Avatar 3 of 10 · Satya Yuga · सत्य युग
Varaha Avatar · The Boar
वराह अवतार · शूकर
The boar who dived into the cosmic ocean and lifted the Earth on his tusk after the demon Hiranyaksha had dragged her down.
वह वराह जिसने ब्रह्मांडीय सागर में गोता लगाकर पृथ्वी को अपने दाँत पर उठाया, जब हिरण्याक्ष उसे नीचे खींच ले गया था।
The story of Varaha · वराह की कथा
The Earth on a Tusk
The demon Hiranyaksha, proud of his strength, grew tired of having no one to fight. In his arrogance he seized Bhudevi, the goddess Earth, and dragged her down to Rasatala, the deepest waters beneath the worlds. Without the Earth there was nowhere for life to stand.
Brahma, the creator, sat in thought, wondering how to begin creation again. Suddenly a tiny boar, no bigger than a thumb, sprang out of his nostril. As the gods watched, it grew in moments to the size of an elephant, then of a mountain, its roar echoing across the sky. The sages recognised Vishnu and began to sing the Vedas in praise.
The great boar plunged into the dark ocean, following the scent of the Earth as a boar follows the scent of roots in the soil. Far below he found her, and gently lifted her on the tip of his gleaming white tusk.
As he rose, Hiranyaksha blocked his way, mocking him as a mere beast of the forest. The boar did not answer the insults. He first set the Earth safely on the surface of the waters, and only then turned to fight. The battle was fierce, and it ended with the demon’s defeat.
The Earth rested once more above the waters, steady and green. Life could return. Those who saw it said the Earth on his tusk looked like the dark mark resting on the moon: small, tender and completely safe.
The lesson
First protect what is precious; answer the insults later, if at all.
Story: Retold from the Bhagavata Purana (3.13, 3.18–19)
In the scriptures · शास्त्रों में
The original verses, with their romanisation and our own English and Hindi translation.
द्वितीयं तु भवायास्य रसातलगतां महीम् । उद्धरिष्यन्नुपादत्त यज्ञेशः सौकरं वपुः ॥
dvitīyaṃ tu bhavāyāsya rasātalagatāṃ mahīm uddhariṣyannupādatta yajñeśaḥ saukaraṃ vapuḥ
In His second descent, for the good of this world, the Lord of sacrifice took the body of a boar to lift up the Earth, which had sunk to Rasatala.
दूसरे अवतार में, इस संसार के कल्याण के लिए, यज्ञों के स्वामी ने रसातल में गई पृथ्वी का उद्धार करने हेतु वराह शरीर धारण किया।
वसति दशनशिखरे धरणी तव लग्ना । शशिनि कलङ्ककलेव निमग्ना ॥ केशव धृतसूकररूप जय जगदीश हरे ॥
vasati daśanaśikhare dharaṇī tava lagnā śaśini kalaṅkakaleva nimagnā keśava dhṛtasūkararūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
The Earth rests fixed on the tip of your tusk, like the mark that lies within the moon. O Keshava, who took the form of a boar: victory to you, Hari, lord of the world!
पृथ्वी आपके दाँत की नोक पर ऐसे टिकी है, जैसे चंद्रमा में उसका कलंक समाया हो। हे केशव, वराह रूप धारण करने वाले जगदीश हरि, आपकी जय हो!