This article contains Indic text. Without rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes or other symbols instead of Indic characters; or irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts.

Varaha Incarnation of Vishnu as a Boar Sculpture of Varaha from Khajuraho Devanagari: वाराह Affiliation: Avatar of Vishnu Weapon: Chakra and Mace Consort: Prithvi

Varaha (Sanskrit: वाराह) is the third avatar of Vishnu, in the form of a boar, who appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth (prthivi) and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Lord Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to have lasted for a thousand years, which the former finally won. Varaha carried the Earth out of the ocean between his tusks and restored it to its place in the universe. Vishnu married Prithvi (Bhudevi) in this avatar.

Varaha is depicted in art as either purely animal or as being anthropomorphic, having a boar's head on a man's body. In the latter form he has four arms, two of which hold the wheel and conch-shell while the other two hold a mace, sword or lotus or make a gesture (or "mudra") of blessing. The Earth is held between the boar's tusks.

The avatar symbolizes the resurrection of the Earth from a pralaya (deluge) and the establishment of a new kalpa (cosmic cycle).

The Varaha Purana is a Purana in which the form of narration is a recitation by Varaha.

Temples dedicated to Varaha

Varaha (the boar-headed Vishnu avatar), on a Pratihara coin. 850-900 CE. British Museum.

• Srimushnam - This temple in Tamil Nadu named is considered a swayambhu murthi, as are Tirupati and Badrinath.

• Sri Varaham - in Trivandrum, near South Fort.

• Thiruvidandai- In this temple near Chennai Varaha is also called Nityakalyana Perumal. It is famous for marriages and is one of the Divya desam.

• Tirupati - Sri VarahaMurthy Temple at Tirupati is considered to be a very ancient temple. Pilgrims should first worship Lord Varaha and then Lord Venkateswara. It is also know as Aadhi Varaha Kshetra.

• ThirukKalvanoor - Aadhi Varaha Perumal in Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram.

Other Names

• Bhuvaraghan
• Varaghan
• Varha
• YagnaVaraha
• SreeVaraham
• AdhiVaraha

See also

• Narasimha
• Sila (murthi)
• Tulsi

External links

• The Battle Between Lord Boar (Varaha) and the Demon Hiranyaksha (vedabase.net)

Hinduism
Dashavatara of Vishnu
Matsya · Kurma · Varaha · Narasimha · Vamana · Parashurama · Rama · Krishna · Balarama · Buddha · Kalki

Donate to Wikimedia