Editing Varaha (section)

==Iconography==
[[File:Varaha Khajuraho.jpg|thumb|left|Zoomorphic Varaha, [[Khajuraho]]. On its body are carved saints, sages, gods, seven mothers and numerous beings which he symbolically protects. The goddess earth is ruined and missing.<ref name="Desai2000p49">{{cite book|author=Devangana Desai|title=Khajuraho|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=amPqAAAAMAAJ|year=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-565391-5|pages=49–52}}</ref>]]
Like Vishnu's first two avatars – [[Matsya]] (fish) and [[Kurma]] (turtle) – the third avatar Varaha is depicted either in zoomorphic form as an animal (a wild boar), or [[anthropomorphic]]ally. The main difference in the anthropomorphic form portrayal is that the first two avatars are depicted with a torso of a man and the bottom half as animal, while Varaha has an animal (boar) head and a human body.<ref name="Dalal2011"/><ref name="Krishna p. 47">[[#Krishna|Krishna]] 2009, p. 47</ref> The portrayal of the anthropomorphic Varaha is similar to the fourth avatar [[Narasimha]] (portrayed as a lion-headed man), who is the first avatar of Vishnu that is not completely animal.

===Textual descriptions===
The ''Agni Purana'' describes that Varaha is depicted with the human body and boar head. In one configuration, he carries a gada (mace), shankha (conch), padma (lotus) with Lakshmi on his left. In another form, he is depicted with the earth goddess on his left elbow and the serpent Shesha at his feet.{{sfn | Shastri | Bhatt | Gangadharan | 1998 | pp= 126,129,343}}{{sfn|Rao|1914|p=134}}

The ''Vishnudharmottara Purana'' describes the iconography of Nri-varaha ("human-boar"), with a human body and boar head. Varaha be depicted standing in the combative ''alidha'' pose (With a leg held straight and the other leg bent a little) on the four-armed serpent Shesha with folded arms. He holds a conch in his left land; on this elbow he supports the earth goddess who depicted with folded hands. He also holds mace, lotus and chakra (discus). He may also be depicted hurling the chakra at Hiranyaksha or raising a spear at the demon. Varaha can be also depicted in meditative posture like the sage [[Kapila]] or offering ''pinda''s. He can depicted in battle surrounded by demons or zoomorphically as boar supporting the earth. The text prescribes Varaha worship for prosperity; the demon personifies adversity and ignorance while Varaha is wisdom, wealth and power.{{sfn|Rao|1914|pp=134-5}}{{sfn|Shah|1990|pp=225-6, 380}}

The ''Matsya Purana'' describes that Varaha standing with the left foot on a [[world turtle|turtle]] and the right foot on the hood of Shesha. The raised earth should be on his left elbow. His left hand is placed on his Shakti (consort) on his left; while he holds a lotus and mace. The [[Guardians of the directions|lokapala]] deities should surround him, worshipping him.{{sfn|Talukdar of Oudh|1916|p=308|loc=Part II}}

The ''Narada Purana'' recommends Varaha be pictured as golden in complexion, having the earth on his white tusks and holding an iron-club, a conch, a discus, a sword, a javelin in his hands and making the ''[[abhayamudra]]'' (hand gesture of assurance).{{sfn|Narada Purana|1997|pp=1000-2}}

The ''Venkatacala Mahatmya'' of the ''Skanda Purana'' mentions that the boar-faced, four-armed Varaha holds the discus and the conch and makes the gestures of blessing (''[[varadamudra]]'') and assurance. He wears various ornaments including the [[Kaustubha]] jewel and yellow garments. The ''[[srivatsa]]'' symbol is on his chest. The earth goddess is seated on his left lap.{{sfn|Skanda_Purana|1951|pp=3-4}}

