Samudra Manthan — The Churning of the Ocean

When the sage Durvasa cursed the gods and their power began to wane, the Devas found themselves losing battle after battle against the Asuras. Desperate, they approached Lord Vishnu, who devised a plan: churn the great cosmic ocean, the Kshira Sagara, to obtain Amrita — the nectar of immortality. But the task was so enormous that even the gods could not do it alone. They would need the Asuras' help.

Mount Mandara became the churning rod. Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the rope. The gods held the tail, the demons held the head, and they began to churn. But the mountain began sinking into the ocean floor. Vishnu, in his Kurma avatar as a giant tortoise, dove beneath and held the mountain on his back. As they churned, terrible and wondrous things emerged: Halahala, a poison so deadly it could destroy all creation, which Lord Shiva swallowed and held in his throat, turning it blue forever. Then came the divine cow Kamadhenu, the celestial tree Parijata, the goddess Lakshmi in radiant beauty, and finally — the physician Dhanvantari, holding the golden pot of Amrita.

The Asuras snatched the nectar and began fighting among themselves. Vishnu took the form of the enchanting Mohini and tricked the demons into letting her distribute the Amrita. She served every drop to the gods. One demon, Rahu, disguised himself among the gods and took a sip — but the Sun and Moon spotted him. Vishnu's discus severed his head before the nectar passed his throat, and Rahu's head became immortal, forever chasing the Sun and Moon across the sky, causing eclipses to this day.