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Varahi ((サンスクリット:वाराही), ) is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven or eight mother goddesses in the Hindu religion. With the head of a sow, Varahi is the shakti (feminine energy, or sometimes, consort) of Varaha, the boar Avatar of the god Vishnu. In Nepal, she is called Barahi. Varahi is worshipped by all the three major schools of Hinduism: Shaktism (goddess worship); Shaivism (followers of the god Shiva); and Vaishnavism (devotion to Vishnu). She is usually worshipped at night, and according to secretive Vamamarga Tantric practices. The Buddhist goddesses Vajravarahi and Marichi are believed to have their origins in the Hindu goddess Varahi. ==Hindu legends== According to the Shumbha-Nishumbha myth of the ''Devi Mahatmya'' from the ''Markandeya Purana'' religious texts, the Matrikas goddesses appear as ''shakti''s (feminine powers) from the bodies of the gods. The scriptures say that Varahi was created from Varaha. She has a boar form, wields a chakra (discus), and fights with a sword.〔Kinsley p. 156, Devi Mahatmya verses 8.11–20〕〔 After the battle described in the myth, the Matrikas dancedrunk on their victim's blood.〔Kinsley p. 156, Devi Mahatmya verses 8.62〕 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.〔Kinsley p. 158, Devi Mahatmya verses 10.2–5〕 In the ''Vamana Purana'', the Matrikas arise from different parts of the Divine Mother Chandika; Varahi arises from Chandika's back.〔Donaldson p. 158〕〔Kinsley p. 158,verses 30.3–9〕 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). 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.〔 Varahi is said to represent the vice of envy (''asuya'') in the same Purana.〔Kinsley p. 159, Varaha Purana verses 17.33–37〕 The ''Matsya Purana'' tells a different story of the origin of Varahi. Varahi, with other Matrikas, is created by Shiva to help him kill the demon Andhakasura, who has the ability – like Raktabija – to regenerate from his dripping blood.〔 Anistoriton is an electronic Journal of History, Archaeology and Art History. It publishes scholarly papers since 1997 and it is freely available on the Internet. All papers and images since vol. 1 (1997) are available on line as well as on the free Anistorion CD-ROM edition.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Varahi」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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