South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c9.s12.1

c9.s12.1

Nilakantha, Srīkantha and Vishakantha are three synonymous names of Siva, given to him on account of his having swallowed the deadly poison (kālakūta) produced at the churning of the ocean by the dēvas and dānavas under instructions from the Creator, in order to obtain divine nectar. The mountain Mandara was their churn-stick, the primeval Tortoise (who was Vishnu himself) the pivot on which the stick rested and turned, and the serpent Vāsuki the churning rope. By a clever device of Vishnu, the dānavas held the head and the dēvas the tail of the serpent. They churned and churned. Many great and splendid things came foaming up and every one was eager to seize what pleased him most. But all at once something black began to rise. It grew and grew and darkened the whole universe. All the gods and demons were mortally afraid. For it was the deadliest of poisons, death to them and death to all the universe. In this moment of horror they called on Siva to help them. The mighty god came and took the poison in the hollow of his hand and swallowed it. That which was enough to kill the universe served only to stain his neck with a bluish tint. Thus he came to be called "the poison-necked" or "the blue-necked" god.¹ The Kāraṇāgama describing a form of Siva called Vishāpahamūrti, "the destroyer of poison" says that he has one face, three eyes, braided hair and four arms holding in the two upper the antelope and the axe. He is in the posture of drinking the poison which is held in the right lower hand. The left lower shows the boon-giving posture. On the left side of the god is the goddess with two arms. She shows an anxious countenance and holds the neck of Siva as if to prevent the poison from going down.