V - Varahadeva (13-19)
When Svayambhuva Manu prayed for the earth to be rescued from the Garbhodaka Ocean, the Lord appeared in the unique form of the Lord Boar, Varahadeva, and lifted it out. The Lord repeatedly appears, millennium after millennium, assuming a variety of extraordinary forms to save His devotees and perform unique pastimes.
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V - Varahadeva (13-19)
V - Varahadeva (13-19)
When Svayambhuva Manu prayed for the earth to be rescued from the Garbhodaka Ocean, the Lord appeared in the unique form of the Lord Boar, Varahadeva, and lifted it out. The Lord repeatedly appears, millennium after millennium, assuming a variety of extraordinary forms to save His devotees and perform unique pastimes.
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Appearance of Varahadeva
V - Varahadeva (13-19)
Appearance of Varahadeva
Chapter 13
Brahma’s creative efforts met many obstacles – first the Four Kumaras refused to procreate, then Siva’s progeny devoured the universe and had to be intercepted, and later, Brahma was attracted by Vak and had to renounce his agitated body. Now Svayambhuva Manu and Satarupa had appeared, but Maitreya Rishi described yet another complication that needed resolution.
Together with Satarupa, Svayambhuva Manu approached his father, Brahma, offered humble prayers and requested instruction. Impressed by their openhearted submissiveness, he encouraged the couple to procreate, rule the world, perform appropriate sacrifices, and protect the citizens.
At this time, however, the earth was critically submerged in water and Manu prayed for assistance. While Brahma contemplated a solution, a small boar, the size of a thumb, mystically appeared from his nostril! Varahadeva, the Lord Boar, whitish in complexion ( sveta-varaha ), grew larger, entered the water and heroically rescued the earth planet from the Garbhodaka Ocean with His mighty tusks. Maitreya then related how the Lord Boar killed the demon Hiranyaksa, though this pastime related to the bluish manifestation of Varahadeva ( nilavaraha ) who appeared in the Chaksusa Manu. Varahadeva then kept the earth on His tusks, making it clear He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. [ 10 ]
Having witnessed this incredible scene, the sages glorified the ingenious, powerful and compassionate acts of the Lord.
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Avatara
V - Varahadeva (13-19)
Avatara
“As stated in Bhagavad-gita (4.8) , the Lord descends as an incarnation to deliver the devotees and kill the miscreants. The Lord of the universe and of everything would appear in order to kill the sons of Diti because of their offending the devotees of the Lord. There are many agents of the Lord, such as Indra, Candra, Varuna, goddess Durga, and Kali, who can chastise any formidable miscreants in the world. The example of mountains being smashed by a thunderbolt is very appropriate. The mountain is considered the most strongly built body within the universe, yet it can be easily smashed by the arrangement of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not need to descend in order to kill any strongly built body; He comes down just for the sake of His devotees. ” (SB 3.14.41)
Throughout history we find a perpetual struggle between good and evil. To remedy the situation, reinstate peace and create spiritual resurgence, various incarnations of the Lord appear. Incarnations are therefore known as avataras, which literally means ‘to cross downwards.’
Different religions offer their own accounts of the divine descents, directing us towards surrender to God under different names - Jahweh, Allah, Jesus, and so on. This can be problematic, especially when the followers of one tradition condemn others as infidels, heathens or heretics, and thus create conflict, division and animosity. Furthermore, on a theological level it can also be confusing, since a seeker will naturally wonder, “If there is one God, why should He reveal Himself in different ways and give seemingly different instructions?”
Exclusivists maintain a sectarian approach which grants them the sole franchise on God. “ My way is the only way” they boldly declare. On the other extreme we encounter pluralists, who (often sentimentally) propose that all forms of spirituality and God-worship are identical. Both positions run into serious philosophical problems.
