~OS: Samudra Tanaya~

It was a rare moment in the universe, for the Devas and Asuras, constantly at loggerheads with each other, were working in unity towards a common goal. They wanted the divine amrita, the nectar of immortality, prophesied to be submerged deep within the ksheera saagara, the divine ocean of milk.

Maha Vishnu took birth as the large turtle Kurma upon whom the Mandhara parvata was kept as the churning rod. Mahadeva's serpent Vasuki became the rope which the Devas and Asuras used to churn the great ocean.

Many divine jewels and precious forms of life had surfaced from within the milky waters of the ksheera saagara. The Devas had lain claim to the enchanting aprasaras, while Kamadhenu the divine cow had been given to the great sages. Ucchaishravas, the seven-headed horse, had been claimed by the Asuras. Several ancient herbs and live-giving plants were hidden safely by the divine Sages and Gods who did not want them to land in the hands of the Asuras. Great distress was borne when the Halahala, the poisonous venom which was an obstacle to the churning of the ocean that the Devas and Asuras had not conceived of, began emitting its fumes and threatened to destroy the entire universe. Lord Mahadeva swallowed it whole and kept it stored within his throat, earning the name Neelakantha.

The churning was almost complete. The Devas and Asuras had lain claim to many of the precious objects unearthed from the milky waters, but the divine amrita had still not made an appearance. It was that which both sides coveted. The divine ambrosia, which would ensure immortality until the end of time, seemed an elusive dream, nearby and yet out of reach. Both sides persevered, temporarily united in their common desire.

Suddenly, a bright light emitted from the ocean, covering the entire universe in its warm rays. The Devas exchanged hopeful glances, while the Asuras grinned with greed. Could it be that the divine amrita had finally made an appearance? Both sides glared at each other suspiciously, as if challenging the other to claim the ambrosia for themselves.

However, from the bright light the figure of a woman began to form, clad in crimson silk and ornamented in shimmering gold jewelry that shone with the radiance of Surya Bhagwaan himself. Her silky black hair was coiled into a braid and entwined with a garland of fragrant jasmine, running down her back like the great Vasuki himself. Her eyes were closed in prayer, her palms joined before her chest. Her lips were curved into a beauteous smile, and her wide forehead which radiated with wisdom was smeared with fragrant sandalwood paste.

The Devas recognized her immediately. Like the radiant Mata Parvathi, and the storehouse of wisdom Mata Saraswati, this divine woman was a Goddess, the Mother of the Universe. She was Goddess Mahalakshmi, the beloved consort of their Narayana. When the Lord of the Oceans did years of tapasya to Mahalakshmi, she finally appeared to him and granted him a boon. Samudra Devta requested that Mahalakshmi should be born as his daughter, and he should have the joy of raising her within his waters and seeing her grow to adulthood, wherein he would give her in marriage to Maha Vishnu and have the blessing of calling the Lord himself as his son-in-law.

Prostrating themselves before her, the Devas joined their palms in prayer and felt blessed to have received the darshan of Mahalakshmi herself. She smiled lovingly at them, bestowing blessings as only a Mother could. The Asuras, on the other hand, felt themselves struck with desire and gazed shamefacedly at her. In their arrogance they failed to recognize the truth, and felt a longing to covet their own Mother. She glanced at them with displeasure, but in her heart she forgave them, for a Mother could never be angry at her children for long. All she yearned for was to be united with her Narayana, whose presence she had been denied for so long.

'Lord, when are you coming for me?' she thought in her mind, looking around for the presence of her beloved. He was nowhere to be seen. 'Why are you testing me, Prabhu? I cannot live one moment without you in this universe, and yet to honor my father's desire to have me for a daughter, I remained away from you all these years, but no more my Lord. I cannot bear one more moment without you.'

Lord Mahadeva appeared before her. "My dear sister," he spoke kindly to her, a knowing look in his eyes. "For whom are you looking?"

"Bhratashree, Mahadeva, you know who I seek with all my heart," Mahalakshmi replied to her brother. "Why does He evade me even now?"

"My dear," Mahadeva addressed her with compassion. "The Lord has yet to do his leela, and when he does, he will come for you. Until then, pray to Him and wait for Him to come to you. He can live without you no more than you can live without Him. You know that to be true."

