NITAAI-Veda.nyf > Other Scriptures by Acharyas > Nrisingha Appearance |
Shri Nrisingha Chaturdashi
The Most Holy Appearance Day
of Lord Nrisinghadeva
Full Fasting till Dusk (the Appearance time of Lord Nrisinghadeva)
and Fasting from grains and beans till sunrise tomorrow.
Lord Nrisingha's Appearance Pastime in short
There was once a great demon who was overwhelmed with rage: his
brother Hiranyaksa had just been killed by the incarnation of Vishnu known as
Lord Varaha. Thus he became very determined to become the emperor of the entire
universe. In order to increase his power, he performed very powerful
austerities. This penance was so severe that it disturbed the demigods. In
fact, the demigods requested Lord Brahma to stop him. The chief of the
demigods, Lord Brahma, therefore descended to pacify him by granting him a wish.
"Please grant that I not be killed by any crated living
being," commanded Hiranyakasipu, "that I not die inside or outside
any residence, during the daytime or night, nor on the ground or in the sky;
that I not be killed by any being created by you, nor by any weapon, nor by any
human being or animal indeed that I not meet death from any entity, either
living or non-living; that I have no competitor; that I have sole lordship over
all living entities and presiding deities, and that I acquire all mystic
powers."
After Brahma had granted him all these requests, Hiranyakasipu
very swiftly conquered all the planets in the universe, took up residence in
the lavish palace of King Indra, and forced the demigods to bow down to his
feet. He even stole the sacrificial oblations meant for the demigods.
Intoxicated physically by wine and mentally by power, Hiranyakasipu ruled the
universe very severely.
During this time his queen, Kayadhu, returned to the palace of her
husband and bore him a son, Prahlada. He was a reservoir of all transcendental
qualities because he was an pure devotee of Lord Vishnu. Determined to
understand the Absolute Truth, he had full control over his senses and mind He
was kind to all living creatures and the best friend of everyone. Toward
respectable persons he behaved just like a menial servant, to the poor he was
like a father, and to his equals he was always like a sympathetic brother.
Always very humble, he considered his teachers and spiritual masters to be as
good as the Lord Himself. Indeed, he was completely free of and pride that
might have arisen from his good education, riches, beauty, and aristocratic
birth.
Hiranyakasipu wanted to raise his son to be a powerful demon, but
Prahlada only wanted to learn about devotional service to Lord Vishnu. After
Prahlada attended school for some time, Hiranyakasipu took him on his lap and
affectionately inquired, "My dear son, please tell me about your favorite
subject in school."
Fearlessly, Prahlada said, "Hearing (sravanam) and chanting
(kirtanam) about the holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia, and pastimes of
the Supreme Lord; remembering (smaranam) them; serving the lotus feet of the
Lord (pada-sevanam); offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of
paraphernalia (arcanam); offering prayers to the Lord (vandanam); becoming His
servant (dasyam); considering the Lord one’s best friend (sakhyam); and
surrendering to Him (atma-nivedanam, in other words, serving Him with body,
mind and words); these nine processes are known as pure devotional service, and
I consider anyone who has dedicated his life to service of Lord Vishnu through
these nine methods to be the most learned person to be the most learned person,
for he has acquired complete knowledge."
Blinded by anger, Hiranyakasipu threw Prahlada from his lap onto
the ground. "Servants! Take him away and kill him at once!" he
screamed. However, Prahlada just sat silently and meditated on the Personality
of Godhead, and the demons’ weapons had no effect on him. Seeing this Hiranyakasipu
became fearful and contrived various ways to kill his son. His servants threw
Prahlada beneath an elephant’s feet; they cast him into the midst of huge,
fearful snakes; they cursed him with destructive spells; they hurled him from a
hilltop; they gave him poison; they starved him; they exposed him to severe
cold, winds, fire and water; they threw heavy stones to crush him.
Hiranyakasipu even sent his sister Holika to burn him but instead she herself
was burned. But throughout these trials Prahlada was simply absorbed in
thoughts of Lord Vishnu, and thus he remained unharmed. Hiranyakasipu became
very anxious about what to do next.
"You say there is a being superior to me," said
Hiranyakasipu, "but where is He? If He is present everywhere, then why is
He not present in this pillaryou see before you? Do you think He is in this
pillar?"
"Yes," Prahlada answered, "He is there."
Hiranyakasipu's rage flared more and more. "Because you are
speaking so much nonsense, I shall now sever your head from your body. Now let
me see your most worshipable God come to protect you. I want to see it."
