Shloka 36

Durvasa’s Curse, the Churning of the Ocean, and Lakshmi’s Manifestation

Chapter 4

Devanagari script

सर्वौषधीः समानीय देवदैतेयदानवाः । क्षिप्त्वा क्षीराब्धिपयसि शरदभ्रामलत्विषि

Transliteration

sarvauṣadhīḥ samānīya devadaiteyadānavāḥ | kṣiptvā kṣīrābdhipayasi śaradabhrāmalatviṣi

Translation

تمام جڑی بوٹیاں جمع کر کے دیو، دیتیہ اور دانَووں نے انہیں کِشیر ساگر کے دودھ جیسے پانی میں ڈال دیا، جو خزاں کے بادلوں کی سی چمک سے دمک رہا تھا۔

Word by Word

• सर्व-औषधीः: all herbs
• सर्व-औषधीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + औषधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (सर्वाः औषधीः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Feminine, accusative plural

• समानीय: having brought together
• समानीय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√नी (धातु) → समानीय (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having brought/collected’

• देव-दैतेय-दानवाः: the gods, daityas, and dānavas
• देव-दैतेय-दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + दैतेय (प्रातिपदिक) + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, nominative plural

• क्षिप्त्वा: having cast
• क्षिप्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु) → क्षिप्त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having thrown’

• क्षीर-अब्धि-पयसि: in the milk-ocean’s waters
• क्षीर-अब्धि-पयसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षीरस्य अब्धिः = milk-ocean; तस्य पयसि = in its water); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, locative singular

• शरद्-अभ्र-अमल-त्विषि: in (waters) with a pure luster like autumn clouds
• शरद्-अभ्र-अमल-त्विषि: Adhikarana (Qualifying location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरद् (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अमल (प्रातिपदिक) + त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शरदि अभ्रं यथा अमलं तादृशी त्विष् यस्य/यत्र); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Feminine, locative singular; विशेषणम् (of ‘पयसि’)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; specific dialogue speaker not identifiable from this single verse)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Right preparation and offering of ‘auspicious ingredients’ into a pure field yields transformative results.

Application: Curate inputs—food, speech, habits—like herbs offered into a ‘milk-ocean’ of the mind; purity of environment amplifies outcomes.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Devas, daityas, and dānavas carry bundles of luminous medicinal herbs—greens, blossoms, and roots—casting them into the pearly Ocean of Milk. The sea gleams like autumn clouds, each ripple reflecting a cool, silvery-white brilliance as the herbs swirl in slow spirals.","primary_figures":["Devas","Daityas","Dānavas","Personified Oṣadhis (optional as subtle spirit-forms)"],"setting":"Shimmering Ocean of Milk under an ‘autumn-cloud’ sky, with floating herb garlands and swirling eddies.","lighting_mood":"cool moonlit-bright (autumnal clarity)","color_palette":["cloud-white","silver","emerald green","pale lavender","ice blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate procession of devas and asuras offering bundles of herbs into stylized milky waves; gold leaf highlights on wave crests and jewelry; rich textile patterns; the ocean rendered as pearl-white with embossed gold contours, traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate figures along a luminous shoreline; herbs painted with botanical finesse; the ocean like white jade under a clear autumn sky; cool palette, refined faces, gentle motion in swirling water.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, simplified herb motifs in bright greens; milky ocean in layered white-blue bands; narrative clarity with rhythmic repetition; temple-wall pigment feel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative herb motifs raining into stylized waves; lotus borders and floral filigree; deep blue margins with gold highlights; symmetrical, textile-like patterning around a central milky ocean medallion."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["gentle water flow","soft bell tinkles","rustle of leaves","distant conch","spacious silence"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वौषधीः = सर्व + औषधीः; क्षीराब्धिपयसि = क्षीर + अब्धि + पयसि; शरदभ्रामलत्विषि = शरद् + अभ्र + अमल + त्विषि (समास)।

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Daityas
• Danavas
• Kshira-sagara (Ocean of Milk)

FAQs

What event is this verse associated with in Purāṇic literature?

It aligns with the broader Samudra Manthana (churning of the Ocean of Milk) motif, where Devas and Asuras cooperate to obtain divine substances; here, medicinal herbs are cast into the Ocean of Milk.

Why are medicinal herbs placed into the Ocean of Milk?

Symbolically, it presents the ocean as an alchemical/cosmic medium: combining herbs with the primordial “milk-ocean” suggests the generation or refinement of life-sustaining, healing essences.

What ethical or spiritual lesson is implied by Devas and Asuras acting together?

The verse implies that even opposing forces may be compelled to cooperate for a higher cosmic outcome, illustrating interdependence and the idea that great results can arise from collective effort despite rivalry.