Shloka 9
Amṛta-Pāna, Rāhu’s Detection, and the Sudarśana Intervention (अमृतपान-राहुप्रकाशन-सुदर्शनप्रयोगः)
तस्य शृज्गभमुपारुह्म बहुरत्नाचितं शुभम् । अनन्तकल्पमुद्धिद्ध सुरा: सर्वे महौजस:,उसके शुभ एवं उच्चतम शृंग असंख्य चमकीले रत्नोंसे व्याप्त हैं। वे अपनी विशालताके कारण आकाशके समान अनन्त जान पड़ते हैं। समस्त महातेजस्वी देवता मेरुगिरिके उस महान् शिखरपर चढ़कर एक स्थानमें बैठ गये और सब मिलकर अमृत- प्राप्तिके लिये क्या उपाय किया जाय, इसका विचार करने लगे। वे सभी तपस्वी तथा शौच- संतोष आदि नियमोंसे संयुक्त थे। इस प्रकार परस्पर विचार एवं सबके साथ मन्त्रणामें लगे हुए देवताओंके समुदायमें उपस्थित हो भगवान् नारायणने ब्रह्माजीसे यों कहा--“समस्त देवता और असुर मिलकर महासागरका मन्थन करें। उस महासागरका मन्न्थन आरम्भ होनेपर उसमेंसे अमृत प्रकट होगा
tasya śṛṅgabhūmam upāruhya bahuratnācitaṃ śubham | anantakalpam uddiṣṭaṃ surāḥ sarve mahaujasaḥ ||
Śaunaka said: Having ascended that auspicious summit, inlaid with many kinds of jewels, the mighty gods beheld it as seemingly endless—vast like the sky. Gathering together upon the great peak of Mount Meru, they sat in one place and deliberated, in a spirit of disciplined restraint, on what means should be adopted to obtain amṛta (the nectar of immortality).
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even divine power is shown as requiring disciplined deliberation and collective effort: the gods assemble, restrain themselves through vows and rules, and seek a lawful, strategic means to attain amṛta—suggesting that desired ends should be pursued through counsel, self-control, and appropriate means rather than mere force.
Śaunaka describes the gods climbing an auspicious, jewel-studded summit (contextually the great peak of Meru), sitting together, and consulting on how to obtain amṛta. This sets the stage for the larger episode in which a plan is formed for churning the ocean to bring forth the nectar.