As the churning process required immense strength, hence the demons were persuaded to do the job-they agreed in return for a portion of Amrit. From one side the gods pulled the serpent, which had coiled itself around the mountain, and the demons pulled it from the other side. With the help of a Vasuki (mighty and long serpent, king of Nagloka) the churning process began at the surface. This mountain was used as a churning pole. Vishnu agreed to take the form of a turtle ( Kurma) on whose shell a huge mountain was placed. They suggested that Amrit could only be gained from the samudra manthan (or churning of the ocean) for the ocean in its depths hid mysterious and secret objects.

So these gods (including Indra, the god of sky, Vayu, the god of wind, and Agni, the god of fire) went to seek advice and help from the three primary gods according to the Hindus: Vishnu (the preserver), Brahma (the creator), and Shiva (the destroyer). This was seen as a threat to the gods (Devas) who feared them.

Legend has it that at early times when the inception of the world had just taken place, evil demons ( Asura) had gained strength. Anybody who consumes even a tiniest portion of Amrita has been described to gain immortality. India Īmrita, the elixir of life, has been described in Hindu scriptures. The Jiajing Emperor in the Ming Dynasty died from ingesting a lethal dosage of mercury in the supposed 'Elixir of Life' conjured by alchemists.

Many of these substances, far from contributing to longevity, were actively toxic and resulted in Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning. 682 AD), a famous medical specialist respectfully called 'King of Medicine' by later generations, discusses in detail the creation of elixirs for immortality (including several toxic ingredients such as mercury, sulphur, and arsenates) as well as those for curing certain diseases and the fabrication of precious stones. The most famous Chinese alchemical book, the Danjing yaojue (Essential Formulas of Alchemical Classics) attributed to Sun Simiao (c. Gold was considered particularly potent, as it was a non-tarnishing precious metal the idea of potable or drinkable gold is found in China by the end of the third century BC. The ancient Chinese believed that ingesting long-lasting precious substances such as jade, cinnabar or hematite would confer some of that longevity on the person who consumed them. He embarked on a second voyage with 3000 young girls and boys, but none of them ever returned (legend has it that he found Japan instead). During the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang sent Taoist alchemist Xu Fu to the eastern seas with 500 young men and 500 young women to find the elixir in the legendary Penglai Mountain, but returned without finding it. Many rulers of ancient China sought the fabled elixir to achieve eternal life. Xu Fu's first expedition to the Mount of the immortals.

G elixir of immortality