Text 17: Brahmā thought: While I have been engaged in the process of creation, the earth has been inundated by a deluge and has gone down into the depths of the ocean. What can we do who are engaged in this matter of creation? It is best to let the Almighty Lord direct us.
Text 18: O sinless Vidura, all of a sudden, while Brahmā was engaged in thinking, a small form of a boar came out of his nostril. The measurement of the creature was not more than the upper portion of a thumb.
Text 19: O descendant of Bharata, while Brahmā was observing Him, that boar became situated in the sky in a wonderful manifestation as gigantic as a great elephant.
Text 20: Struck with wonder at observing the wonderful boarlike form in the sky, Brahmā, with great brāhmaṇas like Marīci, as well as the Kumāras and Manu, began to argue in various ways.
Śrīdhara Svāmi-kṛtā Bhāvārtha-dīpikā Vyākhyā
He describes the thought. sṛjataḥ sataḥ. With waters, the earth went to rasātala (netherworld). May that Lord himself ordain and accomplish my duty, appointed by the Lord for creation. (17) * * varāhatoka means a small boar. (18) * * khastha means situated in the sky. (19) * * citradhā means in many ways. (20) (21)
Śrī Vaṃśīdhara-kṛtā Bhāvārtha-dīpikā Prakāśa Vyākhyā
plāvyamānā means being made unsteady. rasātala means the garbhoda ocean indicated by rasātala, that is the meaning. Since rasātala is a cavity in the earth, the earth sinking there is not possible. (17) * * According to the lexicon, toka means both son and small. Since it says "emerged", there is no usage of son etc. in reality, but if it were so, one should say "was born" etc., that is the idea. parimaṇataḥ: tasi suffix in the sense of nominative. He addresses the king as anagha (sinless), desiring to hear the story of the boar which removes all sins. (18) * * tasya brahmagaḥ means its growth. (19) * * tarkayāmāsa means he considered. (20)
Śrī Rādhā Ramaṇa dāsa Gosvāmi Viracitā Dīpanī Vyākhyā
rasātala means sunk in the garbhoda ocean up to that space, that is the meaning. Otherwise, since rasātala is a cavity in the earth, the earth sinking there is not possible. Now ataḥ yasya is half. From the heart, or from the lotus of the navel, or just from a thought, me anuṣṭheyaṃ means my duty of creation. Supplying anuṣṭheyam, it is determined that the half verse "kartavyaṃ karuṇāsindhu-stīrthakīrtiradhokṣaja" is concocted by someone. (17) * * The meaning is accepting just that much size as the tip of a thumb. Although born from Brahmā's nose, there is no usage of being Brahmā's son, due to lack of such a pure state, but only the usage of being a boar's offspring. The reading aṅguṣṭhaparimāṇaka in some texts is wrong, because it will be said "of thumb-head size" and explained as "of thumb size". (18) * * gajamātra means of elephant size, its growth. (19) * * tarkayāmāsa means Brahmā considered. (20)
Śrīmad Vīrarāghava Vyākhyā
He elaborates on the thought. pītam iti. I drank all the water of dissolution, then established the earth. While I was creating gods, demons and other beings, the earth sank into rasātala due to the waters. Then what should be done by us who are engaged in creation? May that Lord from whose heart's will I arose ordain what is to be done. Concluding the thought, he introduces the boar incarnation. iti. While Brahmā was thus meditating, a boar offspring of thumb size emerged from his nostril. O sinless Vidura! One should not doubt that the four-faced one himself became the boar form, because it says "he considered in many ways" - the four-faced one also did not know what this divine being in boar form was. (18) * * As Brahmā watched, the small boar situated in the sky instantly grew to elephant size. Its birth, rising to the sky and growth - this appeared like a wonder to the onlookers. The word "like" indicates it was a wonder only to the onlookers, not to the Lord Boar himself. * * Then seeing that boar form along with his sons beginning with Marīci, the Kumāras like Sanaka, and Manu, Brahmā considered in many ways. (20)
Śrīmad Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha-kṛtā Pada Ratnāvalī Vyākhyā
