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Vaishnava · Dashavatara
कूर्म
Kurma Avatar
The Divine Tortoise · 2nd Avatar
ॐ
Mantra
ॐ कूर्माय नमः
Salutations to the tortoise form.
Story & significance
When the devas and asuras churned the ocean of milk, Mount Mandara began to sink. Vishnu became a giant tortoise and held the mountain on his back so the nectar of immortality could emerge.
Tortoise shellMount Mandara
Sacred temples
- Srikurmam, Andhra Pradesh