Kurma (the Tortoise) is the second avtaar of Lord Vishnu. The first being Matsya or the Fish. The first time you encounter Kurma avtaar is during the great cosmic ocean churn (Samudra Manthan), the great mount Mandara is being used as a churn, and the lord of snakes vasuki as the rope, while the devas and asuras churn the cosmic oceans for the nectar of immortality. The mountain begins slipping into the sea, at which point Vishnu manifests himself as a giant turtle who can carry the weight of the Mountain on his shell. And he does. And the churn
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