===Depictions===
In the zoomorphic form, Varaha is often depicted as a free-standing boar colossus, for example, the monolithic sculpture of Varaha in [[Varaha Temple, Khajuraho|Khajuraho]] (c. 900–925) made in sandstone, is {{convert|2.6|m}} long and {{convert|1.7|m}} high.<ref name="ASI">{{cite web|title=Varaha Temple | url=http://asibhopal.nic.in/monument/chhatarpur_khajuraho_varahatemple.html | publisher=Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) | access-date=1 January 2013}}</ref> The sculpture may not resemble a boar realistically, and may have his features altered for stylistic purposes. The earth, personified as the goddess Bhumi, clings to one of Varaha's tusks. Often the colossus is decorated by miniature figurines of deities, other celestail beings, [[rishi|sages]], anthropomorphic [[navagraha|planets]], stars, other world creatures appearing all over his body, which signify the whole of creation. The goddess of speech and knowledge, [[Saraswati|Sarasvati]] is often depicted on his tongue, while [[Brahma]] is often depicted on his head with [[Shiva]] and [[Parvati]] on his forehead and neck. Besides Khajuraho, such sculptures are found in [[Eran]], [[Muradpur]], Badoh, [[Gwalior]], [[Jhansi]], Apasadh.<ref name="Geer2008">{{cite book|author=Alexandra Anna Enrica van der Geer|title=Animals in Stone: Indian Mammals Sculptured Through Time|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ3quxh9gsgC&pg=PA402|access-date=1 January 2013|year=2008|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-16819-0|pages=401–6}}</ref><ref name="Snead1989">{{cite book|author=[[Stella Snead]]|title=Animals in Four Worlds: Sculptures from India|url=https://archive.org/details/animalsinfourwor1989snea|url-access=registration|access-date=1 January 2013|date=7 September 1989|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-76726-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/animalsinfourwor1989snea/page/39 39]}}</ref>{{sfn|Becker|2010|pp=129-31}}

[[Image:Varaha-mahabalipuram.jpg|right|thumb|A rare right-facing Varaha holding Bhudevi, 7th century CE, [[Mahabalipuram]].]]
In the anthropomorphic form, Varaha often has a stylized boar face, like the zoomorphic models. The snout may be shorter. The position and size of the tusks may also be altered. The ears, cheeks, and eyes are generally based on human ones. Early sculptors in [[Udayagiri Caves|Udayagiri]] and Eran faced the issue of how to attach the boar head to the human body and did not show a human neck. However, in [[Badami]], the problem was resolved by including a human neck. While some sculptures show a mane, it is dropped and replaced by a high conical crown – typical of Vishnu iconography – in others. Varaha sculptures generally look up to the right; there are very rare instances of left-facing Varaha depictions.<ref name="Geer2008"/>

Varaha has four arms, two of which hold the [[Sudarshana Chakra]] (discus) and [[Panchajanya]] (conch), while the other two hold a [[Gada (mace)|gada]] (mace), a [[sword]], or a lotus or one of them makes the ''[[varadamudra]]'' (gesture of blessing). Varaha may be depicted with all of Vishnu'a attributes in his four hands: the Sudarshana Chakra, the Panchajanya, the gada and the lotus. Sometimes, Varaha may carry only two of Vishnu's attributes: a shankha and the gada personified as a female called [[ayudhapurusha|Gadadevi]]. Varaha may also wear a ''[[Vaijayanti|vanamala]]'' - a garland of forest flowers, which is a regular characteristic in Vishnu icons. Varaha is often shown with a bulky physique and in a heroic pose. He is often depicted triumphantly emerging from the ocean as he rescues the earth.<ref name="Dalal2011"/><ref name="Geer2008"/><ref name=Museum/><ref name=Bhu/><ref name="Blurton1993"/>{{sfn|Becker|2010|pp=125-6}}

The earth may be shown as the goddess Bhumi in Indian sculpture. Bhumi is often shown as a small figure in the icon. She may be seated on or dangling from one of Varaha's tusks, or is seated on the corner of his folded elbow or his shoulder and supports herself against the tusk or the snout, as being lifted from the waters. In later Indian paintings, the whole earth or a part of it is depicted lifted up by Varaha's tusks. In Mahabalipuram, a rare portrayal shows an affectionate Varaha looking down to Bhumi, who he carries in his arms. The earth may be portrayed as a globe, a flat stretch of mountainous land or an elaborate forest landscape with buildings, temples, humans, birds, and animals. The defeated demon may be depicted trampled under Varaha's feet or being killed in combat by Varaha. [[Nāga|Nagas]] (snake gods) and their consorts Naginis (snake goddesses), residents of the underworld, may be depicted as swimming in the ocean with hands folded as a mark of devotion. Varaha may be also depicted standing on a snake or other minor creatures, denoting the cosmic waters.<ref name="Dalal2011"/><ref name="Geer2008"/><ref name=Museum>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/r/relief_sculpture_of_varaha_wit.aspx|title=Relief sculpture of Varaha with Bhu and Gadadevi|access-date=4 January 2013|publisher=British Museum.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808204846/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/r/relief_sculpture_of_varaha_wit.aspx|archive-date=8 August 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=Bhu>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/v/varaha_with_bhu,_gouache_on_pa.aspx|title=Varaha with Bhu, gouache on paper|access-date=4 January 2013|publisher=British Museum.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206013448/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/v/varaha_with_bhu,_gouache_on_pa.aspx|archive-date=6 December 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Blurton1993">{{cite book|author=T. Richard Blurton|title=Hindu Art|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xJ-lzU_nj_MC&pg=PA122|year=1993|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-39189-5|pages=122–3}}</ref> Sometimes, [[Lakshmi]] - Vishnu's primary consort - is depicted in the scene near the right foot of Varaha.{{sfn|Becker|2010|pp=125-6}}<ref name="mitra1963"/>

The Udayagiri Varaha panel is an example of an elaborate depiction of Varaha legend. It presents the goddess earth as the dangling woman, the hero as the colossal giant. His success is cheered by a galaxy of the divine as well as human characters valued and revered in the 4th-century. Their iconography of individual characters is found in Hindu texts.<ref name="mitra1963">[[Debala Mitra]], ’Varāha Cave at Udayagiri – An Iconographic Study’, ''Journal of the Asiatic Society'' 5 (1963): 99–103; J. C. Harle, ''Gupta Sculpture'' (Oxford, 1974): figures 8–17.</ref><ref name="williams42">{{cite book|author=Joanna Gottfried Williams|title=The Art of Gupta India: Empire and Province|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WQl_QgAACAAJ |year=1982|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-10126-2|pages=42–46}}</ref>

{{wide image|005 Varaha Relief (32851921924).jpg|600px|The Varaha panel in Cave 5, Udyagiri Caves, is one of the most studied reliefs from the Gupta Empire era. Circa 400 CE, reign of [[Chandragupta II]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Curta |first1=Florin |last2=Holt |first2=Andrew |title=Great Events in Religion: An Encyclopedia of Pivotal Events in Religious History [3 volumes] |date=28 November 2016 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-61069-566-4 |page=271 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dgF9DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA271 |language=en}}</ref>|65%|centre|alt=A wide image of Vishnu-Varaha rescuing Goddess Earth}}

Two iconographical forms of Varaha are popular. Yajna Varaha – denoting ''[[yajna]]'' (sacrifice) – is seated on a lion-throne and flanked by Bhumi and Lakshmi.<ref name="Dalal2011" /> As Pralaya Varaha – indicative of lifting the earth from the stage of the ''[[pralaya]]'' (the dissolution of the universe) – he is depicted only with Bhumi.<ref name="Dalal2011" /> Varaha may be depicted with Lakshmi alone too. In such sculptures, he may be depicted identically to Vishnu in terms of iconography with Vishnu's attributes; the boar head identifying the icon as Varaha. Lakshmi may be seated on his thigh in such portrayals.<ref name="ArtPal1989">{{cite book|author1=Los Angeles County Museum Of Art|author2=MR Pratapaditya Pal|title=Indian Sculpture (700–1800): A Catalog of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Collection|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-fvKVDxcJoUC&pg=PA295|access-date=5 January 2013|date=1 February 1989|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-06477-5|pages=295–}}</ref>

Varaha often features in the [[Dashavatara|Dashavatar]] stele – where the ten major avatars of Vishnu are portrayed – sometimes surrounding Vishnu. In the [[Vaikuntha Chaturmurti|Vaikuntha Vishnu]] (four-headed Vishnu) images, the boar is shown as the left head. Varaha's [[shakti]] (energy or consort) is the [[Matrika]] (mother goddess) [[Varahi]], who is depicted with a boar head like the god.<ref name="Geer2008"/> The ''Vishnudharmottara Purana'' prescribes Varaha be depicted as a boar in the [[Lingodbhava]] icon of Shiva.{{sfn|Rao|1914|pp=135}}