What is the origin of Amrit?

World Mythology Dictionary: Amrita (South and Central Asian mythology) Literal meaning: ‘non-dead’. The water of life in Hindu mythology. It was recovered at the Churning of the Ocean, when Rahu, the demon, succeeded in obtaining a sip, forcing Vishnu to cut off his head in order to prevent him from gaining complete impregnability. This severed piece of immortality, hideous, horned, with bulging eyes and ravenous jaws, was adopted as a talisman, a protector from evil influences, and can be seen on Hindu temples serving a function similar to our gargoyle. Another legend of Kirttimukha, ‘the face of glory’, recounts that Shiva persuaded a lion-headed demon to feed on its own flesh, which it did until all was devoured to the lower lip. Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/interfaith-dialogues/32833-what-is-the-origin-of-amrit.html Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833 Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/amrita

 
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God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close.

Amritsar, the original name of first the ancient lake, then the temple complex, and still later the surrounding city, means "pool of ambrosial nectar." Looking deeply into the origins of this word amrit, we find that it indicates a drink of the gods, a rare and magical substance that catalyzes euphoric states of consciousness and spiritual enlightenment. With this word we have a very clear example of the spirit, power, or energetic character of a particular place becoming encoded as an ancient geographical place name. The myth is not just a fairy tale. It reveals itself as a coded metaphor if we have the knowledge to read the code: The waters of Amritsar flowing into the lake of the Hari Mandir were long ago - and remain today - a bringer of peacefulness.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

Source: http://www.sacredsites.com/asia/india/amritsar.html

But ....Gurmukh Loko,I would choose to differ. We must not forget there are many other cities with golden methophors hung to them and their name.The Sikh and Sikhi's connection with this city begins with Guru Nanak Ji, when he came to live and meditate by the peaceful lake. This was Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh religion. At the end of of his worldy journey,his disciples continued to frequent the site; over the centuries it became the primary sacred shrine of the Sikhs. The lake was enlarged and structurally contained during the leadership of the fourth Sikh Guru (Ram Dass, 1574-1581), and during the leadership of the fifth Guru (Arjan, 1581-1606), the Hari Mandir, or Temple of God was built.Amritsar's fame of "pool of ambrosial nectar" begins with the Sikh Gurus and their Gurbani.NOT before.Every city has a history, but this city's history rose with Sikh religion.

Bharat is a land of many myths and mysteries and some unbelievable stories and some beyond any imagination, which had all sorts of effects , one thing for certain is they enslaved the people, for generations under both local and later foreign tyranical and unjust rules.It had suppresed the people so much, that it took Guru Nanaks' message of ..inni maar bhayee kurlane , te'n ki dard na aya ...as an affront and a message of honest truth,to the hankari Babur,to liberate the people and make them see the pool of nectar amidst their land and eradicate their cowardic spirit.The city and its pool of ambroisal nectar liberates humanity from such mythlogical enslavement and suppression, since the Sikh Guru sahibaan blessed it with their presence.We should not offer ourselves to such ropes and chains of mythological literature slavery nilly willy.

Dear Gurmukh Loko Ji,

The thread started on Amrit Sanchar, but along the line another writer mentioned the history of Amritsar, prior to the Gurus grace to Amritsar.I responded that the connection of Amritsar to Sikhi begins with Guru Nanak and subsequently; not with the mythological tales.Therefore to Sikhs they should not be important.

I must make clear that in NO way, I associate the Amrit Sanchar of Sikhs with any hindu mythological story or history.Quite as matter of record, I asked such associations to be stopped and not associated with Amritsar or the Amrit Sanchar.


[[One such tale that I have heard is about the King the and his seven daughters.One day he asked his daughters who they regards great in the world; all but one said that he was.The last one said that God was.Angered he then married off the girls to all nice and handsome and rich persons.The one who said GOD was married off to a leper.

She accepted her faith and wandered around searching a living with her husband on her back.It is said one day she arrived near the lake and left her husband while she went to off to the village to beg for for food.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

While she was gone it is alleged that the husband was lying on the ground watched as black crows flew and dipped into the lake , they turned white as they came out.Intrigued, he crwaled to the edge of the lake and dipped his fingure into the water, he saw that it chnaged nice and fair.he then dipped his whole hand, it came out without and leperosial marks; he then dipped into it, but kept one small part of his hand out, he turnes into the most handsome man and strong man.

When the wife returned and saw him in the place of her husband, she started wailing to what he has done with her husband.She convince dher to hear him out and showed his hand that had not been dipped and told her, he was her husband...and dipped his hand, which became cured!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

She then lived a good life, but in return her sisters' lives did not turn out to be happy!]]Please work out the moral of the story!!



In fact, I pointed OUT that the SIKH CONNECTION with Amritsar begins with the Sikh Gurus' grace to what became known as Guru Ki nagri- Amritsar; and not to any previous mythology as explained by another writer.

