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Varaaha PurANam : Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • July 27, 1998 


Here are a few more points to round off
the earlier references to this avathAram 
including  some original quotations 
from the PurANam itself :

** The special appreciation for the VarAha Charama 
slOkam can be obtained from a reply that Bhagavan 
gave to Sage Narada in Brahma PurANam . The great 
NaarAyaNa PaarAyaNaa , Sage Naradar asked the Lord :
" prANa prayANa samayE ka : (tvam ) smarthum saktha: 
syAth"? Bhagvan gave a bland answer , which did not
have the precision of VarAha Charama SlOkam and 
the One found in Bhagavadh GitA . In Brahama PurANam ,
Bhagavan held out the stakes high and said :

" He who thinks of me always , will certainly cross 
this vast and frightening ocean of SamsArA filled 
with waters of greed and avarice ". 

" yO maam smarathi NITYASA : " is Bhagavaan's words . 
Dhruva Smrithi(ceaseless rememberance ) is not with in 
easy reach of all .The discipline needed , 
the dharmams to be followed , the Yogams to be 
practised are ardous for many .That is why Krishna said 
in GitA :

" sarva dharmAn parithyajya maam Ekam saranam vraja ,
Aham tvaa sarva paapEpyo mokshayishyAmi maa sucha :"

and removed the bheethi and klEsam of the SaraNAgathan .

In VarAha Charama slOkam , the Varaha Bhagavaan went 
many steps beyond that position stated by Lord KrishNa 
in GitA and MadhusUdhana"s  statement about dhruva smrithi 
in Brahma PurANam . What He said to Bhumi Devi in response to 
the request for a Laghu UpAyam was :

" The Man/woman  , who , when his/her mind in its normal condiiton ,
when his/her body is not shattered , and when the elementary 
constituents (DhAthus ) are in perfect equipoise , meditates 
on Me , who has the world as My body and (meditates )
on Me , who is not subject to births due to  KarmA --
when that man/woman lies like a log of wood or a piece of stone 
in his/her dying moments , then I think of (him/her ) , 
My bhakthan/Bhakthai and lead him/her to My supreme abode " . 

The conditions that this parama DayALu lays on the humans
fully cognizant of their helplessness in their last moments
is so driven by His limitless compassion to His Bhakthan .

The AzhwAr's plea , appOthukkippOthE solli vaitthEn " now
comes into focus. Varaha BhagavAn's outright , unambiguous statement 
of His declared intent to rush to the side of such BhakthAL
and then leading them  by hand as it were to His parama padham 
has in my opinion no match anywhere . 

** Sri VishNu sahasra Naamam salutes this avathAram as
" MahA VarAhO GovindhO --" . It is intersting to see the
juxtaposition of Govindha Naamam after MahA VarAha nAmam .
In one approach Govindha is the One , the One , who rescued
Mother Earth ( Go=Earth , VindA = rescuer ). It is as MahA
VarAham that BhagavAN rescued His consort and acquired 
the name of Govindhan . 

Niruktham also endorses this intrepretation based 
on the texts from MahA Bhaaratham and VishNu purAnam :

tatha: samuthikshipya DharAm sva dhamshtrayA 
maha VarAha: sputa padma lOchana: -- Vishnu PurAnam:1.4.26

nashtAm cha DharaNIm purvamavindham cha guhaagatham 
Govindha ithi tEnAham -- BhAratham Saanthi parvam 343.41 

Subhamasthu ,
V.Sadagopan