Halahala: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Latest revision as of 08:50, 12 August 2024

Halāhala (Sanskrit हलाहल) or Kālakūṭa (Sanskrit कालकूट, lit. 'poison of death')^[1]^[2] is the name of a poison in Hindu mythology. It was created from the Ocean of Milk when the devas and the asuras churned it (see Samudra Manthana) in order to obtain amrita, the nectar of immortality.

Fourteen different ratnas (treasures) were recovered from this episode, which were distributed between the two clans. But before the amrita could be formed, Halāhala was produced, which started injuring both sides. As no one could bear the lethal fumes emitted by the poison, both the devas and the asuras began to collapse due to asphyxiation. They ran for help to Brahma who advised them to seek assistance from Shiva. Both parties went to Mount Kailash, and prayed to Shiva for help.

Shiva chose to consume the entire poison and thus drank it. His wife, the goddess Parvati, was alarmed, as she gripped her husband's neck with both hands in order to stop the poison from reaching his stomach, thus earning him the epithet Viṣakaṇṭha (the one who held poison in his neck). The poison turned his throat blue. Hence, he is also known as Nīlakaṇṭha^[3] (the one with a blue throat).

In popular culture

The second episode of Indian television show Sacred Games was named Halahala based on the poison.^[4]

References

^ "KALAKUTA (कालाकुता) Meaning in Nepali & English - Nepali Names". www.nepalinames.com. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
^ The Presence of Siva By Stella Kramrisch
^ TQ Team C0118142. "The Orient: Shiva's Blue Throat". Library.thinkquest.org. Archived from the original on 2013-11-24. Retrieved 2013-05-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ "Confused by Sacred Games' use of Hindu mythology? Let's decode episode titles". Hindustan Times. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.

[1] "KALAKUTA (कालाकुता) Meaning in Nepali & English - Nepali Names". www.nepalinames.com. Retrieved 2 May 2024.