The above posts have been moved from "New to Sikhism" category for the sake of a deeper discussion of a scholarly caliber for example what is Amrit, where does the word Originate from, and do the meanings differ from one religion to another. Some say Amrit is the Water of Life which appears in the various ancient texts of Christian and Middle Eastern belief systems.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

So these posts may not be exactly relevant in this new thread, my apologies for the reshuffle.

I would like to direct your focus towards a more specific area.

My question : Is Amrit a tangible thing that can be found and touched by physical hands?

Page 201

ਥਿਰੁ ਘਰਿ ਬੈਸਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਪਿਆਰੇ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਤੁਮਰੇ ਕਾਜ ਸਵਾਰੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਦੁਸਟ ਦੂਤ ਪਰਮੇਸਰਿ ਮਾਰੇ ॥
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833
ਜਨ ਕੀ ਪੈਜ ਰਖੀ ਕਰਤਾਰੇ ॥੧॥
ਬਾਦਿਸਾਹ ਸਾਹ ਸਭ ਵਸਿ ਕਰਿ ਦੀਨੇ ॥
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮ ਮਹਾ ਰਸ ਪੀਨੇ ॥੨॥
ਨਿਰਭਉ ਹੋਇ ਭਜਹੁ ਭਗਵਾਨ ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਨੋ ਦਾਨੁ ॥੩॥
ਸਰਣਿ ਪਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਅੰਤਰਜਾਮੀ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਓਟ ਪਕਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸੁਆਮੀ ॥੪॥੧੦੮॥

Incorporate Satguru into your being with full faith and He will look after your affairs. Pause. Whoever uses the Guru's support, has adversities and foolishness controlled. That Gurmukh's honour will be preserved. Even kings and emperors follow His rule. All his servants drink the intoxicating amrit of his name. When He has given you the gift of bani (naam), fearlessly join the sadh sangat (company of good, God-oriented souls) to always remember the giver of life. Nanak does ardaas-hey Waheguru, I have taken refuge at your feet, please bless me with the support of your bani.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

Amrit of the name is not physically possible, therefore it is a state of mind.
Jasleen

Ek OnKaar Sat Naam

Amrita, in its root form is related to the nectar of immortality, as per the intiating post.

THIS DOES NOT IMPLY AMRITA IS NECESSARILY SYNONYMOUS WITH AMRIT IN THE SIKH KHANDE-KE-PHAUL ceremony, or have any link to the naming of Amritsar.

The search for it is described in the Vishnu Purana. The existence of this amrita, did have an earlier origin, in a Vedic sacrifice of the sacred plant known as "soma".

The gods/devaa had grown weary of their war with the demigods/asuras. They approached the great god Vishnu for the boon of immortality. He counselled the gods to enter into an allegiance with the asuras, and to churn the great ocean together, which would reveal gems, herbs and amrita (the nectar of immortality), hidden within its depths. With help of Brahma and the great serpent Vasuki, the gods and asuras were able to uproot the great mountain of Mandara (now in Bihar) to use a churning stick. From the oceans depths Vishnu manifested himself in the form of the supreme tortoise, and rose to the surface. Upon the tortoise's upper shell was placed Mt Mandara, which Brahma stabilised by pressing on from above. The serpent Vasuki wound himself around this mountain as churning rope, and at either end the gods and asuras pulled back and forth, pivoting the mountain and churning the great ocean.
This churning created chaos in the ocean, as gradually the water was churned into milk, and then into clarified butter or ghee. The first thing to emerge from the ocean were the thousand-rayed sun and the cool moon (Skt. soma), which Shiva took for his diadem. Next arose the precious white horse, Uchaishravas, and the six-tusked white elephant, Airavata. These Vishnu took as his mounts.
Then arose the wish-fulfilling tree, parijata, and the brilliant red gemstone, kaustubha. The gods claimed the trees for their heavens, and Vishnu took the gemstone as his breast ornament. Next emerged the goddess Lakshmi (Shri) who Vishnu took as his wife. Then emerged the intoxicating goddess of wine, Sura. The gods were able to drink her wine without ill effects, bu the asuras were unable to hold their alcohol. [from Sura is derived the term, asura, meaning "those unable to consume wine", or "those wihtout the goddess of wine"]
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

As the gods and asuras continued their vigorous churning there next arose the fiery form of Halahala, the wrathful embodiment of deadly black poison (Kalakuta). Terrified by the ferocious manifestation of Halahala the gods swooned, but Brahma managed to bring the gods back to consciousness. Brahma then succeeded in subduing the long syllable HUM, which caused Halahala's poisonous body to explode into a myriad pieces. The naga serpents claimed the fragements of this poison as their own, whilst from the scattered particles of Halahala's body arose all manner of poisonous creatures and plants. ( A different version of this legend relates that it was Shiva who managed to subdue Halahala by manifested in the form of a mantra and swallowed Halahala whole. But the poison lodged in Shiva's throat, causing it to turn blue, and Nilakantha -the "Blue-throated One" has since become one of Shiva's epithets)

