Neev: Welcome back to Mythical Masala. Today, we're paying off a promise. Way back in our very first episode this season, we mentioned that Vishnu once turned into a giant boar and pulled the whole Earth up out of the ocean.

Co-host: Finally. I've got so many questions.

Neev: Today, we get the whole thing, why the Earth ended up at the bottom of the sea and who put it there.

Co-host: What are we waiting for?

Neev: Let's go. Far above the sky, beyond the clouds and the stars, there's a place called Vaikuntha. It's Vishnu's home.

Co-host: What does Vaikuntha look like?

Neev: Gardens that bloom all year, palaces that shine like they're made of light, birds that sing all day. And to reach Vishnu himself, you have to walk through seven huge gates, one after another.

Co-host: Ooh, seven gates. That's a lot of doorbells.

Neev: And standing at the seventh gate, the very last one before Vishnu, were two guards. Their names were Jaya and Vijaya. Tall, strong, shining in gold, and very, very proud of their job.

Co-host: The bouncers of heaven.

Neev: Exactly. Now, one day, four visitors came walking up the path. They were the Kumaras, the four sons of Brahma, the creator god, and they were some of the wisest sages in the whole universe.

Co-host: So four very important old men. Long white beards, I'm guessing.

Neev: That's the funny part. They looked like little kids, about five years old. Because they had spent their whole lives meditating, thinking only good, pure thoughts, they never grew old. They stayed young and little forever.

Co-host: Wait, the wisest people in the universe look like kindergartners? Hmm. If only we could get that and never grow old.

Neev: Wisest brains, smallest bodies. And they didn't care about clothes or jewels at all. They wandered barefoot, wearing almost nothing, with messy hair, going wherever they wanted.

Co-host: So four tiny, barefoot, basically no clothes kids walk up to the fanciest gate in the universe.

Neev: And they'd walk straight through the first six gates because nobody stops a child. They were so excited. They'd come all this way for one reason: to see Vishnu. At the seventh gate, Jaya and Vijaya stepped in front of them and crossed their staffs.

Co-host: Uh-oh.

Neev: They looked down at these four and laughed. "Where do you think you're going dressed like that? You can't just walk in here. Who are you anyway?"

Co-host: Oh, no. They're laughing at the wisest sages in the universe. Somebody needs to tell them to stop.

Neev: The Kumaras stayed calm at first. The oldest-looking one, Sanatkumara, said, "Guards have to ask who is coming in. That's your job. And yes, we look strange here, but this is how we always are. We've only come to see the Lord."

Co-host: Honestly, very polite. So let them in already.

Neev: But the guards still said no. They blocked the way. They didn't bow. They didn't ask Vishnu. They just decided these kids weren't important enough.

Co-host: Okay, I have seen this movie. This is the part where the tiny kids turn out to be very, very powerful, and maybe a curse is coming?

Neev: For the first time, the four sages got angry, not because they'd been stopped, because of where it happened.

Co-host: What do you mean?

Neev: Vaikuntha is supposed to be the kindest place in all of creation. Everyone there is gentle and welcoming. And here were two guards laughing at visitors, judging them by their clothes and shutting the door in their faces, right at Vishnu's own doorway.

Co-host: Ah, so being rude anywhere is bad, but being rude there is extra bad.

Neev: Exactly. And the Kumaras said, "Oh. You have forgotten where you are. You act like you don't belong in Vaikuntha, so you won't. You leave this place and be born on Earth as demons."

Co-host: Ooh, from heaven's front door to demon school. That's a demotion.

Neev: Jaya and Vijaya went pale. They dropped to their knees. And just then, the gate swung open, and out walked Vishnu himself.

Co-host: Oh, now the boss shows up.

Neev: He'd heard the noise. And he didn't go to his guards first. He went straight to the four little sages, bowed to them, and welcomed them inside. "I'm so sorry. My servants are my responsibility. If they hurt you, then I have hurt you."

