Amrita In Hindu mythology and Buddhist mythology , Amrita is the drink of the gods , which grants them immortality . The word itself literally means `` without death '' In Yogic Philosophy ( see yoga ) amrita is a fluid that can flow from the pineal gland down the throat in deep states of meditation . It is considered quite a boon : some yogic texts say that one drop is enough to conquer death . Amrita means immortal soul , one who has drank Amrit ( the potion of immortality ) It is also a common first name in India and Nepal , as the masculine `` Amrit '' and the feminine `` Amrita . `` After the Prayala Deluge at the beginning of the present , the gods lost their immortality . The gods were in danger of losing their ruling over the demons . They decided to go to Vishnu , the preserver for guidance . Vishnu said that if they churned the sea of milk , they might produce amrita , the drink of the gods , which could make them strong and immortal . So Vishnu took the form of Kurma , the turtle avatar . He has four arms , two to support his great shell . Kurma sat on the bottom of the sea floor and gods placed a mountain , Mount Mandra on Kurma shell , and used it as a churning rod . See also ambrosia Soma Amritanandamayi Amrita Hunjan Panchamruta Reference Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend ( ISBN 0-500-51088-1 ) by Anna L. Dallapiccola Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa Female Deities : Gayatri | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more ... Male Deities : Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Kartikeya | Hanuman | Lakshmana | Indra | Surya | more ... Texts : Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata This box :   view • talk • edit  This Hindu mythology-related article is a stub . See the WikiProject Hindu mythology for article coordination . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : Hindu mythology | Mythical substances | Hindu mythology stubs In other languages : Български | Deutsch | Bahasa Indonesia | Italiano | 日本語 | Polski | Português | Русский 