At the end of the Samudra Manthan, Lord Vishnu appeared from the Milky Ocean as Lord Dhanvantari, holding the Amrita Kalasha. As Lord Dhanvantari emerged from the Milky Ocean, a tear of joy fell from Lord Dhanvantari’s eyes. This tear of joy was known to be as Tulasi.
This Tulasi is none other than Lakshmidevi Herself. The devatas bowed to Lord Dhanvantari. But the demons had their sight on the Amrita Kalasha. They came and snatched the Amrita Kalasha from Lord Dhanvantari’s hands. Lord Dhanvantari did this to show the deceitful and greedy mindset of the demons.
Therefore, the same Dhanvantari as Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini. This Mohini was very enchanting. She was dark-complexioned and had the color of a blackish-blue lotus. Her curly hair dangled around Her forehead. Her eyes were like the petals of a lotus, and eye brows of the shape of bow. She had a nose ring in Her nose, which shone radiantly.
She wore earrings which were glittering like lightning during the rains. And that shine was reflecting on Her cheeks. Her smile was so beautiful that even the biggest of the yogis, who did penance for 1000s of years and controlled their senses, too, got bewildered by Her one smile. Her lips were red as a pomegranate. Her teeth were as white as pearls.
Her face was so beautiful that Her one sight itself was enough to attract the whole world. She wore Kumkuma Tilaka on Her forehead and had dangling curly hair near Her cheeks. She had dark black hair, which was tied and decorated with fragrant jasmine flowers. She wore a lot of ornaments that shone like molten gold and lightning during the rains. She was wearing a yellow saree, which was glittering. She had a slender belly. Her limbs were the shape of an elephant’s trunk, and She walked like an elephant. Her hands were full of bangles, shining like all the stars concentrated at the same spot. Her skin was so soft that even if you touched Her with a lotus petal, there would be a scratch on the skin.
She was wearing Her divine anklets that made a ‘chhin chhin chhin chhin’ sound out of it. On seeing this Mohini roopi Lord Vishnu, Lakshmidevi said, “The Mohini roopa of Lord Vishnu is even more beautiful than me. In this case, does He even need a beautiful lady?” The demons were bewildered by Her enchanting beauty. They left the pot of Amrita and went towards Mohini and said, “O enchanting lady! We both (asuras and devatas) are the sons of Sage Kashyapa and hence are brothers.
But we are fighting for this Amrita. So, please can you become the arbitrator and distribute the Amrita among us fairly?” Mohini, on hearing this, said, “O sons of Sage Kashyapa! Why are you placing your trust in a woman like me? Wise individuals who seek higher goals should never blindly trust a wayward woman who roams independently, for her affection is fickle.”
Mohini further clarified, “I have a condition. If you all want me to distribute this Amrita, then you will have to promise me that you won’t oppose any of my actions, even if they are unfair. If you break your promise, I will stop distributing the Amrita.”
But since these asuras were deluded by Srihari’s maaya, they didn’t listen to Her and insisted that She distribute the Amrita. Mohini took that Amrita and then started distributing it among the devatas and the asuras. The devatas and demons sat in parallel rows facing each other. Now, Mohini came dancingly near the devatas and gave them the Amrita.
On seeing this, as the Asuras were about to say, ‘Hey-’ Mohini saw them with Her side-glance, with one eyebrow raised and a sly, half-smile curling at the corner of Her lips, and the demons kept staring at Her with their jaws dropped in bewilderment. Her every blink of the eye itself increased the heartbeats of the demons. She gave them sweet, assuring words and came to the devatas in a specific dancing rhythm and gave them the Amrita. The devatas knew that Mohini was Bhagavan.
Now, as Mohini was coming towards the end of the devatas, here in the line of the demons, there was a demon by the name of Svarbhaanu. Suspecting the deception, he came disguised as a devata and sat between Surya and Chandra. Mohini, though, knew that he was a demon and poured Amrita into his hands. As he drank the Amrita, Surya and Chandra recognized him as Svarbhaanu.
Mohini, using Her Sudarshana Chakra, cut off the head of Svarbhaanu. But since he had drunk Amrita, he was alive even though he was beheaded. The head is known as Rahu and is one of the Navagraha. After the last devata drank Amrita, Mohini assumed Her original four-armed Vishnu form and then rode on Garuda and went to Vaikuntha.
But then, the demons, on realizing the deception, re-attacked the devatas. But now, the devatas were immortal by drinking Amrita. Therefore, the devatas fought with the demons. There too, Lord Vishnu appeared and defeated all the demons and drove them to Paataala loka. Thus, this is what happened to the devatas after the Samudra Manthan.
Hope this helps!
Jay SriRam!
ShriDhanvantari roopi Narayana Abhinna ShriMohini roopi Narayana Abhinna ShriKrishnarpanamastu!