Mahalakshmi looked down shyly, but then nodded and bowed in gratitude to her dear brother. He disappeared from there, leaving her to her prayers.

Returning to her father's kingdom within the waters, Mahalakshmi sat before the idol of Narayana which adorned her father's large prayer room. She lay her head at His feet and became lost in his thoughts, while Samudra Devta glanced at his daughter from the doorway with affection. He knew what her desire was, and as her father he yearned to fulfill that desire. He would organize a swayamvara for her. That alone would bring Lord Sri Hari to his doorstep.

The churning of the ocean continued for many more years, and finally it came to an end when a beautiful lady, shining with divine radiance, appeared with a crystal pot in her hands and an enchanting smile on her lips. Both the Devas and Asuras were captivated by her and fell over each other trying to earn her favor, nearly forgetting about the sought after amrita in her hands, but the divine lady, introducing herself as Mohini, merely laughed and encouraged them to take some rest after many years of hard work. It couldn't have been easy churning the great milky Ocean, she said, and both the Devas and Asuras fell under her spell, hanging off her every word. She led them into a beautiful palace constructed by Vishwakarma, and once they were all seated the Asuras demanded she dance and entertain them.

"A dance?" Mohini asked them with raised brows, her eyes glimmering with charm and mischief. "Your wish is my command, great Lords."

That mischievous glint! The Devas all recognized it, for they prostrated themselves before His feet every day.

Immediately, they realized who the bewitching lady was, and exchanged sheepish glances that they had fallen for the maya of Shri Hari himself, for that was who Devi Mohini was. She was none other than the enchanting Vishnu, come in her form as the captivating enchantress, whom none in the universe could resist!

Lord Indra exchanged a grin with Lord Surya. They were eager to witness this latest leela of Vishnu, and knew the defeat of the immoral Asuras was certain. With Vishnu and his maya at work, no one in the universe could do anything to stop Him.

Goddess Mahalakshmi witnessed all this in her mind's eye, and she giggled with delight witnessing her beloved's enchanting dance.

'Swami,' she thought lovingly and teased, 'You look so beautiful, I wonder if I should feel jealous.'

'Jealous, my love?' her Lord replied in her mind, chuckling in his playful manner, 'No one could be more beautiful than you. Rest assured, Mohini pales in comparison to you.'

'That is not what I meant and you know it,' Lakshmi replied spiritedly, 'You are so beautiful, Swami, all those Asuras are desiring you to have as their wife. What will be my state, with so many men vying for your hand?'

Hari chuckled. 'My beloved, Mohini is quite safe, let me assure you. No one can come near my maya except for you, for you are Mahamaya herself.'

Lakshmi smiled at her Lord's words. 'Complete your leela quickly, my Lord. I yearn to be united with you once and for all.'

'Be patient for a while longer, priye, I will come to you soon.'

Lakshmi smiled and closed her eyes, her head resting peacefully at her Lord's feet.

She witnessed the rest of her Lord's leela with contentment and pleasure, as He distributed wine to all the Asuras, inducing them into a state of intoxication before distributing the ambrosia of immortality to the Devas. Svarbhanu, the only Asura to remain in a state of semi-clarity, realized what Mohini was doing at once, and angered by what he deemed the Devas' deception, he took the form of a Deva and snuck into their group, bowing his head low as he sat between Lord Surya and Lord Chandra.

Mohini came towards the group and poured some amrita into both Surya and Chandra's hands. Catching sight of Svarbhanu, she smiled, immediately catching his deception, but acting ignorant of it she poured amrita into his hands also. Eagerly, Svarbhanu drank the amrita before Surya and Chandra, who recognized the signs on his body as that of an Asura, informed Mohini of his deception. Mohini disappeared from the scene, and in her place appeared Maha Vishnu. All the Devas prostrated themselves before him while the Asuras gaped in shock, realizing they had been tricked.

Svarbhanu became pale with fear as Vishnu's sudarshan chakra came towards him, beheading him immediately. However, the amrita had already taken effect and he did not die on the spot as would have originally happened. He laughed and gloated with victory, feeling elated that he had hoodwinked not only the Devas but Vishnu himself!

However, Vishnu simply smiled. "Svarbhanu, he spoke calmly. "I knew your deception all along, and yet I gave you the ambrosia on purpose."

