Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 2
Diti’s Untimely Desire and the Birth-Cause of the Asura Line
Prelude to Hiranyākṣa–Varāha
विदुर उवाच तेनैव तु मुनिश्रेष्ठ हरिणा यज्ञमूर्तिना । आदिदैत्यो हिरण्याक्षो हत इत्यनुशुश्रुम ॥ २ ॥
vidura uvāca tenaiva tu muni-śreṣṭha hariṇā yajña-mūrtinā ādi-daityo hiraṇyākṣo hata ity anuśuśruma
Vidura sprach: O Bester unter den Weisen, ich habe durch die Schülernachfolge vernommen, dass Hiraṇyākṣa, der ursprüngliche Dämon, von demselben Hari, der Opfergestalt (Yajña-mūrti), Bhagavān Varāha, erschlagen wurde.
As referred to previously, the boar incarnation was manifested in two millenniums, namely Svāyambhuva and Cākṣuṣa. In both millenniums there was a boar incarnation of the Lord, but in the Svāyambhuva millennium He lifted the earth from within the water of the universe, whereas in the Cākṣuṣa millennium He killed the first demon, Hiraṇyākṣa. In the Svāyambhuva millennium He assumed the color white, and in the Cākṣuṣa millennium He assumed the color red. Vidura had already heard about one of them, and he proposed to hear about the other. The two different boar incarnations described are the one Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse recalls the well-known tradition that Hari, appearing as the embodiment of yajña (sacrifice), slew Hiraṇyākṣa, the chief of the Daityas.
Vidura is confirming what he has heard about the Lord’s deed and is prompting Maitreya, the sage, to narrate the account with authoritative detail.
It encourages offering one’s work and duties as sacred service—living with gratitude, discipline, and devotion—rather than acting only for personal gain.