Varaha (Sanskrit: वराह, "boar") is the avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu in form of a boar. It is third in the Dashavatara, ten principal avatars of Vishnu. When the demon Hiranyaksha stole the earth (personified as the goddess Bhudevi) and hid her in the primordial waters, Vishnu appeared as Varaha to rescue her. Varaha slew the demon and retrieved the Earth from the ocean, lifting it on his tusks, and restored Bhudevi to her place in the universe.
Varaha may be depicted as completely a boar or in an anthropomorphic form, with a boar's head and human body. His consort, Bhudevi, the earth, is often depicted as a young woman, lifted by Varaha. The earth may be depicted as a mass of land too.
Like Vishnu's first two avatars - Matsya (fish) and Kurma (tortoise), the third avatar Varaha is depicted either in zoomorphic form as an animal (a wild boar), or anthropomorphically. The main difference in the anthropomorphic form portrayal is that the first two avatars are depicted with a torso of a man and the bottom half as animal, while Varaha has an animal (boar) head and a human body.[1][2] The portrayal of the anthropomorphic Varaha is similar to the fourth avatar Narasimha (portrayed as a lion-headed man), who is the first avatar of Vishnu that is not completely animal.
Zoomorphic Varaha, Khajuraho.
In the zoomorphic form, Varaha is often depicted as a free-standing boar colossus, for example, the monolithic sculpture of Varaha in Khajuraho (c. 900-925) made in sand stone, is 2.6 metres (8 ft 6 in) long and 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) high.[3] The sculpture may not resemble a boar realistically and have his features altered for stylistic purposes. The earth personified as the goddess Bhudevi clings to one of Varaha's tusks. Often the colossus is decorated by miniature figurines of gods and goddesses and other world creatures appearing all over his body, which signify the whole creation. Such sculptures are found in Eran, Muradpur, Badoh, Gwalior, Jhansi and Apasadh.
In the anthropomorphic form, Varaha often has a stylized boar face, like the zoomorphic models. The snout may be shorter and position and size of the tusks altered. The ears, cheeks and eyes are generally are based on human ones. Early sculptors in Udayagiri and Eran faced the issue of how to attach the boar head to the human body and did not show a human neck. However, in Badami, the problem was resolved with an presence of a human neck. While some sculptures show a mane, it is dropped and replaced by a high conical crown, typical of Vishnu iconography in others. Varaha sculptures generally look up to the right; there are very rare instances of left-facing Varaha.
Varaha has four arms, two of which hold the Sudarshana chakra (discus) and shankha (conch), while the other two hold a gada (mace), a sword, or a lotus or one of them makes the varadamudra (gesture of blessing). Varaha may be depicted all of Vishnu'a attributes in his four hands: the Sudarshana chakra, the shankha, the gada and the lotus. Sometimes, Varaha may carry only two of Vishnu's attributes: a shankha and the gada personified as a female called Gadadevi. Varaha is often shown with a muscular physique and heroic pose. He is often depicted triumphantly emerging from the ocean
The earth may be personified as the goddess Bhudevi in Indian sculpture. Bhudevi is often shown as a small figure in the icon. She may be seated or be dangling from one of Varaha's tusks or is seated on the corner of his folded elbow or his shoulder and supports herself against the tusk or the snout, as being lifted from the waters. In later Indian paintings, the whole earth or a part of it is depicted lifted up by Varaha's tusks. In Mahabalipuram, a rare portrayal shows an affectionate Varaha looking down to Bhudevi, who he carries in his arms. The earth may be portrayed as a globe, a flat stretch of mountainous land or an elaborate forest landscape with buildings, temples, humans, birds and animals. The defeated demon may be also depicted trampled under Varaha's feet or being killed in combat by Varaha's gada. Nagas (snake gods) and their consorts Naginis (snake goddesses), residents of the underworld, may be depicted as swimming in the ocean with hands folded as a mark of devotion. Varaha may be also depicted standing on a snake or other minor creatures, denoting the waters.
Two iconographical forms of Varaha are popular. Yajna Varaha, as denoting Yajna (sacrifice), is seated on a lion-throne and flanked by his consorts Bhudevi and Lakshmi. As Pralaya Varaha, indicative of lifting the earth from the stage of the pralaya or dissolution of the universe, he is dedicated only with Bhudevi. Varaha may be depicted with Lakshmi alone too. In such sculptures, he may be depicted identical to Vishnu in terms of iconography with his Vishnu's attributes; the boar head identifying the icon as Varaha. Lakshmi may be seated on his thigh in such portrayals.
Varaha often features in the Dashavatara stele, where the ten major avatars of Vishnu are portrayed, sometimes surrounding the god. In the Vaikuntha Vishnu (four headed Vishnu) images, the boar is shown as the left part of the head. Varaha's shakti (energy or consort) is the Matrika (mother goddess) Varahi, who is depicted with a boar head like the god.
