Kartik Mahatmya Adhyay 11: The Churning and the War of Devas

This is Adhyay 11 of the Kartik Mahatmya. Jalandhar learns how the devas churned the Ocean, his father, and took its jewels. He sends an envoy to Indra, a great war breaks out, and the devas are defeated. The chapter ends with Jalandhar entering Amaravati.

Listen in the video: hear this chapter in Hindi on our YouTube channel. The full list is on the Kartik Mahatmya Katha page.

संक्षेप में: जलंधर को समुद्र मंथन का सच पता चला। उसने इन्द्र के पास दूत भेजा, महायुद्ध छिड़ा और अमरावती उसके हाथ आ गई। पढ़िए अध्याय 11 की कथा। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →

The story

Once Jalandhar was in his court with Vrinda when Shukracharya, the guru of the daityas, came in. Jalandhar rose and bowed to him. Then he asked a question. Who had cut off the head of Rahu?

Shukracharya told him. The devas and daityas had churned the ocean together. Many jewels came out of it, and at the end, amrit. While the amrit was being shared, Rahu took the form of a deva and seated himself among the devas. Lord Vishnu then cut off his head with the chakra.

Hearing this, Jalandhar's eyes turned red with anger. The Ocean was his father, and the devas had churned him and taken his jewels. He sent his envoy Ghasmar to Indra with a message. Why had Indra seized his father's jewels? Indra should bring them all and take shelter with him, or his kingdom would be destroyed.

Indra answered that the Ocean had sheltered the mountains out of fear of him and had protected the daityas, his enemies. That was why he had taken the jewels. This reply made Jalandhar shake with rage. Crores of daityas gathered from the four directions and from Patal. Commanders like Shumbh and Nishumbh came with them, and the army made camp in Indra's Nandan forest. The devas came out of Amaravati to meet them, and a terrible battle began.

Both sides had a way of bringing back their dead. Shukracharya revived fallen daityas with his Mrit Sanjivani vidya. Brihaspati, guru of the devas, revived the devas with herbs from the Dronagiri mountain. When Jalandhar saw this, he tore up Dronagiri itself and threw it into the sea.

When Brihaspati went for the herbs, the mountain was gone. He told the devas to stop fighting, since no one could defeat Jalandhar at that time. Narad ji explains the real cause. Indra had earlier insulted Lord Shiva, and that is why the devas lost. They scattered in different directions and hid in caves. Jalandhar walked into Amaravati without fear.

The teaching of this chapter

The chapter's lesson is that insulting elders and saints never goes without consequence. The pride of one deva put all of Devlok in danger. So the chapter asks us to stay humble, both in speech and in conduct.

Frequently asked questions

Why was Jalandhar angry with the devas?
The Ocean was his father. The devas had churned the Ocean and taken its jewels, and Jalandhar saw this as a wrong done to his father.

What question started it all?
Jalandhar asked Shukracharya who had cut off the head of Rahu. The answer brought out the whole story of the churning.

How did Indra answer Jalandhar's envoy?
He said the Ocean had given shelter to the mountains out of fear of him and had protected his enemies, the daityas. So he had taken the jewels.

How were the dead revived in this war?
Shukracharya used his Mrit Sanjivani vidya for the daityas. Brihaspati used the herbs of Dronagiri for the devas.

Why did Jalandhar throw Dronagiri into the sea?
He had seen that its herbs were bringing the devas back to life. Once the mountain was gone, Brihaspati had no herbs to bring.

Why did the devas lose, according to Narad ji?
Because Indra had earlier insulted Lord Shiva. Narad ji gives this as the cause of their defeat.

Previous chapter: Adhyay 10: The Birth of Jalandhar