Chapter 3
कूर्मावतारवर्णनम
Agni Purana, Chapter 3: kūrmāvatāravarṇanam
Shlokas (22)
+ Add ShlokaChapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 1
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 1
वक्ष्ये कूर्मावतारञ्च श्रुत्वा पापप्रणाशनम । पुरा देवासुरे युद्धे दैत्यैर देवाः पराजिताः ।।
vakṣye kūrmāvatārañca śrutvā pāpapraṇāśanam | purā devāsure yuddhe daityair devāḥ parājitāḥ ||
I will tell of the Kurma (tortoise) incarnation: hearing of the destruction of sin. Long ago in the gods‑vs‑demons war, the devas were defeated by the daityas.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 2
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 2
दुर्वाससश च शापेन निश्रीकाश्चाभवंस्तदा । स्तुत्वा क्षीराब्धिगं विष्णुम ऊचुः पालय चासुरात ।।
durvāsasaś ca śāpena niśrīkāścābhavaṃstadā | stutvā kṣīrābdhigaṃ viṣṇum ūcuḥ pālaya cāsurāt ||
By Durvasa’s curse and then of Nishrīka, they came to be thus. Praising Vishnu, they said: protect us from the demons, we seek the ocean of milk.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 3
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 3
ब्रह्मादिकान हरिः प्राह सन्धिं कुर्वन्तु चासुरैः । क्षीराब्धिमथनार्थं हि अमृतार्थं श्रिये ऽसुराः ।।
brahmādikān hariḥ prāha sandhiṃ kurvantu cāsuraiḥ | kṣīrābdhimathanārthaṃ hi amṛtārthaṃ śriye 'surāḥ ||
Hari said to Brahma and others: make a truce with the demons. The demons seek to churn the ocean of milk for amrita (immortality) and for wealth.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 4
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 4
अरयो ऽपि हि सन्धेयाः सति कार्यार्थगौरवे । युष्मानमृतभाजो हि कारयामि न दानवान ।।
arayo 'pi hi sandheyāḥ sati kāryārthagaurave | yuṣmānamṛtabhājo hi kārayāmi na dānavān ||
Even the enemies should be bound by treaty if it serves the purpose and honour. I will make you the sharers of amrita; I act, not the Danavas (evil ones).
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 5
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 5
मन्थानं मन्दरं कृत्वा नेत्रं कृत्वा तु वासुकिम । क्षीराब्धिं मत्सहायेन निर्मथध्वमतन्द्रिताः ।।
manthānaṃ mandaraṃ kṛtvā netraṃ kṛtvā tu vāsukim | kṣīrābdhiṃ matsahāyena nirmathadhvamatandritāḥ ||
They made Mandara the churning rod, Vasuki into the rope, taking Mandara as the mount; with their fish‑ally they churned the milk ocean, exhausted and drowsy.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 6
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 6
क्षीराब्धिमागताः । ततो मथितुमारब्धाः यतः पुच्छन्ततः सुराः ।।
kṣīrābdhimāgatāḥ | tato mathitumārabdhāḥ yataḥ pucchantataḥ surāḥ ||
They reached the ocean of milk. Then, as the gods questioned where to churn, they began the churning.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 7
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 7
फणिनिःश्वाससन्तप्ता हरिणाप्यायिताः सुराः । मथ्यमाने ऽर्णवे सो ऽद्रिर अनाधारो ह्य अपो ऽविशत ।।
