brosia”). Cf. Āstīkaparvan. § 28: Once the gods having
assembled on the summit of Mount Meru, Nārāyaṇa told
Brahmán to churn the Ocean with the gods and the Asuras,
in order to obtain Amṛta (I, 17). Viṣṇu and Brahmán
prevailed upon Ananta (i.e. Śeṣa), the prince of Snakes,
to bring up the mountain Mandara. The gods having
obtained from the Ocean the permission to churn it, Indra
placed Mandara on the back of the Tortoise-king; Mandara
was made the churning staff and Vāsuki the cord, the
Asuras holding him by the hood and the gods by the tail,
while Ananta, who sided with Nārāyaṇa, at intervals raised the
snake's hood and suddenly lowered it. Black vapours with
flames issued from Vāsuki's mouth, etc. After some churning
the gums of various trees and herbs mingled with the waters
of the Ocean, and the milky water produced clarified butter,
but even then the Amṛta did not appear. The gods were
tired and repaired to Brahmán, who prevailed upon Nārāyaṇa
to grant the gods new strength to churn afresh. After
a while the Moon, Śrī, Surādevī (wine), Ucchaiḥ-
śravas, and Kaustubha came forth on the side of the
gods; then Dhanvantari with a white vessel of Amṛta
in his hand; then Airāvaṇa, and at last the poison
Kālakūṭa, that Śiva, solicited by Brahmán, swallowed
for the safety of the creation; from that time Śiva is called
Nīlakaṇṭha (‘Blue-neck’). The Asuras preparing to rob
the gods of Śrī and the Amṛta, Nārāyaṇa, assisted by his
māyā (‘illusion’), assumed a ravishing female form; the
Dānavas and Daityas were infatuated, and placed the Amṛta
in her hands (I, 18). While the Daityas and Dānavas
pursued the gods, Viṣṇu with Nara let the gods drink of
the Amṛta; the Dānava Rāhu also drank of it in the disguise
of a god, but was discovered by Sūrya (i.e. the Sun) and
Soma (i.e. the Moon); then Nārāyaṇa instantly seized his
discus and cut off his head, which to this day swallows Sūrya
and Soma. In a dreadful battle on the shores of the salt-
water sea the gods, headed by Nārāyaṇa with his discus
Sudarśana and Nara with his celestial bow, discomfited the
Asuras, who entered the bowels of the earth or plunged into
the sea of salt waters. The gods replaced Mandara on its
own base, and, headed by Indra, they entrusted the keeping
of the vessel of Amṛta to Kirīṭin (i.e. Nara), (I, 19).