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| Varaha Purana |
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Excerpts From the Book:-
In this scheme, the Old Sanskrit Texts of the Puranas as printed by the Venkatesvara Press and published by Khemaraja Sri kṛṣṇadass have been rendered into English. The translation is neither too literal nor too free. Care has been taken to maintain a balance between the two extremes. The spirit of the Original Sanskrit text has been preserved in translation without violating the idiom of the English language.
The Puranas are classified as Vaisnava, Brahma, or Śaiva according to the degree of quality, sattva, rajas, or tamas which they possess in prominence. Judged by this standard the present Purana belongs to the Vişnuite class. The majority of the verses relate to Vişnuite rituals, stotras, or anecdotes. The Purana eulogizes the ten incarnations of Visņu and proclaims that a devotee attains identity with the lord by reciting and listening to his praise. A number of chapters describe the initiation of devotees to Visņuite order. The Purana prescribes initiation not only for the Brahmaṇas but also for the Ksatriyas, Vaisyas, and Śūdras.
The Purana records a number of religious vows which a devotee should observe at certain holy places to attain his desire. Mention may be made in this context of Dvadasi Vrata celebrated on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight of each month, the ritual is related to the ten incarnations of Visņu, Padmanabha being the eleventh and Dharani (Earth) the twelfth. The Purana contains a number of hymns in praise of Vişņu, addressed to his specific forms, under particular names such as Matsya, Varaha, and Kurma. There is a hymn in prose called Brahmapäramaya stotra which was uttered by the Asvins in praise of Visnu.
Though predominantly Vişnuite in character, the Purana talks highly of lord Siva, describing his origin, exploits, and the destruction of Daksa's sacrifice in particular. The Purana is emphatic about the identity of the Trinity, a single entity assuming manifold forms such as Vişņu, Brahma, Śiva, and others.
Besides the worship of the Trinity, we find the cult of Mother Goddesses as the distinct feature of this work. These Mothers are allied to Śiva and their origin is traced to the fury of Siva, the purpose being the destruction of asuras.
In the miscellany of topics, we can include the glory and greatness of holy centers, gifts of cows, enumeration of sins and their expiation, causes of sufferings in hell, and of enjoyment in heaven. Finally, this Part describes Śraddhakalpa (the institution of obsequious rites and rituals).
Varaha Purana Summary
The Varaha Purana (Sanskrit: वराह पुराण, Varāha Purāṇa) is a Sanskrit text from the Puranas genre of literature in Hinduism. It belongs to the Vaishnavism literature corpus praising Narayana (Vishnu) but includes chapters dedicated to praising and centered on Shiva and Shakti (goddesses it calls Brahmi, Vaishnavi, and Raudri).
The text exists in many versions, with major sections lost to history. The text has been estimated to have been first completed between the 10th and 12th centuries, and continuously revised thereafter. The surviving manuscripts of this text are notable, like Linga Purana, because they do not cover the required Panchalakshana (five characteristics) expected in a Purana. Scholars have questioned whether it really qualifies as a Purana and whether the extant manuscripts are merely a religious manual largely focused on Vaishnava practices, with sections that also praise Shiva, Shakti, and other gods in a secular way.
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