Next to arise from the ocean was Surabhi, the wish-fulfilling white cow, whose five abundant products of milk, curd, butter, urine and dung, grant all beings desires.
Finally there emerged Dhanvantari, the divine physician of the gods, who bore in his hands the vase of amrita, the nectar of immortality. (Dhanvantari is attributed with revealing the Indian medical sciences of Ayurveda)

The asuras, reverting to their inherent character of jealousy, began to wage war again with the gods to obtain possession of the amrita. But Vishnu, having assumed the illusory form of the enchanting goddess Mohini, beguiled the asuras and only offered the amrita to the gods. One of the asuras, Rahu, discerned this cunning strategy, and assuming the guise of a god began to drink the amrita also. The sun and moon bore witness to Rahu's deceitful transformation and informed Vishnu, who hurled his fiery discus at Rahu, severing his head just as the amrita reached his throat. Rahu's body fell to earth causing great earthquakes, and his severed head, assuming again its normal raven form, flew into the skies. Enraged by this treachery of the sun and the moon, Rahu, the shadowy planetary god and lord of the skies, is forever doomed to chase the sun and moon across the heavens and periodically cause eclipses. But as soon as his dark shadow has swallowed them they re-emerge from his severed throat

There is another version of this legend that relates that it was Garuda, the golden sunbird and mount of Vishnu, who attempted to steal the amrita. This he did in order to pay ransom to nagas who held his mother in imprisonment. But Garuda was subdued by the great god Indra, and forced to return the amrita. A few drops of amrita that spilled from the pot held in Garuda's beak fell upon fields of kusha grass, giving rise to various medicinal plants. The scent of this amrita attracted the naga serpents, who began to lick the nectar from the kusha grass. But the sharp blades of this grass caused the naga serpents tongues to split down the middle and become folded.
The struggle between the gods and asuras for the amirta is said to have lasted 12 days, and the four drops that spilled from the pot (Skt. kumbha) of amrita landed near the Indian cities of Prayag (Allahabad), Hardiwar, Nasik and Ujjain. At each of these four cities the great religious festival known as the Kumbh Mela or "Pot Festival" is held every 3 years in rotation, with a larger festival taking place every twelve years. This twelve year period is derived from the concept that one day for the gods is equivalent to one human year.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

Infuriated by the gods' total possession of the the amrita, the asuras engaged in an even mightier war against the gods. But since the gods had already consumed the amrita, their only mortal weakness was decapitation, whilst the asuras remained vulnerable in every part of their bodies. The asuras were finally vanquished into the earth and ocean, whilst the triumphant gods once more assumed their rightful place in the heavens. This battle is depicted in the Buddhist Wheel of Life. The gods and asuras are depicted waging war over possession of the wish-fulfilling tree (parijata). Indra leads the army of the gods, wielding his vajra and chakra, and riding upon his six-tusked elephant, Airavata. The gods dwell around the canopy of the parijata tree and can freely partake of its blossoms and fruit, whilst the jealous asuras live at the level of its roots and can never fulfill their sensual desires.
Mt Mandara is a sacred hill, of no great height, in the northern Indian state of Bihar. The legend of the churning of the ocean has rendered this mountain sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains alike, all of whom have erected temples there.

[Source: The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols - Robert Beer]

I hope you enjoyed this bedtime story.

It is also said that the Buddha meditated at a lake, where Amritsar is now. But that's another story

Sat Sri Akal

1. Amrit is Naam/Shabad/Gurbani....not a physical thing but State of Mind...completley in tune with the Creator...
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

2. What Guru Gobind Singh ji prepared in Anandpur Sahib Vasakhi 1699 is KHANDEY BATTEH DEE PAHUL...for initiating into the Khalsa Brotherhood. PAHUL is what the Panj have prepared ever since and CANNOT be prepared if the AMRIT GURBANI in the form of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is NOT PRESENT. PEEVOH PAHUL KHAND-DHAAR..HOVEH JANAM SUHELA !!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32833

3. The WATERS of the SAROVAR at Darbar sahib AMRITSAR is FRESH WATER FROM THE BEAS RIVER....flowing via a UNDERGROUND CANAL called Hunsali built more than 100 years ago. RECENTLY this WATER FLOW is chanelled through an ultra modern FILTRATION SYSTEM woth a few KROR rupees. The WATER is kept FLOWING and is FRESH....no trace of any so called ORIGINAL lake whatever remains.

Elixir of life