Srimad Bhagavatam – day 458
Vishṇave namah
Together with Rudra, Lord Brahma prayed,
Ajāta-janma-sthiti-saṁyamāya-aguṇāya nirvāṇa-sukhārṇavāya
Aṇor aṇimne ’parigaṇya-dhāmne mahānubhāvāya namo namas te
O Lord, being devoid of traits You do not associate with the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the worlds. You are an ocean of unending bliss. You are far subtler than space, which is considered to be exceedingly subtle.
In Your form, limitations of place and time do not exist. To You, who have an unimaginable power and might, I offer obeisance.
O supreme among beings (Puruśottama)! You are the creator of the universe. Living entities who seek ultimate auspiciousness worship Your forms according to methods stipulated in the Vedas and tantras.
Aha! O Lord, in this Universal form of Yours I am able to see all the three worlds. O ever-independent Lord, in the period prior to creation, during the period of sustenance and even after annihilation this world rests totally in You. Just as the earthen pot is created from earth, sustained by earth and merges into earth, this world arises, sustains and dissolves into You!
You are beyond Nature (prakrti). Together with the illusionary energy which has sought shelter in You, You created this universe and thereafter entered into it. In this world which is the outcome of the three attributes of Nature (triguṇas), wise intelligent persons who possess absolute alert minds, perceive Your form that is devoid of all attributes (nirguṇa). This is the true, realistic view.
Fire is generated from wood through friction, a cow is milked for its nectar, land is tilled to produce different varieties of foodgrains and wells are dug to obtain water. Through their efforts human beings earn their livelihood. Similarly, wise intelligent persons with their clear pure intellect recognise You in sound and other sensory perceptions that have arisen due to the transformations of the trigunas. They describe You superbly.
O lotus-eyed Lord! You are our sole leader. The liberation which we have been earnestly seeking from a very long time is nothing but Your form. You have now manifested before us. The bliss we are experiencing presently can be compared to the happiness enjoyed by elephants which, distressed by the raging forest fire, enter the cool waters of Ganga.
O Lord, we the Devatas are the rulers of all the worlds. Please fulfill the purpose for which we have sought refuge in You. You, the all-pervading Lord, remain the witness for everything. This being the case, O omniscient Lord, is there anything living entities should narrate explicitly to You?
O Supreme Lord, just as sparks emerge from fire, myself, Rudra and all these Devatas are nothing but tiny aspects of Your magnificent form. Nonetheless, we consider that we have an existence separate from You. We are unable to figure any method by which we can obtain relief. O Lord, please tell us the method by which Devatas and Saints can obtain relief. Please be by our side when we execute the plan per Your directions and thereby ensuring our success.”
In this manner, Lord Brahma together with all Devatas prayed to the Supreme Lord. They folded their hands and conquering all their senses stood before Him. The Supreme Lord Srihari understood the opinion contained in their heart. Although He, who was the lord of all lords, was the only one capable of accomplishing the divine task, He wanted to playfully conduct transcendental plays such as churning the ocean. Addressing them in a deep, thundering voice He said,
“Hanta brahmann aho śambho he devā mama bhāṣitam
Śṛṇutāvahitāḥ sarve śreyo vaḥ syād yathā surāḥ
O Brahma, Maheswara, Devatas and Gandharvas! Please listen attentively. I will now tell You the way by which you can obtain auspiciousness. Until the task sought by You is fully accomplished, enter into a peace treaty with the demons, who belong to the Danu-Diti lineages. The present time is extremely favourable to them. When the task to be accomplished is enormous, isn’t it imperative to make a truce with enemies?
In this situation, the analogy of the snake and the rat is to be considered. A snake was held captive within a basket when, accidently a rat entered into it. The snake befriended the rat and got it to drill a hole in the basket. Once its task was accomplished, the snake gulped the rat and escaped from the basket. Likewise, make truce with your enemies. After the successful completion of your mission, resort to war and destroy them. Presently, use of the strength of the demons to become for powerful. When your strength and power surpasses theirs, conquer them easily.
Hence, O Devatas, without any delay make arrangements for procuring nectar. A living entity that is caught in the snares of death escapes by drinking nectar. This is undoubtedly true.
My dear Devatas! Gather all bushes, herbs, creepers and grasses and throw them into the milk-ocean. Use the Mountain Mandara as the churning rod and snake Vasuki as the rope to churn the ocean. Discarding laziness in totality, churn the ocean with all your might. I will also help you in your endeavour. The demons will join hands with you in procuring nectar nevertheless the fruit of this entire activity will be gained only by you.
My dear Devatas! Just obey every demand put forth by the demons without agitation. Indescribable objects will emerge from the milk-ocean during churning. Give away to them whatever they seek from those objects. Tasks can be accomplished only through peace and friendly attitude, and never through anger. Bear this in mind.
A terrible kālakuta poison will be born from the ocean. Do not fear it. During churning when objects emerge, at no point should greed, desire, or anger that the desire remains unfulfilled, arise in you. Relentlessly continue to churn the ocean ignoring the objects.”
Having instructed the Devatas in this manner, the Supreme Lord vanished from their midst. Lords Brahma, Rudra and the Devatas offered obeisance to Him and then returned to their respective abodes.