Verse 27
उच्चैःश्रवसमश्वानां विद्धि माममृतोद्भवम् | ऐरावतं गजेन्द्राणां नराणां च नराधिपम् || २७ ||
Transliteration
uccaiḥśravasam aśvānāṁ viddhi mām amṛtodbhavam airāvataṁ gajendrāṇāṁ narāṇāṁ ca narādhipam
Synonyms
uccaiḥśravasam—Ucchaihshrava; aśvānām—of horses; viddhi—know; mām—Me; amṛta-udbhavam—produced from the churning of the ocean; airāvatam—Airavata; gaja-indrāṇām—of lordly elephants; narāṇām—of human beings; ca—and; narādhipam—the king.
Translation
“Of horses know Me as Ucchaihshrava, born from the churning of the ocean of milk; of lordly elephants I am Airavata; among men I am the king.”
Multi-Tradition Commentary
Both Ucchaihshrava and Airavata arose from the churning of the cosmic ocean — a myth that represents the intense spiritual effort required to bring forth the nectar of immortality. The greatest achievements in any domain are born from exactly this kind of sustained, transformative effort. Excellence does not arise without churning.
Practical Application (Modern Life)
The myth of the cosmic churning (Samudra Manthan) reminds us that the greatest gifts — wisdom, peace, true joy — often emerge only after sustained, sometimes painful effort and upheaval. When your life seems to be churning, consider that this may be the precondition for the amṛta that is trying to emerge.