All you need to know about the Samudra Manthan episode. Pic courtesy: BR Chopra's Vishnu Puran 

The Samudra Manthan episode is one of the iconic events that happened in the middle of the ocean (Samudra). It was a task undertaken by the Devas and the Danavs to churn the Amrit (divine elixir) from the seabed to attain immortality. And the mammoth task required the help of the Mandara Parvat and snake Vasuki. The Samudra Manthan is also called theKshirasagara Manthana, as it refers to the cosmic ocean or the ocean of milk.

The Mandara Mountain was placed in the ocean as the churning rod and Vasuki twirled around it like a rope. But since the mountain couldn't remain still due to the undulating movement of the waters, Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Kurma (tortoise) to give it a stable platform.

Thus, Vishnu held the mountain on his back after diving deep into the sea.

Subsequently, the Devas held the tail of the serpent while the Asuras grabbed the mouth. Then the two sides that represented the good and the evil respectively began churning, by pulling the snake to and fro. As the churning began, the halahalaappeared.

Halahala ((also known as Kaalkoota) was a poison that was the first outcome of the Samudra Manthan. The moment it appeared, the Devas and the Asuras fled to save themselves, and so did the other forms of life on earth. Therefore, to save creation, Lord Shiva consumed and blocked it in his neck.Check out the story of Neelkantha.

What Ratnas did the Devas and the Asuras see emerging from the Kshirasagar?

The things that appeared afterHalahalaare known asRatnas. Devi Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, was the firstRatnato appear. She was followed byApsaras(Rambha, Urvashi and Menaka),Varuni, the consort ofVarunaDeva. Subsequently, theKamadhenuor the divine cow appeared followed byAiravata, a white elephant with seven trunks andUchhaishravas, a seven-headed horse with wings. Apart from these,Kaustubha(a jewel),Parijata(flower),Sharanga(conch),Jyeshtha(the Goddess of misfortune) andKalpavriksha(a tree that grants wishes). And last but not least,Dhanavantri(the God of medicines), appeared with aKalash(pot) containing theAmrit(divine nectar).

The Amrit emerged from the ocean bed after days of hard work by the Devas and the Danavas. Nonetheless, a Danav named Svarbhanu forcibly grabbed the pot from Dhanavantri's hands and fled.

Subsequently, to ensure, that the Danavas, who's Guru Shukracharya was already blessed with the Sanjeevani Mantra, do not consume Amrit, Lord Vishnu appeared as a woman named Mohini.

As Mohini, Lord Vishnu lured the King of Asuras, Kalketu, and convinced him to share the Amrit with the Devas. Thus, by doing so, she ensured, only the Devas consume it. Nonetheless, Svarbhanu too had consumed a portion of the nectar in the disguise of a Deva.

Surya and Chandra, who realised that Svarbhanu had deceived them, alerted Lord Vishnu (Mohini) about it. Subsequently, Mohini returned to her original form, to sever Svarbhanu's head with the Sudarshan Chakra. However, since Svarbhanu had already consumed the Amrit, he remained alive in two parts. His head came to be known as Rahu, while the body, as Ketu.

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Vishnu Puran: Know how Samudra Manthan happened and what came out of it - Times Now