Varaaha PurANam : Part 2

[Guest guest]

Here are a few more points to round off

the earlier references to this avathAram

including some original quotations

from the PurANam itself :

 

** The special appreciation for the VarAha Charama

slOkam can be obtained from a reply that Bhagavan

gave to Sage Narada in Brahma PurANam . The great

NaarAyaNa PaarAyaNaa , Sage Naradar asked the Lord :

" prANa prayANa samayE ka : (tvam ) smarthum saktha:

syAth"? Bhagvan gave a bland answer , which did not

have the precision of VarAha Charama SlOkam and

the One found in Bhagavadh GitA . In Brahama PurANam ,

Bhagavan held out the stakes high and said :

 

" He who thinks of me always , will certainly cross

this vast and frightening ocean of SamsArA filled

with waters of greed and avarice ".

 

" yO maam smarathi NITYASA : " is Bhagavaan's words .

Dhruva Smrithi(ceaseless rememberance ) is not with in

easy reach of all .The discipline needed ,

the dharmams to be followed , the Yogams to be

practised are ardous for many .That is why Krishna said

in GitA :

 

" sarva dharmAn parithyajya maam Ekam saranam vraja ,

Aham tvaa sarva paapEpyo mokshayishyAmi maa sucha :"

 

and removed the bheethi and klEsam of the SaraNAgathan .

 

In VarAha Charama slOkam , the Varaha Bhagavaan went

many steps beyond that position stated by Lord KrishNa

in GitA and MadhusUdhana"s statement about dhruva smrithi

in Brahma PurANam . What He said to Bhumi Devi in response to

the request for a Laghu UpAyam was :

 

" The Man/woman , who , when his/her mind in its normal condiiton ,

when his/her body is not shattered , and when the elementary

constituents (DhAthus ) are in perfect equipoise , meditates

on Me , who has the world as My body and (meditates )

on Me , who is not subject to births due to KarmA --

when that man/woman lies like a log of wood or a piece of stone

in his/her dying moments , then I think of (him/her ) ,

My bhakthan/Bhakthai and lead him/her to My supreme abode " .

 

The conditions that this parama DayALu lays on the humans

fully cognizant of their helplessness in their last moments

is so driven by His limitless compassion to His Bhakthan .

 

The AzhwAr's plea , appOthukkippOthE solli vaitthEn " now

comes into focus. Varaha BhagavAn's outright , unambiguous statement

of His declared intent to rush to the side of such BhakthAL

and then leading them by hand as it were to His parama padham

has in my opinion no match anywhere .

 

** Sri VishNu sahasra Naamam salutes this avathAram as

" MahA VarAhO GovindhO --" . It is intersting to see the

juxtaposition of Govindha Naamam after MahA VarAha nAmam .

In one approach Govindha is the One , the One , who rescued

Mother Earth ( Go=Earth , VindA = rescuer ). It is as MahA

VarAham that BhagavAN rescued His consort and acquired

the name of Govindhan .

 

Niruktham also endorses this intrepretation based

on the texts from MahA Bhaaratham and VishNu purAnam :

 

tatha: samuthikshipya DharAm sva dhamshtrayA

maha VarAha: sputa padma lOchana: -- Vishnu PurAnam:1.4.26

 

nashtAm cha DharaNIm purvamavindham cha guhaagatham

Govindha ithi tEnAham -- BhAratham Saanthi parvam 343.41

 

Subhamasthu ,

V.Sadagopan