Narasimha Avathara
Where does God reside? This question has been perturbing the spiritual inquirers for ages on end. Does God stay only in Vaikuntha? Then, what about Kailasa? If God resides in Kailasa or Brahmaloka, why is He called omnipresent? If He is all-pervasive, why do we confine him to a few habitations? Such are the doubts that continue to crack our brains.
The emergence of Narasimha is the only answer to all such questions. Where does the trusted God exist? He is there wherever the devotee directs. It does not leave scope for the doubt whether He is here or there. The question of the opportune moment, locale, and time such as morning or evening does not arise. What matters is only one thing.
That is Prahlada’s devotion to Narayana filled in every atom of his body and mind. Prahlada who visualized the Almighty in every particle of Nature alone knows that God is all-pervasive. He has immense trust that God answers his call and comes down. That is why ferocious Narasimha emerged out of the pillar.
Narasimha emerged not merely to kill the demons, but to vindicate the impact of trust in God and meditation upon God as well as the limits to which devotion can reach. This is the aim of Narasimha’s incarnation and its essential nature. Narasimha’s is distinct from the other incarnations. It demonstrates the omnipresence of God. It establishes Him as the saviour of the distressed devotees.
Emerging from the direction pointed out by His devotee, He vindicates the devotee’s trust in Him. Thus, He proves that He is subservient to His devotees. Possessed by anger and tamo guna like Rudra, Lord Srihari emerges as Narasimha. Lord Narasimha takes the strange form of half-lion and half-man. Like Lord Shiva, He is also offered evening worship. This is another miracle that establishes the non-duality of Shiva and Vishnu.
Many great souls meditated upon Him constantly to cross the ocean of worldly life. It was the generosity of Narasimha that saved Adi Sankara several times. When he was to defeat Ubhaya Bharati in an argument, Sankara transmigrates into the body of a dead king to learn about worldly life and returns to his half-burnt body. He recites Narasimha Karaavalamba stotra on the spot which saves him from the burning injuries.
When a kapaalika was about to kill him, Padmapaadacharya eulogizes Lord Narasimha who comes down to his rescue by killing the kapaalika. During his tour to Kashmir when Sankara was poisoned, it was Lord Narasimha who saved him. This is all part of the Lord’s miracles. These episodes of Sankara’s life establish that the Lord saves his devotees when they just chant His name. There are many such examples.
Annamacharya, Andhra Pada Kavita Pitamaha, Tarigonda Vengamamba known for her madhura bhakti, Kaivara Tatayya and many others worshipped Narasimha and reached the eternal abode of Lord Venkateswara. A lion’s share of Annamacharya sankirtanas are on Lord Venkateswara. Narasimha occupies the next place. Annamayya describes beautifully both the furious and the compassionate nature of Narasimha.
Padmavathi and Srinivasa Kalyanam
The account of Srinivasa Kalyana testifies to this fact. At the time of marriage with Padmavathi, Srinivasa takes a loan of the required amount from Kubera, the God of Wealth. Brahma and the holy peepal tree act as witnesses to this.
The marriage arrangements are made with a lot of fanfare. The marriage feast gets ready. Brahma doubts how they can serve food to the guests without offering it to the Lord and considers it a lapse. There is none to clear this doubt.
At last, he ventures to pose this question to Srinivasa Himself who replies that there is nothing wrong in offering a feast to the guests as they are invited to the marriage. But, Brahma suspects that saints, as a rule, do not eat the food that is not offered to God.
Then Srinivasa declares: “I am in another form as Lord Narasimha in Ahobila. So, you may offer the food to Him first and then serve it to the invitees.” Brahma complies with it.
Since then, the practice of worshipping Yoga Narasimha has come into vogue. Many great sages worshipped Yoga Narasimha and realized Lord Venkateswara. There is no need for another example to testify to the non-duality of Narayana and Narasimha.
Depiction of Narasimha in Epics
There are wide references to Lord Narasimha and His incarnation in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the epics. In particular, Nrisimhataapini Upanishad describes the essential nature of Narasimha. We come to know through them that the emergence of Narasimha was not merely for the sake of killing Hiranyakashipu. He is the only God who can show both anger and compassion at the same time.
