[Advaita-l] Shiva consuming hAlAhala - an interpolation in samudra manthana

[D Gayatri]

Alright, please come up with your own edition of the Mahabharata if you
think you have a better method than the one adopted by the critical
edition.


On Saturday, 13 August 2016, Balasubramanian Ramakrishnan <
rama.balasubramanian at gmail.com> wrote:

> Why do you think I haven't read this?
>
> Rama
>
> On Saturday, August 13, 2016, D Gayatri <dgayatrinov10 at gmail.com
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','dgayatrinov10 at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>
>> To understand this, you must read Vishnu Sukthankar's introduction to the
>> Adi parvan, published by BORI. It describes in detail, the problem, and the
>> methodology used to arrive at the critical edition and in what ways is the
>> critical edition reliable.
>>
>>
>> On Saturday, 13 August 2016, Balasubramanian Ramakrishnan <
>> rama.balasubramanian at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Why should the critical edition be taken as the first level of standard?
>>>
>>> Rama
>>>
>>> On Thursday, August 11, 2016, D Gayatri via Advaita-l <
>>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Sri Krishnamoorthy gaaru
>>>>
>>>> In the critical edition of the Mahabharata (which IMO, should be taken
>>>> as
>>>> our first level of standard), there is no mention of Vishnu taking the
>>>> form
>>>> of tortoise. It is instead the king of tortoises named akUpAra  who
>>>> supports the Mandara mountain.
>>>>
>>>> Regards
>>>> Gayatri
>>>>
>>>> On 11 August 2016 at 17:03, R Krishnamoorthy <srirudra at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > Dear
>>>> > Sri Mahavishnu took Kurma avatara to balance the Manthara mountain
>>>> says
>>>> > the version I had heard in Amrutha manthanam.
>>>> > R. Krishnamoorthy
>>>> > On 11 Aug 2016 16:06, "D Gayatri via Advaita-l"
>>>> <advaita-l at lists.advaita-
>>>> > vedanta.org> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> >> The samudra manthana (churning of the ocean by devas and asuras)
>>>> episode
>>>> >> is
>>>> >> famous and is told in many ancient works like the Mahabharata (Adi
>>>> >> parvan),
>>>> >> the Vishnu Purana, the Ramayana and the Bhagavata Purana and some
>>>> other
>>>> >> Puranas. One of the incidents that is allegedly a part of this
>>>> episode is
>>>> >> the drinking of hAlAhala poison by Shiva. It is now a days almost
>>>> taken
>>>> >> for
>>>> >> granted that in the samudra manthana story, Shiva drinks the hAlAhala
>>>> >> poison to save the worlds. However, this incident of Shiva drinking
>>>> the
>>>> >> poison is not present in the critical edition of the Mahabharata and
>>>> nor
>>>> >> is
>>>> >> it present in the Vishnu Purana. In this post, I will briefly touch
>>>> upon
>>>> >> the absence of the hAlAhala incident in two important works, the
>>>> >> Mahabharata and the Vishnu purana.
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> 1. Mahabharata (Adi parvan)
>>>> >>
>>>> >> First let us look at a non-critical edition of the Mahabharata, the
>>>> one
>>>> >> translated by K M Ganguly.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01019.htm
>>>> >>
>>>> >> [But with the churning still going on, the poison Kalakuta appeared
>>>> at
>>>> >> last. Engulfing the Earth it suddenly blazed up like a fire attended
>>>> with
>>>> >> fumes. And by the scent of the fearful Kalakuta, the three worlds
>>>> were
>>>> >> stupefied. And then Siva, being solicited by Brahman, swallowed that
>>>> >> poison
>>>> >> for the safety of the creation. The divine Maheswara held it in his
>>>> >> throat,
>>>> >> and it is said that from that time he is called Nilakantha
>>>> >> (blue-throated).]
>>>> >>
>>>> >> In the above non-critical edition, Shiva drinks the poison that
>>>> comes out
>>>> >> of the churning of the ocean. However, this is clearly an
>>>> interpolation
>>>> >> because the critical edition of the Mahabharata does not contain
>>>> these
>>>> >> verses.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> In his preface to the Adi parvan of the Mahabharata, Vishnu