Cursing him again and again, Hiranyakasipu took up his sword, got up from his
royal throne, and with great anger struck his fist against the column.
Then from within the very pillar that he had singled out came a
wonderful half-man, half-lion form never before seen. The Lord’s form was
extremely fearsome because of His angry eyes, which resembled molten gold; His
shining mane, which expanded the dimensions of His fearful face; His deadly
teeth; and His razor-sharp tongue. Lord Nrisingha then proceeded to battle with
the wasp-like Hiranyakasipu.
Finally at twilight, Lord Nrisingha captured Hiranyakasipu and
placed him in His lap on the doorway of the assembly hall. As He began ripping
the demon to pieces with His many, many hands, Lord Nrisingha’s mouth and mane
became sprinkled with drops of blood, and His fierce eyes, full of anger, were
impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the
Supreme Lord decorated Himself with a garland of intestines taken from
Hiranyakasipu's abdomen. Lord Nrisingha uprooted Hiranyakasipu’s heart and
finally threw him aside and destroyed an army of Hiranyakasipu’s faithful
followers.
By His transcendental cleverness, Lord Nrisinghadeva was able to
kill Hiranyakasipu without contradicting any of Lord Brahma’s benedictions. The
execution took place neither inside nor outside, but in the doorway; neither on
land nor in sky, but on the Lord’s lap; neither during the day nor during the
night, but at twilight; neither by man, beast, or demigod nor by any created
being, but by the Personality of Godhead; and not by any weapon, but by the
Lord's own lotus hand, relieving the whole universe of Hiranyakasipu’s demonic
activities.
Having been protected by the Lord, Prahlada Maharaja offered many
prayers in a voice that faltered with love:
"My dear Lord Nrisinghadeva, please, therefore, allow Your
angry feature to diminish, now that my evil father Hiranyakasipu has been
killed . . . [The saintly persons] will always remember Your auspicious is
fearsome incarnation, for it frees them from fear. In this way, my Lord, You
appear in various incarnations as a human being, an animal, a great saint, a
demigod, a fish or a tortoise, thus maintaining the entire creation in
different planetary systems and killing the demoniac principles."
Adapted from Shrimad Bhagavatam (7) translated by His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
In ancient times there was a very beautiful and qualified young
boy. He became attached to a prostitute, however, and because of that he gave
up all his wealth and position and left his wife and children. What is the
nature of prostitutes? They show affection artificially, and their only purpose
is to take money – nothing else. They do not consider whether or not a person
is qualified and beautiful. They do not want a relationship; they only want
money.
After that young boy had given all his wealth to the prostitute
and she saw that he was unable to give her anything more, she ordered him,
"Do not come to me!" And she kicked him out. The boy thought,
"Oh, what have I done?! I have made a great mistake." He was deeply
lamenting and his heart was broken; he wanted to commit suicide. He left the
prostitute's house as night was falling and entered a forest; and as he did so
it became very dark and began to rain heavily. He wanted to die, but to die is
not so easy. He lost his resolve and sought shelter to pass the night. Deep
within the jungle he discovered an old, dilapidated temple in which he took
refuge. He continued to lament and weep, wishing to give up that prostitute,
but images of her came to his mind again and again.
What became of that prostitute? After that young boy left she remembered,
"He was so beautiful, and he loved me from his heart." Repenting, she
thought, "Oh, I have made a mistake; I should not have kicked him out. I
should go and satisfy him and bring him back."
She asked many people which way the boy had gone. She followed him
into that dark forest and, seeking protection from the heavy rains she entered
the same temple. It was so dark that she could not see, and she took shelter in
another area of the temple. She repented and wept for that boy throughout the
night, and he was weeping for her. The next morning the two met in the temple.
They began to weep, they apologized to each other, and they returned to the
prostitute's house.
Fortunately, that previous day was the appearance day of Lord
Nrisinghadeva, and that old temple was Lord Nrisinghadeva's temple. The couple
was fasting and not criticizing anyone – only weeping, weeping, and weeping.
They spent the night without sleeping or eating – within the temple of Lord
Nrisinghadeva. This is ajnata-sukrti (spiritual pious activity performed
without the performer's knowledge). What was the power of his ajnata-sukrti?
That boy became Prahlada Maharaja in his next life just because of fasting,
crying and sweeping the temple of Nrisinghadeva's Appearance day unknowingly.
