Shloka 1
श्रीशुक उवाच पीते गरे वृषाङ्केण प्रीतास्तेऽमरदानवा: । ममन्थुस्तरसा सिन्धुं हविर्धानी ततोऽभवत् ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca pīte gare vṛṣāṅkeṇa prītās te ’mara-dānavāḥ mamanthus tarasā sindhuṁ havirdhānī tato ’bhavat
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: When Śiva, marked by the bull, drank the poison, both devas and asuras were delighted and churned the ocean with renewed force; then a cow named Surabhi appeared.
The surabhi cow is described as havirdhānī, the source of butter. Butter, when clarified by melting, produces ghee, or clarified butter, which is inevitably necessary for performing great ritualistic sacrifices. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.5) , yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat: sacrifice, charity and austerity are essential to keep human society perfect in peace and prosperity. Yajña, the performance of sacrifice, is essential; to perform yajña, clarified butter is absolutely necessary; and to get clarified butter, milk is necessary. Milk is produced when there are sufficient cows. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā (18.44) , cow protection is recommended ( kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva jam ).
FAQs
To protect all beings when the lethal poison emerged during the churning; once Śiva drank it, the devas and asuras could safely continue the churning.
With fear dispelled, the devas and asuras resume churning vigorously, and auspicious products begin to manifest—here described as the arising of havirdhānī, connected with sacrificial oblations.
When a crisis is contained through sacrifice and responsibility (as Śiva does), constructive work can resume—turning chaos into meaningful outcomes through steady effort.