The Reason Why Lord Shiva Is Called Neelkanth

No, I am not going to repeat the same mythological story you might have read or heard or watched that – Lord Shiva is called Neelkanth, because his neck is of blue color. His throat became blue because - during the churning of the milky ocean for the Amrut, the elixir of immortality, the first thing emerged from the ocean was the Halahal, the deadly poison, which had the potential to destroy the entire world. Nobody but lord Shiva had that capacity to consume that Halahal.

Lord Shiva was invoked. He consumed the Halahal and saved the world. Noteworthy – he did not swallow the Halahal rather hold that in the middle of his throat. The effect of the poison was so intense that his neck turned into Blue, and hence he is called Neelkanth.

That is justifiable from the story, but still … why only lord Shiva was invoked for this cause…?  Why not, other gods or goddesses…? Why lord Shiva did not consume and digest that poison…? Why he held that in the middle of his throat…? Let us try to illustrate it.

The milky ocean is an analogy to our mind. The treasure of happiness (positivity) and poison of distress(Negativity)both are hidden in our mind. To touch that layer of Amrut inside our mind, first we have to clear the poison of negativity from there.

When our mind is churned out, the first thing that comes out is the poison of negativity which has been thrust in our mind through our five senses. The stored poison of negativity is so concentrated that can blot our entire life. That is very frightening. Due to which, most of the people even do not attempt to churn out their mind. But to get the Amrut, without any alternative, we have to churn out our mind and consume and control the poison of negativity.

That is alright, but, what is the connection of the poison of negativity and lord Shiva.

It is because - Lord Shiva is an ascetic and Adiyogi. He has control over his senses, mind and breath. Without control over the senses, mind and breath, it is not possible to confront the poison of negativity either coming from our own mind or thrown towards us from the external world.

Perfect, then why lord Shiva did not consume the poison and digested, but held in the middle of his throat.

He has so strong control over his breath that he did not let that poison reach to his stomach. Please note - The throat where he holds the poison is equi-distance from the head and heart.  Although, the poison was horrifying, he consumed also, but he did not allow to reach to either his head or heart. The poison did not make any harm to him because that could not reach to either his head or heart.

When we contemplate to start new things, set a new goal to achieve something significant in our life , or try to do something unconventional, the first thought comes in our mind - whether we are going to succeed or not, what will happen if we fail, what would be our reputation in the society. Also the people around us try to thrust many negativity towards us in the beginning.

This poison of negativity is so severe that if it is not controlled properly and kept away from spoiling the head and heart the way lord Shiva did, nothing great can be achieved which the world remembers.

Amrut is the elixir of immortality. This made consumer an immortal. But how it is applicable to human being…? No matter what, human is mortal. Right, but this story is not talking about the mortality or immortality of the human body, but human deeds and achievements. 

Many great people who have left this world physically, but their deeds and achievements are immortal. Albert Einstein, Newton, Swami Vivekananda etc. are some of them.

Nobody becomes great in their first attempt. In the inception, they consume and control the plethora of poison in the form of rejection, humiliation, discrimination, prejudices, hatred and so on. And then in the end, they get the Amrut of achievement by which this world remembers them forever.

ThebBlue throat of lord Shiva is the reminder of the presence of the poison in every human being and he shows a method how to control it in order to achieve the higher goal in one`s life and become immortal.