Tortoise shellMandara mountainVasuki serpentChurning rod
Mythology Summary
Kurma is the second avatara, the tortoise who supports Mount Mandara on his back when the churning of the ocean begins to sink the mountain. The Bhagavata Purana's account of the samudra manthana (Canto 8) places him under the mountain while the gods and asuras pull the serpent Vasuki for a rope. The world-supporting tortoise is an older motif that the avatara absorbs, and the Kurma Purana is the text that carries his name.
Modern Practice
Kurma is called on for endurance, for the support of a weight that must be carried slowly, and at the beginning of a long churning. His practice is patience under load, not speed.