Adikurma (आदिकूर्म, IAST: Ādikūrma) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “The primordial Tortoise; the original Kurma avatara”. From 'ādi' (first, primordial) and 'kūrma' (tortoise), this name enshrines Vishnu's second major avatara in which He assumed the form of a colossal tortoise to support Mount Mandara during the churning of the cosmic ocean.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Ādi conveys 'the very first' or 'the original,' while kūrma is the Sanskrit word for tortoise — together they identify Vishnu as the archetypal Tortoise-incarnation who preceded all subsequent divine descents. In the Samudra Manthan episode of the Puranas, the great mountain rested upon His back, making His form quite literally the foundation of cosmic endeavour. The name thus speaks simultaneously of patience, immovable steadiness, and self-sacrificing support.

Lord Vishnu bears this epithet specifically in recognition of the Kūrma Avatara celebrated in the Bhagavata and Vishnu Puranas; it is also the presiding name of the Kūrma Purana itself. Pronounced Aa-di-koor-ma, it is usable as a devotional given name, particularly in Vaishnava families.

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Scriptural source

Adikurma appears in the Vishnu Sahasranama, among the sacred names of Vishnu.

Astrology — nakshatra, rashi & numerology

By the standard Vedic correspondence between a name’s first syllable and the lunar mansion, Adikurma aligns with the Krittika nakshatra, under the Mesha rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 3.