Udaipur: On the fourth Monday of the holy month of Sawan, Narayan Seva Sansthan hosted another episode of its ongoing Shiva Katha, “Bholenath Ki Sharan Mein – Apno Se Apni Baat.” Sansthan President Prashant Agarwal, speaking from the Vyas Peeth, narrated the story of the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), highlighting the timeless lessons of humility, restraint, cooperation and collective welfare.

Narrating the episode, Agarwal said that Sage Durvasa once presented Lord Indra with a divine garland symbolising prosperity. Indra placed it on his elephant Airavata, which dropped it to the ground and trampled it. Angered by this, Sage Durvasa cursed Indra, declaring that the three worlds would be deprived of prosperity and abundance. Taking advantage of the situation, the Asuras, led by King Bali, attacked the Devas and defeated them.

The worried Devas first approached Lord Brahma and later sought refuge in Lord Vishnu. Rather than continuing the conflict, Vishnu advised them to make peace with the Asuras and jointly churn the ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality. The Devas proposed the arrangement to the Asuras, and both sides agreed to work together. Mount Mandarachala was used as the churning rod, Vasuki as the rope, while Lord Vishnu took the form of Kurma, the tortoise, to provide support.

Agarwal explained that 14 precious treasures emerged from the Samudra Manthan. The first was the deadly Halahala poison, followed by Kamadhenu, the celestial horse Uchchaihshrava, the elephant Airavata, the Kaustubha gem, Kalpavriksha, Rambha, Goddess Lakshmi, Varuni, the Moon, Parijata, the Panchajanya conch, Lord Dhanvantari and the pot of nectar. While the treasures were distributed between the Devas and Asuras, a dispute erupted when the nectar fell into the Asuras’ share.

He said Lord Vishnu then assumed the form of Mohini and seated the Devas and Asuras in separate rows before distributing the nectar to the Devas. During the process, Svarbhanu disguised himself as a Deva and managed to drink the nectar. Lord Vishnu used the Sudarshan Chakra to separate his head from his body. Svarbhanu later became known as Rahu and Ketu.

The Katha also featured the episode of the Halahala poison and Lord Shiva’s transformation into Neelkanth. Agarwal said that when the deadly poison threatened the entire creation, Lord Shiva consumed it for the welfare of the world and held it in his throat, which turned blue, earning him the name Neelkanth. He also explained the spiritual significance of offering water to the Shiva Lingam.

On the occasion, children of Narayan Children Academy, led by Sansthan Director Vandana Agarwal, took out a Kanwar Yatra and performed Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva. Sansthan Founder and Chairman Kailash Manav was also present and blessed beneficiaries with disabilities.

Hundreds of devotees and persons with disabilities attended the programme and listened to the Shiva Katha with devotion.