DEVI MAHATMYA: According to a latter episode of the Devi Mahatmya that deals

with the killing of the demon Raktabija, the warrior-goddess Durga creates the
Matrikas from herself and with their help slaughters the demon army. When the
demon Shumbha challenges Durga to single combat, she absorbs the Matrikas into
herself. In the Vamana Purana, the Matrikas arise from different parts of the Divine
Mother Chandika; Varahi arises from Chandika's back. In the slaying of Raktabija,
Varahi is the Shakti of Hari, who assumed the incomparable form in a sacrificial
boar, she also advanced there in a boar-like form

The Slaying of Nishumbha "... Shattered by the boar formed goddess Varahi with
blows of her snout, wounded in their chests by the point of her task and torn by her
discuss, the asuras fell down " "... some were powdered on the ground by the blows
from the snout of varahi" ...The bestowing of boons "Salutation to you, O Narayani, O
you who have a face terrible with tusks .."

MARKANDEYA PURANA: The Markendeya Purana praises Varahi as a granter of

boons and the regent of the northern direction, in a hymn where the Matrikas are
declared as the protectors of the directions. In another instance in the same Purana,
she is described as riding a buffalo. The Devi Bhagavata Purana says Varahi, with the
other Matrikas, is created by the Supreme Mother. The Mother promises the gods
that the Matrikas will fight demons when needed. In the Raktabija episode, Varahi is
described as having a boar form, fighting demons with her tusks while seated on a
preta corpse.

VARAHA PURANA: In the Varaha Purana, the story of Raktabija is retold, but here
each of Matrikas appears from the body of another Matrika. Varahi appears seated
on Shesha-nāga the serpent on which the god Vishnu sleeps from the posterior of
Vaishnavi, the Shakti of Vishnu. The hindu Varaha-Purana relates Varahi
representing the inauspicious emotion of envy.

MATSYA PURANA: The Matsya Purana tells a different story of the origin of Varahi.
Varahi, with other Matrikas, is created by Lord Shivato help him kill the demon
Andhakasura, who has the ability like Raktabija to regenerate from his dripping
blood.

SYMBOLISM. The Boar is not confined to Hindu mythology alone. In Egypt there is
the boar Goddess Ceridwin. Goddess Isis, the equivalent of Goddess Durga, had a
brother called Seth who had the shape of a boar. In Celtic tradition, there was a
Mother Goddess referred to as ‘old White Sow’. Animals such as boar, horse and
elephants etc have gone far back in human lifes, let alone myths. Everything is divine
to Hindus. They see divinity in all things around us including animals. This is part of
Hindu dharma. Animals not only become vahanas but take their own independent
forms and play divine roles.

This principle is seen in the Avatar concept of Mahavishnu. The boar avatar is the
third manifestation of Mahavishnu in which he represents a complete terrestrial
animal and moves from water based animals. This is parallel to the organic evolution
theory which indicates the origin of the human from an aquatic background. Also,
the individual characteristics of an animal relate to the five elements that manifest in
the functioning of the five senses in human as well as in certain functions of human's
physiology. This is necessary for human’s to perceive the external environment in
which the human live. It is said that, medically, there are many boar-tissues which
humans can depend on for transplant. For instance, within my limited knowledge of
medicine or human genetics, the aorta of a boar could be transplanted to humans.

ANIMAL SYMBOLISM: Animals sometimes reflect human emotional and

phycological states. The Varaha-Purana relates Varahi as a representation of the
inauspicious emotions of Envy. In other belief, for instance, in China, the boar
represents the wealth of the forest. In Japan, the boar depicts courage. The Celts and
Welsh belief that the boar represent courage and strong warriors. In Tibetian
Buddhist tradition, boar represents general and material attachment, greed and lust.

SACRIFICES: Generally goat represents kama-lust; buffalo represents krodha-anger;

cat represents lobha – greed; sheep represents moha – illusion or stupidity; and the
camel represents matsarya – envy.

CALAMITIES: In Tibetian Buddhist tradition, Green Tara symbolism includes: lion

represents pride; wild elephants represents delusion; forest fire represents hatred;
snakes represents envy; flood represents lust and represents doubt.

GAYATRI: Mantra invoking Varahi Devi, consort of Lord Varaha for riffing oneself of
negativity:

Om shreem hreem kleem dhum,

jwaalaa jwaalaa,
shulini asya yajamaanasya,
sarva shatroon samhara samhara,
kshema laabham kuru kuru
dushta graham,
hum phat svaha