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iti—thus; mimamsatah—while deliberating; tasya—his; brahmanah—of Brahma; saha—along with; sunubhih—his sons; bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; yajna—Lord Visnu; purusah—the Supreme Person; jagarja—resounded; aga-indra—great mountain; sannibhah—like.

While Brahma was deliberating with his sons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, roared tumultuously like a great mountain.

It appears that great hills and mountains also have their roaring power because they are also living entities. The volume of the sound vibrated is in proportion to the size of the material body. While Brahma was guessing about the appearance of the Lord’s incarnation as a boar, the Lord confirmed Brahma’s contemplation by roaring with His gorgeous voice.

SB3.13.24

TEXT 24

brahmanam harsayam asa

haris tams ca dvijottaman

sva-garjitena kakubhah

pratisvanayata vibhuh

brahmanam—unto Brahma; harsayam asa—enlivened; harih—the Personality of Godhead; tan—all of them; ca—also; dvija-uttaman—highly elevated brahmanas; sva-garjitena—by His uncommon voice; kakubhah—all directions; pratisvanayata—which echoed; vibhuh—the omnipotent.

The omnipotent Supreme Personality of Godhead enlivened Brahma and the other highly elevated brahmanas by again roaring with His uncommon voice, which echoed in all directions.

Brahma and other enlightened brahmanas who know the Supreme Personality of Godhead are enlivened by the appearance of the Lord in any of His multi-incarnations. The appearance of the wonderful and gigantic incarnation of Visnu as the mountainlike boar did not fill them with any kind of fear, although the Lord’s resounding voice was tumultuous and echoed horribly in all directions as an open threat to all demons who might challenge His omnipotency.

SB3.13.25

TEXT 25

nisamya te ghargharitam sva-kheda-

ksayisnu mayamaya-sukarasya

janas-tapah-satya-nivasinas te

tribhih pavitrair munayo ’grnan sma

nisamya—just after hearing; te—those; ghargharitam—the tumultuous sound; sva-kheda—personal lamentation; ksayisnu—destroying; maya-maya—all-merciful; sukarasya—of Lord Boar; janah—the Janaloka planet; tapah—the Tapoloka planet; satya—the Satyaloka planet; nivasinah—residents; te—all of them; tribhih—from the three Vedas; pavitraih—by the all-auspicious mantras; munayah—great thinkers and sages; agrnan sma—chanted.

When the great sages and thinkers who are residents of Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka heard the tumultuous voice of Lord Boar, which was the all-auspicious sound of the all-merciful Lord, they chanted auspicious chants from the three Vedas.

The word mayamaya is very significant in this verse. Maya means “mercy,” “specific knowledge” and also “illusion.” Therefore Lord Boar is everything; He is merciful, He is all knowledge, and He is illusion also. The sound which He vibrated as the boar incarnation was answered by the Vedic hymns of the great sages in the planets Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. The highest intellectual and pious living entities live in those planets, and when they heard the extraordinary voice of the boar, they could understand that the specific sound was vibrated by the Lord and no one else. Therefore they replied by praying to the Lord with Vedic hymns. The earth planet was submerged in the mire, but on hearing the sound of the Lord, the inhabitants of the higher planets were all jubilant because they knew that the Lord was there to deliver the earth. Therefore Brahma and all the sages, such as Bhrgu, Brahma’s other sons, and learned brahmanas, were enlivened, and they concertedly joined in praising the Lord with the transcendental vibrations of the Vedic hymns. The most important is the Brhan-naradiya Purana verse Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

SB3.13.26

TEXT 26

tesam satam veda-vitana-murtir

brahmavadharyatma-gunanuvadam

vinadya bhuyo vibudhodayaya

gajendra-lilo jalam avivesa

tesam—of them; satam—of the great devotees; veda—all knowledge; vitana-murtih—the form of expansion; brahma—Vedic sound; avadharya—knowing it well; atma—of Himself; guna-anuvadam—transcendental glorification; vinadya—resounding; bhuyah—again; vibudha—of the transcendentally learned; udayaya—for the elevation or benefit; gajendra-lilah—playing like an elephant; jalam—the water; avivesa—entered.

