Varāha

Iconography and References to Varāha in Hindu texts

Varaha descends into the ocean
Madurai, 1780s
Manuscript

वसति दशन शिखरे धरणी तव लग्ना
शशिनि कलंक कलेव निमग्ना
केशव धृत शूकर रूप (जय जगदीश हरे)
“O Kēśavā! O Lord of the universe! O Hari, who have assumed the form of a boar! All glories to You! The earth, which had drowned in the Garbhodaka Ocean at the bottom of the universe, sits fixed upon the tip of Your tusk like a spot on the moon.”
Jayadeva

The classic legend of Varāha (वराह) an incarnation of Hari is as follows: born of Brahmā’s nostrils; roaring, he entered the waters and rescued the earth above, after vanquishing the asura Hiraṇyākṣa.

Jaya and Vijaya, two doorkeepers of Mahāviṣṇu showed disrespect towards the famous hermits Sanaka and others who went to visit Mahāviṣṇu. The angry muni-s cursed them to take birth as asuras. Accordingly Jaya and Vijaya took birth as the two asuras Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu and were born from Prajāpati Kaśyapa by his wife Diti.

During the reign of the Swayambhu Manu, the earth had sunk to the bottom of the ocean (some say by the action of Hiraṇyākṣa), and life could not exist there. Heeding the prayers of the Devas, Viṣṇu took the boar avatār and raised the earth from the bottom of the ocean, supported on his tusks.

The Liṇga and the Śivapurāṇa speak of Viṣṇu in the form of a black boar digging the earth to find the lower end of the luminous column in which appears Śiva (Liṅgodbhavamūrti). Here, Viṣṇu is depicted in the form of a full boar, unlike the depictions of his Varāha avatāra, where he is shown with the head of a boar and the body of a man — and the lifting of the earth is attributed to Brahmā.

Varāha Rescuing Bhū Devi Kerala bronze, ca. 14th-15th century Brooklyn Museum

One of the earliest references to the earth having been lifted up from the depths of the lower regions by a boar are found in the Śatapata-Brāhmaṇa, where it is said that Ēmuṣa, or a boar, lifted the earth. Taittirīya-Āraṇyaka (of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurvēda) also, the earth is said to have been raised by a black boar with a hundred arms — varāhēṇa krṣṇēṇa śata-bāhunā uddhṛtā. The Rāmāyaṇa, in describing the origin of the earth mentions incidentally the lifting up of the earth by the boar. Vasiṣṭha speaking therein about the origin of the world, says that in the beginning all there was was water, out of which the world had been formed, and out that water it was Brahmā, the self-existent, who became a boar and lifted up the earth. According to the Rāmāyaṇa therefore, the one that lifted the earth was actually Brahmā, not Viṣṇu. In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, it is said that with the intention of creating the universe, the Lord of sacrifice, Viṣṇu, became desirous of lifting the earth which had sunk into the depths of the water, and assumed the form of a boar.

Pāla era Varāha, National Museum Delhi

The Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Liṅgā Purāṇa, and Garuḍa Purāṇa also attribute the lifting of the Earth from the ocean as Brahmā, but at the same time identify Brahmā with Viṣṇu.

The Viṣṇu Purāṇa gives the following account: ‘Bhū Dēvi, beholding the Supreme Nārāyaṇa’s descent to pātāḷa, sang his praise: “O bearer of the śankha and cakra, to thee who art all things: raise me up from this place. Having swallowed the universe, when it becomes one ocean, doest thou O Gōvinda, sleep… Who shall obtain mokṣa without worshipping Vāsudēva?..” Having been thus celebrated by the Earth Goddess, the glorious upholder of the earth, with a voice like the chanting of Sāmavēda, uttered a deep thundering sound. Then, the great boar, with eyes like the blooming lotus, tossing up with his tusks the earth, which resembled the leaf of the blue lotus, rose up from pātāḷa like a great blue mountain. The boar was lauded and praised by Sanandana and other Saints in a hymn, wherein various aspects of Varāha are given symbolic representations of the parts of a sacrifice (yajña).

Varaha, copper mūrti from Tamil Nadu, c. 1600; LACMA; Bhū devi holds a nīlōtpala or a blue lotus in her hand.

The most prominently depicted Varāha images are those of the standing Bhū Varāha (the other two forms of Varāha — the Praḷaya Varāha and the Yajña Varāha — are sitting forms). Bhū Varāha or Ādi Varāha or Nṛvarāha, shows both animal and human features — with the head of a boar and the body of a man, lifting the Earth Goddess from the Kali waters. The theme is also related to the assimilation of the Earth Goddess into the Vaiṣṇava pantheon as a consort of Viṣṇu in the Varāha incarnation. This explains the presence of two consorts of Viṣṇu — Ṣrī and Bhū Dēvis. Varāha images are executed to project the enormous strength of the deity, who holds up the entire Earth.

The Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa prescribes that Nṛvarāha (where nṛ is a man, varāha a boar) should be shown placing his foot on Śeṣa. It is probable that this tradition was canonised in Marīci’s Vaikhānasa. In the still later tradition of Devatāmūrtiprakaraṇa, Varāha is described as having one foot on the Nāga and another on the back of the tortoise. The legend of the Ādivarāha that is the standing form of the Varāha discussed above is given in brief in the Vaikhānasa texts. The Kāśyapa’s Vaikhānasa says that the Varāha appeared to lift the Earth from the nether world into which it had sunk because of the weight of the creatures on it. Atri’s Vaikhānasa narrates that the Earth sank into the primeval waters and went into the nether world. These two versions of the legend show the difference between the iconographic detail of the Varāha standing on the ground/pedestal and in the primeval waters of pātāḷa, symbolised by the nāgas, that are said to inhabit the region.

Varaha Lifting the Earth Goddess Bhudevi; Rajasthan, 10th century; Red Sandstone; A tortoise and nāgas are clearly seen beneath the feet of Varāha. image: Art Institute of Chicago

The four figures above the head of the Varāha that are identified differently but are likely to be the four sages, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana and Sanatkumāra (the four Kumāras). The impression of the Varāha emerging from the waters has been created here by carving only the upper parts of his legs with one leg bent at the knee.

Varāha at Chennakēśava Temple, Belur

The characteristic details of ornamentation, my newton clearly traceable workmanship in the carving, the excellent and beautiful, the conventional sculpturing of various figures marks this Varāha image as belonging to the one of the most attractively autistic schools of the period. Varāha has 12 arms, in the right six he carries the śūla, thrust into the body of Hiraṇyākṣa, the aṅkuśa, ghaṇta, khaḍga, cakra, bāṇa; two of the left hands hold a lemon and the khēṭaka, one holds a śankha, while one supports the Dēvi and the sixth is held in the vismaya mudra. This Varāha is treading upon two asuras, lying crushed under the feet of the deity. Bhūmi dēvi stands before him with her hands in añjali, her head unfortunately destroyed during the course of iconoclasm.

Vishnu in his form as Varaha, the boar; Eastern India; ca. 11th century, Chlorite; Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Sources:

1. Temple Imagery from Early Mediaeval Peninsular India by Archana Verma
2. Elements of Hindu iconography by TA Gopinatha Rao

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