Dhanvantari Deva
Amritam is the divine drink which gives “immortality” to those who consume it.It is also mentioned as the divine nectar, and it contains good taste. “Amritam” is mentioned in the Rigveda, and it is the special drink of the demigods in the heaven.
Amritam was brought by Lord Dhanvantari in a golden pot, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and the divine physician and he emerged while churning of the divine ocean. It is believed that drinking of Amritam would give good health, divinity and a very long life. Lord Vishnu took the Mohini Avatar and due to his clever act, the divine Amritam was drunk by the Devas, and they had become immortals.
According to the Vinayaka Purana, The first god Vinayaka is permanently holding the Amritam pot in his trunk, and gave it to his sincere devotees like Vallalan and Purushundi, and made them to reside in his Ganesha Loka permanently.
It is also believed that Lord Indra used to drink the Amritam, when he watches the dance performances of the divine Apsaras, who are also called as celestial dancers. Mata Varuni, consort of Lord Varuna, is the goddess of wine, and she also produces the divine wine, and offers it to the demigods in the heaven. Though the wine produced by her is not equivalent to Amrita, but it gives great pleasure, and considered as an energy drink for the Devas.
In the epic Ramayana, it was mentioned, that after finding Mata Sita in the Srilanka by Lord Hanuman, all the Vanaras, began to drink the wine, in order to celebrate the success.
Once when Amrita was offered only to Bhakta Prahlada by Lord Vishnu, by ignoring all other demons, he simply ignored it, stating that his Narayana Bhakti alone is enough for him, and he doesn’t want to become immortal. He is such a kind of a noble demon, who looked like a beautiful Deva.
“OM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR