Editing Varaha (section)

===In avatar listings===
[[File:NarayanaTirumala13.JPG|thumb|Varaha depicted as a Dashavatar in a modern temple in [[Srikakulam]]. Varaha holds the earth as a globe.]]
The ''Mahabharata'' lays the foundation for the [[avatar]] concept in Vishnu theology; the term ''pradurbhava'' ("manifestation") appears in the early lists, instead the term ''avatar''. Varaha is listed as one of the four incarnations of Narayana-Vishnu who "relieve the burden of the earth" in an early list; in another list which may be a later addition to the epic, Varaha is one among eight ''pradurbhava''s. Some manuscripts of the epic expand the list to the classical ten [[Dashavatara|Dashavatar]] list; with Varaha listed as third or fourth ''pradurbhava''. Varaha is referred to ''yajna-varaha'' ("sacrifice boar") in some instances.{{sfn|Brockington|1998|pp=278-9, 281}}<ref name="CCCXL">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12c039.htm|title=The Mahabharata, Book 12: Santi Parva: Section CCCXL|website=www.sacred-texts.com|access-date=2019-11-27}}</ref>

The ''[[Agni Purana]]'' while narrating tales of the Dashavatar in sequence briefly mentions that the Hiranyaksa, a chief of ''[[asura]]''s (demons) defeated the gods and captured [[Svarga]] (heaven). Vishnu, in his third avatar as Varaha, slew the demons.{{sfn | Shastri | Bhatt | Gangadharan | 1998 | p=7}}{{sfn|Rao|1914|pp=131-2}}

The ''Linga Purana'' mentions that Vishnu takes the avatars due to a curse by the sage [[Bhrigu]]. It mentions Varaha as the third of the Dashavatar.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/LingaPuranaJ.L.ShastriPart2|title=Linga Purana - English Translation - Part 2 of 2|last=J.L.Shastri|date=1951|page=774}}</ref> The ''Narada Purana'', the ''Shiva Purana'' and the ''Padma Purana'' concurs placing Varaha as third of ten avatars.{{sfn|Narada_Purana|1997a|p=1486}}{{sfn|Shastri|2000|p=873}}{{sfn|Shastri|2002a|p=2031}}{{sfn|Padma_Purana|1952|pp=2560, 2573}}{{sfn|Varaha Purana|1960|p=13}}

The ''Bhagavata Purana''{{sfn|Shastri|Tagare|1999|pp=24, 188}} and ''Garuda Purana'' mention Varaha as second of 22 avatars. They say that Varaha, "the lord of sacrifices", rescued the earth from the netherworld or the waters.{{sfn|Garuda Purana|2002|pp=2-3}}{{sfn|Garuda Purana|2002b|p=1036}}{{sfn|Shastri|Tagare|1999|pp=24, 188}} In two other instances in the ''Garuda Purana'', Varaha is mentioned as third of the classical Dashavatar.{{sfn|Garuda Purana|2002|p=265}}{{sfn|Garuda Purana|2002b|p=870}}

The ''Narada Purana'' has a variant of [[Caturvyuha]] with Krishna, Varaha, [[Vamana]] and [[Balarama]] (Haladhara) as the four emanations.{{sfn|Narada Purana|1952|p=2049}}