Quest for Amrit. A poem in English and Devnagari Hindi. Letter Q of the A to Z challenge

Devas led by Indra had to flee
Cursed by Durvasa, hence defeated by asuras
They lost their home and hearth

They reached Sri Vishnu's abode
And begged him for some reprieve
Compassion unbounded they received
And the asuras were made to agree

On a combined plan to be liberated
Reach immortality through Amrit the nectar
Found in the depths of Ksheer sagara*
The ocean milky white

The divine in the form of turtle
Held up mount Mandaara while Vasuki*
Agreed to be the rope they could churn with
Held on either end by the two groups

One side lusting for Amrit so they
Could perpetrate evil on earth and heaven
The other side equally keen but
Responsible for the well-being of every being

First came Haalahala poison demanding
The stepping in of Shiva, to ingest and hold
In his neck for evermore-thus named Neelkanth*
Then followed Lakshmi followed by the
Kalpa-vriksh and Apsaraas

Ucchhaishravas, Kausthubh, Kamadhenu*
Airavata, Saaranga, Paarijaat*
Came right behind and many many more
But in the end came Dhanvantri

Holding the pot filled with the liquid
Which was the reason for the
Whole cosmic collaboration.
The two groups began to fight

Mohini most beautiful emerged
A form of Sri Vishnu, to beguile
The easily led asuras, while the Devas
Got to drink the Amrit

A drop here and a drop there fell
Out of the kumbha meaning pot
And these are the spots my friends
Where we celebrate the melas* on the dot.

 

मुनि दुर्वासा से हो शापित
इंद्र व देवों ने खोया स्व-स्थान
देवों व असुरों में छिड़ा संग्राम 
हतोत्साहित देव हुए निष्कासित

पहुंचे वे श्री विष्णु समक्ष
दया सागर ने मानी बात, बन बैठे वे कूर्मावतार। 
वार्ता हुई असुरों के संग
मान गए वह दोनों दल

क्षीर सागर की ओर चले सब,
श्री विष्णु डूबे जलधि में
मंदार पर्वत पीठ पर धारा
वासुकि सर्प बंध गए तुरंत

मंथन की सामग्री थी तैयार,
एक सिरा असुरों ने पकड़ा, दूजा देवों के हाथ समाया
अमृत पान की लालसा ले
सबने प्रारम्भ किया प्रसंग

हालाहल विष निकला जिसे
धारण किया भोले शिवजी ने
गले में- कहलाए वे नीलकंठ
निकलीं कई कई महा मणियां

श्री लक्ष्मी, कल्पवृक्ष, अप्सराएं
उछैश्रव, कामधेनु, ऐरावत दीर्घ-काय, कौस्तुभ, सारंग, पारिजात
अंत में आये धन्वन्तरि महान
लिए हाथों में वह जिसके लिए किया उपाय


भिड़ गए सारे, मचा घमासान। 
मोहिनी का रूप धरा
श्री विष्णु ने ले लिया घड़ा
मोहित असुरों से हुई भूल

अमृत मिला देवों को
हो गए वे अमर अजर, असुरों की एक बार फिर हुई हार
जो सदैव करते थे पीड़ित
धरा और जीवों को

उनको भला कैसे मिलता
अपेक्षित- अमूल्य उपहार।
अमृत की बूँदें गिरीं जिधर
वहां मनाते कुम्भ प्रखर। 
 

*Ksheera sagara- Milky white ocean
*Vasuki- A king serpant
*Neelkanthh- The blue throated one. Lord Shiva.
* All that emerged in the churning you can read about in the below link
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samudra_manthan
* Melas- Fair. Here they are spiritual fests of epic proportions known as the Kumbh Melas
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbh_Mela

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)