Chapter 189 - The Greatness of Udīrṇa Vārāha Tīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

1-7. Thereafter, O great king, the person should go to an extremely splendid Tīrtha, where the divine Boar rose up holding the Earth.

Holding this Earth and shaking the terribly sharp-edged, curved fangs, he rose up. He alone is called the fifth Varāha^[1], the bestower of salvation.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

How was Varāha the holder of the Earth, in the form of one rising up? Why did he adopt the form of a boar? Why is he termed “the fifth”?

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

In the primordial Kalpa formerly, O king, Lord Hari was lying on his serpent-couch in the Milk Ocean. He was deeply lost in his Yogic slumber. The pair of his feet were being rubbed and massaged by the two lotus-like hands of Lakṣmī. While the Lord of Devas was asleep, the Earth was distressed due to the excess of burden, O excellent king. She went to the presence of Devas and said, “I am distressed due to the overload. I (fear that I) will sink down into Rasātala.”

On seeing this, the Devas too became sad. They went to the place where Janārdana was present. Through pleasing words, they eulogized Keśava, the Lord of the universe:

The Devas said:

8-17. Obeisance, obeisance to you, O Lord of Devas, O omnipresent Lord, O dispeller of the distress of Suras. O Viśvamūrti (having universal forms), obeisance to you! Save us all from the great fear.

On being told thus by the Devas, the Lord said: “What has befallen you? What is my task? Say, O Devas, do not delay.”

The Devas said:

The Earth, the support of living beings, is sinking down, highly distressed due to the excess of burden. O Hṛṣīkeśa, raise her up. Stabilise the worlds in her steady position.

On being told thus by all the Suras, Keśava, the great Lord, adopted the form of a boar, consisting of all the Yajñas. He was terrifying due to the curved fangs. The eyes were tawny-coloured and the hair curly. Making Ananta (the serpent of that name, Śeṣa) his foot-rest, he lifted up the Earth by means of the tips of the curved fangs.

Lifting up the Earth with the ocean as her girdle, along with the mountains and forests, Lord Viṣṇu became Udīrṇa (rose up). He revealed himself in five forms on the northern bank of Narmadā. The first one was in Korala and the second in Yodhanīpura. The third one was of the form of a liṅga deluding the Asuras. He is glorified as ‘Jaya’ in the holy spot named ‘Jayakṣetra’. (The fourth one)is called Śveta, O tiger among kings. He stationed himself for the purpose of sanctifying the universe. Since he has the lustre of the moon, he is termed Śveta. After lifting up the goddess of the worlds, he rose up from Bhṛgukaccha. Hence the term Udīrṇa Varāha for the fifth one.

18-29. Thus, O son of Pāṇḍu, the five Varāhas have been described to you. Seeing all these simultaneously dispels the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter.

The eleventh lunar day in the bright half of the month of Jyeṣṭha is specially significant here.

On the tenth day itself a devotee goes to Ādivarāha. Haviṣya rice should be eaten as a light meal when the sun is about to set in the evening. He should keep awake at night in the shrine of Ādivarāha.

When the day dawns, he should take his holy bath in the waters of Narmadā. After offering libations to the Pitṛs and Devatās with gingelly seeds mixed with barley grain, he should make the gift of a cow embellished with all ornaments to a deserving Brāhmaṇa.

The devotee should be free from Mamatva (sense of possession) and from Ahaṃkāra (egotism) when he makes the gift to Brāhmaṇas.

He should then adore Lord Varāha named Ādi (the first). After adoring in this way, he should go to the Jaya shrine quickly.

Hastening to Jaya shrine he should repeat the procedure as in the first case. A horse should be given as a gift to an eminent Brāhmaṇa at the shrine of Jaya.

Gingelly seeds should be gifted at the Liṅga (third shrine) and gold at the Sveta shrine.

At the Udīrṇa shrine a plot of land should be gifted.

The previous procedure should be adopted.

O son of Kuntī, listen with mental concentration to the benefit acquired by one who visits all the five Varāhas before the sun sets.

All the following sins will, O most excellent one among the descendants of Bharata, perish immediately like a heap of cotton in fire; the sins of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter, imbibing liquor, theft, intercourse with the wife of preceptor, associating with those sinners mentioned before, breach of trust of those who had confided, taking as wife a sister, a daughter or a member of sister’s family, in fact all the sins committed from birth to death. All these sins of a Vaiṣṇava sanctified by all the five Tīrthas perish.

30-38. Sins may be as big as peaks of mountains, still these perish if Nārāyaṇa is remembered, and specially so if Japa and Dhyāna are performed.

The devotee should, showing great manliness, take his plunge into the waters of Narmadā. After visiting the five Varāhas and performing the Śrāddha duly, he should visit Loṭaṇeśvara between sunrise and sunset. He shall be rid of (future) physical bodies. So said Śaṅkara.

He immediately attains salvation called Parameśvarī, the one which is ordinarily inaccessible. If Siddhi is not achieved even after great manly endeavour, they say that the sinner may go to heaven.

If a person proceeds elsewhere but happens to be in the vicinity of the five Varāhas on the eleventh lunar day in the month of Jyeṣṭha, he should certainly stay there wherever he may be. The five Varāhas, Ādi, Jaya, Śveta, Liṅga and Udīrṇa should be visited by him.

It was on the eleventh day in Jyeṣṭha that the powerful Lord Viṣṇu assumed the Varāha form and lifted up the Earth. Hence it is more meritorious than the most meritorious and destructive of all the masses of sins.

After visiting the five Varāhas, the Kroḍa (Boar) in the form of Udīrṇa should be adored in accordance with the injunction and then he should keep awake.

39-43. At the time of the Jāgaraṇa (keeping awake) the devotee should with devotion, light five-wicked lamps filled with ghee. Purāṇas should be listened to and auspicious songs and dances performed. The night should be spent with the Japa of Vedic Mantras. O Ajamīḍha^[2], listen to the merit that a man obtains thereby:

The waters of Revā are highly meritorious on the earth. So also Lord Hari, the ruler of all worlds. O Lord of men, the Ekādaśī is destructive of sins. It is obtained (and benefited) by men through many strenuous efforts.

Each of these is capable of destroying a series of sins like Brahmahatyā, O king. Then tell me, will they not be able to destroy if they are united together?

O son of Dharma, this has been told to you in the same manner as it was heard from the moon-crested Lord Śaṅkara. After listening to this willingly and reciting it, one is rid of all sins and goes to the region of the Enemy of Vṛtra.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The five Varāhas are mentioned in verses 14 onwards.

[2]:

A descendant of Pūru, Yudhiṣṭhira.