Halahala- Hindu ConceptConcept"The World Poison"

Emergence from the Ocean

During the Samudra Manthan, as the devas and asuras churned the ocean of milk, the first substance to rise was not a treasure but a catastrophe. A thick, dark poison billowed up from the roiling waters, releasing fumes of such toxicity that gods and demons alike began to choke and collapse. The Bhagavata Purana describes the Halahala spreading in all directions simultaneously, its dark vapors blanketing the three worlds. The Matsya Purana attributes its production to the venom expelled by Vasuki as the great serpent was yanked back and forth, his many hoods vomiting poisonous fumes under the strain.

Shiva Drinks the Poison

Both devas and asuras abandoned the churning and appealed to Shiva. He gathered the entire mass of poison and drank it in a single draught. Parvati, watching in alarm, pressed her hands against Shiva's neck to prevent the poison from reaching his stomach, where it could destroy even him. The Halahala lodged permanently in his throat, staining it a deep blue-black. From this act Shiva acquired the epithet Nilakantha, the blue-throated one.

Scattered Drops

The Shiva Purana relates that as Shiva drank the Halahala, small drops escaped from between his fingers and fell upon the earth. These residual drops of cosmic poison became the source of all venom in the natural world: the poison of cobras and scorpions, of toxic plants. The world's venomous creatures are living remnants of that original catastrophe.