; O Jyeshtha, dwell there with every ill fortune. And whatever men speak harsh words, or speak falsehood,

Verse 13 (padma.4.9.13)

संध्यायां ये हि चाश्नंति दुःखदा तिष्ठ तद्गृहे । कपालकेशभस्मास्थि तुषांगाराणि यत्र तु ।

saṁdhyāyāṁ ye hi cāśnaṁti duḥkhadā tiṣṭha tadgṛhe kapālakeśabhasmāsthi tuṣāṁgārāṇi yatra tu

and whoever eats at twilight — O bringer of sorrow, dwell in their house. And wherever there are skulls, hair, ashes, bones, husks, and embers,

Verse 14 (padma.4.9.14)

स्थानं ज्येष्ठे तत्र तव भविष्यति न संशयः । अकृत्वा पादयोर्धौतं ये चाश्नंति नराधमाः ।

sthānaṁ jyeṣṭhe tatra tava bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ akṛtvā pādayordhautaṁ ye cāśnaṁti narādhamāḥ

O Jyeshtha, there shall surely be your dwelling. And the basest of men who eat without washing their feet —

Verse 15 (padma.4.9.15)

तद्गृहे सर्वदा तिष्ठ दुःखदारिद्रदायिनी । वालुकालवणांगारैः कुर्वंति दंतधावनम् ।

tadgṛhe sarvadā tiṣṭha duḥkhadāridradāyinī vālukālavaṇāṁgāraiḥ kurvaṁti daṁtadhāvanam

O bringer of sorrow and poverty, dwell always in their house. And those who clean their teeth with sand, salt, or charcoal —

Verse 16 (padma.4.9.16)

तेषां गेहे सदा तिष्ठ दुःखदा कलिना सह । छत्राकं श्रीफलं शिष्टं ये खादंति नराधमाः ।

teṣāṁ gehe sadā tiṣṭha duḥkhadā kalinā saha chatrākaṁ śrīphalaṁ śiṣṭaṁ ye khādaṁti narādhamāḥ

O bringer of sorrow, dwell always in their house, together with Kali. And the basest of men who eat mushrooms or leftover bilva fruit —

Verse 17 (padma.4.9.17)

गेहे तेषां तव स्थानं ज्येष्ठे कलुषदायिनि । तिलपिष्टमलाबुं ये गृंजनं पोतिकादलम् ।

gehe teṣāṁ tava sthānaṁ jyeṣṭhe kaluṣadāyini tilapiṣṭamalābuṁ ye gṛṁjanaṁ potikādalam

O Jyeshtha, bringer of impurity, your place is in their house. And whoever, of sinful mind, eats sesame paste with bottle-gourd, root-vegetables, or the leaves of the potika plant,

Verse 18 (padma.4.9.18)

कलं बुकं पलांडुं ये चाश्नंति पापबुद्धयः । तेषां गृहे तव स्थानं भविष्यति न संशयः ।

kalaṁ bukaṁ palāṁḍuṁ ye cāśnaṁti pāpabuddhayaḥ teṣāṁ gṛhe tava sthānaṁ bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ

or a certain root, or onion — in the house of such sinful-minded people your dwelling shall surely be.

Verse 19 (padma.4.9.19)

गुरु देवातिथीनां च यज्ञदानविवर्जितम् । यत्रवेदध्वनिर्नास्ति तत्र तिष्ठ सदाऽशुभे ।

guru devātithīnāṁ ca yajñadānavivarjitam yatravedadhvanirnāsti tatra tiṣṭha sadā'śubhe

Wherever there is no honoring of teacher, gods, or guests, no sacrifice or gift, and no sound of Vedic recitation — O inauspicious one, dwell there always.

Verse 20 (padma.4.9.20)

दंपत्योः कलहो यत्र पितृदेवार्चनं न वै । दुरोदररता यत्र तत्र तिष्ठ सदाशुभे ।

daṁpatyoḥ kalaho yatra pitṛdevārcanaṁ na vai durodararatā yatra tatra tiṣṭha sadāśubhe

Wherever husband and wife quarrel, where there is no worship of ancestors and gods, and where people are given to gambling — O inauspicious one, dwell there always.

Verse 21 (padma.4.9.21)

परदाररता यत्र परद्रव्यापहारिणः । विप्रसज्जनवृद्धानां यत्र पूजा न विद्यते । तत्र स्थाने सदा तिष्ठ पापदारिद्र्यदायिनी ।

paradāraratā yatra paradravyāpahāriṇaḥ viprasajjanavṛddhānāṁ yatra pūjā na vidyate tatra sthāne sadā tiṣṭha pāpadāridryadāyinī

Wherever men are given to adultery, are plunderers of others' wealth, and where brahmins, the virtuous, and elders go unhonored — O bringer of sin and poverty, dwell always in that place.'

Verse 22 (padma.4.9.22)

इत्यादिश्य सुरा ज्येष्ठां सर्वेषां कलिवल्लभाम् । क्षीराब्धेर्मथनं चक्रुः पुनस्ते सुसमाहिताः ।

ityādiśya surā jyeṣṭhāṁ sarveṣāṁ kalivallabhām kṣīrābdhermathanaṁ cakruḥ punaste susamāhitāḥ

Having thus instructed Jyeshtha, dear friend of every discord, the gods, composed once more, resumed the churning of the Ocean of Milk.