38 - The churning of the Ocean 

Narayana said—Indra reciting the name of Narayana went to Brahma with all the gods under the leadership of Bruhaspati. 

О Narada, reaching there quickly together with the teacher Bruhaspati and Indra found Brahma there who was born out of the lotus and bowed before him. 

Thereafter Bruhaspati the teacher of all the gods narrated the entire story to Brahma, on hearing which he smiled and said to Indra. 

Brahma said—О son, you are born in my race and happen to be my intelligent grandson; you are the pupil of Bruhaspati and happen to be the lord of gods. 

Your great maternal grandfather had also been a glorious devotee of Vishnu. Therefore, the one whose three races are purified how could be become arrogant? 

Because the one, who has a chaste mother, a chaste father and whose maternal grandfather as well as the maternal uncle are quite pure and self-disciplined, how can he become proud? The sins of the father, maternal grandfather and the teacher are envious to the lord. 

The one who pervades the bodies of all in the form of a soul and the same soul when it departs from the body, a person becomes dead. 

I happen to be the mind in the body who controls the organs of the senses. Lord Shiva is all knowledgeable. Shiva is the life while goddess Bhagavatl has the form of Prakruti who controls sleep and all other natural rays. The Jiva happens to be the shadow of the soul who remains in the body and feeding the body has to experience pleasure and pain. 

As the attendants follow the king, Similarly, at the time of the departure of the soul from the body, the mind and other organs of the senses follow him. Thus the one to whom Shiva, myself, Sesa, Vishnu, Dharma, Mahavirat and other gods are devoted and also form part of him, the same lord has been humiliated by you. 

О god, the flower with which Shiva has adored at the feet of the lord, the same flower was handed over by Sesa to Durvasa which was given to you and you showed disrespect to the same. 

All the gods adore the person on whose head the flower is placed after its getting separated from the feet of lord Vishnu. You have Therefore, been separated by the destiny (from the fortune) which is quite powerful. Who can be competent enough to save such an unfortunate and a foolish fellow? The one who does not respect Krishna who is the lord of Lakshmi, his beloved Mahalakshmi also gets annoyed with him and leaving him moves elsewhere. 

The merits you had earned in earlier times by performing a hundred yajnas have vanished because of your showing disrespect to the flower of lord Krishna as a result of which the goddess of fortune has left you for some other places. Therefore, you get along with me just now together with Bruhaspati to the abode of lord Vishnu and regain you last fortune by adoring him. 

Thus speaking, Brahma quickly moved towards Vaikuntha, together with all the gods, where the lord of Lakshmi was residing. 

Reaching there, they had an audience with lord Narayana who was the form of tejas and was illumining with his own lustre. He had the glory resembling crores of the suns of the midday of the summer season. He was peaceful, eternal, without beginning or end, lord of Lakshmi, beyond measure, having four arms, being prayed to by Sarasvati and the four Vedas with devotion, besides being served by the goddess Ganga. 

Thereafter placing Brahma in the forefront, with their minds filled with devotion and humility, their eyes having been filled with tears all the gods bowed in reverence to lord Vishnu. Thereafter, they started offering prayers to lord Vishnu. 

Brahma then narrated the entire story of lord Vishnu. All the gods were crying aloud having been deprived of their riches. 

The lord looked at the gods who were over powered by misfortune, terrified and were deprived of the ornaments, costumes and vehicles. 

They had lost the grace and were surprised at having been deprived of their families. They were desperate and took refuge under the lord. Finding them in such a miserable condition the lord spoke. 

Narayana said—О Brahman and other gods, don't be afraid. Why should you worry when I am there? I shall bestow the imperishable Lakshmi which will increase your riches but before doing so you just listen to what I have to say. These words will be beneficial, truthful and will provide welfare to you in future according to the time. 

As the innumerable people are living in the universe under me, Similarly, in spite of my being quite independent I remain under the command of my devotees. 

Because of this, it is sure that who so ever gets annoyed with my devotees who always remain engrossed in my devotion, Lakshmi leaves their place. 

Durvasa happens to be a ray of Shiva and is a Vaishnava residing in my place. Because of the curse pronounced by him, I had to leave your place together with Lakshmi. 

