Varaha is the boar-headed avatar of Vishnu who rescued the earth from the cosmic ocean. In the best-known versions of the myth, the demon Hiranyaksha dragged the earth goddess Bhumi into the primordial waters, prompting Vishnu to appear as a gigantic boar.
Varaha battled Hiranyaksha, defeated him, and raised Bhumi from the depths on his tusks. He then restored the earth to its cosmic place. The story presents Varaha as a restorer of order after demonic forces disrupt creation. Bhumi is also commonly described as Varaha’s consort.
Varaha is generally counted as the third avatar in the Dashavatara, following Matsya, the fish, and Kurma, the tortoise. A common mix-up is Narasimha: Narasimha is the later man-lion avatar, while Varaha has a boar form. Early Sanskrit traditions connect the earth-lifting boar with Prajapati, and later Puranic traditions identify the figure firmly with Vishnu.