Deities
Varahi
deity
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
Varahi is one of the Sapta Matrikas, the seven mother goddesses of Hindu tradition, embodying the shakti or divine power of Vishnu's boar incarnation, Varaha. She is shown with a sow's face on a human body and is worshipped today by Shaivas, Vaishnavas and Shaktas, most prominently within Shaktism.
Facts
Attributions
Mythic AssociationSourced to the subject's own accountAccording to the Devi Mahatmya's account of the battle against Shumbha and Nishumbha in the Markandeya Purana, the Matrikas, Varahi among them, emerge as shaktis from the bodies of the gods to fight the demon armies. 1 Identity
GenderSourced to the subject's own account Function
Domain / FunctionSourced to the subject's own accountProtection and guardianship 1 Belief
TheologySourced to the subject's own account Attestation
Veneration TodaySourced to the subject's own accountActively venerated in a living tradition 1 HistoricitySourced to the subject's own accountNot a historical person: a divine or other-than-human being 1 Origins
Origin of the NameSourced to the subject's own accountVarahi is the feminine form of Varaha, Vishnu's boar avatar, naming her directly as his shakti in boar form rather than as an independently rooted theonym. 1 Cult
Attributes and IconographySourced to the subject's own accountShown with a sow's face on a dark human body, riding a buffalo and carrying a plough, a pestle, a skull cup and the abhaya mudra, the gesture of reassurance. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Varahi directly: "of Shiva, Kaumari of Kartikeya, Varahi of Varaha, Indrani of Indra and Chamunda of Chandi or Parvati, each riding her parent god's own vahana and carrying his attributes."
This source names Shakti directly: "of Hindu tradition, embodying the shakti or divine power of Vishnu's boar incarnation, Varaha."
This source names Varaha directly: "power of Vishnu's boar incarnation, Varaha."
This source names Varahi directly: "A Wikipedia article on Varahi, one of the Sapta Matrikas, the seven mother goddesses of Hindu tradition, describing her sow-faced iconography, her creation from Vishnu's boar avatar Varaha, her..."
Member Of
Panchami, the fifth-named Matrika in the standard row, one of the Sapta Matrikas.
Sources
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.