नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्

 देवीं सरस्वतीं चैव ततो जयम् उदीरयेत्

Churning the Ocean of Milk by gods and demons

महाभरत

Mahābharata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

Suta Goswami said, "When all the saints and brahmanas gathered there heard the words of Astika, they all said, “He is right. Grant the boon. Stop the sacrifice. We have killed enough. Let us have peace.” And finally, hearing the words of all those great souls gathered there including Jaimini and Vaishampayana, the high-souled and noble King Janamejaya relented. He could see the logic in the good brahmana’s appeal and said. “So be it.  I hereby grant the boon to Astika. Let this snake sacrifice be stopped. Enough revenge. Let us have peace in the realm.”

SNAKE SACRIFICE ENDED

            "And as the good king Janamejaya pronounced these words, all cheered. Takshaka’s life was spared. The sacrifice was ended. The king gave lavish charity to the priests who had come for the sacrifice. With tears in his eyes he embraced Astika, offered him different kinds of charity and bade him farewell.

     "At the conclusion of the Snake Sacrifice, the noble king Janamejaya became curious to hear of his great ancestors. Having heard the story of the burning of the Khandava forest, he wanted to know more about the cause of the Kurukshetra war.  And after the feast had concluded, the king sat with his learned advisors and asked them to tell the history of the Mahabharata war.

     "Among the most learned there was the sage Vaishampayana. He was the son of Veda Vyasa and had heard the entire Mahabharata from his father.  He knew full well the fate of Pariksit and how the war had begun.

     "And Janamejaya said, 'Today we have held a great sacrifice in the honor and memory of my father and with the purpose of revenging his death. And just at the  moment of culminating the sacrifice, we stopped at the request of the great and humble Astika, a boy among men, but a high-souled brahmana, wise beyond his years. Tell me,  how did my father meet his death? Was he terrified of the burning poison of the great Takshaka?”

     Suta said, "And 'Vaishampayana replied, “When your father came to know that he had been cursed to die in 7 days, and that his death would come by poisonous snake-bite, he called to him the sagacious Sukadeva Goswami and asked him to describe the purpose of life. Sukadeva in his term narrated the story of the Bhagavat Purana. Sukadeva explained that simply by hearing the activities of Krishna one is purified. 

Sukadeva said, ‘glorification of God is truly appreciated by those who are no longer charmed by this false world. These histories are medicine for souls lost in the world of birth and death. This material world is like a vast ocean of darkness. But with the boat of the lotus feet of Krishna, your grandfathers crossed over the ocean of birth and death.’

     "Vaisampayana continued, 'Pariksit, your father, then asked to hear more about Krishna and his appearance in this world, and the real cause of the great war that so devastated the dynasty of the Kurus.  And Sukadeva enlightened him, saying, ‘A long time ago, before you were born, the earth was overburdened by the weight of militaristic kings. There was great war and strife, and the earth herself became much aggrieved.

‘Taking the form of a cow, the earth approached the creator of the universe, Lord Brahma, with tears in her eyes, and said, “Help me, O great one, for I am in great distress. I can no longer bear the weight of so many lies and so much violence. Look where I am scarred and torn by so many battles and unrighteous kings.’”

Vaishampayana continued to recall the words of Sukadeva: “When the god of the universal creation, Brahma, heard the plight of Bhumi, he was saddened. He went to see the other gods, including Shiva, for consultation. Finally they visited Kshirodaksayi Vishnu, lying on the milk ocean, where they reciting the Vedic hymns. Soon they received a  message saying that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna Himself would soon appear as the son of Vasudeva. He would come personally to the earth planet and organize the destruction of these terrrible and demonic kings in the conflagration of the Kurukshetra war.”

Vaishampayana said, “Your grandfather, the great Pariksit, was saved from fire by Krishna himself, that he might begin a rule of peace. You are to continue that peace as it was ordained by your great father who died a hero’s death.”

The king said, “Inspired by the humble brahmana Astika, you  have reminded us of the great deeds of my grandfather Arjuna and his brothers, the Pandavas. As the son of Veda Vyasa, you heard extensively from him the entire history of the Mahabharata, the great war, and of the Pandavas. Please tell me their story, that by understanding the causes of war I might better rule in peace”