Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.1982

c9.1982

At this critical moment, Śiva, reputed for his reckless daring, put all the Kālakuṭa into his mouth. Frightened at it Pārvatī held Śiva's throat by her hands so that the poison did not enter his stomach. At the same time Mahāviṣṇu covered with his hands Śiva's mouth so that the poison was not spitted out. Kālakuṭa thus prevented from going down into the stomach or being vomited from Śiva's throat got itself digested in the throat giving it a blue colour. Thus did Śiva become Nīlakaṇṭha (of the blue throat). Viṣṇu and Pārvatī who were affected by the flames of the poison became Nīlavarṇa and Kālī respectively. (Kamba Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddhakāṇḍa).