The secret of the fourteen gems obtained from the churning of the ocean.

This was the time when the gods lived on Earth. They lived north of the Himalayas. Their job was to create the Earth, make it habitable, and expand the population, including humans.

Along with the gods, their brothers, the demons, also lived. At that time, the Earth was an island, meaning only a single portion of it protruded above the water. Even this portion was very small. Mount Meru stood in its center.

To expand the earth and create diverse life forms on it, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, the gods of the gods, orchestrated a drama and, using the power of the gods and their demon brothers, churned the ocean. To churn the ocean, a cause was first created.

Sage Durvasa cursed Indra, the king of gods, to be deprived of “Shri” (Lakshmi) due to his insult. To free Indra from the curse, Lord Vishnu asked him to perform the churning of the ocean with the demons and lured them with the promise of nectar. This is how the churning of the ocean took place. This ocean was the Ksheer Sagar, which is today known as the Indian Ocean. When the gods and demons began churning the ocean, Lord Vishnu took part in the churning disguised as a tortoise. They remained stationary in the middle of the ocean, and the Madaranchal mountain was placed on top of them. Then, using the serpent Vasuki as a rope, the gods, on one side and the demons, on the other, began churning the ocean.

What was the first thing that came out of the churning? Halahal (poison): – When the ocean was churned, the first thing that came out was the Halahal (Kalakut) poison, whose flames were extremely intense. The flames of the Halahal poison burned all the gods and demons. They all prayed to Lord Shiva.

Shiva drank the poison by placing it on his palm, but did not allow it to go down his throat. The poison’s effect turned Shiva’s throat blue, and hence, Mahadevji came to be known as “Neelkanth.” While drinking from his palm, some of the poison fell to the ground, traces of which we still see in snakes, scorpions, and poisonous insects.

The Second Important Gem, Kamadhenu: As the ocean was churned after the poison, a loud noise resonated throughout the ocean. When the gods and demons looked up, they discovered that it was the true Surabhi Kamadhenu cow. Surrounding her were hundreds of cows of black, white, yellow, green, and red colors.

The cow is considered a sacred animal in Hinduism. It is crucial for human life. It is called Kamadhenu, the nurturer of all. In those days, the cow was called Dhenu.

The third important gem, the Uchchaihsrava horse: There were many horses, but the white Uchchaihsrava horse was considered the fastest and the one that flew. Now, none of its species remain on earth. It was owned by Indra. Uchchaihsrava is nourished by nectar. It is the king of horses. Uchchaihsrava has many meanings, such as one who has high fame, one who has high ears, or one who hears high.

The fourth important gem, Airavata Elephant: All elephants look good and beautiful, but seeing a white elephant is amazing. Airavata was the king of white elephants. ‘Ira’ means water, hence the elephant born from ‘Iravat’ (ocean) is named ‘Airavat’.

This elephant was one of the 14 precious objects obtained during the churning of the ocean by the gods and demons. Airavata was given to Indra during the distribution of the gems obtained from the churning. It is now difficult to find a white elephant with four tusks.

In the eighth chapter of the Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva, the region north of India is called “Airavat” instead of “Uttar Kuru.” This same name appears in Jain literature. The region north refers to Tibet, Mongolia, and the Russian region up to Siberia. Although the region of Uttar Kuru was near the North Pole, this elephant likely lived in this region.

Fifth Gem, Kaustubha Mani: The fifth gem found during the churning was the Kaustubha Mani. Lord Vishnu wears the Kaustubha Mani. The Mahabharata mentions that Lord Krishna freed the serpent Kaliya from the terror of Garuda. At that time, Kaliya gave the Kaustubha Mani to Lord Krishna after removing it from his head.

This is a miraculous gem. It is believed that this gem is now possessed by the wish-fulfilling serpents or it may be buried somewhere in the depths of the ocean. It is possible that this gem is buried in a cave on Earth.

Sixth Gem, Kalpadrum: This is considered the world’s first religious text, revealed during the churning of the ocean. Some people associate it with the origin of the Sanskrit language, and some believe that it is called the Kalpavriksha. While others say that Parijat is called the Kalpavriksha.

It is unclear what Kalpadruma is. Astrologers believe that Kalpadruma is a type of yoga.

Seventh Gem, Rambha: During the churning of the ocean, a beautiful nymph named Rambha appeared. The Puranas describe Rambha as a famous nymph in the court of Kubera. Rambha lived as the wife of Kubera’s son, Nalakubara. The daughter of sage Kashyapa and Pradha was also named Rambha. In the Mahabharata, she is described as the wife of a Gandharva named Turumba.

During the churning of the ocean, Indra obtained Rambha from the gods for his court. Disturbed by Vishwamitra’s intense penance, Indra summoned Rambha and sent her to break his penance. Apsaras are considered residents of the Gandharvalok (the realm of the Gandharvas). Some call them fairies.

The Eighth Gem, Lakshmi: Lakshmi also originated during the churning of the ocean. Lakshmi represents wealth and prosperity. Some people associate her with gold. It is believed that prosperity prevails in homes where women are respected.

The Second Lakshmi: From the womb of Maharishi Bhrigu’s wife, Khyati, a beautiful girl was born, Lakshmi, who married Lord Vishnu.

