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Vishnu Avatar · Dashavatara - 2nd Avatar

Kurma

कूर्म
Also known as: Kacchapā, Kūrma Rāja

About

The Tortoise avatar. Second of the Dashavatara. Supported Mount Mandara on his back during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). Symbol of stability and bearing cosmic weight.

Attributes

StabilitySupportChurning of oceanCosmic balance

Symbols

TortoiseMount MandaraCosmic ocean

Associated Mantras

Om Kūrmāya namaḥ
Kurma Stotram

Festivals

Kurma Jayanti

Scriptures

Bhagavata PuranaKurma PuranaMahabharata

Regions Worshipped

Pan-India

Iconography

Tortoise with human torso and four arms. Upper arms hold shankha and chakra. Lower arms in meditation or blessing. Sometimes depicted as a giant tortoise with the mountain on its back.