LORD GAURANGA MAHAPRABHU
AND LORD NRISINGHA DEVA
Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi lila, Chp 17:
(Translations by Shrila Prabhupada)
TEXT 90
eka-dina prabhu shrivasere ajna dila
‘brhat sahasra-nama' pada, sunite mana haila
SYNONYMS
One day the Lord ordered Shrivasa Thakura to read the
Brhat-sahasra-nama
[the thousand names of Lord Vishnu], for He wanted to hear them at
that
time.
Adi 17.91
padite aila stave nrsimhera nama
suniya avista haila prabhu gauradhama
As he read the thousand names of the Lord, in due course the holy
name of
Lord Nrisingha appeared. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu heard the holy
name of
Lord Nrisingha, He became fully absorbed in thought.
PURPORT
The Chaitanya-mangala, Madhya-khanda, describes this incident as follows:
Shrivasa Pandita was performing the sraddha ceremony for his
father, and as
is customary, he was hearing the thousand names of Lord Vishnu. At
that
time Gaurahari (Lord Chaitanya) appeared on the scene, and He also
began to
hear the thousand names of Vishnu with full satisfaction. When He
thus
heard the holy name of Lord Nrisingha, Lord Chaitanya became
absorbed in
thought, and He became angry like Nrisingha Prabhu in His angry
mood. His
eyes became red, His bodily hairs stood on end, all the parts of
His body
trembled, and He made a thundering sound. All of a sudden He took
up a
club, and people became greatly afraid, thinking, "We do not
know what
kind of offense we have now committed!" But then Shri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
adjusted His thoughts and sat down on His seat.
Adi 17.92
Nrisingha-avese prabhu hate gada lana
pasandi marite yaya nagare dhaiya
In the mood of Lord Nrisinghadeva, Lord Chaitanya ran through the
city
streets, club in hand, ready to kill all the atheists.
Adi 17.93
Nrisingha-avesa dekhi' maha-tejomaya
patha chadi' bhage loka pana bada bhaya
Seeing Him appearing very fierce in the ecstasy of Lord Nrisingha,
people ran
from the street and fled here and there, afraid of His anger.
Adi 17.94
loka-bhaya dekhi' prabhura bahya ha-ila
shrivasa-grhete giya gada phelaila
Seeing the people so afraid, the Lord came to His external senses
and thus
returned to the house of Shrivasa Thakura and threw away the club.
Adi 17.95
shrivase kahena prabhu kariya visada
loka bhaya paya, -- -- mora
haya aparadha
The Lord became morose and said to Shrivasa Thakura, "When I
adopted the
mood of Lord Nrisinghadeva, people were greatly afraid. Therefore
I stopped,
since causing fear among people is an offense."
Adi 17.96
shrivasa balena, -- -- ye
tomara nama laya
tara koti aparadha saba haya ksaya
Shrivasa Thakura replied, "Anyone who takes Your holy name
vanquishes ten
million of his offenses immediately.
Adi 17.97
aparadha nahi, kaile lokera nistara
ye toma' dekhila, tara chutila samsara
"There was no offense in Your appearing as Nrisinghadeva.
Rather, any man who
saw You in that mood was immediately liberated from the bondage of
material existence."
==========
Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi lila, Chp 17
TEXTS 178–179
kaji kahe, -- -- yabe ami
hindura ghare giya
kirtana karilun mana mrdanga bhangiya
sei ratre eka simha maha-bhayankara
nara-deha, simha-mukha, garjaye vistara
The Kazi told Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu, "When I went to the
Hindu's house, broke the drum and
forbade the performance of congregational chanting, in my dreams
that very
night I saw a greatly fearful lion, roaring very loudly, His body
like a
human being's and His face like a lion's.
Adi 17.180
sayane amara upara lapha diya cadi'
atta atta hase, kare danta-kadamadi
"While I was asleep, the lion jumped on my chest, laughing
fiercely and
gnashing His teeth.
Adi 17.181
mora buke nakha diya ghora-svare bale
phadimu tomara buka mrdanga badale
"Placing its nails on my chest, the lion said in a grave
voice, ‘I shall
immediately bifurcate your chest as you broke the mrdanga drum!
Adi 17.182
mora kirtana mana karis, karimu tora ksaya
ankhi mudi' kanpi ami pana bada bhaya
"‘You have forbidden the performance of My congregational
chanting.
Therefore I must destroy you!' Being very much afraid of Him, I
closed my
eyes and trembled.
Adi 17.183
bhita dekhi' simha bale ha-iya sadaya
tore siksa dite kailu tora parajaya
"Seeing me so afraid, the lion said, ‘I have defeated you
just to teach you
a lesson, but I must be merciful to you.