[2] The Presence of Siva By Stella Kramrisch

[3] TQ Team C0118142. "The Orient: Shiva's Blue Throat". Library.thinkquest.org. Archived from the original on 2013-11-24. Retrieved 2013-05-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[4] "Confused by Sacred Games' use of Hindu mythology? Let's decode episode titles". Hindustan Times. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Short description|Hindu Mythological Poison}}
+{{Short description|Hindu mythological poison}}
 {{About||the Hindi thriller film|Halahal (film)}}
-[[File:Shiva drinking Halahala.jpg|thumb|Shiva drinking Halahala]]
+[[File:Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists - Shiva drinking the World-Poison.jpg|thumb|Shiva drinks the ''kalakuta'']]{{Sources|date=February 2023}}
-'''Halāhala''' ([[Sanskrit]] हलाहल) or '''kālakūṭa''' ([[Sanskrit]] कालकूटं, literally: 'black mass' or 'time puzzle'<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=O5BanndcIgUC&pg=PA148&lpg=PA148&dq=kalakuta+poison&source=bl&ots=xarXHnRrhj&sig=PRLbnSX0Y0977TnvLXHlI2Sn81Q&hl=en&ei=Wz0xTuOwJ5DKiAKbuvGaBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=kalakuta%20poison&f=false The Presence of Siva By Stella Kramrisch]</ref>) is the name of a poison in [[Hindu mythology]]. It was created from the [[Ocean of Milk]] when the [[deva (Hinduism)|deva]]s and the [[asura]]s churned it (see [[Samudra manthan|Samudra Manthana]]) in order to obtain [[Amrita]], the nectar of immortality.
+'''Halāhala''' ([[Sanskrit]] हलाहल) or '''Kālakūṭa''' ([[Sanskrit]] कालकूट, {{lit|poison of death}})<ref>{{cite web |title=KALAKUTA (कालाकुता) Meaning in Nepali & English - Nepali Names |url=https://www.nepalinames.com/names/kalakuta#google_vignette |website=www.nepalinames.com |access-date=2 May 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=O5BanndcIgUC&dq=kalakuta+poison&pg=PA148 The Presence of Siva By Stella Kramrisch]</ref> is the name of a poison in [[Hindu mythology]]. It was created from the [[Ocean of Milk]] when the [[deva (Hinduism)|deva]]s and the [[asura]]s churned it (see [[Samudra manthan|Samudra Manthana]]) in order to obtain [[amrita]], the nectar of immortality.
+Fourteen different ''ratnas'' ([[treasure]]s) were recovered from this episode, which were distributed between the two clans. But before the [[amrita]] could be formed, Halāhala was produced, which started injuring both sides. As no one could bear the lethal fumes emitted by the poison, both the devas and the asuras began to collapse due to asphyxiation. They ran for help to [[Brahma]] who advised them to seek assistance from [[Shiva]]. Both parties went to [[Mount Kailash]], and prayed to Shiva for help.
+Shiva chose to consume the entire poison and thus drank it. His wife, the goddess [[Parvati]], was alarmed, as she gripped her husband's neck with both hands in order to stop the poison from reaching his stomach, thus earning him the epithet ''Viṣakaṇṭha'' (the one who held poison in his neck). The poison turned his throat blue. Hence, he is also known as [[Nilakanta (Hinduism)|''Nīlakaṇṭha'']]<ref>{{cite web |author=TQ Team C0118142 |url=http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118142/orient/shiva.php |title=The Orient: Shiva's Blue Throat |publisher=Library.thinkquest.org |date= |access-date=2013-05-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124063843/http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118142/orient/shiva.php |archive-date=2013-11-24 }}</ref> (the one with a blue throat).
-Fourteen different ''ratnas'' ([[treasure]]s) were recovered from this episode, which were distributed between the two clans. But before the [[amrita]] could be formed, Halāhala was produced, which started injuring both sides. As no one could bear the lethal fumes emitted by the poison, both the devas and the asuras began to collapse due to asphyxiation. They ran for help to [[Brahma]] who advised them to seek assistance from [[Shiva]]. Both parties went to [[Mount Kailash]], and prayed to [[Shiva]] for help. Shiva chose to consume the poison and thus drank it. His wife, the goddess [[Parvati]], was alarmed, as she gripped her husband's neck with both hands in order to stop the poison, thus earning him the name '''Viṣakaṇṭha''' (the one who held poison in his (Shiva's) throat). The poison turned his throat blue. Hence, he is also known as '''Nīlakaṇṭha'''<ref>{{cite web |author=TQ Team C0118142 |url=http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118142/orient/shiva.php |title=The Orient: Shiva's Blue Throat |publisher=Library.thinkquest.org |date= |access-date=2013-05-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124063843/http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118142/orient/shiva.php |archive-date=2013-11-24 }}</ref> (the one with a blue throat).
 ==In popular culture==
@@ Line 10: / Line 14: @@
 ==See also==
-*[[Samudra manthan|Samudra Manthana]]
+*[[Samudra Manthana]]
 *[[Kshira Sagara]]
 *[[Vasuki]]
+*[[Kali (asura)]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 21: / Line 26: @@
 [[Category:Hindu mythology]]
 [[Category:Shaivism]]
-[[Category:Poisons]]
+[[Category:Mythological poisons]]

v t e Hindu deities and texts
Gods	Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Agni Ashvins Chandra Dattatreya Ganesha Hanuman Indra Kama Kartikeya Krishna Kubera Rama Shasta Surya Varuna Vayu Vishvakarma Yama more
Goddesses	Tridevi Saraswati Lakshmi Parvati Aditi Bhumi Chhaya Durga Ganga Shachi Kali Mahadevi Mahavidya Matangi Matrikas Radha Rati Rohini Rukmini Sanjna Sati Shakti Shashthi Sita more
Other deities	Apsaras Asuras Daitya Danava Devata Dikpāla Gandharvas Gana Kuladevatas Gramadevatas Rakshasas Vahanas Yakshas / Yakshini
Texts (list)	Vedas Rig Sama Yajur Atharva Upanishads Puranas Ramayana Mahabharata Bhagavad Gita Yoga Sutras of Patanjali more
Hinduism Hindu mythology