Mohini

(“bewitching”) In Hindu mythology,
a rapturously beautiful, divine
enchantress, seen as a manifestation of
the god Vishnu. Vishnu takes this form
to trick the demons into giving her their
share of the amrta, the nectar of immortality, which has been churned from the
Ocean of Milk. Through her charms,
Mohini succeeds in getting the amrta
from the demons; she gives it to the
gods, thus depriving the demons of their
chance at immortality.
In most versions, the story ends here,
but the charter myth for the southern
Indian god Aiyappa adds an interesting
twist. According to the story, when Shiva
sees the enchanting figure of Mohini, he
cannot resist her. The product of this
union is Aiyappa, who is considered the
son of Shiva and Vishnu. Yet Aiyappa’s
unusual parentage occurs with good
reason, as with most such stories in
Hindu mythology. Aiyappa is born to kill
a demon named Mahishi, who has
received the boon that she can only
be killed by a person not born from
the union of male and female.
Mohini’s “true” identity (Vishnu) satisfies this condition, and when Aiyappa
comes of age he kills the demon. See
also Tortoise avatar.