The Bhagavad-gita explains that God appears in a variety of identities and forms. On each occasion, He offers a means of spiritual elevation which may vary in culture, ritual and expression, but in essence remains unchanged. We could call it unity in diversity. Each time God or His representatives come, they disseminate a certain amount of spiritual wisdom, proportionate to the purity and readiness of the people. This inclusive approach appreciates that there are a variety of ways to come closer to God, each path having its own level of evolution. [ 12 ]
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Divine Play
V - Varahadeva (13-19)
Avatara
Divine Play
Separate from the need to uplift the world, the Lord appears for another reason. When Krishna descends to the world there is a unique playfulness in His activities. Such divinely playful acts are known as pastimes ( lila ). Along with the serious purpose of saving humanity, the Lord also descends to have a good time! Thus, as Matsya (the fish incarnation), He frolics in the waves of the deluge, and as Varaha (the boar incarnation) He enjoys a good fight. As Krishna, He churns the hearts of His devotees, and as Nrsinghadeva He lets His transcendental anger run loose!
The Srimad-Bhagavatam is an anthology of these playful acts of God, displayed in multitudes of descents, as He embarks on a series of astounding adventures and incredible incidents. One of Srimad-Bhagavatam’s ten topics is isanukatha, or ‘narrations of the Supreme.’ Different Cantos are dedicated to descriptions of those incarnations, and the climax is the Tenth Canto, which is exclusively reserved for the supremely exquisite pastimes of Lord Krishna.
The Bhagavad-gita explains that the material world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual reality, just like a tree which is reflected within water and appears upside-down. Whatever exists here, is imperfectly cloned from that original and perfect spirit world. There we find the substance, and here merely a shadow. Everything around us has its pure and perfect counterpart in the spiritual reality. Thus, if people in this world are endowed with the disposition to fight, we can understand that the disposition originally exists in God. If people in the material world are enamoured by the power of sexual attraction, we must conclude that this is part of the spiritual reality, but in a pure and uncorrupted form. For God is complete, and, far from being less a person than we are, is vastly more personal.
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One but Different
V - Varahadeva (13-19)
Avatara
One but Different
While many can resonate with the idea of unity in diversity, there could also be some reservations. How do we reconcile theological differences between paths that supposedly stem from the same source? How can we overlook striking contradictions in the various accounts of history and culture? Could this be a naive ‘new age’ attempt to avoid confrontation and create peace, harmony and unity? Without more explanation, some may say it’s a case of being politically correct, but theologically wrong. When trying to reconcile ‘differences’ between religions, here are some points to consider:
Context – religious scriptures and statements must be understood in relation to the entire body of teachings, and with due consideration of the social milieu within which they were presented. ‘Differences’ may be perceived because we adopt a one-dimensional approach i.e. taking statements simplistically, without understanding the context, purpose and background behind them.
Emphasis – different traditions and teachers may stress different things. Our spiritual evolution requires significant refinement of character and consciousness, and different religions may well work on different aspects of this. Thus, they may emphasise different points, but such ‘differences’ are a part of a broader harmony and master plan.
Interpretation – we understand the divine traditions through the representatives of that faith. While this is perfectly natural, the teachers must prove themselves as transparent and free from the propensity to insert their own ideas. ‘Differences’ may well surface because we take human opinions to be gospel truths.
Authority – any religious claims must be traceable back to the original texts. In today’s world, much confusion ensues due to a lack of reference to authentic scripture. People claim to speak for a tradition yet offer no reference point for their presentation. Thus, ‘differences’ may well be due to inaccurate and erroneous presentations.
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Flashback - Birth of the Demons
V - Varahadeva (13-19)
Flashback - Birth of the Demons
Chapter 14
Having heard of Varahadeva’s annihilation of Hiranyaksa, Vidura enquired about the history of the demon. Maitreya thus explained how Hiranyaksa and his brother, Hiranyakasipu, were born.
