In the previous episode, we had witnessed an important clarification when it comes to Aadishesha, Garuda, etc. being born to Sage Kashyapa and Kadru and Vinata respectively. Aadisesha’s mother was Kadru and Garuda’s mother was Vinata. Although we see here that these people are born to a biological mother and father, we refer to them as “Nitya-Soolis”, who permanently reside at Vaikunta. We clarified this confusion by reiterating the point that when they are born biologically, this refers to an incarnation, just like how Bhagawan Vishnu incarnated in this world as Bhagawan Rama and Bhagawan Krishna. In fact, Bhagawan Vishnu also is born as Bhagawan Vamana to the same Sage Kashyapa later on. Hence, just like Bhagawan Vamana, Aadisesha, Garuda, Aruna, etc. are incarnations. We should understand this point as we move further.
Coming back to the background story of Snake Vaasuki thus, we’ve seen that all these people have taken birth to their respective mothers of Diti, Aditi, Kadru and Vinata and father, Sage Kashyapa. Moving further thus, we’re going to see how Kadru and Vinata had a perennial fight with each other. Both of them wanted to enslave each other. In other words, Kadru wanted Vinata to be her slave and Kadru wanted to have an “upper hand” over her in some way or the other. However, Vinata is not going to budge so easily. Vinata too wanted to outsmart Kadru in some way or the other and is not going to give up so easily as Kadru thought. However, Kadru was a notch smarter than Vinata. Vinata was a good person by heart and soul. Of course, Kadru was also good only, but she was a bit more smarter as compared to Vinata. One day as both of them were going along with each other, there was a horse by name “Ucchashravas”. This “Ucchashravas” was a “Deva-Lokha horse”, just like how we witnessed the “Deva-Lokha dog” that cursed King Janame-Jaya earlier. This Deva-Lokha horse” called “Ucchashravas” was born out of the divine Ocean of Milk as the drilling process was on for obtaining the divine “Amrita” (Nectar). Along with Ucchashravas, there are so many other things that emerge from beneath the ocean floor, such as the “Paarijaatha Tree”, a pot full of treacherous poison, etc. In fact, Goddess Mahalakshmi too emerges from the ocean floor as the drilling process is on. Finally, Dhanvantri came up with the pot containing the divine “Amrita”. We’ve witnessed this event earlier during our Shrimad Bhaagawatha Puraana project.
Thus, it is during this process that Ucchashravas was born. This Ucchashravas was a white horse that belonged to the Devas. This Ucchashravas horse was roaming around here and there and it was spotted by Kadru and Vinata as they were going along somewhere together. Upon spotting this horse, Kadru saw this as a chance to pick up a fight with Vinata. All of a sudden, Kadru exclaims thus, “Oh Vinata! See this horse! How black and beautiful it looks! Isn’t it a rare breed of a horse? How can a horse look so black?” Upon hearing this from Kadru, Vinata was surprised! She was seeing a white horse in front of her, and how come Kadru says that she’s seeing a black horse? Thinking thus, Vinata replies, “Oh Kadru! Yes, the horse is rare and beautiful, but it is not black in color! I see that it is white in color, and my eyes do not fail me at all!” However, Kadru refuses to accept Vinata’s argument. She establishes repeatedly that the horse is black in color! Vinata refuses to accept Kadru’s argument and argues that the horse is white in color, and there’s no change in her stance!
Ultimately this argument led them to a big fight, and at the end, both of them decided to have a contest! Kadru asserted thus, “Oh Vinata! Let us come back tomorrow to the same place! I’m sure this “black” horse would still be in this very place only! If we see even an inch of black in this horse, including in it’s tail, I would win this contest and you would become my slave! If it becomes otherwise, I shall become your slave! Do you agree?” Vinata was too confident over her “strong vision” and agreed for the context! That night passes by and the next day, both of them assemble again at the very place where the horse was standing.
Meanwhile, Kadru makes up a wicked plan! She calls up all her sons. We’ve seen that the sons of Kadru are all snakes, isn’t it? Snakes are black in color, aren’t they? Hence, Kadru wants all her sons to go to the horse and coil around the horse’s body fully! If all the snakes coil up around the horse’s body, automatically the horse would look black in color from a distance, isn’t it? Hence, she would win the contest and can make Vinata her slave! This was Kadru’s plan! So what is going to happen next? Is Kadru going to be successful in executing this plan to stump out Vinata? Let’s wait till the next episode to witness the interesting outcome of this contest! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 