Sunday Mini Challenge ~ The Secret Life of Bees

courtesy :  featurepics.com

MOTHER

Ocean of love churned*

Our ambrosia Mother

Rises with a smile

Tender most and hard

She’s a wondrous gift to us

By doting Nature

Childhood’s paradise

Is only her creation

We stay fearless

You can tell which girls

Lack mothers by a simple

Look of their hair

Precious possession

Of every living being

Pawns her life for us

* The Churning of the Ocean

Source : Wikipedia

Main article: Samudra manthan

Hindu mythology contains a story about the churning of the Cosmic Ocean in order to obtain Amrita (Ambrosia) - the nectar of immortal life. At the suggestion of Vishnu the gods, (devas) and demons (asuras) churn the primeval ocean in order to obtain Amrita which will guarantee them immortality. To churn the ocean they used the Serpent King, Vasuki, for their churning-string. For a churning pole they use Mount Mandara placed on the back of a Great Tortoise - the Kurma Avatar of Vishnu. As the gods and demons churned the sea, a terrible poison issued out of its depths which enveloped the universe. The devas and asuras approach Shiva who took the poison into his throat and swallowed it. Shocked by his act, Goddess Parvati strangled his neck and hence managed to stop it in his neck and prevent it from spreading. However, the poison was so potent that it changed the colour of his neck to blue, thereby earning him the name of Neelakanta (blue-throated one).^[3] When the Amrita finally emerged along with several other treasures the devas and asuras fought over it. However Vishnu in the form of Mohini the enchantress manages to lure the asuras into handing over the Amrita to her, which she then distributes to the devas. Rahu, an asura, disguises himself as a deva and tries to drink some Amrita himself. Surya (the sun-god) and Chandra (the moon-god) alert Vishnu to this deception. Vishnu then decapitates Rahu just as he is about to swallow the nectar, leaving only his head immortal.
According to Bhagavata, outcome of the churning of Ksheerasagara is Halahalam (terribly destructive poison), Amrita (nectar) with Dhanvantari (physician of Gods), Lakshmi (Goddess of Riches), Jyestha (Goddess of Poverty), Chandra (the Moon), a white elephant named Airavata, a horse named Uchchaisrava, Kalpavriksha (the tree that yields whatever is desired).
The Churning of the Cosmic Ocean (the Milky Way) is told in several ancient texts, notably in the Valmiki's Ramayana Canto 45 ^[4] and in the Mahabharata.^[5]

 For : Real Toads

Sunday Mini Challenge ~ The Secret Life of Bees

My inspiration was :  “You can tell which girls lack mothers by the look of their hair...”

          &

For : Haiku Heights

          Day 29 Sept.

Prompt : Mother

           &

For : Poetry Pantry

 

            A White Hall

Madeleine’s marble figurines

Wished to step down from

Gilt ornate built-ins

And hold each other's hands

They craved for casements

And thirsted for moonlight

Fragrant blooms in ivory vases

Cast pale glances

A bewitching milk white night

Remained unseen in Madeline’s salon

Crystal chandelier holding slender candles

Never lit up for them

Madeline eschewed Cupid

And spun and talked words and words

(May be this was the salon of Madeline de Scuder, the first blue stocking) 

 For: : Real Toads

The challenge this time is 'a place poem'

and I have taken 

 French Salon of the Louis XIV Period, 1660-1700, as my theme.

For : Haiku Heights
        Day 28 Sept.
Prompt : Pillow


 courtesy : 123rf.com

PILLOW

Laptop on pillows

A great aid on today’s prompt

Fingers on key-board