Kurma
Incarnation of Vishnu as a Turtle
Devanagari	कुर्म
Affiliation	Avatar of Vishnu
Weapon	Chakra

In Hinduism, Kurma (Sanskrit: कुर्म) was the second Avatar of Vishnu. In this Avatar, Vishnu takes the form of a tortoise to help the Devatas get the Amrita and regain the prowess they lost due to a curse. Like the Matsya Avatar, this Avatar also belongs to the Satya yuga.

Story of the Avatar[link]

The bas-relief from Angkor Wat, Cambodia, shows Samudra manthan-Vishnu in the centre, his turtle Avatar Kurma below, asuras and devas to left and right.

Kurma Avatar of Vishnu, below Mount Mandara, with Vasuki wrapped around it, during Samudra manthan, the churning of the ocean of milk. ca 1870.

Angkor Wat

Suvarnabhumi Airport

Suvarnabhumi Airport

Churning of the ocean depicted in the bas-relief from Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, shows Vishnu in the centre, his turtle Avatar Kurma below, asuras and devas to left and right.

The Kurma Avatara of Vishnu is associated with Samudra manthan. In Hinduism, Samudra manthan or Ksheera Sagara Mathanam, churning of the ocean of milk is one of the most famous episodes in the Puranas. The story appears in the Bhagavata Purana, the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana.

Samudra Manthan is also known as —

• Samudra manthanam — Manthanam is the Sanskrit equivalent of Manthan meaning 'to churn'.
• Sagar manthan — Sagar is another word for Samudra, both meaning an ocean or large water body.
• Kshirsagar manthan — Kshirsagar means the ocean of milk. Kshirsagar = Kshir (milk) + Sagar (ocean).

Durvasa's curse[link]

Indra, the King of Devatas, while riding on an elephant, came across a sage named Durvasa who offered him a special garland. Indra accepted the garland, placing it on the trunk of the elephant. The elephant, irritated by the smell of the garland, threw it to the ground. This enraged the sage as the garland was a dwelling of Sri (fortune) and was to be treated as prasada. Durvasa Muni cursed Indra and all devas to be bereft of all strength, energy, and fortune^[1].

Sagar Manthan

In battles that followed this incident, Devas were defeated and Asuras (demons) led by king Bali gained control of the universe. Devas sought help from god Vishnu who advised them to treat asuras in a diplomatic manner. Devas formed an alliance with asuras to jointly churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality and to share it among them. However, Lord Vishnu told Devas that he would arrange that they alone obtain the nectar.

Churning the Milky Ocean[link]

The churning of the Ocean of Milk or the Milky Way was an elaborate process. Mount Mandarachala was used as the churning rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the churning rope. The demons (asuras) demanded to hold the head of the snake, while the demigods (devas), taking advice from Vishnu, agreed to hold its tail. As a result the demons were poisoned by fumes emitted by Vasuki. Despite this, the demigods and demons pulled back and forth on the snake's body alternately, causing the mountain to rotate, which in turn churned the ocean. However, once the mountain was placed on the ocean, it began to sink. Vishnu in his second incarnation, in the form of a turtle Kurma, came to their rescue and supported the mountain on his back.

Halahala (Also called 'kalakuta')[link]

During the Samudra Manthan by the gods and demons, one of the product emerged from the churning was a dangerous poison (Halahala). This terrified the gods and demons because the poison was so toxic that it might have destroyed all of creation. On the advice of Vishnu, the gods approached Shiva for help and protection. Out of compassion for living beings, Shiva swallowed the poison in an act of self-sacrifice. However, his consort Parvati who was looking on, terrified at the thought of his impending death, prevented the poison from descending into his body. Thus the poison was stuck in Shiva's throat with nowhere to go, and it was so potent that it changed the color of Shiva's neck to blue. For this reason, he is also called Nilakanta (the blue-throated one; "neela" = "blue", "kantha" = "throat" in Sanskrit). When the heat from the poison had become unbearable Shiva is supposed to have used his trishul to dig for water forming the Gosaikunda lake.

Ratnas that emerged out of the churning[link]

Samudra manthan at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

All kinds of herbs were cast into the ocean and fourteen Ratnas (gems or treasures) were produced from the ocean and were divided between asuras and gods. Though usually the Ratnas are enumerated as 14, the list in the scriptures ranges from 9 to 14 Ratnas. Most lists include:^[2] According to the quality of the treasures produced, they were accepted by Vishnu, the devas, and the asuras. There were three categories of Goddesses which emerged from the ocean;

• Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune and Wealth - accepted by Vishnu as His eternal consort.
• Apsaras, various divine nymphs like Rambha, Menaka(wife of indra), Punjikasthala, etc. - given to the demigods.
• Varuni or Sura, goddess and creator of alcohol - taken - somewhat reluctantly (she appeared dishevelled and argumentative) - by the demons.

