Editing Kurma (section)

== Epics ==

Swami Achuthananda states that although varied like other legends, Vishnu's role is "limited" as Kurma, compared his other avatars.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BjSnDwAAQBAJ&q=kurma+ramayana&pg=PA20|title=Rama and the Early Avatars of Vishnu: plus Ramayana abridged|last=Achuthananda|first=Swami|date=2019-08-03|publisher=Relianz Communications Pty Ltd|isbn=978-0-9757883-4-9|page=20|language=en|access-date=26 October 2020|archive-date=11 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511093058/https://books.google.com/books?id=BjSnDwAAQBAJ&q=kurma+ramayana&pg=PA20|url-status=live}}</ref>

The epics present the earliest known versions of the popular Samudra Manthana narrative.{{sfn|Wilson|1862|p = 146}} In the ''[[Adi Parva]]'' Book of the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the god Narayana (identified with [[Vishnu]]) suggests the gods (''devas'') and the demons (''asuras'') churn the ocean to obtain ''[[amrita]]'' (ambrosia) as both of them seek immortality. The gods select Mount Mandara as the churning rod and the serpent Vasuki-Ananta as the rope. Then they approach Kurma-raja, the king of tortoises to support the mount on its back, which it consented. The gods churn from the tail side of the serpent, while asuras on the head side. Various trees and herbs are cast into the ocean. The churned water takes into milk. Ultimately, various precious items like Soma (the moon), the goddess Sri ([[Lakshmi]]), Sura (liquor), the white horse [[Uchchaihshravas]], the white elephant [[Airavata]], the gem [[Kaustubha]] and finally the god [[Dhanvantari]] with the vessel of ''amrita'' emerge from the ocean. The poison ''kalakuta'' springs from the ocean and is drunk by Shiva, whose throat becomes blue earning him the epithet ''Nila-kantha''   (The blue necked). The devas and asuras battle for the ''amrita''. Narayana becomes an enchanting woman (called [[Mohini]] in later scriptures) and snatch the pot of ''amrita'' from the asuras. Narayana along with Nara battle the asuras, while the enchantress distributes the ''amrita'' only to the gods. Rahu, an asura, disguises himself as a god and tries to drink some Amrita himself. Surya (the sun-god) and Chandra (the moon-god) quickly inform Vishnu, and he uses the Chakra (the divine discus) to decapitate Rahu, leaving the head immortal. Eventually, the gods defeat the asuras with Indra retaining the ''amrita'' and appointing Nara as its guardian.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01019.htm|title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Astika Parva: Section XVIII|website=www.sacred-texts.com|access-date=2019-12-09|archive-date=20 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020103612/https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01019.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Aiyangar|1901|pp=219-21}}

In this narrative, Kurma is not related with Vishnu.<ref name="Sutton">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFyUHC-ORp4C&q=tortoise+in+the+mahabharata&pg=PA162|title=Religious Doctrines in the Mahābhārata|last=Sutton|first=Nicholas|date=2000|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|isbn=978-81-208-1700-5|pages=157, 162|language=en|access-date=26 October 2020|archive-date=11 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511093058/https://books.google.com/books?id=rFyUHC-ORp4C&q=tortoise+in+the+mahabharata&pg=PA162|url-status=live}}</ref> Though the critical edition of the epic does not refer to Kurma as an avatar of Vishnu,<ref name="Sutton"/>{{sfn|J._L._Brockington|1998|pp=279-80}} some latter insertions in manuscripts of the epic associate Kurma as a ''pradurbhava'' (manifestation) of Vishnu.{{sfn|J._L._Brockington|1998|pp=278-9}}<ref name=":6">{{cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12c039.htm|title=The Mahabharata, Book 12: Santi Parva: Section CCCXL|website=www.sacred-texts.com|access-date=2019-12-12|archive-date=20 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020103146/https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12c039.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b114.htm|title=The Mahabharata, Book 13: Anusasana Parva: Section CXLIX|website=www.sacred-texts.com|access-date=2019-12-12|archive-date=20 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020110813/https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b114.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''Ramayana'' briefly mentions the Samudra Manthana episode, however does not mention Kurma in it. The epic mentions the ocean churned being the ocean of milk, the ''[[Kshirasagara]]''.{{sfn|Aiyangar|1901|pp=221-2}} An passage, generally believed to be interpolated and not part of the critical edition, refers to Kurma as well as the drinking of the poison by Shiva.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Vālmīki |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kD84WlAtggkC&q=tortoise&pg=PA366 |title=The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India. Bālakāṇḍa |date=2007 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishe |isbn=978-81-208-3162-9 |pages=364–5 |language=en |access-date=14 April 2022 |archive-date=1 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901110911/https://books.google.com/books?id=kD84WlAtggkC&q=tortoise&pg=PA366 |url-status=live }}</ref> The mount Mandara sinks to Patala (the underworld) during the churning. On the beseeching of the gods, Vishnu takes the form of the tortoise and raises the mount on his back. Vishnu also supports the mount as holding its peak in a form and another form joins the gods in churning the ocean.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/Ramayana_201309|title=Ramayana|last=Dutt|first=Manmathnath|date=1891|pages=[https://archive.org/details/Ramayana_201309/page/n121 110]}}</ref> Later versions of the ''Ramayana'' like the ''[[Adhyatma Ramayana]]'' associate Kurma with [[Rama]], the male protagonist of the ''Ramayana'' who is also regarded as an avatar of Vishnu.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/TheAdhyatmaRamayana|title=The Adhyatma Ramayana|last=Rai Bahadur Lala Baij Nath|date=1979|page=163}}</ref>