Kurma Avatara- The Research



 The Research -

When I began reading about the Kurma Avatara, I realized a few things. But what struck me most was that Kurma avatara is not merely about strength. It is about divine support. The Lord does not simply intervene once and leave. He sustains every step of the journey, often in ways that remain unnoticed.

While thinking about the composition, I considered including the devas, the asuras, Vasuki, and the churning itself. But I realized that if I painted every element of the story, the viewer's attention would be divided among the many events taking place.

I wanted the painting to speak about something quieter and more fundamental.

Throughout the manthana, the Lord was the unseen stability behind every action. He upheld the mountain, strengthened those who churned, sustained Vasuki, and ensured that the divine purpose continued uninterrupted. That idea became the foundation of this painting. So I deliberately removed everything except Him.

The absence of the devas and asuras is intentional. The absence of Vasuki is intentional. What remains is the silent, unwavering presence that made every other action possible.

What fascinated me about Kurma avatara was that the Lord was not merely supporting the mountain from below. Throughout the manthana, He was simultaneously the support beneath, the force above, the strength within the mountain, the vitality of Vasuki, and the power by which the devas and asuras continued to churn. The Lord was not simply removing obstacles from outside; He was the sustaining principle behind every aspect of the event -

  • He became the support beneath the mountain in the form of the Tortoise. 

  • He became the force stabilizing it from above in the form that had a thousand arms.
  • He became the strength within the Mandara mountain by taking a form of the mountain itself.
  • He became the vitality of Vasuki by taking the form of Vasuki and endured the problem caused by friction. 
  • He became the strength, endurance, and capacity of every deva and every asura by taking thousands of forms of each and every deva and asura. 

He became the electricity when a light bulb needs to "switch on" AND He bacame the light. Electricity doesn't merely make the bulb glow from outside. It is the power by which the bulb gives light. Without electricity, the bulb remains only a bulb. Similarly, without the Lord's sustaining presence, none of the participants could fulfill their role.


This idea also ties beautifully into a recurring theme in all my Dashavatara paintings. I'm not simply illustrating an event from the Puranas. I'm trying to reveal what the avatara fundamentally is.

That is why this painting is intentionally quiet. There is no spectacle, no multitude of figures, no dramatic action. I wanted the composition itself to reflect the nature of Kurma avatara which is silent, steadfast, and sustaining.

For Kurma, that isn't "the tortoise" with the Mandara mountain on the back. It is the Lord as the unfailing sustainer who enables every act of purpose. This is the guiding idea behind my Dashavatara series. Rather than simply illustrating events from the Puranas, I hope to reveal the essential nature of each avatara.

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