DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.638#0215
DIVINITIES OF THE EPIC PERIOD 143
placed it on the head of his elephant. The elephant
then began to prance about, and grew so excited that it
cast the garland on the ground. Durvasas was enraged
because that his gift was slighted in this manner, and
cursed Indra and foretold the ruin of his kingdom.
Thereafter the king of the gods began to suffer loss of
power, whereat the other deities became alarmed, fearing
that the demons would overcome him in battle. Appeal
was made to Brahma, who referred the gods to Vishnu,
the Preserver. That supreme being commanded that the
ocean should be churned for amrita.
In the epics the gods allied themselves with the
demons to procure amrita from Vishnu's Sea of Milk.
The "churning stick" was the mountain Mandara, and the
"churning rope" the serpent Vasuka1 (Ananta or Shesha).
Vishnu said: "The demons must share in the work of
churning, but I will prevent them from tasting of the
amrita, which must be kept for Indra and the gods only."
The gods carried the mountain Mandara to the ocean,
and placed it on the back of Kurma, the king of tortoises,
who was an incarnation of Vishnu.2 Round the mountain
they twisted the serpent, which was " a part of a part of
Vishnu", the Asuras holding its hood arid the gods its tail.
As a result of the friction caused by the churning, masses
of vapour issued from the serpent's mouth which, becom-
ing clouds charged with lightning, poured down refresh-
ing rains on the weary workers. Fire darted forth and
enwrapped the mountain, burning its trees and destroying
many birds, and the lions and elephants that crouched on
its slopes. In time the Sea of Milk produced butter
flavoured by the gums and juices which dropped from
'Va'suki.
Brahma, as Prajapati, assumes, in one of the myths, the form of a tortoise to
create offspring".
placed it on the head of his elephant. The elephant
then began to prance about, and grew so excited that it
cast the garland on the ground. Durvasas was enraged
because that his gift was slighted in this manner, and
cursed Indra and foretold the ruin of his kingdom.
Thereafter the king of the gods began to suffer loss of
power, whereat the other deities became alarmed, fearing
that the demons would overcome him in battle. Appeal
was made to Brahma, who referred the gods to Vishnu,
the Preserver. That supreme being commanded that the
ocean should be churned for amrita.
In the epics the gods allied themselves with the
demons to procure amrita from Vishnu's Sea of Milk.
The "churning stick" was the mountain Mandara, and the
"churning rope" the serpent Vasuka1 (Ananta or Shesha).
Vishnu said: "The demons must share in the work of
churning, but I will prevent them from tasting of the
amrita, which must be kept for Indra and the gods only."
The gods carried the mountain Mandara to the ocean,
and placed it on the back of Kurma, the king of tortoises,
who was an incarnation of Vishnu.2 Round the mountain
they twisted the serpent, which was " a part of a part of
Vishnu", the Asuras holding its hood arid the gods its tail.
As a result of the friction caused by the churning, masses
of vapour issued from the serpent's mouth which, becom-
ing clouds charged with lightning, poured down refresh-
ing rains on the weary workers. Fire darted forth and
enwrapped the mountain, burning its trees and destroying
many birds, and the lions and elephants that crouched on
its slopes. In time the Sea of Milk produced butter
flavoured by the gums and juices which dropped from
'Va'suki.
Brahma, as Prajapati, assumes, in one of the myths, the form of a tortoise to
create offspring".