He states the cause of sinking. pītam iti. "All" means as much as when drunk causes the excess of water to subside, not completely. Otherwise "being flooded by waters" would not make sense. niveśitā means made into a dwelling place. plāvyamānā means being made unsteady. It sank due to the weight of beings, that is supplied. sṛjataḥ sataḥ means in this condition. (17) * * He says this itself is to be done. yasya iti. Being a devotee of Hari who has true resolve, Brahmā also has true resolve - suggesting this meaning, he describes the mode of Hari's appearance. iti. A boar offspring suddenly emerged from the nostril. (18) * * tasya brahmaṇaḥ khastha means situated in the sky. (19) * * kumāraiḥ means with Sanaka and other sages. (20)
Śrīmaj Jīva Gosvāmi-kṛtā Krama Sandarbha Vyākhyā
rasāṃ gatā means sunk up to that space, that is the meaning. Since rasā is also a cavity in the earth. yasya is half. From the heart I arose means just from a thought. (17) * By saying "a boar offspring emerged", it is indicated there is no usage of being a son etc. due to lack of such a state. In some texts it says "of thumb size", but the commentator himself will write "of thumb-tip size". (18-21)
Śrīmad Viśvanātha Cakravarti-kṛtā Sārārtha darśinī Vyākhyā
rasāṃ means the garbhoda ocean indicated by rasātala, that is the meaning. Since rasātala is a cavity in the earth, the earth sinking there is not possible. vidadhātu - anuṣṭheyam from the previous is to be connected. (17) * varāhatoka means a small boar. (18) * * gajamātra means of elephant body size. (19-21)
Śrīmac Chukadeva-kṛta Siddhānta Pradīpaḥ
Indeed, as previously stated "without feet, air, and water," after drinking water, where will the earth reside again? To this he says. For the creator, again releasing the waters for a special purpose, meaning in this way. May he establish rasā (netherworld) with vārbhiḥ (waters). (17) * * varāhatokaḥ means baby boar. (18-21)
Śrīmad Vallabhācārya Viracitā Subodhinī Vyākhyā
Even so, abandoning independence in non-manifestation and being dependent on the Lord, by the Lord's grace the means will manifest - thus expressing mild reproach, his thought is stated - sṛjata iti. This earth, though previously established, sank again due to weight. The cause of the weight - me (by my) akṣibhiḥ (senses), and vāgbhiś ca (by words) of the creator. Akṣibhiḥ vāgbhiḥ are indicated as if female and male. Thus in the creation of such beings, mostly demonic portions were produced, hence their being the cause of weight was stated earlier and will be stated later. Therefore being submerged, it sank into the water and went to rasātala (netherworld), as it was lifted from that limit. Now after that, in this situation, what should be done by us? And we cannot remain silent, being engaged in creation, for creation itself is the purpose of us and others. (17) ॐ ॐ Thus even when considering with dependence, when a solution did not manifest, then he placed the burden on the Lord alone. He states the reason for placing the burden - yasyāham iti. From whose heart, from whom I was born after deliberation. I produce him for the purpose of creation, thinking first that the task will be accomplished by him, Brahmā was engaged in creation. From that it is understood - if this task is also impossible for me, then the Lord alone will do it, since he had considered this earlier too - this one is incapable, I alone will do this too. Since he is the Lord, it should be done by one who is capable, not just by a servant - this is the rule. When both are capable, it should be done by the servant alone. But here he alone is the Lord, so may he ordain what I should do. But in the world even an incapable servant does it, not the capable master. To this he says - karuṇā-sindhuḥ iti. The servant accomplishes the task with great difficulty, but for himself it is effortless. Then the compassionate one does it himself, being pained by another's pain. But even a compassionate one, due to possessing the quality of lordship, has the task done by incapable servants, otherwise there would be no lordship. To this he says - tīrthakīrtiḥ iti. Though the refutation is established by being an ocean of compassion, this qualifier is for the sake of illustration. He whose fame is in the form of a holy place. For a holy place removes the sins of all, that sin remains in the holy place itself. Though knowing this, the Lord made his fame in the form of a holy place. So just as he does this, he will himself deliver