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अमृतमन्थन (amRtamanthana)

 
Monier Williams Cologne
English
अ-मृत—मन्थन
n.
 ‘the churning for the Amṛta’,
N.
 of the chapters 17-19 of
MBh.
 i.
Apte Hindi
Hindi
अमृतमन्थनम्
नपुं*
 अमृत-मन्थनम् -
अमृत प्राप्त करने के लिए समुद्र का मथन
L R Vaidya
English
amfta-manTana {% n. %} the churning for अमृत.
Mahabharata
English
[Amṛtamanthana]
(“churning of the Amṛta or Ambrosia”). 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). Vishṇu and Brahmán prevailed upon Ananta (i.e. Śesha), 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), Ucchaiḥśravas, 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, Vishṇu 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 saltwater 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).