Shloka 26

वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation

Devanagari script

ततः समुत्क्षिप्य धरां स्वदंष्ट्रया महावराहः स्फुटपद्मलोचनः रसातलाद् उत्पलपत्रसंनिभः समुत्थितो नील इवाचलो महान्

Transliteration

tataḥ samutkṣipya dharāṃ svadaṃṣṭrayā mahāvarāhaḥ sphuṭapadmalocanaḥ rasātalād utpalapatrasaṃnibhaḥ samutthito nīla ivācalo mahān

Translation

Then the Great Boar—whose eyes were clear as fully opened lotuses—lifted up the Earth upon His own tusk. Rising from Rasātala, dark-hued like the petal of a blue lotus, He emerged like a vast blue mountain upheaving from the depths.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: ततः-शब्दः; क्रम/अपादानार्थक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘then/from there’)

• समुत्क्षिप्य: having lifted up
• समुत्क्षिप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु) → समुत्क्षिप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund), ‘सम्+उत्+क्षिप्’

• धराम्: the Earth
• धराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्वदंष्ट्रया: with his own tusk
• स्वदंष्ट्रया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘स्वस्य दंष्ट्रया’)

• महावराहः: the great Boar (Varāha)
• महावराहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘महान् वराहः’)

• स्फुटपद्मलोचनः: whose eyes were like fully-bloomed lotuses
• स्फुटपद्मलोचनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थः (‘स्फुटे पद्मे इव लोचने यस्य’)

• रसातलात्: from Rasātala (netherworld)
• रसातलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• उत्पलपत्रसंनिभः: resembling a lotus leaf
• उत्पलपत्रसंनिभः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्पल (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘उत्पलपत्रस्य संनिभः’ = like a lotus-leaf)

• समुत्थितः: arose, emerged
• समुत्थितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → समुत्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘arisen/emerged’

• नीलः: dark-blue
• नीलः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle of comparison)

• अचलः: a mountain
• अचलः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अचलः/महावराहः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Description of Varāha’s emergence from Rasātala and the physical act of uplifting the Earth.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: vivid

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: He descends to raise the Earth from Rasātala on his tusk, restoring the world’s place and enabling continued creation.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Re-establishment of Bhūmi as the stable support for beings, sacrifice, and dharma.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord, as jagat-kāraṇa and protector, intervenes within the cosmos to uphold the order of realms and the stability of the Earth.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In crises that feel ‘subterranean’ or overwhelming, remember the tradition’s assurance of divine upholding; act with courage while anchoring in devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme remains beyond the world yet assumes a concrete form to uphold His body—the universe—revealing immanence without loss of transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Varaha
• Earth (Prithivi/Bhumi)
• Rasatala

FAQs

What is the significance of Varaha lifting the Earth in the Vishnu Purana?

It portrays Vishnu’s preserving power: when the Earth is displaced into the depths, the Lord incarnates as Varaha to restore cosmic stability and dharma by raising Bhumi back to her proper place.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord’s form and action here?

Parāśara describes a theophany that is both tender and immense—lotus-eyed and mountain-like—showing that the Supreme Being can assume a tangible form to accomplish universal protection.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu is presented as the sovereign sustainer whose avatara is not merely symbolic: His embodied action restores the world-order, reflecting Vaishnava teachings of divine guardianship over creation.