Does the story of churning the Milky Ocean or Kshirasagara madhanam has the roots in Rig Veda?

 

The story on the above subject was narrated in the 45^th Sarga of Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, which is slightly different from what was narrated in Vishnu Purana. 

The prologue to Kshirasagara madhanam of Indra getting cursed by Sage Durvasa and the loss of Swarga to asuras in a war and the closing episode of severing the head of the Daitya by Sudarshana chakra, who becomes Rahu and Ketu, do not find place in the narration of Ramayana.

(https://www.valmikiramayan.net/utf8/baala/sarga45/bala_45_frame.htm)

Daityas, the sons of Lady Diti and Devas, the sons of Aditi thought to become deathless, ageless and wasteless.  Thus, the idea of churning the Milky Ocean, and consequent getting of the elixir, had occurred in their thinking.

They made Vasuki, the mighty King of Snakes, as the churning rope and Mt. Mandara as stirrer and those who have unlimited energy started churning the Milky Ocean.  After a thousand years from the heads of the serpent emitted a poisonous venom, which on melting the rocks of Mt. Mandara became the lethal and flaming haalahala.

Up-heaved is that fire-similar lethal poison haalahala,, and by it the whole universe is burnt down, together with gods, non-gods, and humans... Then the gods seeking shelter approached Rudra, to save them and the Lord Shiva appeared there immediately and gulped that haalahala.

By the absolute churning of Milk Ocean's waters an elixir came out and then there chanced a great ethnic havoc, caused by Ambrosia, for its possession.  When all are wading into annihilation then the ambidextrous Vishnu swiftly impounded Amrita, the Ambrosia, by assuming an illusory form of Mohini.

In that horrendous war between the progeny of Diti, namely demons, and the progeny of Aditi, namely gods, the sons of Aditi have altogether massacred the demonic sons of Diti.

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There is a little and cryptic narration of keśin, a long haired one,  in Rig Veda 10.136. keśin was not mentioned anywhere else in Rig Veda. 

This Rik of Rig Veda has a deep spiritual meaning, indicating in an esoteric sense, the attainment of jnana or SELF REALISATION.

It was mentioned that as Vāyu churned for him , keśin drank poison in a cup, along with Rudra.

Rig Veda 10.136.7

 

वायुरस्मा उपामन्थत्पिनष्टि स्मा कुनन्नमा । केशी विषस्य पात्रेण यद्रुद्रेणापिबत्सह ॥

English translation:

“Vāyu churned for him, the inflexible (thunder) ground it when the keśin, along with Rudra, drank the poison (viṣa) with his cup.”

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The word viṣa is a synonym of water, meaning to purify (Nirukta 12:26).

There is a considerable gap of time between composition of the Riks of Rig Veda to our present day times.  So the meanings the rishis of Rig Veda had in their mind, for the Vedic Sanskrit words used therein, might be different, and some might have been lost.

In the oldest parts of the Ṛig veda the term asura is used for the Supreme Spirit and in the sense of 'god', 'divine'; it was applied to several of the chief deities such as Indra, Agni, and especially Varuṇa.

It afterwards, however, acquired an entirely opposite meaning, and came to signify a demon or an enemy of the gods.

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The Rik mentioned above,ie., 10.136.7, is preceded by 6 more Riks, viz, 10.136.1 to 10.136.6, the translation of which is given below.  These Riks state the spiritual attainments of the keśin, a long haired one, including his friendship with Vāyu, an epithet used, alongwith Indra, Vishnu, Rudra, etc, for the brAhman, in Rig Veda .

 

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1. The long-haired one bears fire, the long-haired one poison, the

long-haired one the two world-halves.

The long-haired one (bears) the sun for all to see. The long-haired one is

called this light here.

2. The wind-girt ascetics wear tawny rags.

They follow the swooping of the wind when the gods have entered (them).

3. “Roused up to ecstasy by our asceticism, we have mounted the winds.

You mortals see only our bodies.”

4. He flies through the midspace, gazing down on all forms.

The ascetic has been established as the comrade of every god for good

action.

5. The horse of the wind, the comrade of Vāyu—so sped by (that) god, the

ascetic

presides over both seas, the eastern and the western.

6. Ranging in the range of the Apsarases and the Gandharvas, of the

wild birds,

the long-haired one is their sweet, most exhilarating comrade, who

knows their will.

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We have to remember that “water” also is used in Rig Veda, to indicate the DIVINE KNOWLEDGE or Jnana or the IMMORTALITY.

Hence, Vāyu’s churning may indicate aiding the human in rising above the all types of obstructions during the progress of spirituality and drinking poison in a cup, alongwith Rudra, an epithet used for brAhman,  may indicate reaching the zenith of spirituality.

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Even if we consider the relationship of the ascetic keśin with Rudra, as the relationship between Father and son or between Guru and disciple, still sharing the knowledge, ie., drinking elixir in the same cup with Rudra, is understandable.

Guru Gita says the disciple can partake the ucchistha (left over of food) of the Guru.

गुरुपादोदकं पानं गुरोरुच्छिष्टभोजनम्।

गुरुर्मूर्ते सदा ध्यानं गुरोर्नाम्नः सदा जपः॥3.67॥

One should consume the Charnamrat and the left over food (उच्छिष्ट ) after serving the Guru, keep the Guru always in his mind & heart and recite his names.