Behind every great tradition there stands a story. Rules alone are not enough for people; they want an emotional answer to the question "Why is this so?" In the case of the Kumbh Mela, that answer is found in the story of the Samudra Manthan.
The Curse of Durvasa and the Downfall of the Gods
According to the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata, the story begins like this. Once, Maharshi Durvasa was walking along with a divine garland of flowers in his hand. He had received that garland from a Vidyadhar woman, and its fragrance was wafting everywhere. On the way, he met Indra, seated on the elephant Airavat. Durvasa gave that garland to Indra as prasad. Indra took it, but instead of reverently touching it to his head, he placed it on the elephant's head. The elephant caught it in its trunk and trampled it underfoot.
Durvasa is renowned for his anger. As soon as he saw this insult to his prasad, he cursed Indra, "The splendour you are proud of, that splendour will vanish from you." The curse took effect. The radiance of the gods diminished, and the asuras led by the daitya king Bali defeated the gods. Heaven slipped out of their hands. Forlorn, the gods went to Brahmadev, and Brahmadev took them to Bhagwan Vishnu.
Mandarachal, Vasuki and the Kurma Avatar
To churn the ocean, one needs a ravi (a churning staff), a rope and a support on which the ravi can rest. According to the story, the Mandar mountain became the ravi, the serpent Vasuki became the rope and Bhagwan Vishnu, taking the Kurma (tortoise) avatar, balanced Mandarachal on his back.
The First Fruit: Halahal
In any great churning, you do not get what you want first; what you do not want comes out first. When the ocean was churned, the very first thing to come out was a terrible poison named Halahal (Kalkut). Its flames and smoke began to scorch all three worlds. Both the gods and the asuras were frightened. All living beings began to cry out in anguish.
Everyone ran to Bhagwan Shankar. Out of compassion, Shankar agreed to drink that poison. Devi Parvati placed her hand on his throat, and the poison stayed stuck right there in his throat. Because of this, Shankar's throat turned blue and he got the name "Neelkanth".
The Fourteen Jewels
After the Halahal, the churning began again and precious things came out of the ocean one after another. In the tradition they are called the "fourteen jewels".
The Pot of Amrit and the Struggle
Dhanvantari emerged from the ocean holding in his hands a pot filled with amrit, and from here the truly tense part of the story begins. As soon as they saw the pot, the asuras snatched it away. The asuras were greater in number and in strength. The devas could clearly see that if the asuras drank the amrit, they would become invincible and the three worlds would pass into their hands.
The despairing devas once again called upon Vishnu. Then Vishnu took on the form of Mohini, that is, the form of an exceedingly beautiful woman. The asuras were beguiled by her enchanting form. Mohini said, "Do not quarrel, I will distribute it fairly." The asuras naively handed the pot over to her. She seated the devas in one row and the asuras in another row, and began distributing the amrit to the devas first.
Then the devas drank the amrit, the asuras were left deprived, they grew enraged and a terrible war broke out with the devas. Through the power of the amrit the devas grew strong, and the asuras were defeated. Heaven once again came under the control of the devas. This victory is regarded primarily as a victory of intellect, of strategy and of Vishnu's grace.
Drops of Amrit at Four Places
While the devas and the asuras were fighting over the pot of amrit, Jayant, the son of Devraj Indra, picked up the pot and fled. The asuras chased him. This chase went on for twelve days. One day of the devas means one year of humans, so this struggle is regarded as lasting twelve human years.
It is told in various stories that during the chase Jayant set the pot down at four places and rested, or that in the rush a few drops spilled from it. These four places are Haridwar (Ganga), Prayag (the Ganga-Yamuna confluence), Ujjain (Kshipra) and Nashik-Trimbakeshwar (Godavari). Because of these drops those rivers became like amrit, and when the planetary positions align in that way, the water in those rivers becomes especially meritorious, such is the belief.
Gautam Rishi, Ahilya and the Cow: The Story of the Birth of the Godavari
To remove the sin of cow-slaughter, Gautam performed severe penance to Bhagwan Shankar. Shankar was pleased and commanded Ganga to go to the earth. At first Ganga was not willing, because she did not want to leave Shiva's matted locks. But when Shiva told her to, and at Gautam's prayer, she appeared on Brahmagiri. Gautam bathed in her water and became free of sin. That is why this river received the name "Gautami". The origin of the name "Goda" is also linked to the cow: Goda means the one who gives cows, or the one who frees from the sin of cow-slaughter.
The Bond with the Saint Tradition
For the Marathi reader, Trimbakeshwar has one more bond that is close to the heart, and that is the saint tradition. The samadhi of Sant Nivruttinath, the elder brother and guru of Sant Dnyaneshwar, is at Trimbakeshwar, and on the Krishna Ekadashi of the month of Paush thousands of warkaris come to Trimbakeshwar with dindis for the yatra of Nivruttinath. That is, the jyotirlinga, the source of the Godavari and a great guru-seat of the Warkari sampradaya, all of these dwell together in a single town. The coexistence of the Shaiva, Vaishnava and Bhagavata dharmas is easily seen here, and this is exactly what nourishes the all-inclusive spirit of the Kumbh Mela.