Guest Article - Indian Mythology Series: Mohini Avatar of Lord Vishnu

Indian mythology is filled with complex characters who are set in designated patterns and narratives. They are all assigned spaces and purposes – to impart a lesson. It is shed either in a positive or negative light. In the Hindu pantheon, it is a common feature for any deity/ divine being to have the ability to shape-shift. Changing forms or avatāras give rise to other beings which are present for a different purpose. This gives rise to more stories and they end up being cultic figures on their own or enhancing the cult of their primary form. One such deity is Vishnu who, apart from being a part of the Trinity is known to have many forms. One of them is a beautiful woman called Mohini. She has been mentioned in a few Puranas like Vishnu Purana, Kūrma Purana, Agni Purana, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. Albeit small, she finds a rather important place in Hindu mythos. 

Legends and stories

Mohini is first introduced in the story of the churning of the ocean. The devas and the asuras decided to churn the ocean to obtain the elixir which would make them immortal. For this purpose, they chose Mount Mandara as the churning rod and Vasuki, the king of snakes as the churning rope. With the asuras choosing the head side and the devas choosing the tail end of the snake, they churned the ocean. This is when the ocean gave up a number of gifts including Kalpavriksha, a divine tree; Kamadhenu, the divine cow; Airavata, which Indra claimed as his mount; Uchhaishravas, a white, unbridled horse and Lakshmi, who chose to marry Vishnu. It was after these gifts that the ocean emanated poison known as Hālahala in Sanskrit, which permeated the air choking both the devas and the asuras. On cue, Shiva is said to have ingested all the poison, and Parvati, his spouse is said to have trapped the poison from entering Shiva’s body. This made his throat turn blue and gave him the name of Neelkanṭha. The last gift rose from the ocean in form of Dhanvantri or the divine doctor carrying the pot of elixir. This was when the Devas and the Asuras started a fight about who would take the pot. It was at this juncture that Mohini came into the frame and charmed everyone to let her take the pot. Striking a conversation with the asuras, she conveniently distributed the elixir amongst the devas, leaving only an empty pot and a very confused group of asuras. This caused them to realise the deceit and went into battle with the devas only to lose it completely. This story is popular even in the story of the Daśāvatāra during the story of Kūrma or the tortoise which gets associated with the story of the churning of the ocean. 

The second story comes from the South Indian Shaivite traditions. It finds a special place amongst the people as followers have a strict regime for their cultural traditions. The story goes as this – there was once a demon by the name Bhasmasura who wished for immortality and prayed to Shiva for a boon. His request was rather peculiar as he wished for a boon that would reduce anyone to ashes if he placed his hand on their head, be it mortal or divine. Shiva, being simple-minded, granted his wish. The asura, having gained his power, tried to touch Shiva on the head who bolted from there with a rather confused feeling of betrayal. Vishnu witnessed this scene and turned into Mohini again. This time, the asura was charmed enough to ask for her hand in marriage. She agreed, only if he would defeat her in a dance showdown to which he agreed. They started dancing and seemed to be equally matched. At one point, she touches her own head and him, following her suit, touches his own head, reducing himself to ashes. It is said that after killing Bhasmasura, Shiva and Mohini fell in love. This union produced a child, a boy who had a single gem around his neck. Named Manikanṭha, this boy now goes on to be famous as the south Indian deity called Ayyappa. This form is popular only in the Southern Indian states. 

The third story is rather an interesting one that comes from the Tamil Mahabharata, a classic reiteration of the original magnum opus written during the Sangam period. This epic talks about an unusual hero called Aravan or Iravan. He is the son of Arjuna and the Naga princess Ulupi. He is said to have been strong enough to kill all the Kauravas single-handedly. Having heard that his father was losing the battle, he decided to sacrifice himself. But before he died, he wished to be married. Since no other woman would wish to be widowed in a day’s time, no woman came forward to marry Aravan. Krishna steps up and as Mohini, he marries Aravan. Having spent a day as a husband, Aravan on the following day, is sacrificed to the Goddess Shakti for the sake of the Pānḍavas to win the war. Now, having lost her husband, Mohini goes through a period of mourning by smashing her bangles, her vermilion being wiped out and crying out loud. This story is taken very seriously in many parts of Tamil Nadu and Aravan is worshipped as just a head. The deity is considered a chief deity of the transgender community as Mohini was believed to be one. 

Imagery and Iconography 

Mohini images associated with the churning of the ocean are rather rare as several temples showcase Mohini with Bhasmasura. She is seen placing her right hand on her head with her left hand either by her side or carrying a mirror. The mirror represents beauty and charm. The image is found on the wall as a part of the Shiva – Bhasmasura narrative. This image is more widespread than other images. There is a festival in Tamil Nadu which celebrates Aravan and all of the transgender community turns up in Tamil Nadu to pay respects to their deity. The festival is celebrated all week with all the participants getting married symbolically to Aravan. The following morning, their bangles are broken and the day is spent mourning the death of Aravan. This festival is called Koovagam and is celebrated in the month of April/May in accordance with the Hindu calendar. Some composite forms of Hari Hara are actually seen with Shiva and Mohini on the right and left half of the body respectively. Folk dances such as Yakshagana from Karnataka and Kathakali from Kerala portray these stories of Mohini on various stages. Kerala has an independent form of dance, their state dance which is named after Mohini, called Mohiniyattam. There is a deep-rooted traditional and cultural value to Ayyappa in the state as they have a forty-day cleansing before they go on a pilgrimage to the Sabarimala in the month of January. This comes around the time of Makar Sankranti or the harvest festival of the South. 

Depiction of Mohini, dancing to destroy Bhasmasura, with her right hand on her head.
Belur Temple, Karnataka.
(Image source: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/pQXBuABQJikpIg)  

Mohini is deemed an enchantress, a femme fatale, someone who has corrected the imbalance caused by certain actions. There are a lot more stories that are intertwined with hers that form this complex tapestry of Indian mythology. She forms one of the integral threads that connect cultural traditions with social morality and responsibility. All this happens to be held together by a woman after all. 

- Ms. Shreedevi R, Independent Research Scholar

P.S. To see a selected curation of Mohini depictions, please follow the image source link above. Google arts and culture has a beautifully curated gallery on the topic.