Varaha Ghata
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
Varaha Ghata
Krishna is said to have shown His form of Varaha at this place, to please the gopis. There is a small Varaha temple here. In this temple there are Deities of Radha Krishna and a Deity of Varaha on the right side of the altar. The Yamuna used to flow nearby this ghata.
Lord Varaha, the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu, appeared as a giant boar to save the earth and to kill the demon Hiranyaksa, who had been terrifying the universe. Varaha dove to the bottom of the ocean to save the earth after Hiranyaksa put it there. Hiranyaksa was Hiranyakasipu’s brother, the demon who was killed by Lord Narasimha. Hiranyaksa was so proud, that he wanted to fight with Lord Vishnu in the form of a boar. Lord Varaha then got into a vicious club fight with Hiranyaksa. Hiranyaksa struck Varaha with his hard fist, but Varaha slapped Hiranyaksa indifferently at the root of his ear and killed him instantly.
In the material world a boar or pig is considered most abominable, but Adi-sukara (the original boar), the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was not treated as an ordinary boar. Even Lord Brahma and the other demigods worshiped the Lord’s form as a boar.
Directions: Near here is the ashram of Gautam Rishi. To get to the Varaha temple you come out of the door of the ashram of Gautam Rishi and go straight for about 20m (60 ft) into what seems to be someone’s yard and house. You then turn right around the building and you are at the Varaha temple. Even standing right in front of it you may not know it is a temple. This temple is about 50m (150 feet) from where the parikrama path turns to the right, and about a 10-minute walk from the Krishna Balarama Temple. From the road it is not obvious that there is a temple here.
Temple Timings: The temple here is open from 8:30 am to 12 noon and 4:00 to 9:00 pm.
Sanskrit Verses
In the Laghu-Bhagavatamrta, it says, "Lord Varaha appeared twice in one kalpa (day of Brahma). He appeared during the Svayambhuva-manvantara from Brahma's nostril to rescue the earth, and during the sixth manvantara (Caksusa-manvantara). He appeared to rescue the earth and kill Hiranyaksa."
According the Bhagavatamrta, in Uttanapada's lineage, the son of Praceta was Daksa, the daughter of Daksa was Diti, and the son of Diti was Hiranyaksa. At the time of Varahadeva's appearance or in the beginning of the kalpa, Manu did not have any children. So how could Hiranyaksa have taken birth in the reign of Svayambhuva Manu? Therefore, it is seen that in the Bhagavatam, in answer to Vidura's question, Maitreya Muni has described the pastimes of Lord Varaha in both the Svayambhuva devastation and Caksusa devastation. Svayambhuva Manu and Satarupa gave birth to two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada, and three daughters, Akuti, Devahuti and Prasuti:
- dvitiyam tu bhavayasya
- rasatala-gatam mahim
- uddharisyann upadatta
- yajnesah saukaram vapuh
(S.B. 1.3.7)
- "For the creation and for the welfare of the earth which had gone to the nether
- regions of the universe, the supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices accepted His
- second incarnation as a boar."
Lord Varaha is described as the second incarnation:
- yatrodyatah ksiti-taloddharanaya bibhrat
- kraudim tanum sakala-yajna-mayim anantah
- antar-maharnava upagatam adi-daityam
- tam damstrayadrim iva vajra-dharo dadara
(S.B. 2.7.1)
- "The unlimitedly powerful Lord assumed the form of a boar for the rescue of the
- earth and pierced the first demon Hiranyaksa with His tusks."
- jalakridasu ruciram
- varahim rupamasthitah
- adhrsyam manasapyanyair
- vamayam brahma-sajnitam
- prthivyuddharanarthaya
- pravisya ca rasatalam
- damstrayabhyujjaharai na
- matmadharo dharadharah
- drstva damstragravinyastam
- prthivim prathita paurusam
- astavan jana-lokastham
- siddhi brahmarsayo harim
(Matsya Purana 6.8-10)
- "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is imperceptible to the mind, who
- plays beautifully in the water, and who is the knower of all knowledge, appeared
- as Varaha to save the life-giving earth. He entered into the depths of the ocean
- and rescued the earth with His tusks. Seeing the earth resting between the tusks
- of the Lord, the sages of Janaloka offered prayers to the most celebrated Sri
- Hari."
- It is said that Lord Narayana, the cause of creation and destruction, appeared
- as Varaha:
- vasati dasana-sikhare dharani tava lagna
- sasini kalanka-kaleva nimagna
- kesava dhrta-sukara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare
- (Jayadeva's Dasavatara Stotra)
- "O Kesava! O Supreme Lord who have assumed the form of a boar! O Lord!
- The planet earth rested on Your tusks, and it appeared like the moon engraved
- with spots."
- When the Lord manifested in the womb of Devaki while she was in the prison of
- Kamsa, Brahma offered prayers to the Lord. This is the last verse of those
- prayers:
- matsyasva-kacchapa-nrsimha-varaha-hamsa-
- rajanya-vipra-vibudhesu krtavatarah
- tvam pasi nas tri-bhuvanam ca yathadhunesa
- bharam bhuvo hara yaduttama vandanam te
(SB 10.2.40)
- "O supreme controller, Your Lordship previously accepted incarnations as
- Matsya (fish), Asvagriva (horse), Kurma (tortoise), Nrsimhadeva, Varaha (boar),
- Hamsa (swan), Lord Ramacandra, Parasurama and, among the demigods,
- Vamanadeva, to protect the entire world by Your mercy. Now please protect us
- again by Your mercy by diminishing the disturbances in this world. O Krsna, best
- of the Yadus, we respectfully offer our obeisances unto You."
In the depths of the Rasatala water, the demon Hiranyaksa misunderstood Lord Varaha to be only a boar, and considering Him to possess meager strength, spoke many deriding words to Him. The Lord, however, returned his taunts with equal vigor. Lord Varaha dodged the violent mace-blows of the angry demon Hiranyaksa, and thus a violent mace-fight began between the two. Lord Brahma prayed to the Supreme Lord that in the demoniac hours, the power of the demon would increase manifold. Therefore, before that time arrived, He ought to kindly kill the demon in the loka-samhara-karini hours and auspicious period known as abhijit.
Hiranyaksa displayed his prowess by using the mace and trident, and finally by casting illusions and striking hard with his fists, but the Lord killed the demon with the blow of His mace. This pastime has been described in the third canto, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, chapters 18-19.