Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17
स देवो विश्वरूपो वै कथं वाजिमुखोऽभवत् । हिरण्याक्षस्य हंता यो रूपं कृत्वा वराहजम्
sa devo viśvarūpo vai kathaṃ vājimukho'bhavat | hiraṇyākṣasya haṃtā yo rūpaṃ kṛtvā varāhajam
स विश्वरूपो देवः कथं हयमुखत्वमवाप्तवान्? यो हिरण्याक्षं हत्वा तस्यार्थं वराहरूपं कृत्वा कर्म चकार।
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta addressing sages)
Scene: A cosmic Lord of universal form is questioned about how He became horse-faced (Hayagrīva) while also being the slayer of Hiraṇyākṣa as Varāha—suggesting a montage of avatāra-forms around a central viśvarūpa.
FAQs
The Lord assumes whatever form is needed to restore dharma and protect the world, showing divine adaptability for righteous purpose.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Dharmāraṇya section’s broader sanctifying frame by praising divine acts that uphold sacred order.
None is stated directly; the verse is doctrinal, focusing on avatāra-kathā (incarnation narrative).