103 - The Värāha Purāna: Contents 

God Brahmā said: 

1. O dear one, listen. I shall recount the Vârâha Purāņa1. It is comprised of two parts and it continuously indicates the greatness of Vişhņu. 

1. The Purāna is extant in two recensions -The Northern and the Southern. The Northern recension published in the B I. (Bibliotheca Indica) series contains 217 chapters and 9654 verses (with some chapters e.g. 81-83 in prose) and Not 24,000 verses as stated in the NP below (verse 2) and endorsed by the Vayu, MT. P., Bh. P. and while the Agni P (272. 16) credits it with 14000 verses. Though the NP states that the Väráha P. has two parts, the published edition has one part only, though there are indications in ch. 217 that there must have been a second part as well. 

This Purana is supposed to have been narrated by Vişhņu-Varáha to the earth-goddess. Kane observes that it is remarkable that Vyäsa does not appear in this Purana though Sūta figures at the beginning of several chapters (HD V.ii, p. 904). 

It is obvious that the author of the NP had a different and bigger version of the Varāha Putāna before him. 

2-3. The context of the Mānasa Kalpa composed by me before, or description of the acts I did in the Manava Kalpa before was compiled by Vyāsa, the most excellent one among scholars in this Purāņa that comprises twenty-four thousand verses. Vyása is the incarnation of Vishņu himself on the earth. There at the outset is the auspicious dialogue between the Earth and Varāha. (Divine Boar-Vişhņu). 

4. In the course of the incidents of the earlier period, there is the story of Rambhā and then that of Durjaya, there after Śhrāddha Kalpa (the rituals of the Śhrāddha) is described. 

5. The narration of the great penance (Mahātapas)-then the origin of Gaurī, Vinayaka, the Nāgas, the commander-in chief (i.e. Kārttikeya) and Aditya (the sun). 

6. Then there is the narrative of the Gaņas of the goddess, of Kubera and that of Vruşha; then the narrative of Satyatāpasa along with the narration of vratas. 

7. Thereafter, Agastyagitā and Rudragită are narrated; then the glory of the destruction of demon Mahișha (Buffalo) brought about by the three Śhaktis. 

8. Then is the chapter on Parvans (religious festivals), the incidental narrative of Śhveta and the charitable gift of cows. All these incidents had already been pointed out by me in the section on Bhagavad Dharma (virtuous pathway to the Lord). 

9-12. Thereafter, the narration of Vratas and Tirthas, the expiatory bodily rites for thirtytwo offences. The greatness of holy centres is mentioned separately and particularly of Mathurā, thereafter, the rules of procedure regarding Śhråddha etc., the description of the world of Yama, in the context of the son of the sage, the ultimate result of Karmans and the review of Vishņu’s Vratas, the greatness of Gokarna that is destructive of sins, is mentioned. Thus the early part (i.e. the first part of the Purāņa is reviewed. 

13-14. In the latter part, in the course of the dialogue between Pulastya and the king of Kurus, the greatness of all the holy centres is mentioned in detail, severally. 

All the virtues too have been mentioned. The holy Parvan pertaining to Pushkara is mentioned. Thus the Vāräha Purana. that is destructive of sins is recounted to you. 

15-17. This increases devotion to the Lord, of those who read and listen to this. He who writes out this Purăma and gives it to a Brāhmaṇa with devotion, along with a gold replica of Garuda and gingelly seeds and a cow, on the full moon day in the month of Chaitra, attains the abode of Vişhņu. 

He is paid obeisance by the groups of Devas and sages. He who reads or listens to this index obtains devotion to Vishņu that is the cause of dissolution of worldly existence.