Once, the sacred process of initiation was to be undertaken, and the proper reverence for the divine was essential. Before invoking me—Varāha, the divine Boar—as the vehicle of ritual, one must worship with the prescribed mantra and procedure. Those who do so are blessed: rains will fall and rise again, signifying the cycle of auspiciousness. With devotion, the mantra is recited: “Om! Lord Vāsudeva, may my act be united with the earth, which you created in the form of a boar. Remembering the mantra, command us and let us experience your divine order. O Lord, come—this Brāhmaṇa desires initiation; by your grace, let him be initiated.” After this invocation, the aspirant approaches the ground, bowing deeply with head and knees, expressing humility and surrender. The next mantra welcomes the divine: “Om! Welcome, you are indeed welcome.” With this, the earth is brought forth and honored. Another mantra is uttered: “To the destroyer of the unperformed, to the gods, to Rudra—destroyer of the unperformed—and to the Brāhmaṇa, let all this obtained be given to the Blessed Lord; receive it, O Lord of the worlds.” Thus, arghya and water for the feet are offered to the earth, sanctifying the act. A further mantra is spoken: “May Varuṇa protect your disciple, as you shave his head.” The disciple then presents a pot to the officiant, as instructed. Afterward, a quick bath is taken, leaving no doubt about the purity of the ritual. The giving is performed with the resolve for liberation from worldly existence, and all desires are fulfilled. Another sacred utterance follows: “Om! I know all the devotees of the Lord, all who are well-initiated, and all the gurus.” The initiate bows to the devotees and kindles the sacred fire. Seven times twenty offerings of sesame rice are made, each one accompanied by reverence. With the next mantra, witnesses are invoked: “May the Aśvins, the directions, Soma and Sūrya bear witness; may we, being pleased, hear my truthful words.” It is affirmed that by truth the earth is upheld, by truth the earth stands firm. Thus, having performed truth, the Brāhmaṇas must again observe the ritual. Three circumambulations are made: around the Lord, the devotee, and the guru. By the grace of the guru and the gods, initiation is obtained—sometimes unexpectedly, by chance. In this manner, the disciple propitiates with the mantra, as prescribed. Seeing only the disciple, the officiant takes up the water-pot. By the grace of Viṣṇu, success is attained: initiation and the water-pot are received. Then, the mouth-utterance is made, and the disciple is formally initiated by the guru. Even if one wanders, becoming lower and lower, the guru and Viṣṇu’s initiation are still obtained. With the appropriate mantra, the mouth-utterance is performed. The disciple receives the garment and takes the water-pot, as instructed. Another mantra is recited: “Take the vessels of fragrance, all the agreeable perfumes.” The disciple takes the madhuparka and recites the corresponding mantra. Then, taking the guru’s feet, the disciple pleases him with effort, retaining the guru’s instructions and reciting yet another mantra: “Let all the devotees listen to me, and my guru has fulfilled all desires.” Thus, the scripture declares the initiation of a Brāhmaṇa on earth. By this very procedure, O Earth, one should perform initiation. Thus concludes the one hundred and twenty-seventh chapter of the Śrī Varāha Purāṇa, named “The Sutra on Brāhmaṇa Initiation.” Now, the ritual for a Kṣatriya is explained, involving the mirror, collyrium, and girdle. The same mantra as before is used for his initiation. All necessary items are brought, except for one: the palāśa stick is not used as the staff during initiation. Instead, an aśvattha stick is chosen for the staff. Everything spoken must be done, along with what has been previously declared. Finally, the initiate takes hold of my feet and recites the prescribed mantra, completing the sacred rite.