Samudra-manthana — The Inner Meaning of Samudra Manthana
Vasishtha Ganapati Muni (1878-1936), first and foremost disciple of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), in his magnum opus Umāsahasram (उमासहस्रम् - A poem comprised of 1000 verses dedicated to Uma), beautifully explains the inner meaning of the legend of Samudra Manthana (समुद्रमन्थन), the churning of the nectar by the gods and the titans.
प्राणशरीरं मन्दरशैलो मूलसरोजं कच्छपराजः।
पूर्णमनन्तं क्षीरसमुद्रः पृष्ठगवीणा वासुकिरज्जुः॥
दक्षिणनाडी निर्जरसेना वामगनाडी दानवसेना।
शक्तिविलासो मन्थनकृत्यं शीर्षजधारा काऽपि सुधोक्ता॥
prāṇaśarīraṁ mandaraśailo mūlasarojaṁ kacchaparājaḥ|
pūrṇamanantaṁ kṣīrasamudraḥ pṛṣṭhagavīṇā vāsukirajjuḥ||
dakṣiṇanāḍī nirjarasenā vāmaganāḍī dānavasenā|
śaktivilāso manthanakṛtyaṁ śīrṣajadhārā kā'pi sudhoktā|| (17: 14&15)
In the first verse (17.14) he says that the living body (prāṇaśarīra) is the mountain known as Mandara; the Lotus at the base (mūlasaroja or the Mūlādhāra) is the Tortoise (kacchaparāja); the infinite sky (pūrṇa ananta) is the milky ocean (kṣīrasamudra); the harp like spinal cord (pṛṣṭhaga-vīṇā) is the rope (rajju) known as Vasuki.
In the second verse (17.15) the poet says: The right nerve-channel (dakṣiṇanāḍī),known as Piṅgalā (पिङ्गला), is symbolic of the army of the gods (nirjara-senā); the left nerve-channel (vāmaga-nāḍī) known as Iḍā (इडा), symbolises the army of the titans (dānavasenā); the play of Shakti (śakti-vilāsa) is the act of churning the ocean (manthana-kṛtya); and the flow (dhārā) of light and delight from the head-lotus (śīrṣaja or the Sahasrāra) is the nectar (sudhā).
This indeed is the inner meaning of the legend of churning of the ocean by the gods and the titans appearing in the Mahabharata (Adiparva, 15-16), Bhagavata Purana (8.6) and Vishnu Purana (1.9). As per the description given here by Vasishtha Ganapati Muni, this exercise of churning goes on in every Yogin of the Sri Vidya tradition in which the body is the churning rod, the Mūlādhāra on which the operation begins is the Tortoise of the legend. The heart space (daharākaśa), the wide expanse on which the churning takes place is the milky ocean. The spinal column shaped like a harp acts as the rope to turn the rod round and round. This is the serpent Vasuki. The subtle nerve-channel known as Piṅgalā situated right to the Suṣumnā, the central nerve-channel, in its action extends the force of the gods. The subtle nerve-channel known as Iḍā situated left to the Suṣumnā, extends the action of the titans. The flashing play of Yogashakti is the act of churning. The flow of Bliss from the Sahasrāra is the final reward.
Man, the epitome of this creation, indeed has all the riches hidden within him. It is the discipline of Yoga that initiates the churning action of the divine power latent in him, so then he can manifest all that is hidden within him.
-Sampadananda Mishra
