It was the Satyayuga of the Swayambhuva Manvantara. As we have mentioned in our previous episodes, Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara were the first people born from the mind of Brahma.
No matter how old they were, they still looked like six-year-old boys. The average lifespan of a human being in this Satya Yuga is one hundred thousand years.
These boys once traveled to Vaikuntha with the desire to meet Lord Vishnu. When they crossed the six gates and reached the seventh gate, these boys were stopped by the gatekeepers named Jaya and Vijaya.
Both of these Jaya-Vijayas were Gandharvas. They made fun of these boys' costumes. They were forced to go back. No matter how many times the sages asked to let them in, Jaya and Vijaya never changed their minds.
Also, they started scolding these boys. Enraged by this, these little rishis said, "Scum like you are not fit to be in Vaikuntha. May you take birth on earth," they cursed.
Knowing this, Maha Vishnu immediately intervened and told Jaya Vijaya about the background of the sages and asked them to apologize.
Not only that, he gave two options to his gatekeepers to help them get rid of the curse quickly.
That is, to take seven births in the bhoolok as his devotees. Or else, taking three births as enemies, getting killed by the hands of one's avatars, getting rid of the curse.
Unable to imagine being away from the Lord for much longer, the two brothers accepted the latter option.
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Marichi was the son of Brahma, and Kasyapa Muni was the son of Marichi. One of his wives was Diti, daughter of Daksha. One evening, Sage Kasyapa was engaged in meditation. At that time, when Lord Shiva roamed the graveyard with his ghosts, Diti's desire for progeny was high.
Forcefully waking up her meditating husband, Diti revealed her will to him.
"What I'm about to do is an act of iniquity." Even knowing that Sage Kasyapa agreed to his wife's words. In that inauspicious time, the husband and wife united.
Time rolled by. Diti became pregnant. And after nine months, she gave birth to two sons. They are Hiranya Kashipu and Hiranyaksha. This is an event that took place in Satya Yuga.
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Diti's children both grew up. Hiranyaksha, who wanted to "become powerful", through severe austerities, appeased Lord Brahma and obtained the boon of immortality from all gods, asuras, animals, and humans. As a result of this boon, he frequently raided the three worlds. Thus, he once abducted the earth and hid her in the depths of the cosmic ocean. This cosmic ocean in Hindu mythology is one of the seven oceans. Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu, is situated in this same ocean.
Now all the devatas together prayed to Vishnu and begged him to give a solution to Hiranyaksha's problem. Yajna, the son of Lord Brahma, was the manu of Manvantara. "Where shall his offspring begin?" He asked Brahma. He said to start in Bhuloka. But now Brahma and other deities were worried about bringing back Goddess Bhudevi. Everyone went to Lord Vishnu for help. On the other side, Mother Earth prayed to God to protect her.
***
After some time, from Brahma's nostril, a small pig, the size of the tip of the thumb, came out. As soon as it was placed on the ground, it grew tusks. At last, it grew to the height of the sky. "This too must be an incarnation of Vishnu." Thinking that the Brahma, other gods, and sages bowed down to that boar and recited many hymns.
Lord Varaha looked at everyone, roared loudly, and dove straight into the sea. He parted the sea and started searching for Bhudevi. In no time, the earth, surrounded by Hiranyaksha, appeared in the depths of the ocean. Holding the earth in his tusks, Lord Varaha fought for some time with the asur who attacked and killed him with his blows. The earth was picked up in waves and floated on the surface of the water as before.
When they came up from the sea, the tusks were bloody. He traveled to his Vaikuntha as the gods and demigods watched.
Thus, Lord Vishnu took the avatar of a human body with a boar's face to release Bhudevi from the bondage of the demon. Some stories say that the Lord was entirely in the form of a black boar. The idols usually have four arms and two legs, with the mace Kaumodaki, Sudarshana Chakra, Lotus, and Panchajanya conch in his hands.
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