Varahi

Varahi: The Boar-Faced Mother Goddess

Fifth Sapta Mātṛkā, Daṇḍanāthā of Śrī Vidyā & Granter of Victory and Abundance

Overview: The Metaphysical Foundation

Goddess Vārāhī (वाराही — "The Divine Feminine Boar") is one of the most powerful and enigmatic deities in Sanatana Dharma. She occupies a dual position of supreme prominence in Shakta tradition:

1. As the Fifth Mother among the Sapta Mātṛkās (Seven Divine Mothers) who sprang forth to defend cosmic order against the hordes of darkness.
2. As the Daṇḍanāthā (Commander-in-Chief / General) of the armies of Empress Lalitā Mahātripurasundarī in the esoteric Śrī Vidyā tradition.

Varahi embodies the female creative energy (Śakti) of the Varāha Avatāra of Lord Vishnu, who dove into the primordial cosmic abyss to rescue the sunken Earth (Bhūmī-Devī) upon his mighty tusks. Consequently, Varahi is the guardian of the earth element, agricultural fertility, hidden underground treasures, and the root chakra (Mūlādhāra).

She is depicted with the ferocious yet maternal face of a wild sow (Sūkarī) and the radiant body of a celestial woman of dark midnight-blue complexion. She is seated upon a mighty dark buffalo (Mahiṣa) or boar, brandishing the agricultural plow (Hala) which uproots deep-seated karmic blockages, and the pestle (Musala) which crushes spiritual pride into dust.

Canonical Scriptural Evolution across Millennia

1. The Battle against Raktabīja in the Devī Māhātmya

In the eighth chapter of the Devī Māhātmya (embedded within the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa), the demon generals Chanda, Munda, and Raktabija assault the Great Goddess Durga. To assist Her, the individual shaktis of the gods emerge:

gṛhīta-rograyajñeyaṃ vārāhīṃ rūpam āsthitā |
prāyāt tatra varāheṇa śaktir viṣṇor anuttamā || (DM 8.16)
"Taking the formidable form of a wild sow, the peerless Shakti of Vishnu advanced into battle riding upon a mighty boar!"

Varahi ripped through the demonic battalions with the sheer force of her snout and tusks, plowing through their lines with her invincible hala and striking terror into the forces of ignorance.

2. Daṇḍanāthā in the Lalitā Sahasranāma

In the Lalitā Sahasranāma, Varahi is revered with royal titles second only to the Empress Lalita herself:

• Daṇḍanāthā-puraskṛtā: She who marches at the forefront as the supreme General.
• Kiri-cakra-rathārūḍhā: She who rides the magnificent Giri-Chakra chariot — a colossal war-car composed of five tiers representing the five senses, steered by wild boars, that crushes every spiritual obstacle.
• Potriṇī: The boar-faced goddess who uncovers the truth hidden in darkness.

In Sri Vidya court protocol, while Mātaṅgī (Śyāmalā) represents the Prime Minister (Mantriṇī) who counsels through intellect, speech, and music, Vārāhī represents the Chief of Armed Forces (Daṇḍanāthā) who executes the divine will through action, protection, and uncompromising power.

Century-by-Century Iconographic & Archaeological Record

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MILESTONES OF VARAHI
c. 200 CE ──► Kushan Mathura: Earliest stone panels carving the Sapta Matrikas with Varahi
c. 500 CE ──► Gupta Eran & Udayagiri: Matrika friezes alongside the colossal Varaha
c. 950 CE ──► Odisha Chaurasi: Standalone Khakhara-style temple dedicated to Varahi
1010 CE ──► Thanjavur Brihadisvara: Rajaraja Chola installs Varahi as imperial protector
1750 CE ──► Varanasi: Underground shrine at Manmandir Ghat preserves sacred dawn darshan

1. Kushan Mathura Sculptures (2nd c. CE): Early red sandstone panels depict the Seven Mothers in a line flanked by Shiva (as Veerabhadra) and Ganesha. Varahi is identifiable by her boar snout and single halo.
2. The Chaurasi Varahi Temple (9th–10th c. CE): In the Prachi river valley of Odisha, the Somavamshi rulers built one of the very few freestanding shrines dedicated exclusively to Goddess Varahi. Carved from fine-grained black chlorite, the pot-bellied (lambodara) goddess sits in Lalitasana, holding a fish in one right hand and a skull bowl in her left, accompanied by her boar mount carved on the pedestal.
3. Rajaraja Chola's Imperial Patronage (1010 CE): When Emperor Rajaraja Chola I constructed the monumental Brihadisvara Temple (the Big Temple) in Thanjavur, he installed a dedicated shrine to Sri Varahi in the southern courtyard. The emperor would never embark on any military expedition without first offering prayers and receiving the protective garland from Goddess Varahi.

Sacred Temples & Shrines

Daily Practice & Chanting

• Vārāhī Gāyatrī:

  Om Śyāmalāyai Ca Vidmahe Halahastāyai Dhīmahi |
  Tanno Vārāhī Pracodayāt ||
  

• The Mahāvārtālī Mantra:

  Om Aiṃ Glaum Aiṃ Namo Bhagavatyai Vārtāli Vārtāli
  Vārāhi Vārāhi Varāhamukhi Varāhamukhi |
  Andhe Andhini Namaḥ | Rundhe Rundhini Namaḥ |
  Jambhe Jambhini Namaḥ | Mohe Mohini Namaḥ |
  Stambhe Stambhini Namaḥ |
  Sarva-duṣṭa-praduṣṭānāṃ sarveṣāṃ sarva-vāc-citta-cakṣur-mukha-gati-jihvā-stambhanaṃ kuru kuru |
  Śīghraṃ vaśyaṃ kuru kuru |
  Aiṃ Glaum Ṭhaḥ Ṭhaḥ Ṭhaḥ Ṭhaḥ Hūṃ Phaṭ Svāhā ||
  

• Aṣāḍha Navarātri: The nine nights of the waxing moon in the lunar month of Ashadha (June–July) are dedicated specifically to Goddess Varahi (known as Gupta Navaratri). Worshipping her during this period with offerings of pomegranate, sweet roots, and ghee lamps dissolves chronic litigation, dispels the evil eye (Dṛṣṭi), and bestows unshakeable courage.