India
Pala Dynasty, 9th-10th centuries

Powerfully dramatic, this carved image from a Hindu temple represents the story of Varaha, the third manifestation, or avatar, of the god Vishnu. Vishnu appears on earth at various times in different forms to reset the balance in the cosmic struggle of good and evil. As Varaha he defeats the wily demon Hiranyaksha.

Hiranyaksha stole the sacred texts the Vedas from the chief Hindu god Brahma, whom he had tricked into making him invulnerable to the powers of all gods, humans and—so he thought—animals. With this protection, the demon dragged the Vedas and the earth itself to his kingdom in the deepest sea. However, Hiranyaksha forgot to name the boar as one of the animals from which he was protected. Vishnu assumed the form of Varaha the giant boar, descended into the depths of the sea, gored the demon to death with his tusks, and recovered both the Vedas and mother earth (shown seated on Varaha’s raised elbow).

Phyllite stone
Gift of The Apollo Society, 2001.14