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== Airavata was responsible for Samudra-manthan ==

== Airavata was responsible for Samudra-manthan ==

Indra made Airavata his conveyance (vahana). There is a story of how Airavata was responsible for the churning of the milk-ocean (Ksirabdhi-mathanam). Once some maidens of devaloka presented a garland of flowers to sage Durvasas. When Durvasas visited Indra's court, he gave that garland to Indra. Indra put it on the tusks of his vahana, Airavata. The fragrance of the flowers attracted a swarm of bees which became an intolerable nuisance to Airavata. So Airavata tore the garland off his tusks and hurled it away. When Durvasas heard this, he took it as an insult. In his anger he cursed all the gods. The curse was that all gods should become subject to old age and the decrepitude and infirmities of old age. But though Durvasas cursed the gods, he also prescribed a remedy. The gods could redeem themselves from the curse by drinking Amrtam obtained from the ocean of Milk (Mahavisnu lies on the serpent, Sesa on this ocean). The curse began to operate and the gods lost their perennial youth. The gods then befriended the Asuras and with their help they churned the ocean of Milk. They got the nectar (Amrtam), drank it and regained their youth.

Indra made Airavata his conveyance (vahana). There is a story of how Airavata was responsible for the churning of the milk-ocean (Ksirabdhi-mathanam). Once the sage Durvasas went to Devaloka. The goddesses gave him a grand reception at which Menaka presented him with a garland made of fragrant flowers. The sage gave it to Devendra. Indra placed it on Airavata's tusk. The fragrance of the garland attracted a large number of bees to it. They swarmed round the head of the elephant and annoyed it. Airavata picked up the garland, trampled it under his foot, pulled it to pieces and threw it away. Durvasas took this as an insult to himself and pronounced a curse that all the gods would be subjected to wrinkles and grey hair of old age. Indra and the other gods fell victims to old age. Indra requested Durvasas to release him from his curse. The sage relented and told him that if the Devas drank Amrta obtained by churning the ocean of milk they would recover their youth. Accordingly, the ocean of milk was churned by the joint effort of the Devas and Asuras and in the end the Devas snatched it away. When the Devas drank Amrta, the symptoms of old age disappeared and they recovered their youth. (Uttara Ramayana).

== Airavata rose out of the ocean of Milk ==

== Airavata rose out of the ocean of Milk ==