Prelude to Vrisha Avatara

Nandishvara said

Brahma's wise son, lord among sages, hear of the avatara called Vrisha. This supreme avatara of Shiva, engaged in play, took away Hari's pride. In ancient times all the gods and asuras, afflicted by fear of old age and death, made an agreement to obtain jewels and other things from the ocean. All the gods and asuras got ready to churn the excellent ocean of milk, but they were unsure what to churn it with and wondered about success. Then a deep voice like rumbling clouds spoke from the sky, on Ishvara's command, and reassured gods and daityas: churn the ocean of milk, you will certainly gain strength and intelligence; make Mandara the churning rod and Vasuki the rope, and all unite and carry out the churning devotedly. The gods and asuras heard the voice and set about doing so. All went to the excellent Mount Mandara, upright, golden and adorned with many splendours. After propitiating Girisha and getting his leave, the gods and asuras tried with their strength to uproot it, to take it to the ocean's water. They uprooted it with their arms and tried to carry it to the ocean of milk, but could not convey it there and their energy failed. Slipping from their hands, Mount Mandara fell on the gods and daityas, becoming extremely heavy. The gods and asuras were scattered and lost heart. When they came to, they praised the lord of the universe, and, by his wish, all raised the mountain again, took it to the northern shore of the ocean of milk and threw it into the water. Then the gods and asuras made Vasuki the rope and, wanting jewels and other things, began to churn.

As the ocean of milk was churned, Maheshvari arose from it as Shri, goddess of heaven, Bhrigu's daughter and Hari's beloved. Dhanvantari, the moon, the great Parijata tree, the horse Ucchaihshrava, the elephant Airavata, liquor, Hari's bow, the conch, the wish-cow Kamadhenu, the jewel Koustubha and nectar also arose. As churning went on, the great poison kalakuta arose, like the fire at the end of a yuga, causing fear to gods and asuras. When the nectar was born, drops fell outside, and from them many beautiful women, wonderful to see, were born, with faces like the autumn moon, complexions like lightning, sun or fire, wearing necklaces, bracelets and bangles and adorned with divine jewels. Their charm was like amrita's water sprinkling the ten directions, their brows long and arched, and with their glances they seemed to madden the universe. Crores of them arose from the drops of amrita. Then the amrita itself arose, countering old age and death. Keshava took Lakshmi, the conch, Koustubha and the sword. The sun lovingly took the divine horse Ucchaihshrava. Shachi's consort, lord of the gods, lovingly took the excellent Parijata tree and Airavata, lord of elephants. Shambhu, kind to devotees, to save the gods voluntarily kept kalakuta in his throat and wore the moon. Deluded by Ishvara in his lovely form, the daityas took the liquor called sura. All other people took Dhanvantari, all the sages took Kamadhenu, and the women who arose there, confusing everyone, were taken by everyone in general.

The minds of gods and asuras were agitated, and, for the nectar, each wanting to defeat the other, a great battle followed. The daityas, Bali and others, were strong, beat the gods and took the amrita, bright as the sun at the end of a yuga. Distracted by Shiva's maya, the gods took refuge with Shankara, afflicted by the daityas' strength. On Shiva's command Rama's lord used his maya and, in a woman's form, tried to take the amrita from the daityas, becoming Mohini and taking it from the asuras. All the gods too were deluded by Hari's excellent maya. The bulls among the daityas went to her and said, "Let us drink the nectar; let there be no difference between the rows," and handed it to Vishnu, who had taken a deceptive form. All the daityas and danavas were confounded by Shiva's maya. Meanwhile the bulls among the danavas saw the women who had arisen from amrita and cheerfully took them to their own abodes. Maya built divine cities for them, surpassing heaven, well guarded with terrible machines. Protecting them in every way, the daityas touched their chests, took a pledge and went out to fight, saying they would not touch these women if the gods beat them. All the valiant daityas wished to fight, roared like lions and blew their conches. The sound filled the sky and satisfied the clouds. A terrifying battle followed between gods and asuras, the unmatched battle famous in the three worlds. Protected by Vishnu, all the gods won. Slaughtered by Vishnu and the immortals, the daityas fled. Confounded by the gods and great-souled Vishnu, those who escaped death entered holes in Patala. Discus in hand, powerful Vishnu pursued them to the farthest region of Patala, where they stayed, terrified.

Meanwhile Vishnu saw the beautiful women born of amrita, faces like the full moon, proud of their divine charm. Deluded by Kama's arrows, he found a break from his pursuits there and took his pleasure with them. From them Vishnu had sons supreme in valour, skilled in many kinds of fighting, who made the earth tremble. Those sons of Hari were very strong and valiant and caused great hardship in heaven and on earth, giving rise to misery. The immortals and sages saw the hardship caused to the worlds, went to Brahma, bowed and told him. Hearing this, Brahma took them to Mount Kailasa, where the gods repeatedly bowed to Shiva, shoulders lowered, hands joined, praised him with many hymns and told him everything, crying "Victory to you, Mahadeva." Brahma said: lord of the gods, protect all the worlds. The transgressions of Vishnu's sons in Patala are causing hardship. Hari's self is now attached to the women born of amrita, and he is in Patala having transgressed by taking pleasure there. So Brahma, the rishis and the gods praised Shambhu in many ways, for the protection of the worlds and to bring Vishnu back. Maheshvara is an ocean of compassion. Understanding the havoc, Bhagavan Shambhu took the form of Vrisha.