Standing on a pedestal in the cool, dark shade of the world’s only temple dedicated in his honour is Dhanwantari, the adhishtana devta or presiding deity of Ayurveda – the ancient Indian science of life. Appropriately, this temple is located on the premises of the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy campus, home also to The Arya Vaidya Chikitsalayam and Research Institute, in Coimbatore.

Nectar from the Ocean of Milk
In mythical times, a legend goes that the Devas (gods of the Hindu pantheon), grew too proud of their powers and slighted Durvasa Muni, a saintly person who had come to visit them in their abode. This was no ordinary saint. The insult to his stature by Indra - the Lord of the Devas - was not tolerated by Durvasa Muni and he cursed them all saying they would soon lose their strength, energy and boon of immortality.

Sure enough, the Devas soon noticed that they had begun to age and grow weak rather rapidly. Noticing this phenomenon, their adversaries began challenging their supremacy and threatened to overthrow and usurp their position in the high heavens. Fearful and trembling, a team of Devas was deputed to approach Brihaspathy, the Guru or teacher of the Devas, for a solution to the impending crisis. After rebuking the Devas for insulting a holy man, the Guru declared that they would have to churn the mighty Ocean of Milk and obtain a bowl of celestial elixir or nectar that would rise forth from the churning. By drinking this elixir, the Devas would not only reverse the ageing process but would also regain their immortality

Now, churning the vast Ocean of Milk was not an easy task. Even with all their combined might, the Devas would never be able to accomplish it. One of the cleverer Devas suggested that the help of the Asuras or demons, known for their superhuman strength, could be enlisted to churn the ocean. This suggestion was welcomed by all and then the proposal was put forward to the Asuras. The reward dangled tantalizingly by the Devas was – half the contents of the bowl of Amrit or nectar. The Asuras readily agreed.

The question now was where to find a gigantic churning rod to churn the mighty ocean? The towering Mount Mandara was selected for this purpose. At the request of the Devas, Vasuki, the mighty, thousand-headed serpent, agreed to be used as the strong rope with which the Devas and Asuras could churn the ocean. Placing Mandara in the ocean bed and coiling Vasuki around its towering height, the churning got underway. The Devas placed themselves at the head of Vasuki while the Asuras positioned themselves along its tail. Prominent among the legion were Ravana, King of Lanka on the side of the Asuras, and Hanuman, Lord of the Monkeys on the side of the Devas.

This epic churning went on for one thousand years, during which it almost had to be abandoned when the ocean-bed threatened to cave in with the constant drilling by Mount Mandara. It was at this juncture that Lord Vishnu took the avatar or form of Kurma, the gigantic tortoise, whose back now provided the base support for Mandara. The churning of the Ocean of Milk now resumed with a renewed vigour.

Soon, the foaming ocean began to churn out its special gifts. Early among them were Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, together with Chandra, the moon god. Then the ocean spewed Kalakoota, the venomous blue poison whose fumes threatened to destroy Devas and Asuras alike. This time, they appealed to Lord Shiva to save them. Sensing the urgency of the situation, Shiva immediately consumed the blue poison, and retained it in his throat which turned blue and was, thereafter, always depicted as blue in color. On account of this, Shiva was now also referred to as Neelkantha.

Overcoming this hurdle, the churning continued apace till at the end of the thousand years, apsaras or celestial maidens arose from the ocean floating upwards to heaven. They heralded the emergence of Dhanwantari – the divine physician who arose from the Ocean of Milk bearing the bowl containing Amrita or the elixir of life in one hand, the Srichakra or divine wheel in another, a Jaluka or leech which sucks out impure blood in his third hand, and a Shankha or conch in his fourth hand.

The joy of both the Devas and Asuras knew no bounds as they celebrated their triumph. But now ensued a tussle between them over sharing the divine nectar that would endow them immortality. The demons being stronger grabbed the bowl containing the nectar and rushed off to their camp with it. The horrified Devas beseeched Lord Vishnu to quickly intervene and prevent the Asuras or demons from gaining immortality. Vishnu, seeing the wisdom behind their appeal, took on the form of the voluptuous enchantress Mohini, and went into the camp of the demons where with seductive wiles, He, in the guise of Mohini, charmed and mesmerized the Asuras into handing over the vessel containing the nectar. Asking them to sit in orderly rows with their eyes shut, Mohini cooed that she would now pour a drop of the precious nectar into the mouth of each Asura. As soon as their eyes were shut, Mohini ran off with the bowl of nectar and gave it to the Devas who lost no time in drinking it down to the last drop.

Thus was the universe protected from the calamity that would have occurred if the demons had also gained immortality by drinking Amrita.