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Puranic encyclopaedia

by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222

This page describes the Story of Varaha included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).

Story of Varāha

(Boar). One of the ten incarnations of Ѳ屹ṣṇ.

Need for this incarnation.

Jaya and Vijaya, two doorkeepers of Ѳ屹ṣṇ showed disrespect towards the famous hermits Sanaka and others who went to visit Ѳ屹ṣṇ. The angry hermits cursed them to take birth as asuras. Accordingly Jaya and Vijaya took birth as the two asuras ᾱṇyṣa and ᾱṇy첹ś and were born from ʰ貹پ śⲹ貹 by his wife Diti.

Even their birth itself was inauspicious. Once, while śⲹ貹 was carrying on evening worship, his wife was filled with libid. She embraced śⲹ貹. Because she got pregnancy in an inauspicious moment, two asura sons were born. At the time of their birth darkness spread over the whole of the world, and some ill omens were seen. The Devas (gods) trembled.

The elder son was called ᾱṇyṣa and the second son was called ᾱṇy첹ś. As ᾱṇyṣa grew up he began to quarrel with the Devas. When the fight grew fierce, he picked up the earth in his hands as a ball and went under water. There was left only water. The Devas went to Ѳ屹ṣṇ and prayed to him in order to get the earth back.

At this time Manu ⲹܱ, the son of , was living with his father looking after his welfare. The father, who was pleased with the services of his son said. "My dear son, you should worship ٱī, who will be pleased with your devotion and will bless you. If she is pleased with you, you will become a famous ʰ貹پ." Hearing the words of , ⲹܱ worshipped ٱī with ardent devotion, deep meditation and severe vows and penance, at which Jagadambā was pleased. She appeared before him and asked him what boon he wanted. Manu requested that he should be permitted to carry on creation without any obstruction. ٱī gave him permission. Manu returned to his father and said. "Father, point out to me a solitary place. I will sit there and create subjects by the blessings of ٱī." Only when he heard the request of his son, did begin to think about the exigency of providing his son with such a place. For, the earth was completely under water. For a long time even was being subjected to much inconvenience to carry on creation. Only 󲹲 Ā徱 ⲹṇa (վṣṇ) could do anything in this matter. So with the Manus, hermits and others began to meditate on Ѳ屹ṣṇ.

Incarnation.

Instantly the young one of a Boar jumped out of the nose of through his breath. That divine figure of Boar stood in the air and began to grow. Within a few moments, it became a colossal Being. It grew up as big as an elephant. Soon it became as large as a mountain. Seeing this, and the others stood in amazement. The Boar made a grunt in a loud roaring sound. The people of Janaloka, Satyaloka etc. understood that it was the sound of Ѳ屹ṣṇ. They raised glory and praise to 󲹲, who heard all these praises, but without condescending to tell anything, looked at all of them with grace and love, and with a mighty force jumped into the sea. It was immensely troubled by the manes of God Almighty. ղṇa prayed to him to save him from them. Bhagvān folded his mane and went down to the deep water and made a search for the earth. The Boar walked smelling and snorting and found out the earth. He slowly lifted it on his tusks and started from there. On the way, the fierce and wicked ᾱṇyṣa hindered him. 󲹲 վṣṇ used his club Nandaka and killed ᾱṇyṣa. It was besmeared with his blood; Ѳ屹ṣṇ came up to the surface of water with the earth. He set the earth firm over the water. Thus gave Manu a place in the earth which floated on the water like a lotus-leaf, and empowered him to perform creation.

Incarnation of Boar again.

The goddess Earth, the deity of earth which was raised to the surface of water, fell in love with Ѳ屹ṣṇ and embraced him. He embraced her in return. These mutual embraces continued for one complete ٱ𱹲ṣa (year of God) and consequently the goddess Earth became tired and weak and unconscious. So the earth slid down a little under water. 󲹲 took the form of a Boar again and lifted the earth to its original place and returned to ղṇṭ. (岵ٲ, Skandha 3; ٱī 岵ٲ Skandhas 8 and 9; Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 5; Padma Purāṇa, Bhūmikhaṇḍa, Chapter 91).

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