The place where the conches are not blown, Tulasi and Salagrama are not adored, the Brahmanas are not served with food, Lakshmi does not stay, О gods, the place where my devotees are denounced, the goddess Lakshmi gets annoyed and because of the humiliation, she leaves that place. 

Such of the people as are deprived of my devotion and take food on Ekadashi day or on my birthday, Lakshmi leaves their abodes. 

The one who sells away my name or his own daughter, the place where the guests are not served with food, such a place is deserted by Lakshmi. The one who goes to the house of Shudras for consuming the sraddha food, Lakshmi leaves his place. The Brahmana, who burns the bodies of the Shudras, Lakshmi leaves the place of such an unfortunate Brahmana. 

The one who is the store-keeper of Shudras or works for loading the bullocks, Lakshmi leaves the place of that Brahmana. 

The one who takes to the service of the yavanas or the one who is a temple priest or the one who performs yajna for Shudras, such a type of Brahmanas loses the grace of Lakshmi. The one who betrays the faith of others, indulges in the killing of a friend or the killing of a person, the one who is ungrateful or visits the place of a Brahmana whose house is not to be visited, Laks ml leaves that place. The one who has a polluted mind, is cruel, heartless, the one who denounces others or the one who was born from a Brahmana lady having a Shudra husband, Lakshmi leaves that place. 

A Brahmana, who happens to be the son of an unchaste lady or is the husband of an unchaste lady or the one who eats the food a widow, the goddess Lakshmi leaves that place. He who breaks the straw with nail, the diggers of the earth, is deceitful or is clad in dirty clothes, has to lose the grace of Lakshmi. The one who eats twice at dawn, sleeps during the day time or the one who indulges in love-sport during the day, such a Brahmana is deprived of Lakshmi. 

Those who receive charity from a Shudra having no character, a Brahmana who is unmindful of the direction, the goddess Lakshmi leaves their place. Such of the people who sleep with the feet rubbed with oil or sleep naked or those who make tall claims about dharma, Laks ml deserts the houses of such people. 

The one who applies oil on his body after taking a bath or the one who beats his body like a drum, Lakshmi leaves that place. A Brahmana, who is deprived of the vratas or fasting and remains unclean or is deprived of the devotion of lord Vishnu, Lakshmi leaves their place. 

The one who denounces the Brahmanas becoming envious of them or is violent and heartless, the goddess Lakshmi never remains in that place. Wherever the name of the lord is recited or piija is performed, the goddess Lakshmi always remains there. 

О grandfather, wherever lord Krishna and his devotees are always praised, the goddess Lakshmi always stays there. Wherever the conch is blown, Salagrama stone and the leaves of Tulasi are adored, goddess Lakshmi always remains there. 

The place, where the Shivalinga is adored, its glory is recited, the adoration of Durga is performed reciting her glory, the goddess Lakshmi, who emerges from the lotus, always remains there. The place where the Brahmanas are respected and served with pure food and the place where the gods are adored, the lotus-faced Lakshmi always remained there. 

Thus speaking to all the gods lord Vishnu - the husband of Lakshmi - then spoke to her, “O Lakshmi, you go and take a birth from the ray of your body in the ocean of milk.” 

Thus speaking to Lakshmi, the lord then spoke to Brahma : О Brahma, you were born out of the lotus. By churning the ocean restore Lakshmi to the gods. О sage, Vishnu the lord of Kamala, then disappeared and the gods reached the ocean of milk after many days. 

Reaching there the gods used Mandarachala as a churning rod, made the tortoise as its base and used Vasuki as the churning rope. Thereafter they churned the ocean. After churning the ocean the physician Dhanvantri, the nectar, the pleasant Ucchaisrava horse, several types of gems, the elephant Airavata besides Lakshmi emerged from the ocean.

 О sage, the chaste Vaishnavi placed a garland of flowers around the neck of Vishnu who dwells in the ocean of milk and is quite beautiful. 

The gods prayed to Lakshmi. Brahma and Shiva adored her. Thereafter she bestowed her grace on the gods. 

О Narada, by the grace of Mahalakshmi and with the boon granted by her, the gods defeated the demons and got back their kingdom. Thus I have narrated the best of the stories of Lakshmi to you which is quite pleasant and is the essence of the world. What more do you want listen to from me.