The Churning of the Ocean (Samudra Manthan)

Story

Children, have you ever wondered why Lord Shiva is known as Neelkhanth, the one with blue throat? Well, the answer to this question lies in an adventurous tale from the Bhagavatam, where the selfless act of Lord Shiva justified his position as Mahadev, God of all Gods. 

Let's walk through the story.

Once, both Gods  (Devas)  and demons (Asuras) desired to be the most powerful in the universe. They went to Lord Vishnu to know the secret of eternal power. Lord Vishnu suggested that both the gods and the demons work together to churn the Kshir Sagar, Ocean of Milk to bring out the Amrit the magical potion, which grants power and immortality. 

This churning process was called "Samudra Manthan."

To churn the ocean, a churning rod and a strong rope were needed. Mount Mandara, a huge mountain, was chosen as the churning rod. The Powerful snake Vasuki, became the rope. Lord Vishnu took the form (Avatar) of a giant turtle, known as Kurma to support the mountain on his back.

With everything ready, the gods and demons began the churning. The gods held the tail of Vasuki, and the demons held its head. As they churned, many amazing things came out from the ocean, the divine cow Kamadhenu, which granted all wishes and Kalpvriksha, the wish-fulfilling tree. Then appeared the precious gem Kaustubha, and the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. 

More and more valuable things were coming out in the process of churning when at one point, a terrible poison called Halahala came out. The poison was so dangerous that it could destroy the entire universe.

The gods and demons were worried. They prayed to Lord Shiva for help. Showing infinite compassion, Lord Shiva took the responsibility to save the universe and swallowed the poison. The poison turned his throat blue, giving him the name "Neelkanth”.

The churning continued, and finally, the magical pot of Amrit emerged. The Asuras cunningly took away the Amrit. Through his wisdom and cleverness, Lord Vishnu brought the Amrit back from the Asuras and distributed it among the Devas.

The gods drank the Amrit and became immortal and most powerful. The demons were left empty-handed. This victory of the gods ensured peace and harmony in the universe.

This story leaves a remarkable message about being selfless and compassionate like Lord Shiva, as true greatness belongs to those who put others above themselves.