Another unique feature of Narasimha’s incarnation is that it is a combination of both the aspects of Shiva and Vishnu. The human form of Vishnu, the cause of maintenance, and the lion form of Shiva, the cause of annihilation combined to form Narasimha. This is the indwelling and all-pervasive nature of Narasimha. This is the rarest event of the Lord’s emergence in a peculiar form for protecting the world. There is no incarnation like that of Narasimha that pervaded the universe. No other incarnation can compete with it.
The story of Narasimha in Brahmanda Purana is different. There is no reference to Prahlada and Hiranya Kashipu’s hatred of Vishnu here. Narasimha emerged accordingly only to relieve the suffering of sages, saints and angels.
Vishnu Purana gives a different account. Though it is closer to the account of Pothana, it ends with Srihari agreeing to Prahlada’s request of forgiving his father and Prahlada leading a happy life with his father for some time. Later, Vishnu kills Hiranyakashipu in the guise of Narasimha. We find the highlights of Narasimha incarnation in the Puranas like Padma, Vishnu Dharmottara, Skaandha, Koorma, Linga, Matsya, Bhagavata, Narasimha, Harivamsha.
The legend of Narasimha in the Bhagavata is popularized through them. Maybe it is due to Potana’s scholarship or Goddess Saraswathi’s blessings, no Telugu man can recite at least a few poems from the Prahlada episode. Despite his hostility, Hiranya Kashipu always thinks of and utters the name of Vishnu.
Devotee Prahlada may at times get distracted from his Vishnu bhakti, but Hiranya Kashipu is always steeped in the hatred of Vishnu and as a result, gets killed by Narasimha. No wonder Hiranya Kashipu attains heaven after leaving his mortal body. Narasimha grants heaven even to those who hate Him.
The Embodiment of Mantra
Narasimha is not merely an incarnation but an embodiment of mantra. The essential nature of Narasimha is described in the Upanishads which are at the end of the Vedas. The mantra of Narasimha’s name reveals His essential nature and form as the Supreme Soul.
His name is described as “Ugram, Veeram, Mahavishnum, Jvalantam, Sarvatomukham, Nrusimham, Bheeshanam, Bhadram, Mrutyu mrutyum Namaamyaham.”
It is a mantra in the form of His name. Each of His names reveals one of his essential qualities as follows.
Ugram
Narasimha is an embodiment of wrath. This wrath rules all the world. It is enough if you listen to the terrible shouts of Narasimha. It destroys both the internal and external enemies.
Veeram
It is the quality of being the cause of all actions and the actions themselves. As an embodiment of valour, He is to be understood as the form of action and its cause itself.
Mahavishnum
It is a symbol of Narasimha’s all-pervasive nature. He dwells in all the creatures of this creation in both manifest and unmanifest forms. It is another significant feature.
Jwalantam
It reveals the Lord’s yogic quality. It reveals that Narasimha’s splendour shines through all the worlds and all souls. Annamayya also aimed his meditation at Yoga Narasimha Swamy. He courts this Jwalanta tattva of the Lord through His sankirtana, “Phaala netraanala prabala vidyullataa Kelee vihara Lakshmi Naarasimha.”
Sarvatomukham
it is the quality of seeing the entire universe without the aid of any senses. Narasimha faces all around. The Almighty was at the beginning of creation. Later, He turns into different forms for the maintenance of the world.
Nrusimham
The lion is the best of all creatures. That is why the Almighty has taken the form of the lion to uplift the world. The lion lives in the caves of the mountains. Narasimha stays in the caves of the hearts of people.
Bheeshanam
It is the symbol of His ruling power. It is this quality of Narasimha that imparts splendour to the Sun and the Moon and helps the demi-gods to maintain eight directions. It is the most terrible form.
Bhadram
He is the cause of terror as well as fearlessness. It is a different angle of His quality. He assures safety and fearlessness to those who seek His refuge.
Mrutyumrutyum
He drives away untimely death if only you chant His name. He is dead to the God of Death. It is His blessing that causes as well as removes death. It enables self-realization and leads us to immortality
Though Narasimha is the embodiment of ferociousness, He is full of compassion at heart. His fury is that of a parent for his child. Worship of the peaceful quality of the ferocious God yields all kinds of auspicious results without any letup.