Likewise, three types of supernatural animals appeared;

• Kamadhenu or Surabhi(sanskrit:kāmadhuk), the wish-granting divine cow - taken by Vishnu, and given to sages so ghee from her milk could be used in sacrifices.
• Airavata, and several other elephants, taken by Indra, leader of the devas.
• Uchhaishravas, the divine 7-headed horse - given to the demons.

There were three valuables;

• Kaustubha, the most valuable jewel in the world, worn by Vishnu
• Parijat, the divine flowering tree with blossoms that never fade or wilt - taken to Indraloka by the devas.
• A powerful bow - symbolic of the demon's belligerence.

Additionally produced were;

• Chandra, the moon which adorned Shiva's head
• Dhanvantari, the doctor of the gods with Amrita the nectar of immortality. (At times, considered as two different Ratnas)
• Halahala, the poison swallowed by Shiva

This list varies from Purana to Purana and is also slightly different in the epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Lists are completed by adding the following Ratnas:^[2]

• Shankha Vishnu's conch
• Jyestha - the goddess of misfortune
• the umbrella taken by Varuna
• the earrings given to Aditi, by her son Indra
• Tulasi plant
• Nidra or sloth

Mohini Avatar[link]

Various scenes from the samudra manthan episode

Finally, Dhanvantari, the heavenly physician, emerged with a pot containing Amrita, the heavenly nectar of immortality. Fierce fighting ensued between Devas and Asuras for the nectar. To protect the nectar from Asuras, the divine Garuda took the pot, and flew away from the battle-scene. While Garuda was in his flight over planet Earth, it is believed that four drops of nectar fell at four places - Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. This legend is the basis for the belief that these places acquired a certain mystical power and spirituality.A Kumbh Mela is celebrated at the four places every twelve years for this reason. People believe that after bathing there during the Kumbha mela, one can get the primeval heaven and moksha(sanskrit:mokṣha). However, Rahu, one of the Asuras, eventually got hold of the nectar and started celebrating. Frightened, devas (demigods) appealed to Vishnu, who then took the form of Mohini. As a beautiful and enchanting damsel, Mohini distracted the asuras, took the amrita, and distributed it among the Devas, who drank it.Asura RahuKetu , disguised himself as a deva and drank some nectar. Due to their luminous nature, the sun god Surya and the moon god Chandra noticed the switching of sides. They informed Mohini. But before the nectar could pass his throat, Mohini cut off his head with her divine discus, the Sudarshana Chakra.But as the nectar had gone down his throat he did not die. From that day, his head was called Rahu and body was called Ketu who became planets later. The story ends with the rejuvenated Devas defeating the asuras.

See also[link]

• Vishnu

References[link]

External links[link]

• Symbolism of the elements in this story
• The story of the churning as found in the Mahabharata
• The story of the churning as found in the Vishnu Purana
• The story of the churning as found in the Ramayana
• Hindu Gods, Kurma
• Indian Mythology, Kurma Avatar
• Indian Divinity, Kurma Avatar

v t e Hindu deities and texts Gods Deva Ganesha Brahma Vishnu Shiva Rama Krishna Murugan Hanuman Indra Surya more Goddesses Adi parashakti Devi Saraswati Lakshmi Sati Parvati Durga Shakti Kali Sita Radha Mahavidya Navadurga Matrikas more Texts Vedas Upanishads Puranas Ramayana Mahabharata Bhagavad Gita more Hinduism Hindu mythology

v t e Avatars of Vishnu Dashavatara Matsya Kurma Varaha Narasimha Vamana Parashurama Rama Krishna Balarama1 Buddha1 Kalki Other avatars Catursana Narada Nara-Narayana Kapila Dattatreya Yajna Rishabha Prithu Dhanvantari Mohini Vyasa Prsnigarbha Hayagriva Hamsa 1 Buddha or Balarama is considered the avatar of Vishnu, depending on the tradition. In North India, Buddha is included and in South India, Balarama.

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since July 2009. It is an autobiography, or has been extensively edited by the subject or an institution related to the subject, and may not conform to Wikipedia's neutral point of view policy. Tagged since June 2009.

Revathy Krishna (Tamil: ரேவதி கிருஷ்ணா) is an Indian vainika renowned for her proficiency in both carnatic classical as well as Light music and film music.

