Is there an actual existence of nectar (अमृतं)?

Question

Is there actual existence of Nectar (अमृतं)? If yes, then where and if no then why not, because I heard that Devtas got nectar from the sea, and they all became immortal.

Answer 1

The existence of Amritha can neither be proved not disproved. Unless you experience it for yourself, there is no way to know. However here is a spiritually-interpreted answer:

Amritha

• Amritha is that which makes you immortal.

• The body, which is composed of five elements, is bound to die and decay. Sri Krishna says in the Gita 2:27

  For the one who has taken birth, death is certain and for the one who is dead, birth is certain therefore you ought not to lament for an inevitable situation.

• The soul, which is beyond these elements, is always, has always been and will always be immortal. Sri Krishna says in the Gita 2:20

  For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

• Thus when your association with your body is changed to your soul (when you realize you are not this temporary and ephemeral body, but rather the eternal and blissful soul) then you thereby realize that you were never mortal, but always eternal. Sri Krishna says in the Gita 2:12

  Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

• Thus Amritha is not necessarily a liquid that you drink to become bodily immortal, but rather it is the liquid of knowledge, devotion or happiness through which you reach Sri Krishna that makes you immortal. Sri Krishna says in the Gita 8:16

  ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate

  All beings from highest plane down to the lowest are subject to birth and death. But the one who reaches Me, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.

What about the story of the Devatas churning the ocean of milk to obtain nectar?

• The ocean of milk refers to the mind, it is filled with poison (Halahala) of your negative thoughts and ego consciousness. Reference:

  the six passions of mind or enemies of desire, kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (pride) and matsarya (jealousy), the negative characteristics which prevent man from realizing the atman (Reality that is his True Being).

• Churning it refers to removing these tendencies by either self-enquiry, devotion to God, or selfless love for all. Sri Krishna says in the Gita 5:23

  That person who is able to neutralize in this life, the physical, mental and emotional urges generated from desire and passion, before the death of the body; he is fully self-controlled and certainly happy.

• Amrith refers to the eternal realization of the Supreme that occurs as an outcome. Devatas refer to your positive and good tendencies, while rakshasas refer to your negative tendencies. Sri Krishna declares in the Bhavagad Gita 6:7

  The being who has conquered the mind, transcending the dualities of cold, heat, happiness, distress, honor and dishonor is firmly established with the Ultimate Consciousness within.

Thus in you are embedded all of these positive tendencies(devatas), negative tendencies(rakshasas), ego and other six passions (Halahala poison) and finally God Himself (Amrith).

Sri Krishna says in the Gita 13:6,7

The major elements of earth, water, air, fire and ether; the false ego, spiritual intelligence, the unmanifest element in material nature, the ten senses along with the mind and the five objects of the senses as sound, sight, taste, touch and smell; desire, disdain, happiness, distress, the perceptual faculty of the mind, determination; all this is declared to be the field of activities modified by the six transformations of the physical body beginning with birth and ending with death.

Basically He is saying that all these qualities and tendencies are attributes of material nature which controls us. This is responsible for birth and death.

Sri Krishna then also says this in Gita 13:7

Now I shall explain that which is to be known, realizing which the nectar of immortality is attained; that reality is eternal having Me as the Supreme, beyond cause, beyond effect and designated as Brahman the Ultimate Truth

He is declaring that realization of Brahman or the Absolute Truth is verily the nectar of immortality. What is meant by realization of Brahman, well differen schools of philosophy have different versions of that. But the crux is that by knowing that Truth which Sri krishna expounds, it is possible to become immortal, i.e. free from rebirth. That kind of knowledge, devotion or action which has at its essence the Supreme Being or Brahman or Sri Krishna or Lord Shiva or any other name is the greatest of all.

Note: The story mentioned of Devas churning the ocean is an actual historical event, but there are also many lessons and values to be gained of all avatara's of God, this being one such value.

Answer 2

According to Hinduism, nectar exists.

4 Nectar drops

According to legends four drops of the nectar fell upon earth at Ujjain, Prayag, Hardwara and Nasik and the four are pilgrim places. People take bath near the banks of rivers at those places.

If this is true than nectar really existed.

Other forms of nectar in Hinduism

Ayurveda considers milk as nectar.

People make dying person drink Ganga water before the person die considering that water will make dying person's heart clean.

Vedic people extracted a Soma-juice, which is considered to be a nectar.

Is Knowledge nectar?

Geeta considers knowledge as nectar.

Goddess Parvati became immortal by hearing knowledge about immortality from Lord Shiva, The Amarnath Temple is famous for it. That knowledge is titled "Amar Katha" in which Lord Shiva is considered as "Nath of Amar aatmans" -> Lord or Malik or father of eternal souls

Atharva veda

In Atharva veda there is hymn,

In the third heaven above us stands the Asvattha tree, the seat of Gods.There the Gods gained the Kushtha plant, embodiment of end-less life. There moved through heaven a golden ship, a ship with cordage wrought of gold.

There Gods obtained the Kushtha plant, the flower of immortality.Thou art the infant of the plants, the infant of the Snowy Hills: The germ of every thing that is: free this my friend from his disease.

Rains are reffered to Amrit Dhara or Amrit Varsha.

Even though Nectar is not available in drink form, one can become immortal by attaining Mukti.

Rigveda

There is a hymn in Rigveda,

They who for Indra, with their mind, formed horses harnessed by a word, Attained by works to sacrifice.

They for the two Nasatyas wrought a light car moving every way:

They formed a nectar-yielding cow.

Yoga

Yoga believed that one necessary quality for such a person has to be what is known as Amritapurna ("filled with nectar"), that is an advanced state of purity of mind as a result of body and mind purification. A Drashta, according to Yoga has to be considered having the Amritapurna quality.

My own concept

After Samudra manthan, Lord Shiva was asked to give definition of "manthan", where he stated manthan is the process to check mind's thoughts and mind's purity.

When you sit alone, most people have bad ideas or remember their bad deeds first, but the person who drinks this poison is the one who accepts that he has badness inside him, but then this makes him very free inside his heart, after accepting his bad karmas or doing Praschatap, he feels like he finishes his part by accepting blame, now what ever punishment he will accept. This is "nectar-like" for him because he realized his mistake and now he is free from guilt. Guilt is the only poison on one's mind. Wash it and become free.

Note: Because of Guilt many anxiety disease happens in psychology.