Tales from the Indian Epics

Once upon a time in the youth of the world there stood to the north of India a mighty mountain named Mount Meru. Its summit shone so brightly that the sun's rays, when they struck it, shivered and fell away. One day the lesser gods gathered in council upon its peak, for they wished to obtain the ambrosia which would make them immortal like the three supreme gods, Vishnu, Brahmadeva and Shiva. Now the jar in which the ambrosia was kept lay at the bottom of the ocean and none of the lesser gods could conceive a plan by which they could obtain possession of it. As they sat in council, there came to them the great god Vishnu, and the lesser gods asked him for his advice. Vishnu answered them, saying, "Call the demons to your aid and churn the ocean. When you have churned it, not only will you get the ambrosia, but you will get a great store of jewels and other precious things besides."

The lesser gods followed the counsel of Vishnu, left the summit of Mount Meru and withdrew to another great mountain named Mount Mandara. Its peak was not resplendent like that of Mount Meru. Its sides were covered with dense forests, through which roamed elephants and lions, tigers and leopards. The lesser gods seized the great mountain and tried to uproot it so that they might churn the ocean with it, as the Lord Vishnu had advised. But although they strove their utmost, the great mass of Mount Mandara moved not a hair's breadth. The celestials, finding their strength unequal to the task, sought out the great gods Vishnu and Brahmadeva. "Great lords," they said, "tell us, we pray you, how we may uproot Mandara Mountain, for without it we cannot churn the ocean and win the ambrosia." Lord Vishnu called to him Vasuki the king of the snake people and said to him, "O Snake King, the command that I lay upon you is this. Go with the lesser gods and help them uproot Mandara Mountain." Vasuki, the king of the snake people, obeyed Lord Vishnu, and going with the lesser gods to Mount Mandara, he fastened round it his endless coils. Then pressing them against the base of the mountain he tore it up by the roots. Together the Snake King and the lesser gods rolled the mountain to the shores of the ocean. "Lord Ocean," they said, "we desire the ambrosia which lies fathoms deep below your surface. And to win it we shall churn your water with the Mandara Mountain." "As you will," said the ocean. "Give me but a draught of the ambrosia and I will gladly allow you to churn my waters."