Hindu Religious Studies 119
Kurma AvotarThe gods started the process of churning. The mountain 'Mandar'
was the churning stick. And the snake Basuki was the churning
string. The huge mountain Mandar began to sink under the sea. The
gods began to invoke Shrihari whole-heartedly.
Shrihori then entered the sea in the guise of a huge kurma, which
means a turtle. He held the mountain Mandar on his back.
The process of churning continued. Nectar came out of the sea.
Gods drank the nectar. Then they defeated the demons. Gods got
their kingdom of heaven back. And thus Narayana as the Kurma
saved the three worlds.