Kurma: The Tortoise -

Fallen to the curse of Durvasa

Weak and helpless against the asuras

On the sixth manvantara of the present kalpa

Indra turned to the creator, the lord Brahma

Turn to Vishnu, he said, for it is he who preserves the order

The nectar of immortality, said Vishnu, is the only answer

Make peace with your enemies to achieve your ends

The ocean of milk you must churn

Mount Mandara, your churn dasher

And lord Vasuki will be the rope

Covet not things that the ocean will throw

Give not vent to anger when the Asuras take them by force

I promise you that their efforts will not reap them their rewards

Indra did face Bali for a feud he wished to forget

To join hands and work together for immortality in the end

Uprooting the mountain, working together

Not even halfway there they did fall

Before Indra could appeal, Lord Vishnu showed his form

Reviving the Devas, summoning the Garuda, the mountain was airborne

Play your role well Vasuki and a share of the nectar will be yours

Come my brothers, all our strength we will unite

For the common good of all, let us churn with all our might

As they did churn, their joy turned to despair

The mountain did sink

Into a tortoise lord Vishnu did transform

Plunging into the ocean deep

He held the mountain on his back

So they could begin to churn

The ocean did spit out

The deadliest of poison

Consuming both Deva and Asura

Frightened they ran to Kailasa

Om Namah Shiva

Swallowing the poison

Shiva did save them all

The poison was now removed

They churned the ocean again

Throwing up many precious things

Finally the nectar in the end

Dhanwantari holds the nectar

The key to immortality

Forgetting their truce the Asuras did usurp

Giving in to their greed

The Devas watched in dismay but obeyed Vishnu’s words:

‘Be not dejected, they are divided by greed, I shall charm them with my powers'

We have been fooled by Vishnu

Cheated of our share of the nectar

The lord smiled and vanished to the skies

Enraged they charged at the Devas

A terrible war ensued on the shores

The losses to both were great

But Indra did vanquish in the end

His might and splendor restored

Brahma sent word with Narada

To cease the hostilities

Indra did agree

The devas returned to their realms