Neelakantha, the name of Sadashiva, God of destruction to recreate in Hindu triumvirate, drank the deadly poison that came out during the churning of the ocean for the celestial nectar or Amrita by the gods (Devas) and the demons(Asuras). The deadly poison, Halahala, if allowed to escape, would have destroyed the whole universe and as Amrita had not manifested yet, there was no recourse. To save the universe from destruction, Shiva drank the poison but kept it suspended in his throat as otherwise he would also have perished from the poison, throwing the universe into utter chaos. As a result, his throat ( Kantha ) became blue (Neela) from the deadly effect of the poison Halahala. From that time Shiva also is known as Neelakantha.
When the mind is set free,
Unshackled from its reins,
And let it roam around,
A treasure trove it explores, and
Along with the pearls,
Comes up the muck.
When the gods churned
the ocean,
In search of the celestial nectar,
Up came the poison
To obliterate the universe.
Will I have the strength
Of Shiva
To drink the poison and
Be Neelakantha,
Or will I perish
To the lure of the glitter,
Seduced and discarded
In plain sight of the nectar?
Oh, the allure
of the enchantress!
Giving in to my senses,
Let me drown
In your ephemeral beauty tonight,
And cool my passion.
Let the fire of desire
Be quenched by
The touch of those lips,
Nary a drop of nectar
That will ever touch.
Let the poison devour me,
And nectar wait.
What good is immortality
That will erase my memory
Of thy celestial, transient beauty.
Fleeting Muse 