Co-host: Wait, Vishnu apologized to them?

Neev: That's how much he respected them. And the Kumaras looked at him full of joy, and their anger melted right away.

Co-host: Okay, goody. So they can take their curse back now that everyone's friends, right?

Neev: That's what Jaya and Vijaya were hoping. They told Vishnu everything and begged for help. And Vishnu said, "You were rude, and the curse will stand. But you have served me faithfully for a very long time, so I will make sure you come home."

Co-host: How?

Neev: He gave them a choice. "You can be born seven times as my friends and devotees or three times as my enemies. As my enemies, I'll have to come and face you myself each time, and every time we meet, you'll be one step closer to home."

Co-host: Seven lives as friends or three as enemies. That's actually a very hard choice.

Neev: And that's why back in Episode 1 of this season, we said these two had three lives. In this first life, they'd be two demon brothers. Then in the Ramayana, Ravana and his giant brother Kumbhakarna.

Co-host: Oh, so Ravana was one of them. We talked about him way back in Season 1.

Neev: Same souls. And in the third life, Shishupala, the king Krishna faced in Season 3.

Co-host: So one curse at the door ended up running through all of our seasons. So wanna guess how many podcast episodes they are in?

Neev: So Jaya and Vijaya were born on Earth as twin boys. Their mother was Diti, one of the wives of the sage Kashyapa.

Co-host: Kashyapa again, the man with the 13 wives. Diti was the mother of the demons, right?

Neev: Right. And her twin boys were Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu.

Co-host: Oh, there's the name problem again. Imagine being their teacher taking attendance.

Neev: It gets easier. Hiranyakashipu is the one from Episode 1, the king who hated Vishnu and fought his own son, Prahlad. Today is about the other twin, Hiranyaksha.

Co-host: Okay. Let me get this straight because the names can be confusing. Hiranyaksha today, Hiranyakashipu, the pillar guy.

Neev: Right. And these two grew up fast, enormous, powerful, and they did not remember one thing about being Vishnu's guards. They just knew they were strong, and they wanted everyone to know it.

Co-host: Two very big bullies.

Neev: The biggest. Hiranyaksha especially. He'd walk into the ocean just for fun, and the waves would scramble out of his way. He'd whack the water with his huge mace over and over just to watch it splash.

Co-host: He's fighting the ocean for fun? This man needs a hobby.

Neev: Fighting was his hobby, and he was bored because no one would fight him back. So he and his brother marched into heaven and frightened the gods out of their homes, and Hiranyaksha had a very specific idea. He noticed that the gods got their strength from the prayers and offerings people made on Earth. So he thought, "Take away the Earth, the gods get nothing, and then everyone will have to worship me."

Co-host: So his plan is steal the whole planet? That's not a plan. That's a supervillain plot. Avengers and Lex Luthor level.

Neev: And he did it. Hiranyaksha grabbed the Earth and dragged her down, down, down to the very bottom of the great cosmic ocean, the endless dark water beneath everything.

Co-host: Wait, the Earth sank with everyone on it?

Neev: In the stories, the Earth is also a goddess named Bhudevi, Mother Earth. And she was dragged down into the dark water with all her mountains and forests and rivers. Up above, there was nothing left. No land at all, just water as far as anyone could see.

Co-host: That's terrifying. No land anywhere. Where does everybody stand?

Neev: Nowhere. And all the good things people did on Earth, the prayers, the celebrations, the offerings, stopped. Everything was chaos.

Co-host: And Hiranyaksha is somewhere down there in the deep, feeling very pleased with himself.

Neev: Swimming around, looking for someone to fight. He even swam down to the underwater palace of Varuna, the god of the ocean, banged on the door with his mace and shouted, "Fight me."

Co-host: And did Varuna fight him?

Neev: Varuna was very calm. He said, "I'm too old for fighting now, but there is someone who could match you. Vishnu, go find him."

Co-host: Varuna just forwarded the problem to someone else.

