3rd AVATAR – VARAHA AVATAR

In this incarnation Sriman Narayana rescued the earth which was submerged into the ocean, and brought it out from the ocean. A demon by the name of Hiranyaksha  abducted the earth and carried it to ‘Rasatala’ (the nether world).

In Hinduism the earth is considered to be a ‘woman’ – Mother Earth – and it is disrespectful, dishonorable and a heinous act to touch a women without her consent and worst to abduct her or treat her in any manner that is not noble and righteous. Sriman Narayana in His incarnation of a boar killed the demon Hiranyaksha and liberated the earth from his clutches.

The story continues in the Mahabharata and later in the following Puranas – Matsya, Linga, Vayu and Padma; Sri Varaha emerges as an incarnation of Sriman Narayana. It is said that under a curse; Jaya and Vijaya, door-guardians of Maha Vishnu, were born as sons to sage Kashyapa and his wife Diti. They were named Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu.

Conceived in an inauspicious hour, both brothers were notorious and destructive. One day, Hiranyaksha descended to the ocean and began beating its waves with his cudgel.

This sent the ocean into dangerous tides and tremors which was engulfing the earth. Varuna, the Sea-God, rushed to Sriman Narayana and sought his protection. Sriman Narayana incarnated as Sri Varaha, and reached the ocean.

Seeing Sriman Narayana as Varaha heading towards him Hiranyaksha picked up the earth in one of his hands and ran to ‘Rasatala’ (the nether world). Varaha chased him, killed him and because the earth is a woman, our Lord did not want to disrespect her by touching her with his hands, so our Lord gently lifted the earth using His tusks and restored the earth to its original position.