VARAHA (In Indian Art, Culture and Literature)

The boar, a wild animal of considerable strength and speed, has been known the world over from the time immemorial, as evidenced from the ancient texts as well as archaeological sources. Initially it was a hunting animal possibly meant for human animal possibly means for human consumption, but gradually it entered the contemporary religious thought in various countries of the globe. The Indian evidence portraying reverence to the animal is comparatively later than that of the other countries of the world. As for example the animal is found depicted in the coins and legends of Greek, Crete and Rome etc centuries before the Christian era, which was followed in the later period.

In the Indian context, the animal, though occasionally appears in the Vedic and post Vedic literature, but its reverence achieved a great boost after its association with the incarnation of Visnu, a strong and powerful Brahmanical god. In this form the boar, it is stated, rescued the earth-goddess submerged under the deep sea-water. The reasons for the drowning of the Earth have been quite convincingly given in the text. The Mahabharata is quite vocal in this regard, wherein, it is stated that the earth was submerged in water because of its overpopulation

The Salient features of the episode are (i) the Deluge, (ii) the Earth, (iii) the Demon Hiranyaksa, besides the boar. With the passage of time the theme of the rescue of the earth became symbolical with the rulers of the country, who after having conquered a territory or overthrowing the foreign domination, equated the event with the rescue of the earth by the boar incarnation of Visnu. Such even were celebrated by erecting an image or a temple of the god.

The present work aims at highlighting the various aspects of Varaha from Visnu, in the background of the literary as well as the archaeological evidence, available in the country.

About the Author

The author having served in the curatorial capacity in the Central Asian Antiquities Museum, New Delhi, the Nalanda Museum and Archaeological Section of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, was credited with the scientific documentation of over fifty thousand antiquities comprising sculptures, bronzes, terracottas, beads, seals and sealing, wood work, paintings textiles and Pearce collection of Gems, ranging from the earliest times to the late medieval period.

Besides publishing bilingually, three publications of the Archaeological Survey of India, he has also brought out the works entitled:

1. Mahisasuramardini in Indian Art,
   
2. The Universal Mother
   
3. The Composite Deities in India Art
   
4. Garuda the Celestial Bird
   
5. The Indian Monoliths
   
6. The Cult of Vinayaka
   
7. Jatakas in Indian Art
   
8. The Temples of Himachal Pradesh.

His other works in press include:-

1. Sivain Indian Art, Thought and Literature,
   
2. Mahisasurmardini (Hindi).

1. The Svastika,
   
2. The Cult of Surya in India are in the pipeline.

1. Preface

2. Acknowledgements

3. List of Figure

4. List of Plates

1. Introductory

2. The Episode and its Salient Features:

   i)	The Bear
   ii)	The Deep and Vat Ocean or the Deluge
   iii)	The Earth
   iv)	Hiranyaksa

3. Literary Sources :

   Rgveda, Atharvaveda, Satapatha Brahmana
   Taittiritya Brahmana, Taittiriya Aranyaka
   Taitiritya Samhita, Chhandogya Upanisad,
   Kausitiki Upanisad, Mahanarayani Upanisad,
   Mukti Upanisad, Varaha Upanisad;
   Ramayana, Mahabharata; The Puranas: Agni
   Bhagavata, Brahma, Brahmanda, Devi Bhagavata,
   Harivamsa, Kurma, Matsya, Padma, Siva, Vayu
   Visnu and Visnudharmottara; Parasara Samhita,
   Apparajitarehchha; Tamil Sangham Literature.

4. The Epithets : Adi or Bhuvaraha, Yajnavaraha, Pralayavaraha.

5. Iconography:
   

   i)	Varaha, Adivaraha, Bhuvaraha, Nrvaraha,
   ii)	Yajnavaraha,
   iii)	Pralayavaraha,
   iv)	Mahavaraha
   v)	Varaha in Boar Form

6. The Plastic Art.

7. The Epigraphs, Seals and Sealings

8. Other Aspects :
   

   i)	Varaha as all gods
   ii)	Varaha as Bhrgu and Angirsa
   iii)	Varaha as Emusa
   iv)	Varaha as Ghrta Kumbha
   v)	Varaha as Prajapati
   vi)	Varaha as Prsdajya
   vii)	Varaha as Rudra or Manyu
   viii)	Varaha as Saheja Agni
   ix)	Varaha as Satya and Dharma
   x)	Varaha as Surya
   xi)	Trayi Vidya
   xii)	Varaha as Uchchhista
   xiii)	Varaha as measure of currency.

9. Siva and the Boar

10. TheVaikuntha Form

11. The Boar in Buddhism

12. The Boar in Jainism

13. Varaha Temples

14. Varahi

15. Epilogue

16. Index