the earth too - this is the meaning. Moreover, the Lord is adhokṣaja, from whom knowledge is below the senses. Though beyond the senses, he benefits all the senses of all, becoming knowledge he grants liberation. Or, being beyond worldly affairs, he made his fame thus for delivering people - thus being adhokṣaja is the reason for doing so. (18) * * They say this view culminates in the fruit - ityabhidhyāyata iti. Iti - in this way deeply meditating. Determining that he alone will do this task, making the mind firm in that very way, contemplating, thus meditating deeply moment by moment on when and in what form the Lord will act. Then when the mind absorbed in the task meditated on the Lord in the form of sacrifice, due to lack of place for action, keeping the spiritual form unmanifest, he appeared in the divine form. The action also entered there, hence the divine nature. But before this, the sacrifice was spiritual alone - by the effort centered on the sacrificer, by Vedic knowledge, and by the form ascended in meditation. That threefold unified Lord became the boar. By his action alone is the sacrificer's action, but the form is that very all-sacrifice-self with its substratum. The Veda is included in that alone, to indicate this he emerged from Brahmā's breath, as the śruti says "The Vedas are his exhalation." Varāha (boar) means "one who brings boons," the giver of all desires, and he is also a toka (child). Toka means baby. Among the spiritual and other forms, only for the awakened is it conducive to the fruit, due to being partial. But here even the world is conducive to the fruit, due to being fruitful. Sahasa (suddenly) is to exclude the aspect of meditation, otherwise even with one part there would be spirituality. The address śrinathe (O glorious Lord) is for confidence, for he does not inspire confidence in any part by being sinful. To indicate that form's nature as the Lord of the essence of time, at birth he emerged externally the size of a thumb-joint. The śruti says "The person is thumb-sized and resorts to the thumb," "He is the Lord of all the world," "The Lord, the universal enjoyer, pleases" - thus thumb-size alone is said to have universal enjoyership and lordship. The sacrifice form alone has universal enjoyership. For to him alone belong all food and all animals. The word aṅguṣṭha (thumb) everywhere means the tip of the thumb. (19) Thus the form of the divine one from birth has been stated. To state the form from knowledge, to indicate his being the Lord, to show the absence of limitation by time etc., he describes the grossness of that very subtle one - tasyābhipaśyata iti. Of that Brahmā seeing all around, for assuming another form in the world a screen is required. But here though seeing, first thumb-sized, afterwards he became elephant-sized. To remove doubt of disappearance, it is said "in the sky in an instant." Being situated in space, there is no covering. Due to absence of worldly time in growth, there is no growth of that by covering. Kila indicates fame, meaning there is no need to state evidence here. Bhārata is for confidence. Thus having removed the listener's fault through knowledge of greatness, he states the gross form - gajamātraṃ pravavṛdhe iti. Gaja means elephant, that size means the form of sixty years. Or the elephant well-known in Vaiṣṇava scriptures, the king of elephants. The word mātra indicates non-fixation, otherwise in the second moment he would have grown that much again. And thus, since an instant is exhausted merely by the contact of sense and object, the statement "in an instant" would be meaningless. He grew prominently. Prominence means appropriate growth in all limbs, hence that was wonderful. Where reasoning does not arise for viewers and the effect is seen, that alone is wonderful. Mahat indicates even seeing the effect is doubtful. For the ocean's end cannot be seen, so is the Lord's body - this is the meaning. (20)
Śrīmad Gosvāmi Śrī Puruṣottama Caraṇa Viracitaḥ Śrī Subodhinī Prakāśaḥ
At this point of "ityabhidhyāyata" (thus he meditated). The action is also included there. The action-filled spiritual first section has entered into action, but here the action itself has entered as action-filled, this is the meaning. "Before this" means before the Varāha incarnation. "With its substratum" means with the place of sacrifice for the gods. "Kālasāra" means time-based divine. (19)
