Varaha Avatar

Origin:
•In Satya Yuga, Jaya and Vijaya were born as demon brothers Hiranyakashipu and
Hiranyaksha.
• Hiranyaksha, granted a boon by Lord Brahma, became reckless and wreaked
havoc on gods and mortals. Realizing the power of human devotion, he displaced
Earth, weakening the gods. Manu and Shatarupa prayed to Lord Brahma, who
suggested seeking Lord Vishnu's help.
•Lord Brahma meditated on Lord Vishnu and a small boar came out of his nostrils
and started growing larger and larger immediately, soon to be the size of a
mountain.
•This was the Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu who promised Lord Brahma and others
that he would save Earth from the cosmic waters and kill Hiranyaksh.
•The reason behind Lord Vishnu taking the form of a boar was that while
Hiranyaksh mentioned all the animals and living beings to be protected from, he
forgot to mention boar.
•As Varaha charged to the depths of the cosmic ocean to save mother earth,
Hiranyaksh challenged various Gods to fight with him. God of water, Varuna,
suggested that he himself is too old to fight, therefore instead of him, Hiranyaksha
should fight Lord Vishnu.
There are various versions of the origin story of varaha avatara
• One of the version is in Ramayana when Vasistha rishi tells shri ram that " In
beginning all was water out of that water arose Brahma the self existent who
become a boar (emusha) and lifted up the earth. According to the Ramayana
hence the uplifter of earth was Brahma (Prajapati) and not Vishnu.
• Bhagawatapurana it is said that with a view to
create the universe, the Lord of Sacrifice become desirious of lifting up the earth
which had sunk into lower region assumed the form of boar. Here act of
lifting earth is attributed to Vishnu.
•Linga purana and Garuda purana mention brahma as the uplifter of earth
from ocean but they at same time identify brahma with Vishnu.
•There are many versions of the origin story of Vishnu’s Varaha avatar, the oldest
one coming from older Vedic texts that claim Varaha was a form
of Prajapati (Brahma). The later scriptures, though, attribute Varaha as being the
Yash Vaichal
•Sculptured figures comprise
three different conceptional
types of Avatar
• Bhuvaraha
• Adivaraha
• Yajna varaha
• Pralaya varaha
• Traditional Varaha Boar form
emerging from the cosmic ocean,
rescuing the Earth Standing
Varaha Depiction of Varaha
standing instead of emerging from Yoga Varaha
the water.
• Yoga Varaha Varaha portrayed in
a yogic posture, emphasizing a Lakshmi Varaha
meditative aspect
• Chaturbhuja Varaha Varaha
depicted with four arms, each
holding symbolic objects
• Lakshmi Varaha Varaha shown
with the goddess Lakshmi, either
seated or standing Chaturbhuja Varaha
• Linga Varaha Varaha associated The Emergence of Varaha, the Boar-Incarnation of
with the worship of Shiva, often Vishnu, Folio from a Bhagavata Purana series.
with a Shiva Linga
 Varaha probably represents Chandragupta II — who,
it is implied, began a new cycle of time through his
prowess just as the god did.
This analogy of the king as Varaha rapidly spread
through South Asia. Though the Guptas had
produced the image in response to their political
challenges, the mythology of Varaha was
sufficiently universal for it to be transposed to
new political contexts. According to legend,
Varaha had rescued the earth goddess from the
primordial flood and defeated the demon
Hiranyaksha. The god was then believed to have
married the goddess, and this rescue inaugurated
a new era.
Deccan dynasties produced some of the most
remarkable examples of the identification of
rulers with Varaha. The Early Western Chalukyas
commissioned images of the divine boar from
as early as the sixth century CE; the boar was
their dynastic emblem, and verses to Varaha
inaugurated their land grant inscriptions from
the mid-seventh century onwards. The
500-1100 CE Chalukyas even adopted a unique imperial title
identifying themselves with Varaha. This
• Sculptures depicting this scene produced title, Sri-Prithivi-Vallabha, translates roughly to
“The Fortunate Lord of the Earth” or to
across the sub continent by royal courts.Most
“Fortune’s Favourite and Earth’s Beloved”: as a Chalukya badami Cave temple
earliest examples can be seen in the caves
form of Vishnu, Varaha is married both to the
at Udayagiri, Madhya Pradesh comission by
goddess of fortune (Sri) and the goddess of
Gupta dynasty. Udayagiri was an important
earth (Prithvi). The implication is that the
ritual centre for Guptas.
• Gupta Chalukya kings, like Vishnu, had a husband’s
rights over both fortune and land, and could
emperor Chandragupta II commissioned
distribute it to their vassals as they saw fit. As
large sculptureof Varaha trampling a
the Chalukyas ruled the first imperial polity in
serpent.
• A inscription nearby suggests that the scene present-day northern Karnataka, such a claim —
with its links to royal deities — helped establish
was meant to honor the emperor's victory
their legitimacy and distinguish them from their
Dynastic emblem in Chalukya dynasty of vara
Chalukya sculptures of Varaha had much thinner limbs than their Gupta predecessors and were more ornately decorated with jewellery. They also tend to
have four arms, with the two rear arms bearing a conch shell and discus — the most recognisable emblems of Vishnu. The Chalukya Varaha wears a
towering golden crown and necklaces of precious gems and pearls and usually bears a lotus in his hand upon which Prithvi stands. Examples of this scene
can be seen in all the dynasty’s major centres, but especially in the cave temples Badami and the structural temples at Aryapura (present-day Aihole).
The image of Varaha rescuing Prithvi continued to be used for centuries after; every major imperial dynasty used it in the medieval period, including the
ninth-century Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta (present-day Malkhed, Karnataka), the twelfth-century Chaulukyas of Anahilavada (present-day Patan, Gujarat)
and the thirteenth-century Hoysalas of Dvarasamudra (present-day Halebidu, Karnataka). It then gradually lost its preeminence as a royal emblem in the
early modern period, which saw the evolution of new alliances between religious centres (particularly those dedicated to the god Krishna) and royalty.

