॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Thursday, 6 October 2022 - III.13 - The incarnation of Varaha, the boar.
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It is common knowledge among practising Hindus that Maha Vishnu took up the famous ten avataras in different time periods for achieving specific objectives. As He says in the Srimad Bhagavadgita, whenever there is a rise of Adharma and Dharma needs protection or restoration, He comes as an avatara. The avataras are shaped according to the need. For example, He comes as the man-lion to overcome the boons given to the demon Hiranyakashipu, He comes as a human to defeat Ravana. We read of all these avataras in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
We have now come to the Varaha avatara. This is the boar. There are famous temples to Varaha or Adivaraha, one of them in the Mysore palace compound which predates the palace by a few hundred years! There is also a famous one in Halasi near Belgaum, built at least 1000 years ago.
The master story-teller Sage Vyasa resorts to sublime poetry in his narrative here. It is a common feature of great scriptures that when the description is sacred or central to the story, the choice of poetry and metre changes.
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Svayambhuva (means son of Svayambhu or Brahma) Manu, when he is created, asks Brahma most reverentially what is his mandate. Brahma is mightily pleased with the culture and respect displayed already by Manu. He directs him that he should populate the world with his consort Shatarupa, and rule his kingdom and his citizens in an ideal way. He says, “Oh, my heroic son, remember that whatever you do should be as a yajna to worship of the Supreme Being, Purusha.” Manu is very devoted to Bhagavan and assures his father that he will do so.
By the way, we are all called Manavas because we can all be traced back to our most ancient forefather, Manu!
But there is a big problem. There is no land mass around. The reason is that Mother Earth has been kidnapped and hidden in the netherworld, the depths of the ocean. Manu asks how and where he can build his kingdom since there is no land in sight, as the earth remains at the bottom of the ocean!
Brahma is non-plussed. What can he do? He realises that while he has been busy in creating various entities and phenomena, the earth has slipped into the ocean. He immediately prays to the Lord to give a solution.
Just then, a small-sized boar, indeed insignificant in size, emerges from Brahma’s nostril. As Brahma, Manu, and all the sages stand astonished, the boar grows to immense proportions! The boar is now as big as a huge mountain.
ब्रह्माणं हर्षयामास हरिस्तांश्च द्विजोत्तमान् । स्वगर्जितेन ककुभ: प्रतिस्वनयता विभु: ॥
T: Lord Sri Hari delighted Brahma, the sages and Manu by letting out a terrific roar, which echoed in the whole universe. Now everyone knew this was Bhagavan Himself.
The sages began to chant hymns in praise of the Lord. Varaha, or the gigantic boar incarnation of Maha Vishnu, prepared to dive into the ocean, roaring again in acknowledgement of their hymns.
उत्क्षिप्तवाल: खचर: कठोर: सटा विधुन्वन् खररोमशत्वक् । खुराहताभ्र: सितदंष्ट्र ईक्षाज्योतिर्बभासे भगवान्महीध्र: ॥
T: Varaha flew into the sky, swishing His tail, His hairs quivering, his eyes luminous, as He burst into the clouds, dispersing them, with His hooves and tusks. He was using His smell sense ( as does a boar) to locate where the Earth lay, hidden. He then plunged into the ocean at terrific speed.
As the mountainous Varaha dived in, the ocean split in two as it were, splashing into high waves. The poet Vyasa says that those waves rose like arms raised in supplication by the ocean saying, “Oh Lord, the Master of yajnas, don’t rend me, please save me!”
Soon Varaha spotted Earth on the ocean floor. He simply lifted Earth on His huge tusks. As He rose, lifting up Earth, the demon Hiranyaksha tried to stop Him. It was he who had abducted Earth. Vyasa says Varaha’s rage at Hiranyaksha was as fearsome as the spinning Sudarshana chakra. In one stroke, He killed Hiranyaksha. As Varaha emerged from the waters, the blood of Hiranyaksha was smeared all over His face. As always is His wont, Varaha the avatara of Maha Vishnu looked playful and awesome, balancing Earth on His two giant white tusks.
T: The sages prayed:
“Oh, unconquerable Lord, the enjoyer of all sacrifices, the personification of the Vedas! Glory to You! It is as if in Your hair pores You hold the oceans. We realise that You have become Varaha the boar only to resurrect Earth. You can be worshipped through Yajnas but miscreants know it not. All Vedic hymns like Gayatri are touched by your skin. Your hairs are Kusha grass (used in Homa) and Your eyes are the ghee for Homa. Your tongue, nostrils, ears, throat and belly are the Yajna utensils. Your chewing is the Agnihotra. (They go on making more comparisons to the Yajna of the various body parts of Varaha.)Oh, Lord, we offer our obeisances unto You. You can be realized by the pure mind freed from all visible and invisible material contamination. We offer our respectful obeisances to You as the supreme spiritual master of knowledge in devotional service.वैराग्यभक्त्यात्मजयानुभावितज्ञानाय विद्यागुरवे नमो नम: ॥Oh Lord, the Guru of all learning, we pray again and again to You who can be realised only by dispassion and detachment, devotion, and mastery over one’s own tendencies!You appear oh, Lord, like an elephant rising from the water, with the beautiful Earth as a resplendent lotus with leaves being poised on Your tusks!Oh, Lord, this Earth is home to all moving and non-moving forms. She is your consort and our mother, and You, our father. You have invested Your potency in her like an expert Yajna performer produces fire from Arani wood.Who else, but You, oh, Lord, could have resurrected Earth!? You are the Master Creator of this universe!We dwell in the higher, more auspicious Lokas, but even we have been sanctified by the sprinkling of waters from Your hairs as You shake Your body.It is foolhardy to try to know You! Show mercy on us, oh, Lord!
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Sage Maitreya concluded: “The Lord placed Earth in a stable, safe way on the water where she rested. Then He returned to His abode. Whoever hears this narrative is blessed. There is nothing more to be achieved by anyone after the Lord has been pleased by him. All else is insignificant. The Lord emancipates anyone expressing true devotion. Who, other than one who is not a human being, can exist in this world and not be interested in the ultimate goal of life? Who can refuse the nectar of these narratives about the Lord’s activities, which by itself can deliver one from all material cravings?"
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
