Kurma

Definition

Literally meaning “tortoise” in Sanskrit, it is second of the dashavatara or ten incarnations the Hindu deity Vishnu, wherein he takes the form of a tortoise. The tortoise is associated with the mythological episode of the Samundra Manthan (“churning of the ocean of milk”), in which its back provided a steady foundation for the churning stick.

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Pre-Modern Art

Kurma%newline%Literally meaning "tortoise" in Sanskrit, it is second of the dashavatara or ten incarnations the Hindu deity Vishnu, wherein he takes the form of a tortoise. The tortoise is associated with the mythological episode of the Samundra Manthan ("churning of the ocean of milk"), in which its back provided a steady foundation for the churning stick.

Chicago	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. “Kurma”. Accessed September 13, 2025. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/kurma/
MLA	“Kurma.” MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/kurma/. Accessed 13, September, 2025.
Harvard	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. (2022) Kurma. [Online]. Available at: https://mapacademy.io/glossary/kurma/. (Accessed: 13, September, 2025)