[[▲Theft-of-Ambrosia]] # Myth: The Churning Of The Ocean - **Sources**: Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, & in paintings. - **Parallel**: It has some parallels to another myth [[ts4.2.1.1-2]] in that the gods start in a position of defeat. They then strategise in a relatively sophisticated way to strike a bargain with the demons, before reneging on their side of the deal at the final stage. This seems again to indicate that the relative strength of the gods lies not in greater power, let alone omnipotence, but rather in a degree of strategy and wile. - **Astronomical Interpretation**: It seems that one of the demons, Rahuketu, infiltrated the party of the gods in disguise, and was able to share in the nectar. Rahuketu was chopped into two parts by Mohini (Vishnu), and subsequently became the Eclipse of the Sun (Rahu) and the Eclipse of the Moon (Ketu). - **Myth**: At the start of the story, the demons [asuras] have defeated the gods and gained control over the universe. Advised by Vishnu, the gods decide to make a deal with the demons. They will team up to churn the ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality from it, which they will then share. In terms of set-up for the operation, the snake Vasuki, younger brother of Shesha-nāga, kindly volunteered to stand in as the rope to be pulled back and forth to churn the ocean. Mount Mandara was the churning rod, and Vishnu, specially incarnated in the form of a turtle for the purpose, placed himself under the mountain for stability and support. The gods and demons work together in a co-ordinated way, each group pulling alternatively on their side of the ‘rope’. Personally, I can’t think of any other religious tradition where we see such effective teamwork between gods and demons. The operation is indeed a great success. Various preliminary treasures and beings emerged through the process of churning, including medicinal herbs, jewels, goddesses, the moon, the wish-fulfilling cow Surabhi , the elephant Airavata, the horse Uchhaishravas and so on and so forth. Finally, from out of the depths of the ocean, Dhanvantari (who is venerated on the occasion of Dhanteras) emerged with the nectar of immortality in a pot. At this point, Vishnu, in the form of the goddess Mohini, distracts the demons in order to remove the pot of nectar from under their gaze. The gods are able to carry away the nectar and drink it all themselves. The incident is also associated with the famous Kumbha Mela, which rotates between the four locations where drops of this nectar are thought to have fallen during this escape. ## External Links [Wikipedia: Samudra_manthan#Comparative_mythology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samudra_manthan#Comparative_mythology)