Ninth Gem, Varuni (Wine): There was a wine called Varuni. There is a festival named Varuni and an astronomical conjunction named Varuni. The wine that was produced during the churning of the ocean was named Varuni. Varuna means water. Because it was produced from water, it was called Varuni. There was a god named Varuna who sided with the demons. The demons took Varuni.

Varuna’s wife is also called Varuni. The wine made from Kadamba fruits is also called Varuni.

The Tenth Gem, Moon: Brahmins and Kshatriyas have many gotras, some of which are associated with the Moon, such as Chandravanshi. According to mythological references, the Moon is said to be the son of the ascetic Atri and Anasuya, whose name was Soma. Daksha Prajapati had 27 daughters, who are named after the 27 constellations. All of them were married to the Moon.

The moon we see in the sky today was created during the churning of the ocean. Its connection to the moon of the Chandravanshi dynasty is a subject of research. According to the Puranas, the moon originated from the Earth.

Eleventh Gem, the Parijat Tree: In addition to the Kalpavriksha (wishful thinking tree), the Parijat tree also originated during the churning of the ocean. Parijat, or Harsingar, is one of the most important trees whose flowers hold a significant place in the worship of God. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, loves Parijat flowers. It is believed that simply touching a Parijat tree relieves fatigue.

The Parijat tree has many medicinal properties. In Hinduism, Parijat is given importance after Kalpavriksha. After this, Banyan, Peepal and Neem are important.

12th Gem. Conch: – Many conches are found but Panchajanya conch is difficult to find. This conch was originated during the churning of the ocean. Panchajanya conch is considered one of the 14 gems. Conch is considered a symbol of victory, prosperity, happiness, peace, fame, glory and Lakshmi. Most importantly, conch is a symbol of sound. The sound of conch is considered auspicious.

In 1928, Berlin University conducted research on the sound of the conch and proved that its sound is an excellent medicine for destroying germs.

There are three types of conch shells – Dakshinavarti conch, Madhyavarti conch and Vaamavarti conch. Apart from these, there are Lakshmi conch, Gomukhi conch, Kamdhenu conch, Vishnu conch, Dev conch, Chakra conch, Poundra conch, Sughosh conch, Garuda conch, Manipushpak conch, Rakshasa conch, Shani conch, Rahu conch, Ketu conch, Sheshnag conch, Kachhap conch etc.

Thirteenth Gem, Dhanvantari Vaidya: After the combined efforts of the gods and demons subsided, the ocean itself was churned, and Lord Dhanvantari appeared, holding a golden pot of nectar in his hand. Scholars say that during this process, many types of medicinal herbs were produced, and then the nectar emerged.

However, Dhanvantari Vaidya is considered the father of Ayurveda. He studied plants from around the world and revealed their positive and negative effects. Of Dhanvantari’s thousands of works, only the Dhanvantari Samhita remains extant, which is the foundational text of Ayurveda. Sushruta Muni, the first Acharya of Ayurveda, received the teachings of this science from Dhanvantari. Later, Charaka and others carried forward this tradition.

Dhanvantari was born 10,000 BC. He was the son of Maharaja Dhanva, the king of Kashi. He conducted important research on surgery. His great-grandson, Divodasa, refined these findings and imparted them to his disciples, including Sushruta. The most significant scientific experiment in Dhanvantari’s life is that of Amrit. The golden urn containing Amrit is associated with his life. Dhanvantari demonstrated the method of producing Amrit in a golden vessel.

He said that gods like Brahma invented the nectar called Soma to ward off old age and death. According to Ayurvedic scholars like Dhanvantari, there are 100 types of death. Of these, only one is untimely death; efforts to prevent the rest are Ayurvedic diagnosis and treatment. Dhanvantari has described every single measure of lifespan.

He was born on the day of Dhanteras. Dhanvantari is the revered deity of health, wellness, longevity, and radiance. He is mentioned in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sushruta Samhita, Charaka Samhita, Kashyap Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Bhava Prakash, Shargadhar, and Shrimadbhavat Purana. There have been many other Ayurvedic scholars named Dhanvantari. Ayu’s son was also named Dhanvantari.

Finally, the 14th gem, Amrit: “Amrit” literally means “immortality.” It must have been a drink or chemical that, when consumed, would have granted a person the ability to live for thousands of years. This is why many sages are found in both the Ramayana and Mahabharata eras. At the end of the churning of the ocean, a pot of Amrit emerged. In the name of Amrit, the terms Charanamrit and Panchamrit became popular.

When the gods and demons were fighting over the distribution of the nectar, and at the behest of Indra, his son Jayant tried to escape with the Amrit Kumbh, some demons chased him. The struggle for the Amrit Kumbh continued for 12 days in heaven, and a few drops of Amrit fell from that Kumbh at four places on Earth. These places were Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain, and Nashik. It is here that the Kumbh is held every 12 years. Later, Lord Vishnu, disguised as Mohini, distributed the Amrit.

The word “amrita” first appears in the Rigveda, where it is one of the various synonyms for soma. It is possible that “somarasa” itself was considered “amrita.” Whether soma is a juice or a substance is unknown. Some scholars consider soma to be a medicine. According to them, Sushruta’s Chikitsaasthana states that consuming it rejuvenates the body, making the elderly young again. But the Vedas also discuss another type of Soma, regarding which it is written that no one drinks the Soma known to Brahmins. The glory of the Brahmin’s Soma is expressed in these words: Look, we drank Soma and became immortal or resurrected.