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Ṣaṭcakra Japa and the Churning of the Milky Ocean
It is interesting to observe that the practice of Ṣaṭcakra Japa can be likened to the well-known story about the churning of the milk ocean. The practice involves three rounds of recitation: first-round - going anticlockwise, the second round - clockwise, and finally up the center. The process itself helps to cleanse and rejuvenate the chakras and finally raise the practitioner’s Kuṇḍalinī.
The following text was taken from sahapedia:
The churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan in Sanskrit) is perhaps one of the best-known episodes in Indian mythology, appearing in several texts such as the Mahabharata, Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana.
Using Mount Meru as the rod and Vasuki—the king of snakes who adorns the neck of Shiva—as the rope, the Devas and the Asuras churned the milky ocean. Since the Asuras were holding Vasuki’s head, they had to deal with his poisonous fumes. To stop Mount Meru from sinking, Vishnu took the form of a tortoise and supported the base of the mountain. The description in the myth says that Vasuki wrapped himself around the mountain three-and-a-half times, pressing the mountain at seven critical points. Many interpretations of the myth see this as an analogy of the seven chakras of the human body mentioned in yogic literature and of a snake (kundalini energy) binding them. The myth of churning the ocean corresponds to a yogi practising his art (including meditation) to stir his vast ocean-like unconscious in order to find the nectar (soma) in his mind and merge with eternity.