Churning of the Ocean facts for kids

The Churning of the Ocean is a famous mythical story from Hinduism and Hindu mythology. It's a tale about a huge event where the gods and demons worked together to churn the great ocean. This amazing event is told in many ancient Hindu scriptures, especially in the Mahabharata and the Puranas.

The Great Churning of the Ocean

This incredible story tells us how the gods and demons worked together. They needed to get something very special from the bottom of the ocean. This special thing was the Amrita, which is the nectar of immortality. Drinking it would make them live forever.

Why They Churned the Ocean

Long ago, the gods were losing their power. They needed a way to become strong again and live forever. The great god Vishnu suggested a plan. He told them they should churn the cosmic ocean. This would bring out the Amrita, the nectar of immortality.

How the Churning Happened

To churn the ocean, they needed a giant churning stick and a rope. They used Mount Mandara as the churning stick. For the rope, they used the great serpent Vasuki. The gods held one end of Vasuki's body, and the demons held the other. They pulled him back and forth, making the mountain spin and churn the ocean.

Amazing Things from the Ocean

As the gods and demons churned, many wonderful and sometimes dangerous things came out of the ocean. These items were important for the world and for human beings. Here are some of them:

The Poison (Kalakuta)

The first thing to come out was a very dangerous poison called Kalakuta. It was so strong that it threatened to destroy the whole world! To save everyone, the great god Shiva drank the poison. He held it in his throat, which turned blue. This is why Shiva is sometimes called Nilakantha, meaning "blue-throated."

Wonderful Beings and Objects

After the poison, many other amazing things appeared:

• Surabhi: She was a special cow. She was known as the "cow of plenty" because she could grant any wish.
• Varuni: She was the goddess of wine.
• Parijata: This was a beautiful tree. The story says that this tree could grant all the wishes of anyone standing beneath it.
• Apsaras: These were very beautiful women. They would never grow old and were always youthful. They loved to dance in the court of Indra, who was a powerful god.
• The moon: The Hindu scriptures call the moon Chandra. It rose from the ocean during the churning.
• Dhanvantari: He was the very first physician of the Ayurvedic system of medicine. He came out holding a pot of the Amrita.
• Lakshmi: She is a very important Hindu goddess. She came out of the ocean seated on a beautiful lotus flower. She is the goddess of wealth, good fortune, and prosperity.
• Uchchaishravas: This was a magnificent horse with seven heads. Legend says it pulls the chariot of the sun-god, Surya.
• Airavata: This was a powerful three-headed elephant. The god Indra took Airavata as his special mount.
• Kaustuba: This was a very important and precious gem. The god Vishnu kept this beautiful jewel.

The Hindu scriptures and myths tell us that all these things came out of the ocean for the good of human beings.

• Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN: 0500510881) by Anna Dallapiccola