Playing like an elephant, He entered into the water after roaring again in reply to the Vedic prayers by the great devotees. The Lord is the object of the Vedic prayers, and thus He understood that the devotees’ prayers were meant for Him.

The form of the Lord in any shape is always transcendental and full of knowledge and mercy. The Lord is the destroyer of all material contamination because His form is personified Vedic knowledge. All the Vedas worship the transcendental form of the Lord. In the Vedic mantras the devotees request the Lord to remove the glaring effulgence because it covers His real face. That is the version of the Isopanisad. The Lord has no material form, but His form is always understood in terms of the Vedas. The Vedas are said to be the breath of the Lord, and that breath was inhaled by Brahma, the original student of the Vedas. The breathing from the nostril of Brahma caused the appearance of Lord Boar, and therefore the boar incarnation of the Lord is the personified Vedas. The glorification of the incarnation by the sages on the higher planets consisted of factual Vedic hymns. Whenever there is glorification of the Lord, it is to be understood that Vedic mantras are being rightly vibrated. The Lord was therefore pleased when such Vedic mantras were chanted, and to encourage His pure devotees, He roared once more and entered the water to rescue the submerged earth.

SB3.13.27

TEXT 27

utksipta-valah kha-carah kathorah

sata vidhunvan khara-romasa-tvak

khurahatabhrah sita-damstra iksa-

jyotir babhase bhagavan mahidhrah

utksipta-valah—slashing with the tail; kha-carah—in the sky; kathorah—very hard; satah—hairs on the shoulder; vidhunvan—quivering; khara—sharp; romasa-tvak—skin full of hairs; khura-ahata—struck by the hooves; abhrah—the clouds; sita-damstrah—white tusks; iksa—glance; jyotih—luminous; babhase—began to emit an effulgence; bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; mahi-dhrah—the supporter of the world.

Before entering the water to rescue the earth, Lord Boar flew in the sky, slashing His tail, His hard hairs quivering. His very glance was luminous, and He scattered the clouds in the sky with His hooves and His glittering white tusks.

When the Lord is offered prayers by His devotees, His transcendental activities are described. Here are some of the transcendental features of Lord Boar. As the residents of the upper three planetary systems offered their prayers to the Lord, it is understood that His body expanded throughout the sky, beginning from the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, or Satyaloka. It is stated in the Brahma-samhita that His eyes are the sun and the moon; therefore His very glance over the sky was as illuminating as the sun or the moon. The Lord is described herein as mahidhrah, which means either a “big mountain” or the “sustainer of the earth.” In other words, the Lord’s body was as big and hard as the Himalayan Mountains; otherwise how was it possible that He kept the entire earth on the support of His white tusks? The poet Jayadeva, a great devotee of the Lord, has sung of the incident in his prayers for the incarnations:

vasati dasana-sikhare dharani tava lagna
sasini kalanka-kaleva nimagna
kesava dhrta-sukara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

“All glories to Lord Kesava [Krsna], who appeared as the boar. The earth was held between His tusks, which appeared like the scars on the moon.”

SB3.13.28

TEXT 28

ghranena prthvyah padavim vijighran

krodapadesah svayam adhvarangah

karala-damstro ’py akarala-drgbhyam

udviksya vipran grnato ’visat kam

ghranena—by smelling; prthvyah—of the earth; padavim—situation; vijighran—searching after the earth; kroda-apadesah—assuming the body of a hog; svayam—personally; adhvara—transcendental; angah—body; karala—fearful; damstrah—teeth (tusks); api—in spite of; akarala—not fearful; drgbhyam—by His glance; udviksya—glancing over; vipran—all the brahmana- devotees; grnatah—who were engaged in prayers; avisat—entered; kam—the water.

He was personally the Supreme Lord Visnu and was therefore transcendental, yet because He had the body of a hog, He searched after the earth by smell. His tusks were fearful, and He glanced over the devotee-brahmanas engaged in offering prayers. Thus He entered the water.

