page_title: Varaha
section_title: Other legends and textual references
hierarchical_section_title: Varaha / Legends and scriptural references / Other legends and textual references
caption_attribution_description: varaha Halebid
context_page_description: Varaha is the avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a boar. Varaha is generally listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu.
  Varaha is most commonly associated with the legend of lifting the Earth out of the cosmic ocean. When the demon Hiranyaksha stole the earth 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 the human body. His consort, Bhudevi, the earth, is often depicted as a young woman, lifted by Varaha.
context_section_description: The Linga Purana, the Shiva Purana and the Maheshvara Khanda Book of the Skanda Purana mention Vishnu taking the Varaha form in the tale of the origin of the linga (the aniconic symbol of Shiva). Once, Brahma and Vishnu contest for superiority. An infinite, fiery pillar signifying the linga appears. Brahma as a hamsa (swan) flies up to find its top; while Varaha as large boar went lower to search its base. However, both fail the ends of the linga. Shiva appears in the place of linga and enlightens them that he is the Supreme Being. The Shiva Purana says that Vishnu chose the boar form due to the beast's inborn ability to burrow. It also notes that the current kalpa is known as Varaha-kalpa due to Vishnu's form as Varaha in the beginning of the kalpa. This tale is iconographically depicted in the Lingodbhava icon of Shiva as emerging from a cosmic pillar, while Vishnu as Varaha is seen at the base going down and Brahma as a swan flying at the top. The Lingodbhava icon of the Shiva-worshipping Shaiva sect was aimed to counter the avatar theory of Vishnu that presented him as the Supreme Being. The icon elevated Shiva to the Supreme Being position and demoted Vishnu as inferior to Shiva by belittling the Varaha avatar. Similarly, the Sharabha form of Shiva offset Narasimha, the lion-man avatar of Vishnu.
  Another legend in the minor Purana named Kalika Purana also depicts the sectarian conflicts between the Vaishnava followers of Vishnu and the Shaiva sect of Shiva. Varaha lifts the sunken earth by piercing his tusk through her. He then assumes the form of the seven-hooded serpent Shesha (Ananta) and supports the earth on one of his hoods. Thereafter, Varaha and Bhudevi enjoy amorous dalliance as Varaha and Varahi. They have three boar sons named Suvrtta, Kanaka, and Ghora. Varaha and his progeny create mayhem in the world. The gods go to Varaha to abandon his boar form. Vishnu requests Shiva to take the form of Sharabha (also called Varaha Shiva), to kill the body of Varaha and the three sources of havoc. The retinues of Sharabha and Varaha, aided by Narasimha, fight. In the war, Narasimha is killed by Sarabha. Thereafter, Varaha requests Sarabha to dismember him and create implements of sacrifice from his body parts; Sharabha complies by slaying Varaha.
  Varaha also appears in the Shakta (Goddess-oriented naarative in the final episode of the Devi Mahatmya text embedded in the Markendeya Purana. Vishnu as Varaha creates his shakti Varahi (along with other deities, together called the eight matrika goddesses) to aid the Great Goddess to fight the demon Raktabija.
  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. Though Varaha is praised numerous times as the saviour of the earth from the waters, the detailed legend is not given in the Purana. The earth praises Varaha-Vishnu who rescued her numerous times in various avatars and sees the complete universe in his mouth, when Varaha laughs. The Varaha Upanishad, a minor Upanishad, is narrated as a sermon from Varaha to the sage Ribhu.
  The Agni Purana, Brahma Purana, the Markendeya Purana and the Vishnu Purana say that Vishnu resides as Varaha in Ketumala-varsha, one of the regions outside the mountains surrounding Mount Meru. The Bhagavata Purana says that Vishnu dwells as Varaha with the earth goddess in the Northern Kuru varsha. The Vayu Purana describes an island called Varaha-dvipa near Jambudvipa, where only Vishnu as Varaha is worshipped.
caption: Varaha tramples the fallen demon with Bhudevi on his shoulder, Hoysaleswara Temple.
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