>>>> Sukthankar
>>>> >> states that the hAlAhala incident is mentioned exclusively in most
>>>> >> Southern
>>>> >> manuscripts, but is completely absent from the Northern (that
>>>> includes the
>>>> >> Eastern, Western and Northern) manuscripts. Hence this is treated as
>>>> an
>>>> >> interpolation and removed from the critical edition of the
>>>> Mahabharata,
>>>> >> prepared by Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI).
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Here is a brief summary of the episode in the critical edition of the
>>>> >> Mahabharata -
>>>> >>
>>>> >> 1. Mount Mandara is uprooted by the snake Ananta (Adi Sesha).
>>>> >> 2. The snake Vaasuki is used for churning the ocean and the mountain
>>>> rests
>>>> >> on King of tortoises akUpAra during churning.
>>>> >> 3. Puffs of smoke and fire come out from Vasuki's mouth during
>>>> churning
>>>> >> 4. The devas and asuras and snakes become weak during the churning
>>>> >> 5. Narayana grants them strength to continue churning at Brahma's
>>>> request.
>>>> >> 6. Sun, Moon, Sri, Liquor, White Horse, Kaustubha come out of the
>>>> ocean
>>>> >> during churning.
>>>> >> 7. Finally Dhanvantari comes with the Amruta.
>>>> >> 8. Vishnu bewitches the asuras by taking  female form and gives the
>>>> Amruta
>>>> >> to the gods for drinking. The asura Rahu manages to drink it by
>>>> taking the
>>>> >> form of a deva.
>>>> >> 9. A fight occurs between the devas andd asuras and Narayana and
>>>> Nara help
>>>> >> the devas defeat the asuras.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> In this entire incident Shiva is completely absent and so is
>>>> hAlAhala.
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> 2. Vishnu Purana
>>>> >>
>>>> >> In the Vishnu Purana, the poison comes out of the ocean during the
>>>> >> churning, but it is not consumed by Shiva. Instead it is taken by the
>>>> >> snakes. Shiva is present but he just seizes the moon that comes out
>>>> during
>>>> >> the churning. Here is the VP translation by Wilson -
>>>> >>
>>>> >> http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp044.htm
>>>> >>
>>>> >> [From the ocean, thus churned by the gods and Dánavas, first uprose
>>>> the
>>>> >> cow
>>>> >> Surabhi, the fountain of milk and curds, worshipped by the
>>>> divinities, and
>>>> >> beheld by them and their associates with minds disturbed, and eyes
>>>> >> glistening with delight. Then, as the holy Siddhas in the sky
>>>> wondered
>>>> >> what
>>>> >> this could be, appeared the goddess Váruní (the deity of wine), her
>>>> eyes
>>>> >> rolling with intoxication. Next, from the whirlpool of the deep,
>>>> sprang
>>>> >> the
>>>> >> celestial Párijáta tree, the delight of the nymphs of heaven,
>>>> perfuming
>>>> >> the
>>>> >> world with its blossoms. The troop of Ápsarasas, the nymphs of
>>>> heaven,
>>>> >> were
>>>> >> then produced, of surprising loveliness, endowed with beauty and with
>>>> >> taste. The cool-rayed moon next rose, and was seized by Mahádeva:
>>>> and then
>>>> >> poison was engendered from the sea, of which the snake gods (Nágas)
>>>> took
>>>> >> possession. Dhanwantari, robed in white, and bearing in his hand the
>>>> cup
>>>> >> of
>>>> >> Amrita, next came forth: beholding which, the sons of Diti and of
>>>> Danu, as
>>>> >> well as the Munis, were filled with satisfaction and delight. Then,
>>>> seated
>>>> >> on a full-blown lotus, and holding a water-lily in her hand, the
>>>> goddess
>>>> >> Śrí, radiant with beauty, rose from the waves. ]
>>>> >>
>>>> >> In the Ramayana and Bhagavata Purana and some other Puranas however,
>>>> >> hAlAhala comes out of the ocean during churning and is consumed by
>>>> Shiva.
>>>> >> But since this incident is markedly absent from both the Mahabharata
>>>> and
>>>> >> the Vishnu Purana, it can be deemed a later interpolation.
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Regards
>>>> >> Gayatri
>>>> >> _______________________________________________
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>>>> >
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