Neev: Very politely. And Hiranyaksha was thrilled. Finally, a worthy opponent. He went off looking for Vishnu. So the gods and the sages did the only thing left to do. They went to Brahma, and together they prayed to Vishnu. The gods and sages called out, "Lord, look at what the demons have done. The Earth is lost under the water. There's nowhere for anyone to live. Please come and save her." And Vishnu answered, "Whenever things go terribly wrong in the world and the bad starts to crush the good, I come down in whatever form is needed. Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Co-host: Hold on. That sounds really familiar. Isn't that what Krishna told Arjuna on the battlefield in Season 4?

Neev: Almost the same words. It's the same promise, and it's the whole idea behind this season. Every time the world breaks...

Co-host: ...someone shows up. Okay, I got goosebumps.

Neev: Now, here's how he showed up this time. Brahma was sitting there, thinking hard about how to save the Earth, when he felt a tickle in his nose.

Co-host: A tickle.

Neev: He sneezed. And out of his nose popped a tiny little boar.

Co-host: I'm sorry. Vishnu came out of a sneeze, not a booger, but a boar?

Neev: A boar no bigger than your thumb, sitting there blinking.

Co-host: Wait. What's a boar exactly? Like a pig?

Neev: A wild pig, bigger and stronger than a farm pig, with thick, bristly hair and two long, sharp tusks curving up from its mouth. And boars are famous for one thing. They dig. Their snouts can root through mud and dig out anything buried.

Co-host: Oh, and the Earth is buried at the bottom of the ocean, so he needs a digger.

Neev: Exactly. And while Brahma and the gods were still staring at this thumb-sized boar, it started to grow. The size of a cat, the size of an elephant, bigger than a mountain, until its head brushed the clouds.

Co-host: From a sneeze to a skyscraper in 10 seconds.

Neev: His bristles shone like dark rain clouds. His eyes flashed like lightning. His tusks gleamed white. And then he let out a roar so loud that it thundered across the whole sky. The gods and sages didn't run. They cheered because they knew exactly who this was.

Co-host: Vishnu in boar form.

Neev: Varaha. And he leapt off the mountain in one great jump and dove headfirst into the ocean. Down he went, through dark water, deeper than anything had ever gone, sniffing, searching, using that famous boar nose to track the Earth through the darkness. And there, at the very bottom, he found her.

Co-host: Bhudevi, Mother Earth.

Neev: Waiting in the dark. Varaha slid his great tusks gently underneath her, lifted her up, and began to rise. Up and up through the water, the whole Earth balanced on his tusks. Mountains, forests, rivers, all of it. And as he burst out through the surface, water pouring off his back in huge waterfalls, the Earth rose into the light again.

Co-host: The whole planet on two tusks, and I can't even carry all the groceries in one trip.

Neev: And that's why in so many temples and old stone carvings, you'll see Varaha with Bhudevi sitting safe on his tusk or resting gently on his shoulder.

Co-host: Like he's carrying someone he loves home.

Neev: But someone down in the deep had seen the whole thing. Hiranyaksha came roaring up out of the water. He'd been searching everywhere for someone strong enough to fight him. And now, here was this huge boar carrying away his prize.

Co-host: He's got a mean look on his face, doesn't he?

Neev: Furious, he shouted, "Put that down. Who are you to take what's mine?" And he charged.

Co-host: A giant demon versus a giant boar. This is like the monster movie I'm not allowed to watch.

Neev: Varaha gently set the Earth down on top of the water so she'd float safely, and then he turned to face Hiranyaksha. First, Hiranyaksha laughed at him. "Ha, look at you, a pig from the swamp. Is this the best Vishnu could send?"

Co-host: Rude. Also, never trash talk a mountain-sized pig.

Neev: Then they fought, mace against mace, and at one point Hiranyaksha knocked the mace right out of Varaha's hooves. It went spinning away.

Co-host: Uh-oh, Varaha has no weapon.

