The cartilaginous bronchial tubes could also be imagined as “tortoises--”(kurma) entities having a “shell” of hyaline cartilage. There could be both a static and dynamic representation of such a visualization.
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In the first instance, we have a hierarchy of tortoises with the primary bronchus being the best and “noblest” among all these kurmas. Each of the bronchi would be having its own name and unique identity.
In the second case, we would view the primary bronchus as changing form and location (travelling, as it were). A collection of bronchi at a level would be viewed with aggregative vision as one entity, with its various members being the parts of that entity. Thus, with an increase or decrease of such parts, we could have corresponding changes in the size of an entity. Therefore, the Pauranika could say that what started out as a small kurma gradually began to increase in size and eventually covered the entire (respiratory) world.
