Varāha Purāṇa
The Varāha Purāṇa is one of the eighteen Mahāpurāṇas, taking its name from the divine boar (varāha) avatāra of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. It is primarily structured as a dialogue between Bhagavān in His Varāha form and Bhū Devī (the goddess Earth) whom He rescued from the depths of the cosmic ocean when the demon Hiraṇyākṣa dragged her below. This narrative context gives the Purāṇa its theological character: it is Bhagavān speaking to His beloved Earth-consort, revealing truths about liberation, devotion, and His own protective nature.
The most theologically significant passage of the Varāha Purāṇa in Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition is the Varāha Carama Śloka: 'sthite manasi susvāsthe śarīre sati yo naraḥ / dhātu-sāmye sthite smartā viśvarūpaṃ ca māṃ harim // tasminn ante kṛtātmānaṃ sarva-bhūtāśayaṃ sthitam / ahaṃ smarāmi mad-bhaktaṃ nayāmi paramāṃ gatim //' — This śloka is Bhagavān's explicit promise to Bhū Devī: at the moment of death of one who has surrendered to Him, He Himself will remember that devotee and carry him to the highest goal (Vaikuṇṭha). In the conventional Śrī Vaiṣṇava triad, the Varāha Carama Śloka is placed together with Rāma's promise, sakṛd eva prapannāya..., and Kṛṣṇa's Bhagavad Gītā Carama Śloka, sarva-dharmān parityajya... (18.66). A verse from Āḷavandār's Stotra Ratna is not one of these three Carama Ślokas.
Beyond this celebrated śloka, the Varāha Purāṇa contains extensive material on pilgrimage (tīrtha-māhātmya), temple construction and consecration (āgama-related material), the glories of sacred rivers and divine images, and the spiritual benefits of devotional practices. It contains descriptions of various avatāras, the cosmic chronology (yugas and manvantaras), and the geography of sacred India. In the Śrī Vaiṣṇava ācārya tradition, Pillai Lokācārya and his commentators cite the Varāha Carama Śloka as the supreme illustration of Bhagavān's rakṣakatva (protecting lordship) and kāruṇya (compassion).