Neev: And Hiranyaksha waited. He didn't charge. He wouldn't attack someone who had nothing in his hands.

Co-host: Huh? A demon with rules?

Neev: Maybe a little bit of the old guard was still in there somewhere. Then Varaha raised a hoof and a blazing, spinning disc appeared, glowing like the sun.

Co-host: The Sudarshan Chakra, Vishnu's own spinning disc.

Neev: After that, Hiranyaksha threw everything he had, blazing weapons, tricks, and illusions, but every single one just bounced off Varaha and shattered into pieces.

Co-host: Like throwing pebbles at a mountain.

Neev: For a long time, Varaha just stood there and let him try. And the more nothing worked, the angrier Hiranyaksha got.

Co-host: Is Varaha doing that on purpose, just letting him wear himself out?

Neev: Kind of. Then when the moment was right, Varaha lowered his head, scooped up Hiranyaksha on his tusk, and tossed him high into the sky.

Co-host: Whee!

Neev: Up he went, spinning and tumbling over and over, and down he came, landing with a thump on the Earth. And when he looked up, the boar was gone. In its place stood Vishnu, blue-skinned, four arms, calm and smiling. And in that moment, Hiranyaksha remembered the golden gate, the seventh door, being Vijaya.

Co-host: He remembered being one of the guards.

Neev: All the anger just drained out of him. He folded his hands, bowed at Vishnu's feet, and said, "Thank you. Thank you for setting me free from this terrible life."

Co-host: The villain said thank you. I didn't see that coming.

Neev: And then he asked one more thing. "Please, free my brother too, Hiranyakashipu."

Co-host: Oh, he's thinking about his brother.

Neev: Vishnu smiled. "Everything that happens at the right time. For him, I'll come as Narasimha, half man, half lion."

Co-host: That's the first episode of this season, The Pillar, remember?

Neev: The very same. And hearing that, Hiranyaksha closed his eyes, completely at peace, and let go of his demon body.

Co-host: One life down, two to go.

Neev: Varaha is still honored everywhere. There's a giant carving of him cut into a cliff at the Udayagiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh, more than 1,500 years old. Varaha, huge and strong, with Bhudevi on his shoulder and rows of tiny sages carved around him.

Co-host: And there's the Tirumala Temple with my favorite rule.

Neev: At the famous Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, one of the most visited temples in the world, the tradition is to visit Varaha's temple first, before going to see Vishnu himself. And Varaha is part of Diwali too.

Co-host: Diwali? How does a boar get into Diwali?

Neev: Varaha and Bhudevi, Mother Earth, had a son. His name was Narakasura. He grew up strong, but he became a bully king. He stole the earrings of Aditi, the mother of gods, and frightened everyone around him.

Co-host: Oh, no. The son of the boar who saved the world turns out to be a troublemaker?

Neev: A big one. Long after, in Krishna's time, Krishna rode out to stop him with his wife Satyabhama beside him in the chariot. And some stories say Satyabhama was Bhudevi herself, born again. A mother stopping her own son.

Co-host: Wait, Narakasura. Didn't his son Bhagadatta ride the giant elephant in Kurukshetra's war?

Neev: Same family. And at the very end, Narakasura was sorry. His last wish was that people remember the day with lamps and light, not sadness. So the day before Diwali is called Naraka Chaturdashi, Choti Diwali. Many families wake up before sunrise, have a special oil bath, and light lamps to chase away the dark.

Co-host: So when we light diyas on Choti Diwali, it goes all the way back to a boar, a sneeze, and a planet on two tusks.

Neev: Yes. And that's the story of Varaha.

Co-host: And I finally got all my questions answered.

Neev: Next time, we're finding out where one of Vishnu's most famous things came from, his spinning disc, the Sudarshan Chakra. Until then, here's a challenge. Next time you walk into a room, any room, say hello to everyone, even the smallest person there.

Co-host: You never know, they might just be a very, very wise sage.

Neev: Thanks for listening to Mythical Masala. We'll see you next time.