Kurma Avatar

 
Kurmam: Withdrawal of senses. Kurma is the First Avataram of Dasavatharam

Many a Hindu temple has an etched or stone made Tortoise on the doorstep of the entrance. It always faces the sanctum sanctorum. This amphibian creature has four limbs a tail and a head. At the slightest suggestion of a threat to itself, it is quick enough to withdraw its limbs and head under the safe protection of the hard shell on its back. The Bhagavad Gita describing a man of wisdom and perfection states in chapter 2 verse 58:

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वश: |
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 58||

yadā sanharate chāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśhaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā

“When like  the tortoise which withdraws on all sides it’s limbs,a man of perfection withdraws his senses at will,from sense objects, then his wisdom becomes steady.” Using this symbolism the Gita aptly conveys the art of mental self control. Thus the five senses of knowledge are eyes ,ears, nose , tongue, and touch. These five senses alone  along with mental perceptions are capable of bringing to our bosoms all the disturbances that can agitate our mind. The ability to mentally withdraw at will any of their senses from their fields of objects is known in Yoga Shastra as ‘Pratyahara’, controlling the breath as ‘ Pranayama ‘ and withdrawal from mental wanderings as ‘ uparati ‘. When a man of wisdom understands the futility of searching for the crumbs of happiness in the wayside gutters of sensuousness he withdraw  mentally and attaches his mind to the source of all bliss, the pure consciousness, the ‘Atmasukh’.”

Thus, as one enters a place of worship the tortoise at the entrance indicates that as he withdraws his five limbs and one head to save himself from harm, so also a person should withdraw his five senses and the mind from worldly preoccupations, and then with an agitation free pure mind appear before the Lord in total inner purity. Only then is man capable of focusing on the Divine. Just as the tortoise that glides effortlessly from land into the quiet depths of deep waters , so should man glide easily from the agitations of the outer world to the inner depths of beatitude and peace.

The Story

Anomaly in Universe Creation. No stable platform to churn the cosmic ocean.If one is not available, the creation collapses. Then Maha Vishnu took the Kurma or Tortoise form and provided the stable plat form churning by resting mount Mandara on its shell. 

Lord Vishnu had pledged that he would appear every time someone threatens the existence of humanity. He had vowed that he would take an avatar on earth to restore Dharma by uprooting Adharma. For the uninitiated, the Devas symbolized Dharma while the Danavas represented Adharma. 

In one of the battles that took place after Daitya Guru Shukracharya was blessed with the Sanjeevani Mantra, the Daityas (Danavas) defeated the Devas. The victory of the Danavas meant the decline of goodness and peace. Moreover, Lord Vishnu knew that if the Danavas became immortal, then they would overpower the Devas and also cause massive damage to the human race. Therefore, to save humankind from the Danavas, Lord Vishnu took the avatar of a Kurma. And by doing so, he played a pivotal role in the Samudra Mathan.

Since the Danavas had defeated the Devas in the battle, arose a need to empower the latter. Therefore, Lord Vishnu suggested Samudra Manthan for extracting the divine nectar (Amrit) that could make the Devas immortal. However, the Devas alone wouldn't have been able to perform the massive task. Hence, Vishnu advised Indra, the King of the Devas to take help from Kalketu, the King of the Danavas.

Interestingly, Vishnu had also hatched a plan to prevent the Devas from consuming the Amrit. Subsequently, to churn the ocean (Samudra), Mandara Mountain was cut from its base and installed in the sea as the churning rod. And Vasuki, the King of Snakes, became the churning rope.

But, since the base of the mountain couldn't reach the seabed owing to the surging movement of the waves, Lord Vishnu decided to make his presence felt in the form of a Kurma. 

Lord Vishnu took the form of Kurma and went deep inside the sea to carry the Mandara mountain on his back. Thus, by enduring the weight on his back, Lord Vishnu ensured that the churning of the ocean takes place without any hurdles. And by helping the Devas in the endeavor to obtain the Amrit, Lord Vishnu saved the human race.