In the midst of the cosmic churning, Lord Vishnu, the blessed slayer of demons, gazed upon the divine bow wielded by Nara. Contemplating his own mighty weapon, he thought upon his discus. Instantly, the Sudarshana chakra appeared from the heavens, brilliant and formidable, its unbroken circle shining like the sun, dreadful to behold in battle and tormentor of foes. Blazing like sacrificial fire, the Sudarshana, terrifying and radiant, was hurled by the mighty-armed Acyuta with tremendous force and speed. It shone fiercely, intent on destroying the cities of the enemy. Its brilliance rivaled the fire of destruction; again and again, it fell with furious speed, tearing apart thousands of Diti’s sons, launched in battle by the best of men. At times, like a devouring fire, Vishnu struck down the asura hosts with relentless fury. He hurled them into the sky and back onto the earth, again and again, drinking blood on the battlefield like a ghoul. The asuras, their spirits broken, continued to assail the gods, flinging mountains at them. But their great strength and brilliance faded like scattered clouds, and they rushed by the thousands into the sky. From above, terrifying mountains of many forms, their trees still clinging to them and resembling masses of clouds, crashed down. Their peaks shattered, colliding with one another in a great roar. The earth, along with its forests, trembled all around, struck by these falling mountains. As the battle raged fiercely, the mountains roared at each other again and again. Then, a man adorned with the finest golden ornaments filled the sky with mighty arrows. His shafts split the mountain peaks, striking terror into the asura hosts during that great conflict. Afflicted by the gods, the asuras fled into the earth and the salt ocean. Seeing the Sudarshana blazing like kindled fire and raging in the sky, they were gripped by fear. With victory attained, the gods respectfully returned Mount Mandara to its own place. The sky and heavens resounded, and all the clouds departed as they had come. Filled with abundant joy, the gods carefully secured the nectar, entrusting this treasure of amrita to the crowned one, the slayer of Bala, to guard it alongside the immortals. Thus, the story of the churning of the nectar is told, and how the glorious, peerless horse, Uccaiḥśravas, was born there. Seeing the magnificent horse, Kadru said to her sister Vinata, “Tell me quickly, dear one, what is the color of Uccaiḥśravas?” Vinata replied, “This king of horses is surely white—or what do you think, lovely one? Tell me its color too, and then let us make a wager on it.” Kadru said, “I think this horse is black-maned, O fair-smiling one. Come, let us wager together, and the loser shall become the other's servant, O beautiful lady.” Having agreed to this wager of servitude, both sisters went to their own homes, saying, “Tomorrow we shall see.” Kadru, wishing to win, ordered her thousand sons, the snakes, to become the horse’s black hairs. “Quickly enter the horse, so that I may not become a servant,” she commanded. Those serpents who did not obey her were cursed: “During the snake-sacrifice, fire will consume you all, at the hands of Janamejaya, the wise royal sage descended from the Pandavas.” Brahma himself heard Kadru’s cruel curse and recognized it as divinely ordained. With all the hosts of gods, he approved her words, wishing for the welfare of beings, seeing the multitude of serpents. These snakes, fierce in strength and venom, are mighty; because of their sharp poison, and for the welfare of living beings, a measure was set for them and for other creatures intent on wrongdoing. For them, death is ordained by divine law as punishment. Having spoken thus, Brahma honored Kadru. The god then summoned Kasyapa, the father of the snakes and serpents, and spoke: “These snakes and serpents have been born from you, O sinless one. Endowed with poison, possessing great power, and cursed by their mother, O scorcher of foes, you should not harbor anger in this matter. This ancient destruction of snakes in the sacrifice has been foreseen.” Brahma, pleased with Kasyapa, granted him the knowledge to remove poison. When the serpents were thus cursed, the great serpent Karkotaka, undisturbed by the curse, spoke to Kadru. The best of serpents, greatly pleased, addressed his mother; entering the chief horse, he became a child with a body shining like collyrium. Kadru assured him, “Show yourself there as you wish, so be at ease.” When night had passed and the sun rose in the morning, Kadru and Vinata, resentful and greatly enraged after their wager, went to see the horse Uccaiḥśravas near the farthest shore adorned with sandbanks. There, they beheld the ocean—the treasury of waters—vast, deep, agitated, and resounding greatly. It was filled with timi, makara, and giant fish, crowded with thousands of creatures of various forms. Other terrifying, deformed, and dreadful aquatic beings, fierce and always unassailable, teemed with turtles and crocodiles. The ocean was a mine of all jewels, the abode of Varuna, the delightful home of serpents, and the supreme lord of rivers. It was the dwelling of the fire of the netherworld, kin to the asuras, a terror to creatures—the ocean, the treasury of waters. This splendid, divine place for immortals was the supreme source of nectar, immeasurable, inconceivable, with supremely pure waters, wondrous. Terrible with the cries of aquatic beings, dreadful with fearsome sounds, filled with deep whirlpools, it was frightening to all creatures.