We should always remember that although the body of a hog is material, the hog form of the Lord was not materially contaminated. It is not possible for an earthly hog to assume a gigantic form spreading throughout the sky, beginning from the Satyaloka. His body is always transcendental in all circumstances; therefore, the assumption of the form of a boar is only His pastime. His body is all Vedas, or transcendental. But since He had assumed the form of a boar, He began to search out the earth by smelling, just like a hog. The Lord can perfectly play the part of any living entity. The gigantic feature of the boar was certainly very fearful for all nondevotees, but to the pure devotees of the Lord He was not at all fearful; on the contrary, He was so pleasingly glancing upon His devotees that all of them felt transcendental happiness.

SB3.13.29

TEXT 29

sa vajra-kutanga-nipata-vega-

visirna-kuksih stanayann udanvan

utsrsta-dirghormi-bhujair ivartas

cukrosa yajnesvara pahi meti

sah—that; vajra-kuta-anga—body like a great mountain; nipata-vega—the force of diving; visirna—bifurcating; kuksih—the middle portion; stanayan—resounding like; udanvan—the ocean; utsrsta—creating; dirgha—high; urmi—waves; bhujaih—by the arms; iva artah—like a distressed person; cukrosa—prayed loudly; yajna-isvara—O master of all sacrifices; pahi—please protect; ma—unto me; iti—thus.

Diving into the water like a giant mountain, Lord Boar divided the middle of the ocean, and two high waves appeared as the arms of the ocean, which cried loudly as if praying to the Lord, “O Lord of all sacrifices, please do not cut me in two! Kindly give me protection!”

Even the great ocean was perturbed by the falling of the mountainlike body of the transcendental boar, and it appeared to be frightened, as if death were imminent.

SB3.13.30

TEXT 30

khuraih ksuraprair darayams tad apa

utpara-param tri-paru rasayam

dadarsa gam tatra susupsur agre

yam jiva-dhanim svayam abhyadhatta

khuraih—by the hooves; ksurapraih—compared to a sharp weapon; darayan—penetrating; tat—that; apah—water; utpara-param—found the limitation of the unlimited; tri-paruh—the master of all sacrifices; rasayam—within the water; dadarsa—found; gam—the earth; tatra—there; susupsuh—lying; agre—in the beginning; yam—whom; jiva-dhanim—the resting place for all living entities; svayam—personally; abhyadhatta—uplifted.

Lord Boar penetrated the water with His hooves, which were like sharp arrows, and found the limits of the ocean, although it was unlimited. He saw the earth, the resting place for all living beings, lying as it was in the beginning of creation, and He personally lifted it.

The word rasayam is sometimes interpreted to mean Rasatala, the lowest planetary system, but that is not applicable in this connection, according to Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. The earth is seven times superior to the other planetary systems, namely Tala, Atala, Talatala, Vitala, Rasatala, Patala, etc. Therefore the earth cannot be situated in the Rasatala planetary system. It is described in the Visnu-dharma:

patala-mulesvara-bhoga-samhatau
vinyasya padau prthivim ca bibhratah
yasyopamano na babhuva so ’cyuto
mamastu mangalya-vivrddhaye harih

Therefore the Lord found the earth on the bottom of the Garbhodaka Ocean, where the planets rest during the devastation at the end of Brahma’s day.

SB3.13.31

TEXT 31

sva-damstrayoddhrtya mahim nimagnam

sa utthitah samruruce rasayah

tatrapi daityam gadayapatantam

sunabha-sandipita-tivra-manyuh

sva-damstraya—by His own tusks; uddhrtya—raising; mahim—the earth; nimagnam—submerged; sah—He; utthitah—getting up; samruruce—appeared very splendid; rasayah—from the water; tatra—there; api—also; daityam—unto the demon; gadaya—with the club; apatantam—rushing towards Him; sunabha—the wheel of Krsna; sandipita—glowing; tivra—fierce; manyuh—anger.

Lord Boar very easily took the earth on His tusks and got it out of the water. Thus He appeared very splendid. Then, His anger glowing like the Sudarsana wheel, He immediately killed the demon [Hiranyaksa], although he tried to fight with the Lord.

