शिव ने पिया विष — नीलकंठ

Long ago, the devas and asuras churned the great ocean of milk together, seeking the nectar of immortality. They used a mountain as the churning rod and the serpent Vasuki as the rope, turning the waters with all their might.

But before any nectar arose, the churning brought up something terrible: the halahala, a poison so virulent that its very fumes began to scorch the worlds. Gods and demons alike fled in terror, for it threatened to destroy all of creation.

In that moment of universal danger, they turned to Shiva. Without hesitation, the great ascetic gathered the burning poison and drank it. Parvati, in her concern, pressed his throat so the poison would go no further — and there it remained, staining his throat a deep blue.

From that day Shiva is lovingly called Neelkanth, 'the blue-throated one'. He took the world's poison into himself and asked for nothing, so that life could go on.