Kasyapa, son of Marici, was a prajapati whose task was to populate the universe. He was married to Diti, the daughter of Prajapati Daksa. Once, overcome by lusty desire, Diti insisted on sexual union even though the time was astrologically inauspicious. Unable to dissuade her, Kasyapa Muni acquiesced, but later predicted that two deadly offspring would be born (Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu). These sons would cause mayhem in the universe and terrorise the innocent and saintly. There was, however, a silver lining. Firstly, their eventual death would be directly executed by the hands of the Supreme Lord. Secondly, Hiranyakasipu’s son, Prahlada, would emerge as the crest jewel of devotees, and his incredible devotion would deliver the entire family.
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Further Flashback - Past Lives of the Demons
V - Varahadeva (13-19)
Further Flashback - Past Lives of the Demons
Chapter 15, 16
When the two demons appeared in Diti’s womb, it triggered a series of inauspicious signs in the universe. Fearful and bewildered, the demigods took shelter of Lord Brahma, who related the intriguing story of their previous life.
Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu were previously the two doorkeepers of Vaikuntha, Jaya and Vijaya. When the saintly Kumaras were travelling towards the breathtaking land of Vaikuntha, which is opulent, fragrant and pure, they arrived at the seventh gate which was guarded by Jaya and Vijaya. When they were inappropriately blocked and refused entry, the four brothers angrily cursed the doorkeepers. Jaya and Vijaya were repentant and realised the grave mistake they had made.
Fully aware of what had transpired, the Lord immediately arrived on the scene. When the Four Kumaras beheld His beauty and smelt the tulasi leaves from His lotus feet, it sparked a change of heart. They progressed from an impersonal understanding to the personal conception, praying for causeless and ceaseless devotional service. A conversation between the Lord, the Kumaras and the doorkeepers then ensued.
The Lord apologised for the behaviour of His doorkeepers and explained how dear the brahmanas are to Him. The Kumaras offered heartfelt glorification in return and conceded that they may have over-reacted in cursing the doorkeepers. The Lord explained that it was His divine plan for Jaya and Vijaya to leave Vaikuntha, but, feeling compassion, He softened the punishment. He predicted their future appearance in families staunchly against Vishnu, but their subsequent speedy return to the spiritual world after three demoniac births. Jaya and Vijaya thus fell from Vaikuntha, took shelter in Kasyapa Muni’s semen, and later entered Diti’s womb. [ 11 ]
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Varahadeva Kills Hiranyaksa
V - Varahadeva (13-19)
Varahadeva Kills Hiranyaksa
Chapter 17, 18, 19
Having related the history of the demons, Maitreya returned to the original narration of Hiranyaksa’s confrontation with Varahadeva.
After one hundred years in Diti’s womb, the birth of the two demons prompted natural disturbances and unfavourable omens in the planets, causing apprehension amongst the entire populace. The brothers were born, and quickly grew up like mountains with bodies made of steel. The formidable Hiranyakasipu, unafraid of death due to the boons awarded by Brahma, wreaked widespread havoc, and Hiranyaksa faithfully assisted him in terrorising the world.
Once, after ruthlessly pillaging Mother Earth for gold, Hiranyaksa upset her equilibrium, causing her to fall into the Garbhodaka Ocean. Later, the demon dived into the ocean and challenged Varuna to battle. The Lord of the waters encouraged him to challenge the Supreme Lord, knowing Hiranyaksa would be soundly defeated and subsequently humbled. Hiranyaksa enthusiastically accepted the challenge and set out in search of the Lord. After travelling to the depths of the ocean he indeed found Lord Varahadeva, abruptly insulted Him and demanded He hand over the earth planet.
The Lord listened to his abusive words and then invited the arrogant demon to contend with Him. A tremendous mace battle ensued. The fight went back and forth, and when Brahma arrived, he urged the Lord not to frolic or play, but rather kill the atrocious demon immediately. After a thrilling exchange of arms, the Lord Boar effortlessly slapped the demon, causing Hiranyaksa to die. With one demoniac birth over, there were now two more to go.
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— S.B. Keshava Swami, Book Bhagavata