In the previous episode, we had witnessed the key characteristics of Bhagawan Vishnu’s incarnation in the form of Bhagawan Varaaha, wherein Sage Paraashara also refers to as Bhagawan Yagnya-Varaaha. He describes the salient features of Bhagawan Yagnya-Varaaha as he compares Him with Agni Bhagawan who emerges with all his might and “Tejas” from within the “Homa-Kunda”, during the spiritual offering. Moreover, Bhagawan Varaaha has the strength of a thousand elephants put together and with this might, He takes on Hiraynyaksha single-handedly. Sage Paraashara also adds another point here that the ornaments Bhagawan Varaaha was wearing around His neck and shoulders comprised of innumerable precious stones, out of which one stone was the great “Meru” mountain, and the other was the great “Himachala” mountain! If these huge mountains should be part of Bhagawan’s ornaments, we can imagine here as to how huge and mammoth His size would have been!
Thus, we can worship Bhagawan Varaaha in the form of Bhagawan Yagnya-Varaaha here, and many of us might be aware that we can worship Bhagawan Varaaha even today in many of the Divyadesams of Bhagawan Vishnu. For instance, there is a place near Chennai, called “Thiru-vida-vendai”, on the way to Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry, on the east coast road. Here, we have the sanctum-sanctorum of Bhagawan Vishnu as Bhagawan Varaha. Similarly, in Mahabalipuram too, we have the same deity whom we can worship. In similar lines, if we go to the famous Tirupati – Tirumala Divyadesha, the presiding deity of that place is Bhagawan Adi-Varaaha. It is only after worshipping Bhagawan Adi-Varaaha, we can proceed further to worship Bhagawan Venkateshwara at Tirumala. Similarly, we have another place called “Shrimushnam” near to a town called Vriddhachalam in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In this place, we can worship Bhagawan Varaaha as a “Svayamvakta-Kshetra”, which means, Bhagawan Varaaha had automatically taken form and shape here. Nobody installed the “Vigraha” (Idol) of Bhagwan Varaaha here. Thus, we can worship Bhagawan Varaaha at many many places and this is where Bhagawad Ramanuja too explains that Bhagawan Varaaha is perhaps the only incarnation of Bhagawan Vishnu that devotees like us can trust and worship.
Thus, we can see here that Bhagawan Varaaha incarnated in this world to protect Mother Bhoomadevi (Mother Earth) which was abducted by the Raakshasa Hiranyaksha. With this we come to the end of the events that are associated with the incarnation of Bhagawan Varaaha, and we now move further into the next incarnation. Here, Sage Paraashara gives us an interesting accord. He explains that Bhagawan Vishnu splits the world into four different parts. We’ve already witnessed till now that Bhagawan Brahma had taken birth and simultaneously the world had come into existence from Bhagawan Vishnu. Bhagawan Brahma had been entrusted with continuing the job of creating the world further and in turn, Svaayambhuva Manu too has an important part to play too. Thus, whatever Bhagawan Brahma is creating forms the first quarter or the first part of the world here. Apart from this there are three more parts, which together comprise what is referred to as “Nitya-Vibhuti” or “Vaikunta”. As we read from the “Purushasuktam” of the Yajur Veda thus,
“Braahmanosya mukhamaaseeth! Baahurajanyah kritaha! Uuru tadasya yadvaishyaha! Padbhyaagum shoodro ajaayata!!”
Thus, here we can witness from the “Purushasuktham” that the Brahmins were created from Bhagawan Brahma’s mouth. Now the question comes here – Who is a Brahmin? A person who is a total embodiment of “Satva Guna” is called Brahmin. A person who is an embodiment of “Rajo Guna”, is referred to as Kshatriya. A person who has a combination of Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna, is called “Vaishya”. Thus, the Brahmin emerges from Bhagawan Brahma’s face (mouth, to be precise). The Kshatriyas emerge from Bhagawan Brahma’s shoulders. The Vaishyas emerge from Bhagawan Brahma’s thighs. Thus, we can see here that based on whatever would be the occupation of each of these sects, they arise accordingly from different body parts of Bhagawan Brahma. For instance, since Brahmins have to make their living out of chanting Vedas, they are born from Bhagawan Brahma’s mouth. Similarly, because Kshatriyas should have the valor and strength to protect and defend the country, they are born from the shoulders of Bhagawan Brahma. Similarly, since the Vaishyas have to sit and do business activities, they were born from the thighs of Bhagawan Brahma.
Thus, we can see here as to how the different Varnashrama Dharmas have taken birth. We should understand here that all the Varnashrama Dharmas were born from different parts of the same Bhagawan Brahma and nobody is superior / inferior here. All of us were born from a single source only, and the only difference between the four sects is the occupation that they do. There are no other differences or complexities that are involved in the Varnaashrama Dharma. Hence, we should forget all the misunderstandings that cloud around this concept.
So for today, let us understand these important points and let us wait till the next episode to continue our discussion further. Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 