Vijaynagar empire flag

Although not praised these days
much, Varaha was a significant symbol
of Power and might during the Indian
middle ages. The mighty Hindu
empire, the Vijaynagar Empire, stood
against the Islamic invasion, stopping
the green tide in 1336. They have
given Varaha, a proud place on their
flag, in the form of wild boar. When
this sun- moon-dagger and boar flag
flattered high on the battlefield, it
used to strike fear in the eyes of
Rashtrakuta Dynasty of Manyakheta, Ellora Islamic forces, surrounding the
Vijaynagar empire. Hoysalas were Flag holders of Dharma
during the southern invasion of the
Khilji Dynasty.
Varaha, once a popular, but now forgotten god, found a place on their gorgeous temples. These Varaha sculptures are Purana lessons in themselves.
Here, you can see, that the whole story is trapped in beautiful Prabhaval, or, an ornate arch. Twelve-handed Vishnu, along with his beloved Panchajanya
Conch, Sudarshan Chakra, Lotus, and Kaumodaki mace, holding few other weapons like Vajra, bow, and arrow. His face is beautifully carved as a wild
bore, with two tusks coming out from his mouth. His snout is visible, just like a boar. He gently upholds the earth, in the form of a woman (Bhu-Devi) on
his left shoulder, and by supporting her with one hand. Beneath his feet, you will see the demon Hiranyaksha, holding a sword, just before dying. His
fangs are out as he cries in pain while his eyes cannot withstand the weight of Varaha. Under another foot, some other demon, holding a sword and shield
is trying to escape the angry boar. Although the statue is badly
One more damaged,
statue you can
can be found feel its grace. temple, Somnathpura, where Varaha has four hands.
in Chennakesava
In his upper two, he is holding beautifully carved Chakra and conch shell. Kirtimukha has been
depicted on these two powerful symbols of Vishnu. In the other two hands, he is carefully holding a
slightly elongated globe, that is, our earth.

Six avatar of lord Vishnu Nuggehalli temple, Karnataka

 Varaha Statue at Khajuraho

In a creation myth, Vishnu took

the form of a boar to rescue
Bhuvedi, the Earth goddess
from the depths of the
primordial waters. In this
sculpture, Bhudevi stands to
the right of the boar’s head,
while a serpent-goddess
(nagini) appears in front. Rows
of sages, deities and other
figures appear on the body of
the cosmic boar. The prominent
conch shell, discus and mace
below are all symbols
dark-brownish-grey of
stone
Vishnu.
2nd half of the 9th century - 1st half of the 10th
century
North ADof Madhya Pradesh
part
 Varaha Cave Temple,
Mahabalipuram
The temple was commissioned by King Narsimhavarman II in the
mid 7th century.
The Varaha Cave Temple is a small monolithic rock-cut temple with
Varaha. Durga Temple, Aihole Vishnu's Ellora Cave 14
a mandapa carved into the rock face of pink granite formations.
boar avatar lifts Bhu Devi on the crook of
his arm, while standing on the nagas
(snakes).
8th Century
Reference
https://youtu.be/rIO9yEAefks?si=K1kgasf8IcIi4EdO
https://mapacademy.io/vishnu-as-varaha-the-divine-boar-from-the-medieval-to-modern/
https://drifteradwait.com/varaha-the-celestial-boar/