Vishnu Puran: What does Samudra Manthan mean? 

Lord Vishnu, who is referred to as thePalanharorPalankarta, looks after the various forms of life on Earth. And he is also believed to be the one who existed since time immemorial. He isajanma(meaning the one who was not born). Therefore, hisLeelasoften get translated into events that lead to the welfare of humankind. One such episode of hisLeelais associated withSamudra Manthanor the churning of the ocean.

Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the ocean, was done to extract the Amrit (divine nectar). The Devas and the Danavas took part in a tug of war contest to churn the elixir from the ocean bed to attain immortality.

If one were to look at theSamudra Manthanfrom the perspective of spirituality, then it refers to the process of introspection that one must go through to extract all that seeks refuge in him/her. Some of the things that may arise may be conducive while the rest may prove detrimental. Therefore, the churning of the ocean means realisation.

Interestingly, Lord Vishnu wanted the Devas to take help from their arch-rivals, Daityas. The churning of the Samudra was not an easy task, and it required Mount Mandara and snake Vasuki's involvement. And to churn the Samudra, from the two sides, the Devas and the Asuras/Danavas had to team up as one.

Lord Vishnu knew that the Devas alone wouldn't be able to churn the ocean if they wished to obtain the divine nectar. Therefore, he asked Indra to meet Kalketu, the king of the Danavas and Daitya Guru Shukracharya with the proposal of working together for extracting theAmrit(elixir). The Danavas agreed to take part in the task after learning about the benefits of theAmrit. They wanted to become immortal, and therefore, they accepted the proposal.

Now, if we were to interpret what this plan means, then it points towards the presence of the evil to determine the value of the good. Therefore, the Danavas were essential, and so were the Devas. Moreover, myriad thoughts cloud a person's mind, but the one who takes the good and dismisses the evil leads a blissful life. And this blissfulness isAmrit.

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What is Samudra Manthan and why Lord Vishnu wanted Devas to take help from demons? - Times Now