Svarbhanu was shocked. "I do not believe it," he scoffed. "Why would you give me the ambrosia, Narayan? You have always hated the Asuras."

Narayan smiled. "I do not hate anyone, Svarbhanu. I simply support Dharma, and you Asuras have always evaded Dharma, taking refuge in Adharma instead, and thus I must oppose you to protect the Devas from your treachery. Be that as it may, you are fated to serve an important purpose in this universe, and thus you required the amrita as much as the Devas did. Your head, which I have beheaded, will be known as Rahu, while your body will be Ketu. Both of you will join the other Lords of the planets and form the Navagrahas, the nine deities who determine the life of every form of creation born on Earth. Like the other Lords, you too will receive positions of honor among the Devas, and mankind will pray to you along with the other Lords in yagnas."

Rahu and Ketu prostrated themselves before Vishnu, befuddled and yet enthralled by the promotion of their respective positions.

"We seek a boon from you, Lord Narayan," they asked respectfully.

Narayan smiled. "What is it?"

"We were beheaded by you because Lord Surya and Lord Chandra gave away our secret, and thus we consider them our enemies. Grant us a boon that a few times every year, we may swallow them and immerse the world in darkness."

"Tathaastu," Vishnu nodded his head in agreement and held up his hand in blessing. Lord Surya and Lord Chandra looked worried.

"Sri Hari, this boon to Rahu and Ketu that you have granted could become a bane to mankind. How will humans overcome the obstacles they will face during the times when Rahu and Ketu have swallowed us?"

"During those times when the world is steeped in darkness, if mankind prays to you, Surya and Chandra, with utmost devotion, the effects of Rahu and Ketu will be lessened," Narayana promised them. Lord Surya and Lord Chandra were satisfied and disappeared from the spot, along with the other Devas and Asuras. Only Samudra Devta remained.

"Swami," Lord Varuna bowed low in supplication, "I have organized a swayamvar for my daughter, Lakshmi. I hope you will attend and bless her to find a worthy groom."

Narayana smiled and nodded. 'Priye, I am coming.'

Lakshmi sat up with a gasp and smiled with pleasure, glancing up at the idol of Vishnu with tears of happiness streaming down her face.

'I am waiting, Swami, I am waiting.'

The swayamvara hall, located in the luxurious palace of Samudra Devta deep within the oceans, was full to the brim with Devas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and Asuras among other divine beings all vying for Mahalakshmi's hand. In actuality, the Devas who recognized her as the Universal Mother attended simply to witness the union of Lakshmi Narayan which they knew was inevitable, whereas the Asuras all desired her for a wife. Their fresh anger against Vishnu, born of his trickery in helping the Devas attain the amrita, was another reason behind their presence. They felt it would be sweet revenge to steal away his consort from right beneath his nose. The Devas chuckled, amused at the Asuras' ignorance in thinking they could ever separate Lakshmi Narayan.

Mahalakshmi entered the hall, led by her faithful sakhis, eyes downcast and a beauteous smile gracing her lips. Her father glanced at her affectionately, his eyes lit up with pride at seeing how lovely and graceful his beloved daughter looked. He felt nostalgic thinking she would soon leave him, but then he shook his head, chastising himself. She was the Universal Mother. She was his mother too, and yet she had graciously agreed to become his daughter to fulfill his desire. He should not become overcome in the maya of attachment. Her place was with Lord Narayana.

Mahalakshmi walked past all the suitors, sparing them not a glance. She blessed the ones pure of heart, who bowed to her in devotion, and ignored the ones who glanced at her lasciviously. Her mind was focused on only one, and he had not yet arrived. However, she felt no worry or concern, for her faith in her Lord was so strong that she knew He would come. He would come for her, and together they would return to their divine abode, their beautiful Vaikuntha.

All at once, everyone felt His presence. His radiance filled the entire hall, so bright and glorious it was. He stood in all his eminence, beautiful in form and pleasing manner, His eyes crinkled in kindness while His lips quirked with that ever-present mischief He was known for.

Mahalakshmi's face broke into a breathtaking smile, and she rushed to her Lord, desiring to gaze at him for all eternity, and yet too shy to even lift the garland clasped in her hands.

