Lord Varaha's Appearance Day
BY: SUN STAFF
Lord Varaha with Bhu
Pahari painting, North India
Feb 09, USA (SUN) — Today is the Appearance Day of Lord Varaha, the Boar incarnation of the Lord. The Lord's Form in this Lila Avatara pastime is praised in the 3rd sloka from Sri Dasavatara Stotra:
O Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari,
who have assumed the form of a boar! All
glories to You! The earth, which had become
merged in the Garbhodaka Ocean at the
bottom of the universe, sits fixed upon the tip of
Your tusk like a spot upon the moon.
While the Lord's appearance as Varaha Avatara in this pastime happened many ages ago, by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu these pastimes were re-engaged for the benefit of the devotees in this Kali Yuga.
In Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi lila 17-19, we read: "One day Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu felt the ecstasy of the boar incarnation and got up on the shoulders of Murari Gupta. Thus they both danced in Murari Gupta's courtyard."
In his purport to this sloka, Srila Prabhupada writes: "One day Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to cry out, "Sukara! Sukara!" Thus crying out for the boar incarnation of the Lord, He assumed His form as the boar incarnation and got up on the shoulders of Murari Gupta. He carried a small gadu, a small waterpot with a nozzle, and thus He symbolically picked up the earth from the depths of the ocean, for this is the pastime of Lord Varaha."
In his purport to Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi lila 14-19, Srila Prabhupada further explained how Lord Caitanya's mercy incarnation is similar to the appearance of Lord Varaha:
"The Caitanya-bhagavata also confirms that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by His birth, has made the whole world peaceful, as in the past Narayana protected this earth in His incarnation as Varaha. Because of His protecting and maintaining this world in the present Kali-yuga, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Visvambhara, which refers to one who feeds the entire world. The movement inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He was present five hundred years ago is again being propagated all over the world, and factually we are seeing its practical results. People are being saved, protected and maintained by this Hare Krsna movement. Thousands of followers, especially Western youths, are taking part in this Hare Krsna movement, and how safe and happy they feel can be understood from the expressions of gratitude in their hundreds and thousands of letters. The name Visvambhara is also mentioned in the Atharva-veda-samhita (3.3.16.5): visvambhara visvena ma bharasa pahi svaha."
In the Madhya lila, we read about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's travels, during which he visited the abodes of the Sveta-varaha deity form. In Madhya lila 9.73 we read:
"At Vrddhakola, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Sveta-varaha, the white boar incarnation. After offering Him respects, the Lord visited the temple of Lord Siva, wherein the deity is dressed with yellow garments."
In his purport to this text Srila Prabhupada explained:
"The temple of the white boar incarnation is situated at Vrddhakola. The temple is made of stone and is located about one mile south of an oasis known as Balipitham. There is a Deity of the white boar incarnation, above whose head Sesa Naga serves as an umbrella."
A collection of transcendental images of Lord Varaha's pastimes can be seen here, in PDF format.