Regarding "tasya" (his), as if anticipating the doubt about disappearance, in response to the question "how?", they clarify it by removing the covering, saying "ākāśe" (in the sky) etc. Just as a four-finger long gourd vine attached to the ground grows to five or ten hands' length in one night, with its previous size concealed by the covering of its newly developed form due to nourishing substances, similarly here, to indicate that covering cannot be spoken of due to being situated in the sky, it is said "khastha" (sky-situated), this is the meaning. Just as it is well-known in the Konkan region that "a certain sea bird called vāsalī, famous in the local language, lays its egg in a very high place in the sky itself. That egg, without support, falls, and in time grows, ripens, and splits open, and the one born from it flies away again, not touching those on the ground," similarly, to indicate that it cannot be spoken of here, it is said "in an instant," with this intention they say "in growth" etc. It indicates the indeterminacy. It indicates the indeterminacy of time as the cause. The statement "there" (1) is "otherwise" etc. (20)
Śrī Giridhara-kṛtā Bāla Prabodhinī
It shows the worry - Here in some manuscript there is an additional half verse: "I have drunk all the water, the earth has not been established." While I was creating beings like gods and demons, the earth, flooded by waters, went to rasātala (the netherworld). Now what should be done by us? And it's not possible to just remain silent, as the Lord has appointed me for creation, and in that case, by transgressing the master's order, there would be a great offense for me as a servant - with this intention he says "engaged in creation." (17)
Thus, even after long contemplation, not finding a solution, he prays to the Lord himself - "Of whom." "You are born from every limb, you are born from the heart. Therefore your name is son" - according to this Śruti, He from whose heart I am born as a son, that very Lord, capable in every way, may he accomplish what is to be done by me - this is the connection. But in the world, even a capable person has work done by the servant, and even an incapable servant does it himself, not the master, so how will He himself do it? Anticipating this doubt, he says "ocean of compassion." Seeing my predicament, He himself will do it out of inability to bear it - this is the meaning. To indicate his being an ocean of compassion, he says "whose fame is sacred." Thus his pure fame has spread everywhere for such extraordinary compassion - this is the meaning. Where is he here who will hear your prayer? In expectation of this, he says "Adhokṣaja." Adhaḥ means below, akṣajam means knowledge, he who is beyond that is thus called, meaning the inner self of all.
While Brahmā was thus meditating, suddenly from his nostril emerged a tiny boar of the size of a thumb-tip. Indicating that in the play of the Lord of inconceivable power, faith is only in the faultless, and that you are such, he addresses him - "O sinless one." (18) *
O Bhārata, as that Brahmā was watching, the tiny boar situated in the sky instantly grew to the size of an elephant. That growth in just a moment, as he watched, was greatly wonderful, causing great astonishment. (19) *
Seeing that huge boar form, the sages like Marīci, Sanaka and others, along with Svāyambhuva Manu and Brahmā began to speculate in various ways. (20)
Hindī Anuvāda
At the time when I was engaged in creating the world, the earth sank into the water and went to rasātala (the netherworld). We are here, appointed to the task of creation, so what should we do about this? Now, may Śrīhari (viṣṇu), the all-powerful one by whose mere will I was born, complete this work of mine. (17)
O sinless Vidura! As Brahmā was thinking in this way, suddenly a boar cub the size of a thumb emerged from his nostril. (18)
O Bhārata, the most astonishing thing was that this boar cub, standing in the sky, grew before Brahmā's very eyes and in a moment became as large as an elephant. (19)
Seeing this enormous boar form, the sages like Marīci, the Sanaka brothers, and Brahmā along with Svāyambhuva Manu began to think in various ways. (20)
SB 3.13.17-20