"Priye," Narayan murmured, gazing at his beloved with pure, sweet unadulterated love. No one present there was left in doubt of the love between the God and Goddess, not even the Asuras, and they finally gave up their desire to have Mahalakshmi. Even they knew it was an impossible feat, and not worth it to challenge Vishnu himself for her hand.

"Swami," Mahalakshmi's voice shook with emotion. She glanced at her Lord with pure bliss written across every feature of her face. Lifting her arms, she garlanded Him with all the love existing within her heart, and claimed him as her eternal consort yet again. Whatever form they may take, how many ever forms they might create of themselves, in the end they would always find their way back to each other.

The wedding of Lakshmi Narayan happened with all the pomp and excitement the universe could create. Brahma and Saraswati, Mahadev and Parvathi presided over the rituals, while Samudra Devta gave away his daughter to Maha Vishnu, feeling deep gratitude that he had been bestowed the opportunity to raise such a divine girl and experience the bliss of parenthood. The Saptarishis chanted Vedic mantras, while the apsaras all danced in merriment. The gandharvas sang and other Demi-Gods poured flowers on the divine couple. The Devas prostrated themselves before Lakshmi Narayan, seeking their blessings and eternal protection.

"Lord," they spoke reverentially, "We seek a boon from you and Mata Lakshmi."

"Ask for it, my children," Vishnu spoke fondly.

"In whatever form you and Mata take, how many ever times you incarnate on Earth and marry each other, we wish to be present at your wedding and receive the blessed opportunity to witness your union many times over. Please grant us that opportunity, Lord, and we will consider our lives blessed beyond measure."

"Tathaastu," Vishnu and Lakshmi spoke together.

Lakshmi turned to her father, who had tears in his eyes at the thought of her vidaai. He knew it was silly. Lakshmi belonged with her Vishnu. She always had, and always would. Being born his daughter was a leela performed by the Goddess to fulfill his desire, and now that she had fulfilled it, it was time for her to leave. He could not get caught up in the maya of attachment, and yet he could not help himself. All he kept remembering was the moment Mahalakshmi had granted him his boon, and in an instant had appeared before him as an infant child lying the middle of a bed of lotus flowers. He had lost his heart to the child then and there. He knew she was his Mother, and yet he kept thinking of her as his daughter.

Lakshmi looked upon her father with compassion. "Pitashree," she addressed him kindly, "A part of me will always be your daughter, and I will never forget the love with which you raised me. I grant you a boon. From henceforth, I will be known as Ksheera Samudra Raja Tanaya, your daughter, and this name of mine will be chanted along with my other ones until the end of time."

Samudra Devta bowed his head, tears of gratitude streaming down his cheeks. "I am blessed, Mother! he murmured, overcome with vatsalya for the Goddess."

Lakshmi's sister approached her, bowing her head reverentially. She was another daughter of Samudra Devta, born after her.

"Jyeshta Sodarya," Ksheera addressed her sister. "I beg of you a boon, Mata, if you will grant it."

"You need only ask, dearest one," Lakshmi spoke in a sweet tone.

"I wish for you and Prabhu Shri Hari to reside on my waters eternally, Devi," Ksheera requested. "I wish to spend the rest of my life serving you and Narayana."

"Ksheera, will you be able to bear our weight?" Narayana asked her with a smile upon his lips.

"Prabhu, you yourself granted me a boon once, that I will be able to bear the weight of the entire world upon my shoulders," Ksheera reminded her brother-in-law with a smile. "Grant me this boon, Lord. It would please me greatly to serve you and Devi for the rest of my life."

Lakshmi and Vishnu exchanged a glance and nodded their head in acceptance. Samudra Devta and Ksheera were elated, for now Lakshmi would never leave their dwelling. Instead, she and Narayan would forever reside there.

Ananta Sesha, a great white serpent who was the valiant son of Kadru and one of the faithful servants of Vishnu, coiled himself into a bed and floated upon the waters of Ksheera. Lakshmi and Vishnu made him their eternal resting place, and there they dwelled in peace and happiness, taking care of the universe and performing their various leelas, while the strong waters of ksheera bore their weight eternally, existing in perpetual bliss.

Samudra Devta felt blessed indeed. Both his beloved daughters were present with him eternally. What more could a father desire?

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Upcoming Sequel - The love story and union of Nagalakshmi (Ksheera) and Ananta Sesha