Divine Realm of the Mahabharata
Kshira Sagara
क्षीरसागर
Cosmic ocean of the amrita and the Narayaniya
Kshira Sagara: Cosmic ocean of the amrita and the Narayaniya, located at coordinates 12.00°N, 67.00°E.
Key Facts
| Type | Divine Realm |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | क्षीरसागर |
| Coordinates | 12.00°N, 67.00°E |
| Significance | Cosmic ocean of the amrita and the Narayaniya |
About Kshira Sagara
The Ocean of Milk, churned by devas and asuras with Mandara for the rod and Vasuki for the rope until the halahala poison and then the amrita rose from it. Its northern shore is the epic's great ground of austerity: Ekata, Dvita and Trita stood there a thousand years and were never shown the god they praised, and the Narayaniya sends every seeker to that coast and to Svetadvipa beyond it. To its floor the asuras Madhu and Kaitabha carried the stolen Vedas, until the horse-headed form of Vishnu chanted them out again.
Why it matters: Cosmic ocean of the amrita and the Narayaniya
Details
- Churning
- Mandara for the churning-rod, Vasuki for the rope, and the poison before the nectar
- Shore
- Its northern shore holds Svetadvipa, where the god shows himself only to the perfected
On the Map
Kshira Sagara sits at 12.00°N, 67.00°E.
View on the full mapStories Set at Kshira Sagara
Samudra Manthan
The Churning of the Ocean
The Guest Nobody Could See
Brihaspati throws down the ladle at a sacrifice where no animal was killed
The Horse-Headed Voice in the Deep
How the Vedas were sung back out of the hands of thieves
The Cow at the Bottom of the World
Surabhi, the four cows of the quarters, and the cities beneath Patala
The Road of Works
Brahman and the first Rishis stand a thousand years on the shore, and sacrifice is founded
Sanjaya Describes the Earth
The blind king asks what the earth is worth, and his charioteer answers with the whole of it
The Curses of the Rishis
Krishna names the marks that Brahmanas left on gods, seas and mountains
The Gold Mountain in the Ocean of Milk
Brahma tells Rudra of the one Purusha whom neither of them can see