Varaha Avatar (Varaha means “boar” in Sanskrit) was the third of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu who lifted the Earth (personified as Bhudevi) from the cosmic ocean. This avatar took place in Satya Yuga. It was a part-boar (wild boar) and part-man incarnation. He also killed Hiranyaksha who was a despotic Asura and the brother of Hiranyakashipu.
The Story of Varaha Avatar:
Background:
Once, the two gatekeepers of Lord Vishnu, Jaya and Vijaya, were guarding the gates of Vaikuntha when Sanaka and his brothers came to visit him. Jaya and Vijaya stopped them from entering the gates as Lord Vishnu was resting. Sanaka and his brothers were the sons of Lord Brahma and were very powerful. They considered it an insult and cursed the guards to be born as demons on Earth. Accordingly, Jaya and Vijaya were born as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. Sage Kashyapa and Diti were their parents.
Hiranyaksha Gets A Boon From Lord Brahma:
Hiranyaksha was a devotee of Lord Brahma. He practiced austerity to please him. Lord Brahma gave him a boon that he would not be killed by any god, demon, human, animal, or beast. With this boon, he became almost immortal.
After getting the boon, he started bullying sages, humans, and gods. He kidnapped Bhudevi (Goddess Earth) and hid her in the cosmic ocean.
The Birth of Varaha Avatar:
At this time, Manu and Shatarupa were ruling the Earth. They went to Lord Brahma and asked him where they should live as Earth was submerged in the waters. To find a solution to the problem, Lord Brahma, Manu, and other sages started meditating upon Lord Vishnu. While Lord Brahma was meditating, a small boar fell from his nostril. That divine boar stood in the air and began to grow. Within a few moments, it grew up as big as an elephant. Soon it became as large as a mountain. The Boar made a grunt in a loud roaring sound. Lord Brahma and others understood that it was the sound of Lord Vishnu.
Varaha Avatar Gets Earth Out of the Water:
They praised him, but Varaha Avatar jumped into the ocean and went into the deep water searching for Earth. He walked smelling and sorting and found the Earth. He slowly lifted her on his tusk and started to come out of the water. On the way, he was challenged by Hiranyaksha, but he hit him with his club Nandaka and killed Hiranyaksha.
Then Varaha Avatar came up to the surface of the water with the Earth and set the Earth firm over the water.
What happened to Varaha Avatar Afterward?
According to the Padma Purana (Bhumikhanda Chapter 91), Bhudevi fell in love with Lord Vishnu and embraced him. Lord Vishnu also embraced her in return. Their mutual embrace continued for 360 years and consequently, the Earth became weak, tired, and fell unconscious. So, she slid down a little under the water. Therefore, Lord Vishnu took the Varaha Avatar again and lifted the Earth to its original position. Then, he returned to Vaikuntha.
Festivals:
Varaha Jayanti is a festival dedicated to Varaha Avatar. It is observed on the third day of Shukla Paksha in the Bhadrapada month. It is mainly observed in South India. The devotees believe that worshipping Varaha Avatar brings happiness and prosperity in life.
Famous Varaha Avatar Temples:
1. Adi Varaha Swamy Temple in Tirumala.
2. Shweta Varaha Swamy Temple in Mysuru.
3. Sri Aadhi Varaha Perumal Temple in Kachipuram.
4. Adi Varaha Perumal Kovil, Thiruvidanthai.
Science in the Story of Varaha Avatar:
1. Earth is round. In this story, Varaha lifts the Earth with his tusks. If the Earth were flat, he would not have been able to do so with his tusks only.
2. Varaha Avatar represents a stage in evolution. The previous incarnation of Lord Vishnu was of a tortoise. Therefore, it represents that herbivorous animals were born.
Varaha Avatar is not as popular as other incarnations of Lord Vishnu.