...Sri Mahavishnu descended Himself as a gigantic Kurma (tortoise), bearing the mountain, Mandara, on His back, so as to help the Devas acquire the divine Amrita or the Nectar of Immortality... The Samudra or the Ocean of Milk actually represents the human Consciousness or the Jeevatma. The Churning of the Ocean embodies the journey of life undertaken by this Jeevatma during its tenure on earth... The Mandara mountain represents the virtues of steadiness and concentration... the tortoise symbolizes the spiritual withdrawal of a person into his own Consciousness... Samudra Manthan teaches us how to maintain harmony between our material and spiritual lives, by placing complete and unshakable faith in our Creator and accepting both the good and the bad in our lives...