THE VARAHA SAGA
What is the third avatar in Dashavataras of Lord Vishnu?
Varaha avatar
Who are the two demon brothers in this story?
Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu
What is so special about Prahlad?
Despite being the son of a demon king, Prahlad devoted himself to Lord Vishnu
What type of avatar is Lord Narsimha?
Lord Vishnu's Narsimha avatar was half-man and half-lion.
Why did Lord Vishnu take the Varaha (boar) avatar?
Lord Vishnu took this animal form to rescue the Earth from the ocean.
What did Lord Brahma provide to Hiranyakashipu?
Hiranyakashipu was granted a boon from Brahma that made him virtually invincible: he could not be killed by any living creature (human or beast), by day or by night, neither indoors nor outdoors, and no weapon could harm him
What are the different ways that Hiranyakasipu tried to kill his son Prahlad?
Prahlad's father tried these methods to kill him, including poison, fire, and by elephants
From where did Lord Narsimha appear to save Prahlad?
Narsimha emerged from a pillar when Hiranyakashipu challenged God's omnipresence
Who did Lord Varaha kill to save Mother Earth?
The demon Hiranyaksha
Who is Hiranyaksha?
This demon brother of Hiranyakashipu who dragged Mother Earth into the cosmic ocean
How did Prahlad overcome the torture his father Hirankasipu put through?
He remained calm and peaceful even during torture and had chanted Om Namo Vasudevaya with his unwavering bhakti (devotion) towards Lord Vishnu
At what time of the day did Lord Narsimha kill Hiranyakasipu?
neither day nor night (dusk)
What did Lord Varaha use his tusks for?
Varaha lifted the Earth on these parts of his body after defeating Hiranyaksha
Who is Hiranyakashipu?
This demon king forced everyone to worship him instead of God.
What is the fundamental conflict between Prahlad and his father?
Faith versus ego (or devotion versus power)?
With which weapon was Hirankasipu killed?
Narsimha killed Hiranyakashipu using his claws as a weapon
How was Lord Varaha born?
Varaha was not born in the conventional sense; instead, he emerged from the nostrils of Lord Brahma as a tiny boar
What kind of revenge was developed in Hiranyakashipu because of his brother's death?
Hiranyakashipu developed hatred toward Lord Vishnu.
How did Prahlad react upon his father's death?
Prahlad displayed this virtue by requesting Lord Narsimha to forgive his father for all the bad deeds he did.
Was Hiranyakasipu killed on ground or in the air?
Narsimha placed Hiranyakashipu on his lap, satisfying the "neither ground nor air" condition