The earliest versions of the legend are found in the Taittiriya Aranyaka and the Shatapatha Brahmana. They narrate that universe was filled with the primordial waters and the earth was the size of a hand and was trapped in it. The god Prajapati (the creator-god Brahma) in the form of a boar (varaha) plunges into the waters and brings the earth out. He also marries the earth thereafter. The Shatapatha Brahmana calls the boar as Emusha. The epic Ramayana and the Vishnu Purana, considered sometimes as the oldest of the Puranas, are the first to associate Varaha with Vishnu.
Various Puranas including the Agni Purana, the Bhagavata Purana, the Devi Bhagavata Purana, the Padma Purana, the Varaha Purana, the Vayu Purana and the Vishnu Purana narrate the legend of Varaha with some variations.
The gate-keepers of Vishnu's abode Vaikuntha, Jaya and Vijaya were cursed by the Four Kumaras, sages who roamed the world in the form of children, to be born as asuras (demons). They were born on earth as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu to the sage Kashyapa and his wife Diti and were one of the Daityas, a race of demons originating from Diti. The demon brothers were manifestations of pure evil and created havoc in the universe. The elder brother Hiranyaksha practised tapas (austerities) and was blessed by Brahma with a boon that made him indestructible by any animal and human forms in the world. He and his brother tormented the inhabitants of earth as well as the gods and engaged in war with the gods. Hiranyaksha took the earth (personified as the goddess Bhudevi) and hid her in the primordial waters. In some versions of the tale, the earth gives a loud cry of distress as she was kidnapped by the demon; in others she, assumes the form of a cow and appealed to Vishnu to rescue her from the clutches of the demon. In some variants, the distressed gods led by Brahma along with the sages go to Vishnu for help.In some versions, the kidnap of the earth by Hiranyaksha is dropped. Instead, the earth sinks on her own to Rasatala (underworld) due to the weight of the mountains or due to the torture of the demons.
Since Hiranyaksha had not included the boar in the list of animals that would not be able to kill him, Vishnu assumed this form with huge tusks and went down to the primordial ocean. In the Bhagavata Purana, Varaha emerges as a tiny beast (a size of a thumb) from the nostrils of Brahma, but soon starts to grow. Varaha's size increases to that of an elephant and then to that of an enormous mountain. The scriptures also emphasize his gigantic size. The Vayu Purana describes Varaha as 10 yojanas (The range of a yojana is disputed and ranges between 6–15 kilometres (3.7–9.3 mi)) in width and a 1000 yojanas in height. He is large as a mountain and blazing like the sun. Dark like a rain cloud in complexion, his tusks are white, sharp and fearsome. He is also described as of a body size encompassing space between the earth and the sky. His thunderous roar is frightening. In one instance, his mane is so fiery and fearsome that Varuna, the god of the waters, requests Varaha to save him from it. Varaha complies and folds his mane.
Rock-cut sculpture of Varaha at the Udayagiri Caves, near Vidisha, carved when the city was a provincial capital of the Gupta Empire. One of the earliest anthropomorphic sculptures shows Bhudevi clinging to Varaha's tusk as Varaha emerges from the ocean.
In the ocean, Varaha encounters Hiranyaksha, who obstructs his path and challenges him for a duel. In some versions, the demon also mocks Varaha as the beast and warns him not to touch earth. Ignoring the demon's threats, Varaha lifts the earth on his tusks. Hiranyaksha charges towards the boar in rage with a mace. The two fiercely fight with maces. Finally, Varaha slays the demon after a thousand-year duel. Varaha rises from the ocean with the earth in his tusks and places her gently above it in her original position, as the gods and the sages sing Varaha's praises.
Further, the earth goddess Bhudevi falls in love with her rescuer Varaha. Vishnu - in his Varaha form - marries Bhudevi, making her one of the consorts of Vishnu. In one narrative, Vishnu and Bhudevi indulge in vigorous embraces and as a result, Bhudevi becomes fatigued and faints, sinking a little in the primordial ocean. Vishnu again acquires the form of Varaha and rescues her, reinstating her in her original position above the waters.Some scriptures state that Bhudevi gives birth to Varaha's son, an asura called Narakasura.
The scripture Varaha Purana is believed to be narrated by Vishnu to Bhudevi, as Varaha. The Purana is devoted more to the "myths and genealogies" connected to the worship of Vishnu.
Some Shaiva Puranas narrate a tale in which the god Shiva defeats Varaha, a clear indication of the conflict between Vaishnavism (who consider Vishnu as the Supreme Being) and Shaivism (who venerate Shiva as the Supreme One), both of which are sects of Hindu religion.In the Kalika Purana, Varaha had amorous dalliance with Bhudevi. He and his three boar sons then create mayhem in the world, which necessitates Shiva to take the form of Sharabha, to kill Varaha. Even, Vishnu requests Shiva to destroy Varaha, unable to control his own form. Then, Narasimha (the lion-man avatar of Vishnu, who is often described in scriptures to be the victim of Sharabha's wrath) appears to aid Varaha. Sharabha kills Narasimha first and then kills Varaha, allowing Vishnu to reabsorb the energies of both his fierce forms. Finally, Vishnu defeats Sharabha.
Coin with Varaha (Vishnu Avatar) on a Gurjara-Pratihara coin 850-900 CE, British Museum.
