Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 28
Kūrma Supports Mandara; Hālahala Appears; Śiva Becomes Nīlakaṇṭha
कुक्षि: समुद्रा गिरयोऽस्थिसङ्घा रोमाणि सर्वौषधिवीरुधस्ते । छन्दांसि साक्षात् तव सप्त धातव- स्त्रयीमयात्मन् हृदयं सर्वधर्म: ॥ २८ ॥
kukṣiḥ samudrā girayo ’sthi-saṅghā romāṇi sarvauṣadhi-vīrudhas te chandāṁsi sākṣāt tava sapta dhātavas trayī-mayātman hṛdayaṁ sarva-dharmaḥ
O lord, you are the three Vedas personified. The seven seas are your abdomen, and the mountains are your bones. All drugs, creepers and vegetables are the hairs on your body, the Vedic mantras like Gāyatrī are the seven layers of your body, and the Vedic religious system is the core of your heart.
FAQs
This verse describes the cosmos as the Lord’s body—oceans as His belly, mountains as His bones, plants as His hairs—showing that all creation rests within and upon Him.
Amid the turmoil of Samudra Manthan, the devas sought Viṣṇu’s shelter and guidance, praising Him as the Vedic source and the foundation of dharma so He would protect and empower their divine work.
See the world as sacred and connected to God, and let dharma guide decisions—treat nature and living beings with reverence, and align daily actions with truthfulness, compassion, and responsibility.