She was born in Chennai, into an illustrious family noted for its musical lineage. Hailing from the sishya parampara of saint composer Thyagaraja she is the great grand daughter of Thillaisthanam Rama Iyengar, the devoted disciple of saint Thyagaraja.

After getting initial training in vocals, She picked up veena at the age of 12, and spotting her keen interest her mother Mrs.Lakshmi Chelvakumaran put her under the watchful tutelage of Shri.Sundaram Iyer. She later on fine tuned her art under Kalaimamani Mrs.Sharada Shivanandam.

Early life[link]

Revathy Krishna, born as Revathy Chelvakumar, was the daughter of Dr.T.Chelvakumar and Lakshmi Chelvakumar.The Chelvakumar couples had one more son, Dr.T.C.Chandran,who is a retired cosmetic surgeon.

Carnatic[link]

She has been giving stage performances and Radio & T.V Shows since 1990, and has received many news paper reviews and accolades, and regularly performs at the Tyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru.

Film Music[link]

She also performs in films and film songs on stage, with many audio and video albums to her credit.

Awards and achievements[link]

• Kalaimanani Award for excellence in Veena.
• Kumar Gandharwa Award in 2008^[1]
• Special recital for the Governor or Tamil Nadu, Mr.P.S Ram Mohan Rao at Raj Bhavan.
• Special performance for the President of India Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

References[link]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)

Papanasam Sivan (Tamil: பாபநாசம் சிவன்) (September 26, 1890 - October 10, 1973) was a prominent composer of Carnatic music and a singer.

A famous composer, Sivan was also known as Tamil Thyagayya. Using Classical South Indian as a base, Sivan created numerous hits popularised by M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and M. S. Subbulakshmi.

Early years[link]

Papanasam Sivan's early years were spent in the Travancore area of Kerala where the kings patronised fine arts. He was born at Polagam Village in the district of Thanjavur, which was home to the illustrious musical trinity of Carnatic music. His given name was Ramaiya. In 1897, when Ramaiya was just 7, his father died. His mother Yogambal, along with her sons, left Thanjavur and moved to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, where her brother-in-law was a Ramayana Sastri in the renowned Padmanabha Swamy Temple. At Thiruvananthapuam, Ramaiya learned Malayalam and Sanskrit and later earned a degree in grammar.

Ramaiya was very religious, and with death of his mother in Yogambal when he was 20, became even more so. He wandered from place to place visiting temples and singing devotional songs. Ramaiya used to be an active participant in the devotional music sessions at the home of Neelakandasivan in Thiruvananthapuram. Thus he learned many of the musical compositions of Neelakandasivan. In this period, his wanderings would take him regularly to the temple at Papanasam, where he would smear bhasma all over his body. Hence people began to refer him as Papanasam Sivan, the name by which he was to become well known later.

He picked up his first music lessons from Noorani Mahadeva Bhagavatar, son of Parameswara Bhagavatar. Later he became the disciple of Konerirajapuram Vaidyanath Iyer, a well-known musician, under whose tutelage Sivan blossomed into a consummate artiste that he was.

In spite of his deep knowledge of music, Papanasam Sivan was more interested in the devotional aspect of music. He preferred to sing devotional songs and encouraged other singers take part in sessions of devotional music with him. Papanasam Sivan was a regular in all the major temple festivals in South India with his devotional songs.

Later in 1962 Papanasam Sivan received the President award.

Family[link]

Ramaiya (Papanasam Sivan) has a daughter Dr.Rukmani Ramani who is a leading Carnatic Musician in Chennai. Ashok Ramani who is his grandson is also a successful Carnatic Musician. Another daughter by name Nila Ramamurthy also composes Carnatic music. He had an elder brother Rajagopal Iyer whose daughter V. N. Janaki was an actress and wife of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Rajagopal Iyer also had a son P. Narayanan who was a great educationist in Chennai.

Sri Papansam Kumjumani Bhagavathar, Sri Papanasam Ramani Bhagavathar,Smt Radha Kalyanaraman(Vocalist), Sri Papanasam Kumar (Mrudangist), Master Sankaranarayanan R (Mrudangist), Master Gokul Kumar (Violinist), Kum. Sruthi Kumar (Vocalist and Veena player), Kum. Anita Sivaraman (Dancer) are noted artists who are grand/great-grandsons and grand/great-grand daughters of Sri Rajagopala Iyer.

Compositions[link]

Notes[link]

See also[link]

• List of Carnatic composers