As the gods and asuras gathered to churn the ocean, seeking the nectar of immortality, the lord of waters himself spoke, offering his share and vowing to endure the tremendous agitation that would come from turning the mighty Mandara Mountain. The assembled deities and asuras then turned to the king of tortoises, dwelling deep in the ocean, and requested him to become the support for the mountain during their task. The great tortoise agreed, and offered his broad back. Upon this steadfast support, Indra pressed Mandara with his thunderbolt, fixing it firmly in place. With Mandara as the churning rod and the great serpent Vasuki as the rope, the gods, asuras, and danavas began their labor, churning the vast ocean for amrita, just as Brahma had once directed. Eager for the prize, the asuras seized one end of Vasuki, while all the gods, led by the divine Ananta—Lord Narayana himself—took their place at the tail. The asuras grasped Vasuki’s head, pulling him up and down with great force. As they did so, smoke and blazing flames issued from Vasuki’s mouth, filling the air again and again. The waters became tainted with the venom that poured from him. As the churning continued, a fierce and potent poison, known as Halahala, emerged from the ocean’s depths. Its presence scorched the gods and danavas alike, filling them with terror so that they fled in despair. In their distress, the gods, accompanied by the foremost sages, approached Brahma. They explained, “As we churned for the nectar, a poison has arisen, blazing like the fire of destruction. The worlds are tormented—please save us!” Hearing their plea, Brahma turned his mind to Hara, the great lord of the worlds, meditating upon the three-eyed, trident-bearing Rudra, the consort of Uma. Instantly, the god of gods appeared before him. Brahma related all that had occurred, and Rudra, desiring the welfare of all beings, stepped forward. Without hesitation, Rudra drank the deadly poison, holding it in his throat for the good of the world. From that moment, his throat became blue, and he has since been remembered as Nilakantha, the blue-throated one. Relieved and grateful, the gods resumed their work, and together with the danavas, they churned the ocean once more for amrita. Again, as the asuras pulled Vasuki, smoke and flames shot from his mouth. The clouds formed from this smoke, filled with lightning, and rained down upon the exhausted gods, soothing their toil. From the mountain’s peak, showers of flowers fell, covering gods and asuras alike on all sides. The churning filled the air with a tremendous roar, like a mighty thundercloud. Many aquatic creatures were crushed by Mandara and perished in the salty waters, while the mountain’s descent brought destruction to beings dwelling in Varuna’s underworld. Great trees clinging to the mountain’s peaks collided and fell, and from their collision, fire blazed up, enveloping Mandara in tongues of flame like lightning flashing upon a dark cloud. This fire consumed the elephants and lions that had emerged, as well as other beings whose lives had departed. Then, Indra, foremost among the immortals, extinguished the fire with water summoned from the clouds, quelling the flames completely. Into the ocean flowed the saps of many great trees and the juices of herbs, mingling together. From these, possessing the essence of immortality, and from the milk and the flow of gold, the gods attained their immortal nature. The ocean’s waters, now mixed with these excellent juices, turned to milk, and from that, clarified butter was produced. Yet the gods, exhausted, sat before Brahma and said, “O Brahman, we are greatly fatigued, and still the nectar has not appeared. Without Narayana, neither the gods nor the asuras, nor even this great churning, can succeed. We are weary, and the nectar has not come forth.” Brahma then spoke to Narayana: “O Vishnu, grant them strength, for you are their refuge.” Vishnu replied, “I give strength to all engaged in this task today. Let the churning stick be agitated, and let Mandara be turned once more.” Encouraged by Narayana’s words, the gods and asuras renewed their efforts, churning the ocean with even greater vigor. Again, the first thing to arise was poison, and by Brahma’s command, Shiva took it up for the protection of the worlds. Then emerged Jyeshtha, a dark-complexioned goddess adorned with every ornament. Next, from the churning ocean, the radiant Soma—the cool, shining moon with a tranquil mind—arose. Immediately after, Shri, resplendent in white, appeared from the clarified butter, followed by the goddess Sura and a white horse, all emerging from the ocean’s depths as the churning continued.