Desikasthothramala- Dasavatarasthothram

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3.avyaasuH bhuvanathrayeem anibhrtham

kandooyanaiH adhriNaa

nidhraaNasya parasya koormavapushaH

niSsvaasavaathormayaH

yath vikshepaNa samskrthodhDhipayaH

prenkhola paryankikaa

nithyaarohaNa nirvrtho viharathe

dhevaH sahaivaSriyaa

 

May

the waves of the wind of the breath of the tortoise form of the Supreme Being, who is sleeping due to the scratching

sensation by the rotating mountain and who is ever enjoying on the swinging bed

created by the waves agitated by his breath along with Lakshmi, protect the

three worlds.

 

niSsvaasa vaathormayaH the

waves, oormayah of the wind, vaatha, of the breath, niSSvaasa

 

koormavapushaH – Of the tortoise form (vapuh means body)

 

parasya-Of the Supreme Purusha, Narayana

 

nidhraaNasya- who is sleeping

 

kandooyamaanaiH- due to the scratching

 

 

adhriNaa- by the mandhara mountain, adhri, on His back

 

anibhrtham- moving continuously

 

 

avyaasuH –may protect

 

bhuvanathrayeem- the three worlds,

 

 

yathvikshepaNasamsskrthodhaDhipyahprenkhola

paryankikaa

 

nithyarohananirvrthaH- climbing, aarohana,

on the swinging, prenkhola, bed, paryankikaa, due to the udhadDhipayah , the water of the ocean,

samskrtha, well shaken by the

oscillations vikshepaNa , of which, yath, (the wind of the breath)

 

viharathe- sports

 

dhevaH – the Lord

 

 

sahaiva Sriyaa- along with Lakshmi.

 

Koormavathara

is described in this sloka.

 

The

Lord assuming the form of the tortoise supports the mandhara mountain on His

back which was churned by the devas and asuras to get nectar. The incessant

movement of the mountain on His back was enjoyable to the Lord like scratching

his back and He sleeps soundly. The wind created by His breath agitates the

waters of the ocean and it is like a swinging bed for the Lord who enjoys playing

on it with Lakshmi.

 

Srimadbhagavatham

describes the Koormavathra as follows.

The

Lord appeared as a large tortoise one lakh yojanas wide like an island, laksha yojanaprasthaariNaa dhveepam iva

aparo mahaan. (SB.8.7.9)Hence the mountain was just like a back scratching

rod for Him. thadhaavarthanam aadhi

kacChapaH mene angakandooyanam9 (SB.8.7.10)

The Lord who was the aadhikacChapa,

felt that the revolving of the mountain was scratching Him. The word aadhikacChapa ( ancient tortoise),

refers the form of tortoise with which

the Lord bears the universe on His back in the beginning of creation.