According to Srila Jiva Gosvami, the Vedic literatures describe the incarnation of Lord Varaha (Boar) in two different devastations, namely the Caksusa devastation and the Svayambhuva devastation. This particular appearance of the boar incarnation actually took place in the Svayambhuva devastation, when all planets other than the higher ones—Jana, Mahar and Satya—merged in the water of devastation. This particular incarnation of the boar was seen by the inhabitants of the planets mentioned above. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti suggests that the sage Maitreya amalgamated both the boar incarnations in different devastations and summarized them in his description to Vidura.

SB3.13.32

TEXT 32

jaghana rundhanam asahya-vikramam

sa lilayebham mrgarad ivambhasi

tad-rakta-pankankita-ganda-tundo

yatha gajendro jagatim vibhindan

jaghana—killed; rundhanam—the obstructive enemy; asahya—unbearable; vikramam—prowess; sah—He; lilaya—easily; ibham—the elephant; mrga-rat—the lion; iva—like; ambhasi—in the water; tat-rakta—of his blood; panka-ankita—smeared by the pool; ganda—cheeks; tundah—tongue; yatha—as if; gajendrah—the elephant; jagatim—earth; vibhindan—digging.

Thereupon Lord Boar killed the demon within the water, just as a lion kills an elephant. The cheeks and tongue of the Lord became smeared with the blood of the demon, just as an elephant becomes reddish from digging in the purple earth.

SB3.13.33

TEXT 33

tamala-nilam sita-danta-kotya

ksmam utksipantam gaja-lilayanga

prajnaya baddhanjalayo ’nuvakair

virinci-mukhya upatasthur isam

SYNONYMS

tamala—a blue tree named the tamala; nilam—bluish; sita—white; danta—tusks; kotya—with the curved edge; ksmam—the earth; utksipantam—while suspending; gaja-lilaya—playing like an elephant; anga—O Vidura; prajnaya—after knowing it well; baddha—folded; anjalayah—hands; anuvakaih—by Vedic hymns; virinci—Brahma; mukhyah—headed by; upatasthuh—offered prayers; isam—unto the Supreme Lord.

TRANSLATION

Then the Lord, playing like an elephant, suspended the earth on the edge of His curved white tusks. He assumed a bluish complexion like that of a tamala tree, and thus the sages, headed by Brahma, could understand Him to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offered respectful obeisances unto the Lord.

SB3.13.34

TEXT 34

rsaya ucuh

jitam jitam te ’jita yajna-bhavana

trayim tanum svam paridhunvate namah

yad-roma-gartesu nililyur addhayas

tasmai namah karana-sukaraya te

SYNONYMS

rsayah ucuh—the glorified sages uttered; jitam—all glories; jitam—all victories; te—unto You; ajita—O unconquerable one; yajna-bhavana—one who is understood by performances of sacrifice; trayim—personified Vedas; tanum—such a body; svam—own; paridhunvate—shaking; namah—all obeisances; yat—whose; roma—hairs; gartesu—in the holes; nililyuh—submerged; addhayah—the oceans; tasmai—unto Him; namah—offering obeisances; karana-sukaraya—unto the hog form assumed for reasons; te—unto You.

TRANSLATION

All the sages uttered with great respect: O unconquerable enjoyer of all sacrifices, all glories and all victories unto You! You are moving in Your form of the personified Vedas, and in the hair holes of Your body the oceans are submerged. For certain reasons [to uplift the earth] You have now assumed the form of a boar.

PURPORT

The Lord can assume any form He likes, and in all circumstances He is the cause of all causes. Since His form is transcendental, He is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as He is in the Causal Ocean in the form of Maha-Visnu. Innumerable universes generate from the holes of His bodily hairs, and thus His transcendental body is the Vedas personified. He is the enjoyer of all sacrifices, and He is the unconquerable Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is never to be misunderstood to be other than the Supreme Lord because of His assuming the form of a boar to lift the earth. That is the clear understanding of sages and great personalities like Brahma and other residents of the higher planetary systems.

SB3.13.35

TEXT 35

rupam tavaitan nanu duskrtatmanam

durdarsanam deva yad adhvaratmakam

chandamsi yasya tvaci barhi-romasv

ajyam drsi tv anghrisu catur-hotram