phaṇiniḥśvāsasantaptā hariṇāpyāyitāḥ surāḥ | mathyamāne 'rṇave so 'drir anādhāro hy apo 'viśat ||
The serpent’s breath scorched, the deer were exhausted; as the ocean was being churned, that mountain, unsupported, entered the waters.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 8
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 8
कूर्मरूपं समास्थाय दध्रे विष्णुश च मन्दरम । क्षीराब्धेर्मथ्यमानाच्च विषं हालाहलं ह्य अभूत ।।
kūrmarūpaṃ samāsthāya dadhre viṣṇuś ca mandaram | kṣīrābdhermathyamānācca viṣaṃ hālāhalaṃ hy abhūt ||
Taking the form of a tortoise, Vishnu supported the Mandara; as the milky ocean was churned, poison indeed arose — the deadly Halahala.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 9
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 9
हरेण धारितं कण्ठे नीलकण्ठस्ततो ऽभवत । ततो ऽभूद्वारुणी देवी पारिजातस्तु कौस्तुभः ।।
hareṇa dhāritaṃ kaṇṭhe nīlakaṇṭhastato 'bhavat | tato 'bhūdvāruṇī devī pārijātastu kaustubhaḥ ||
Holding it in his throat, he became blue-throated (Nilakantha). Then arose the goddess Varuni, and the Parijata and the Kaustubha gem also appeared.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 10
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 10
गावश्चाप्सरसो दिव्या लक्ष्मीर्देवी हरिङ्गता । पश्यन्तः सर्वदेवास्तां स्तुवन्तः सश्रियो ऽभवन ।।
gāvaścāpsaraso divyā lakṣmīrdevī hariṅgatā | paśyantaḥ sarvadevāstāṃ stuvantaḥ saśriyo 'bhavan ||
Divine cows and apsara, and goddess Lakshmi carried by Hari; all the gods beheld them, praising, and became prosperous and glorious.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 11
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 11
ततो धन्वन्तरिर्विष्णुर आयुर्वेदप्रवर्तकः । बिभ्रत कमण्डलुम्पूर्णम अमृतेन समुत्थितः ।।
tato dhanvantarirviṣṇur āyurvedapravartakaḥ | bibhrat kamaṇḍalumpūrṇam amṛtena samutthitaḥ ||
Then Dhanvantari — an aspect of Viṣṇu, the originator of Āyurveda — appeared, bearing a full water-pot raised with amṛta (nectar).
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 12
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 12
अमृतं तत्कराद्दैत्या सुरेभ्यो ऽर्धं प्रदाय च । गृहीत्वा जग्मुर्जन्माद्या विष्णुः स्त्रीरूपधृक ततः ।।
amṛtaṃ tatkarāddaityā surebhyo 'rdhaṃ pradāya ca | gṛhītvā jagmurjanmādyā viṣṇuḥ strīrūpadhṛk tataḥ ||
From that pot he gave half the nectar to the daityas and half to the gods; then Viṣṇu, taking it, assumed the form of a woman and departed.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 13
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 13
तां दृष्ट्वा रूपसम्पन्नां दैत्याः प्रोचुर्विमोहिताः । भव भार्यामृतं गृह्य पाययास्मान वरानने ।।
tāṃ dṛṣṭvā rūpasampannāṃ daityāḥ procurvimohitāḥ | bhava bhāryāmṛtaṃ gṛhya pāyayāsmān varānane ||
Seeing her endowed with beauty, the daityas, infatuated, cried out: "O noble-faced one, be our wife; take the amṛta and make us immortal."
