Is planet Earth on top of four elephants which in turn are on the top of a giant turtle?
What does this mean?
Scriptures are based on seven stage muscle tone based thinking. The fourth stage is symbolized by water and represents Vishnu.
Vishnu is the Preserver and keeps life between a lower limit called Positive attitude and an upper limit called Negative attitude.
The Positive attitude is symbolized by turtle and the Negative attitude by Earth.
In Kurma or Turtle incarnation Vishnu prevents the ocean floor from sinking. The ocean floor symbolizes the Positive attitude.
In Varaha incarnation Vishnu restores the Earth from the bottom of the ocean floor, hidden there by the demon Hiranyaksha. Earth here symbolizes our Negative attitude.
If our Negative attitude below our Positive attitude we will feel that we have achieved more than enough and therefore, we won’t feel like doing anything. Vishnu restores the Negative attitude to its default level.
Purusha / Vishnu are three dimensional at the level of the navel. The four elephants symbolize this fact.
Thus, the Earth on top of four elephants, which in turn are on a giant turble symbolize the default state of human mind.