The Churning of the Ocean: Samudra Manthan.
An ancient Hindu myth of gods, demons and the nectar of immortality.

The reason for the churning.

Long ago, the Devas (gods) had grown weak. The Asuras (demons), led by the mighty King Bali, had gained control of the universe. The gods sought help from Lord Vishnu, the Preserver, who advised them:

"To regain your strength, you must obtain Amrita - the nectar of immortality. But you cannot do this alone. You must work with the Asuras to stir the cosmic ocean."

The Devas hesitated - how could they collaborate with their enemies? But Vishnu reassured them: "Trust in my plan. The nectar will be yours in the end."

They prepared for the churning.

They needed to churn the ocean:

• Mount Mandara as a churning rod
• Vasuki, the king of snakes, as a rope
• A foundation to support the mountain

The devas and asuras uprooted Mount Mandara, but it began to sink into the ocean. Vishnu took the form of Kurma, a giant turtle, and lifted the mountain on his back.

The Asuras grabbed Vasuki's head while the Devas held his tail. As they pulled back and forth, the great churning began.

Treasures from the ocean

When the ocean was churned, incredible treasures were unearthed:

• Halahala - a deadly poison that threatened to destroy the world. Lord Shiva drank it to save creation, turning his throat blue (earning him the name Neelkanth).
• Kamadhenu - The wish-fulfilling cow given to the sages.
• Uchchaishravas - The divine seven-headed horse, claimed by the Asuras.
• Airavata - The majestic white elephant, taken by Indra.
• Lakshmi - The goddess of wealth who chose Vishnu as her consort.
• Kaustubha - A divine jewel worn by Vishnu.
• Parijat - The celestial tree, taken to Indra's sky.
• Apsaras - Celestial nymphs who danced for the gods.
• Varuni - The goddess of wine, favoured by the Asuras.
• Dhanvantari - The physician of the gods who appeared holding the pot of Amrita.

The battle for the nectar

When Dhanvantari appeared with the Amrita, the Asuras immediately stole it. The Devas panicked - without the nectar, the Asuras would become invincible!

Vishnu then took the form of Mohini, a mesmerising enchantress. Distracted by her beauty, the Asuras gave her the jar. Mohini tricked them into giving the nectar only to the Devas.

One Asura, Rahu, disguised himself as a Deva and drank a drop. But before the nectar could pass his throat, Surya (the Sun) and Chandra (the Moon) alerted Vishnu, who decapitated Rahu with his discus.

Rahu's head became immortal and forever haunted the Sun and Moon - causing eclipses in revenge.