Varaha (Sanskrit: वराह) is the third Avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu, in the
form of a Boar. He
appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had
taken the Earth (Prithvi) and
carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story.
The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed
to have lasted for a thousand years, which the former finally won. Varaha carried the
Earth out of the ocean between his tusks and restored it to its place in the
universe. Vishnu married Prithvi (Bhudevi) in this
avatar.
Varaha is
depicted in art as either purely animal or as being anthropomorphic, having a
boar's head on a man's body. In the latter form he has four arms, two of which
hold the wheel and conch-shell while the other two hold a mace, sword or lotus
or make a gesture (or "mudra") of
blessing. The Earth is held between the boar's tusks.
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