KURMA AVATARA

The Second Avatara of Lord Vishnu

By Sagar shetty

When did this happen?

• The second of the ten Avataras of Vishnu, this incarnation like the Matsya Avatara also belongs to the Satya yuga.

Why Kurma Avatara?

• The object of the Kurma Avatara was to enable the world to recover some precious things which were lost in the deluge.

Kurma Avatara

• In Kurma Avatara, Lord Vishnu is incarnated as a tortoise.

• In this Form or Avatar he holds a mace in the upper-right arm. The mace represents the power of knowledge.

• In his second right arm he holds the lotus. The lotus represents purity , As this beautiful flower grows in muddy waters, neither water nor dirt are ever seen sticking to its petals.

• In his upper-left hand he holds the discus. Also known as Sudarshana Chakra . It symbolizes the power to cut through any obstacle.

• In His other left hand He holds the conch. When a conch is blown it gives divine sound Ohm.

The Saga Behind Kurma Avatara• In the ancient times, the Devas were mortal. Their

enemies were the Asuras. One day, the King of the Devas, Indra was riding his elephant when he came upon sage Durvasa. The sage decided to honor Indra by giving him a scented garland. Indra took the garland, but placed it on the forehead of his elephant. The elephant was irritated by the scent and threw the garland off and trampled it. The angry sage gave Indra a curse that he and the Devas would begin to lose all their power. In due course, the Devas started to lose in war against the asuras. Indra was advised to perform Samudra manthan in order to obtain amrita (nectar of immortality) which he and the other Devas could drink and thus be able to defeat the asuras.

War against the Asuras

Appeal to Brahma

• The Devas feared that the Asuras would take over the whole world. Therefore, they prayed to Bramha, who suggested a solution: churn the Ocean of Milk in order to obtain the Nectar of Immortality. However, the Devas could not churn the Ocean themselves. They struck a temporary truce with their enemies so that all could participate in the churning.

Samudhra Manthana

Samudra manthana

• The Ocean was churned by using the mountain Mandara and the snake Vasuki wrapped around it. Each side would hold an end of the snake and pull on it alternately, causing the mountain to rotate, which in turn would cause the Ocean to be churned.

• However, once the mountain was put on the Ocean, it began to sink. Then, Vishnu incarnated in the form of a gigantic turtle to support the mountain.

Halahala

• As the ocean was churned, a deadly poison known as Halahala emerged. This poison threatened to suffocate all living things. In response to various prayers,Shiva drank the poison; his wife Parvathi alarmed, stopped it in his throat with her hands. This caused the throat to turn blue. Due to this, he is called Nilakantha.

Halahala

• Then, various people, animals, and treasures emerged. These included:

• Sura, goddess and creator of wine • Apsaras, various divine nymphs • Kaustubha, the most valuable jewel in the world • Uchhaishravas, the divine horse • Kalpavriksha, the wish-granting tree • Kamadhenu, the first cow and mother of all other cows • Airavata, the mount of Indra • Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune and Wealth

Treasures from the ocean

• Finally, Dhanvanthri, the Heavenly Physician, emerged with a pot containing nectar. As the Asuras rushed to take the nectar, the frightened Devas appealed to Kurma, who then revealed himself as the female avatara of Vishnu called Mohini. She distracted the Asuras, while the Devas secretly drank the amrita.

• Then the immortal Devas easily defeated the Asuras.

The Nector of Immortality