Lord Śiva drinks the hālāhala poison — exact verses
Follow the complete lila: the danger to all beings, Śiva’s resolve, Bhavānī’s consent, the poison he drinks, and the praise of Nīlakaṇṭha.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.36
श्रीशुक उवाच
तद्वीक्ष्य व्यसनं तासां कृपया भृशपीडित: ।
सर्वभूतसुहृद् देव इदमाह सतीं प्रियाम् ॥ ३६ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
tad-vīkṣya vyasanaṁ tāsāṁ
kṛpayā bhṛśa-pīḍitaḥ
sarva-bhūta-suhṛd deva
idam āha satīṁ priyām
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Lord Śiva is always benevolent toward all living entities. When he saw that the living entities were very much disturbed by the poison, which was spreading everywhere, he was very compassionate. Thus he spoke to his eternal consort, Satī, as follows.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.37
श्रीशिव उवाच
अहो बत भवान्येतत् प्रजानां पश्य वैशसम् ।
क्षीरोदमथनोद्भूतात् कालकूटादुपस्थितम् ॥ ३७ ॥
śrī-śiva uvāca
aho bata bhavāny etat
prajānāṁ paśya vaiśasam
kṣīroda-mathanodbhūtāt
kālakūṭād upasthitam
Lord Śiva said: My dear Bhavānī, just see how all these living entities have been placed in danger because of the poison produced from the churning of the Ocean of Milk.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.38
आसां प्राणपरीप्सूनां विधेयमभयं हि मे ।
एतावान्हि प्रभोरर्थो यद् दीनपरिपालनम् ॥ ३८ ॥
āsāṁ prāṇa-parīpsūnāṁ
vidheyam abhayaṁ hi me
etāvān hi prabhor artho
yad dīna-paripālanam
It is my duty to give protection and safety to all living entities struggling for existence. Certainly it is the duty of the master to protect his suffering dependents.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.39
प्राणै: स्वै: प्राणिन: पान्ति साधव: क्षणभङ्गुरै: ।
बद्धवैरेषु भूतेषु मोहितेष्वात्ममायया ॥ ३९ ॥
prāṇaiḥ svaiḥ prāṇinaḥ pānti
sādhavaḥ kṣaṇa-bhaṅguraiḥ
baddha-vaireṣu bhūteṣu
mohiteṣv ātma-māyayā
People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.40
पुंस: कृपयतो भद्रे सर्वात्मा प्रीयते हरि: ।
प्रीते हरौ भगवति प्रीयेऽहं सचराचर: ।
तस्मादिदं गरं भुञ्जे प्रजानां स्वस्तिरस्तु मे ॥ ४० ॥
puṁsaḥ kṛpayato bhadre
sarvātmā prīyate hariḥ
prīte harau bhagavati
prīye ’haṁ sacarācaraḥ
tasmād idaṁ garaṁ bhuñje
prajānāṁ svastir astu me
My dear gentle wife Bhavānī, when one performs benevolent activities for others, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is very pleased. And when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison, for all the living entities may thus become happy because of me.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.41
श्रीशुक उवाच
एवमामन्त्र्य भगवान्भवानीं विश्वभावन: ।
तद् विषं जग्धुमारेभे प्रभावज्ञान्वमोदत ॥ ४१ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
evam āmantrya bhagavān
bhavānīṁ viśva-bhāvanaḥ
tad viṣaṁ jagdhum ārebhe
prabhāva-jñānvamodata
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After informing Bhavānī in this way, Lord Śiva began to drink the poison, and Bhavānī, who knew perfectly well the capabilities of Lord Śiva, gave him her permission to do so.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.42
तत: करतलीकृत्य व्यापि हालाहलं विषम् ।
अभक्षयन्महादेव: कृपया भूतभावन: ॥ ४२ ॥
tataḥ karatalī-kṛtya
vyāpi hālāhalaṁ viṣam
abhakṣayan mahā-devaḥ
kṛpayā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
Thereafter, Lord Śiva, who is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.43
तस्यापि दर्शयामास स्ववीर्यं जलकल्मष: ।
यच्चकार गले नीलं तच्च साधोर्विभूषणम् ॥ ४३ ॥
tasyāpi darśayām āsa
sva-vīryaṁ jala-kalmaṣaḥ
yac cakāra gale nīlaṁ
tac ca sādhor vibhūṣaṇam
As if in defamation, the poison born from the Ocean of Milk manifested its potency by marking Lord Śiva’s neck with a bluish line. That line, however, is now accepted as an ornament of the Lord.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.44
तप्यन्ते लोकतापेन साधव: प्रायशो जना: ।
परमाराधनं तद्धि पुरुषस्याखिलात्मन: ॥ ४४ ॥
tapyante loka-tāpena
sādhavaḥ prāyaśo janāḥ
paramārādhanaṁ tad dhi
puruṣasyākhilātmanaḥ
It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in everyone’s heart.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.45
निशम्य कर्म तच्छम्भोर्देवदेवस्य मीढुष: ।
प्रजा दाक्षायणी ब्रह्मा वैकुण्ठश्च शशंसिरे ॥ ४५ ॥
niśamya karma tac chambhor
deva-devasya mīḍhuṣaḥ
prajā dākṣāyaṇī brahmā
vaikuṇṭhaś ca śaśaṁsire
Upon hearing of this act, everyone, including Bhavānī [the daughter of Mahārāja Dakṣa], Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu, and the people in general, very highly praised this deed performed by Lord Śiva, who is worshiped by the demigods and who bestows benedictions upon the people.