Sagar Manthan - Churning of the ocean.

Desire to turn immortal unites Gods and Demons; Ocean is churned to extract the giver of immortality; Also, how Shiva became Neelkantha, and Lakshmi was born. There is a great mountain called Meru, which is the abode of Gods. Once all the Gods and the demons met there to consult how to become immortal. So they decided that they would hunt for the celestial ambrosia, the giver of immortality, Amrit. So they decided to churn the ocean to extract Amrit (ambrosia which would give eternal life and youth). The permission of Samudra, the personification of Ocean, was needed for this.

So the Gods and the demons went to Vishnu to intervene. Samudra agreed but on the condition that he would also be given a share of the celestial liquid, Amrit. Having thus settled the matter, the Gods selected the mountain Mandrachal, to act as the churner and the snake Vasuki to serve as the rope. The Gods and the Demons started the churning with great enthusiasm. When the churning started, the Gods realised that the mountain kept slipping and sinking, as there was nothing at the base to support the mountain. So the Gods went to Vishnu again, who took the form of a giant turtle and held the mountain on its shell. The Gods held the head of the snake Vasuki and the demons held the tail end.

When the churning started, the snake's skin was rubbed against the rough mountain. Irritated, Vasuki started to spit poisonous gases and fire from its mouth due to which the Gods fainted. Vishnu came to their rescue and converted these gases to benevolent clouds of sweet, refreshing water, which rained on the Gods and revived them. Even the mountain Mandrachal experienced great upheavals due to this churning. There were forest fires and the juices of various plants started to trickle into the ocean. Then Indra, the god of rains, urged the clouds to rain so that the forest fire could be stopped. When the juices of various medicinal plants and the milk of trees on the Mandrachal mountain mixed with the rain, it turned the waters of the ocean into milk.

Gradually the churning brought forth the fruits of their labour from the depths of the ocean. At first, what emerged was the most vicious poison, or vish, that held within itself all the waste of the world. The fumes of this poison choked the world and all the living creatures started to die. Then Shiva came to the rescue. As Shiva couldn't find any place to throw the poison he consumed it himself and held it in his throat, without swallowing it. His throat turned blue and since then Shiva is also called Neelkanth or the one with a blue-throat.

Once this crisis was taken care of, the churning started again and other celestial beings started to emerge. First came the moon, with its bright rays, then Goddess Lakhsmi (consort of Vishnu and Goddess of wealth), then the Goddess Sura (the wine goddess). The white steed Uchchashrava (who pulls the chariot of Sun), the beautiful Kaustubhmani (a priceless gem which adorns the chest of Vishnu), the tree Kalptaru (which can grant any fruit that one wishes for), and Kamdhenu (the holy cow of the Gods) also came out of the ocean. Eravat (the white Elephant who is the vehicle of Indra) and Dhanvantri (the God of medicines), holding the pot of Amrit, the celestial manna were the next to come out.

The emergence of Amrit created caused intense jealousy between the Gods and the Demons, as both wanted to drink it first. Vishnu, who wanted the Gods to partake of the liquid first, tried to trick the demons. He took the form of Mohini (the perfect, irresistible woman) and cast a spell on the demons. The Gods did not want to share the Amrit with the demons as they feared that immortality would make them very powerful. Mohini requested the Gods and the demons to sit in a row and started serving Amrit to Gods first. One of the demons, Rahu, understood the trick that Vishnu was trying to play and fearing that he would not get a share of Amrit if he awaited his turn, disguised himself as a god and sat with the Gods.

Mohini served Amrit to Rahu too, and by the time she reached the last god, the Amrit was all over. Sun and Moon, two Gods, recognised Rahu and revealed his identity to Vishnu. Vishnu raised his Sudershan Chakra (his weapon) in anger and cut off the head of Rahu. It is said that Rahu's head is still roaming in the heavens and his enmity with Sun and Moon is the cause of various adverse Lunar and Solar conditions in a Hindu's life. Angered by the deceit of Gods, the demons started a fight with them, but as the Gods had become invincible after consuming, Amrit the demons were defeated. They hid in the bowels of the earth, sea and Paatal. There was sworn enmity between the Gods and the Demons after this.