13. Divine name Varaaham

5/9/08

 

"When you have the fear of drowning, think of Varaaham."

 

Varaham is boar and Vishnu Bhagavan in this form lifted the earth from the bottom of the ocean. Hiranyaaksha, Prahlada's paternal uncle was also as aasuric or demonic  as His father Hiranyaakashipu. Hiranyaaksha got the boon of invincibility from Brahma and became all-powerful. He stole the vedaas and caught Bhoomi Devi and dragged her to the bottom of the cosmic ocean and hid her there. Vishnu Bhagavan took the form of boar, killed the demon and lifted Bhoomi Devi with His great tusks and rescued. Also Varaha retreived the vedaas from the asuraas and gave it back to the custody of Lord Brahma.

 

Since Varaaham rescued Bhoomi Devi from drowning , it is appropriate to think of Vishnu in this form to eradicate any fear of drowning. 

 

But the inner meaning is that Bhagavan's tusks are His enormous power to lift us from any suffocating situations. We are drowning and surfacing in this samsaara saagaram ( ocean of material world) and the only power we can count on is Lord's power.

 

In Bhagavatham various parts of the Cosmic Boar or Yajna Varaha Murthy is explained in relation with various ingredients used for yajna. This implies that in doing each step of Yajnas, and doing each sacrifice, we have to meditate upon Lord to attain salvation. There are different yajnaas and bhagavan has said  that "of all the yajnas, he is the JAPA YAJNA" . This is especiaally relevant in Kaliguga and  Naamasamkeerthanam and satsangam are the only "sopaanam" (steps) to reach Him.

 

Chinmayaanadaji gives the allegorical meaning as earth representing the satwa guna and Hiranyaksha representing Rajoguna. By devotion to Lord, one gets the power to conquer Rajoguna and rescue Satwa guna. The boar came out of Brahma's nostril indicating that the power to conquer our negative qualities will come from with in oneself, if one sincerely surrender to Lord.

 

May the Varaha avatar rescue us from drowning in the vast and deep ocean , infested with the dangerous creatures like kaama, krodha, lobha, mada, moha and maatsarya! May He lift us to the spiritual platform where no negative vibrations can affect us!