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 14
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 14
तथेत्युक्त्वा हरिस्तेभ्यो गृहीत्वापाययत्सुरान । चन्द्ररूपधरो राहुः पिबंश्चार्केन्दुनार्पितः ।।
tathetyuktvā haristebhyo gṛhītvāpāyayatsurān | candrarūpadharo rāhuḥ pibaṃścārkendunārpitaḥ ||
Saying thus to the gods, they seized and made them drink; Rāhu, taking the form of the moon, drank what was offered in the sun and moonvessels.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 15
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 15
हरिणाप्यरिणा च्छिन्नं स राहुस्तच्छिरः पृथक । कृपयामरतान्नीतं वरदं हरिमब्रवीत ।।
hariṇāpyariṇā cchinnaṃ sa rāhustacchiraḥ pṛthak | kṛpayāmaratānnītaṃ varadaṃ harimabravīt ||
Even Harināyaka’s head was severed by Rāhu, yet out of compassion he brought that head separately; then Hari, moved with mercy, granted boons.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 16
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 16
राहुर्मत्तस्तु चन्द्रार्कौ प्राप्स्येते ग्रहणं ग्रहः । तस्मिन कले च यद्दानं दास्यन्ते स्यात तदक्षयं ।।
rāhurmattastu candrārkau prāpsyete grahaṇaṃ grahaḥ | tasmin kale ca yaddānaṃ dāsyante syāt tadakṣayaṃ ||
When Rahu, maddened, seizes the moon and sun, whatever gifts are then given at that time will be imperishable.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 17
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 17
तथेत्याहाथ तं विष्णुस ततः सर्वैः सहामरैः । स्त्रीरूपं सम्परित्यज्य हरेणोक्तः प्रदर्शय ।।
tathetyāhātha taṃ viṣṇus tataḥ sarvaiḥ sahāmaraiḥ | strīrūpaṃ samparityajya hareṇoktaḥ pradarśaya ||
Thus Vishnu spoke; then, along with all the gods, he assumed the form of a woman, and, as commanded by Hari, displayed her.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 18
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 18
दर्शयामास रुद्राय स्त्रीरूपं भगवान हरिः । मायया मोहितः शम्भुः गौरीं त्यक्त्वा स्त्रियं गतः ।।
darśayāmāsa rudrāya strīrūpaṃ bhagavān hariḥ | māyayā mohitaḥ śambhuḥ gaurīṃ tyaktvā striyaṃ gataḥ ||
The Lord Hari showed Rudra the woman’s form. Deceived by illusion, Śambhu (Shiva) abandoning Gaurī assumed the female body.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 19
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 19
नग्न उन्मत्तरूपो ऽभूत स्त्रियः केशानधारयत । अगाद्विमुच्य केशान स्त्री अन्वधावच्च ताङ्गताम ।।
nagna unmattarūpo 'bhūt striyaḥ keśānadhārayat | agādvimucya keśān strī anvadhāvacca tāṅgatām ||
The women were naked and appeared frenzied; they wore their hair loose. Having let their hair down and released restraint, the women ran after him in pursuit.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 20
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 20
स्खलितं तस्य वीर्यं कौ यत्र यत्र हरस्य हि । तत्र तत्राभवत क्षेत्रं लिङ्गानां कनकस्य च ।।
skhalitaṃ tasya vīryaṃ kau yatra yatra harasya hi | tatra tatrābhavat kṣetraṃ liṅgānāṃ kanakasya ca ||
His virility spilled everywhere; wherever Shiva’s seed fell, there those places became fields of lingams and of gold.
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 21
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 21
मायेयमिति तां ज्ञात्वा स्वरूपस्थो ऽभवद्धरः । शिवमाह हरी रुद्र जिता माया त्वया हि मे ।।
māyeyamiti tāṃ jñātvā svarūpastho 'bhavaddharaḥ | śivamāha harī rudra jitā māyā tvayā hi me ||
Knowing that this is māyā, Dhara, remaining in his own form, said: “O Hari, O Rudra, Shiva — māyā is conquered by you.”
Chapter 3 — kūrmāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 22
Agni Purana · Chapter 3 · Verse 22
न जेतुमेनां शक्तो मे त्वदृते ऽन्यः पुमान भुवि । अप्राप्याथामृतं दैत्या देवैर युद्धे निपातिताः । त्रिदिवस्थाः सुराश्चासन यः पठेत त्रिदिवं व्रजेत ।।
na jetumenāṃ śakto me tvadṛte 'nyaḥ pumān bhuvi | aprāpyāthāmṛtaṃ daityā devair yuddhe nipātitāḥ | tridivasthāḥ surāścāsan yaḥ paṭhet tridivaṃ vrajet ||
No man on earth can conquer them in the way you do; the daityas, deprived of immortality, fell in battle against the gods. Those three-day-dwelling gods sat; whoever recites this for three days attains the threefold heaven.