Adi 17.184
se dina bahuta nahi kaili utpata
teni ksama kari' na karinu pranaghata
"‘On that day you did not create a very great disturbance.
Therefore I have
excused you and not taken your life.
Adi 17.185
aiche yadi punah kara, tabe na sahimu
savamse tomare mari yavana nasimu
"‘But if you perform such activities again, I shall not be
tolerant. At
that time I shall kill you, your entire family and all the meat-eaters.'
Adi 17.186
eta kahi' simha gela, amara haila bhaya
ei dekha, nakha-cihna amora hrdaya
"After saying this, the lion left, but I was very much afraid
of Him. Just
see the marks of His nails on my heart!"
Adi 17.187
eta bali' kaji nija-buka dekhaila
suni' dekhi' sarva-loka ascarya manila
After this description, the Kazi showed his chest. Having heard
him and
seen the marks, all the people there accepted the wonderful
incident.
===========
Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi Lila 16.51:
TEXT 50
baisa ‘pahaca'-pache upara daksina-dike
eka Nrisingha-murti achena uthite vama-bhage
On the southern side, behind and above the twenty-two steps, is a
Deity of
Lord Nrisinghadeva. It is on the left as one goes up the steps
toward the
temple.
Antya 16.51
prati-dina tanre prabhu karena namaskara
namaskari' ei sloka pade bara-bara
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His left side toward the Deity, offered
obeisances
to Lord Nrisingha as He proceeded toward the temple. He recited
the
following verses again and again while offering obeisances.
Antya 16.52
namas te nara-simhaya
prahladahlada-dayine
hiranyakasipor vaksah-
sila-tanka-nakhalaye
namah -- I offer my respectful obeisances; te -- unto You;
nara-simhaya --
Lord Nrisinghadeva; prahlada -- to Maharaja Prahlada; ahlada -- of
pleasure;
dayine -- giver; hiranyakasipoh -- of Hiranyakasipu; vaksah --
chest; sila
-- like stone; tanka --
like the chisel; nakha-alaye -- whose fingernails.
TRANSLATION
"‘I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, Lord
Nrisinghadeva. You are the
giver of pleasure to Maharaja Prahlada, and Your nails cut the
chest of
Hiranyakasipu like a chisel cutting stone.
PURPORT
This and the following verse are quoted from the Nrisingha Purana.
Antya 16.53
ito Nrisinghah parato nrsimho
yato yato yami tato
Nrisinghah
bahir nrsimho hrdaye nrsimho
Nrisingham adim saranam
prapadye
SYNONYMS
itah -- here; Nrisinghah -- Lord Nrisingha; paratah -- on the
opposite side;
Nrisinghah -- Lord Nrisingha; yatah yatah -- wherever; yami -- I
go; tatah --
there; Nrisinghah -- Lord Nrisingha; bahih -- outside; Nrisinghah
-- Lord
Nrisingha; hrdaye -- in my heart; Nrisinghah -- Lord Nrisingha;
Nrisingham -- Lord
Nrisingha; adim -- the original Supreme Personality; saranam
prapadye -- I
take shelter of.
TRANSLATION
"‘Lord Nrisinghadeva is here, and He is also there on the
opposite side.
Wherever I go, there I see Lord Nrisinghadeva. He is outside and
within my
heart. Therefore I take shelter of Lord Nrisinghadeva, the
original Supreme
Personality of Godhead.'"
============
From Navadvipa Bhava Taranga by Seventh Goswami Shrila
Sacchidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura:
Southeast of there is Nrisingha Puri, also known as Devapalli in
Navadvipa Dhama. When will I see the beauty of this place? At this abode of
Nrisingha I will roll about on the ground in ecstatic love, begging for
unalloyed love of Gauranga-Krishna. In my heart reside duplicity, insincerity,
the desire for fame, and the six enemies beginning with lust. The six enemies
are: kama, krodha, mada, moha, matsarya and bhaya-that is, lust, anger,
intoxication, illusion, envy, and fear. Therefore I will pray at the feet of
Lord Nrisingha to purify my heart and give me the desire to serve Krishna.
Weeping, I will beg at the lotus feet of Nrisingha that I may
worship Nityananda-Gauranga and Radha-Krishna in Navadvipa, free from all
obstacles. When will that Lord Hari, who strikes fear in fear personified, be
pleased and bestow His mercy on me?
Although this form of the Lord is terrible for the evil, He is
exceedingly auspicious for the devotees headed by Prahlada. When will He become
pleased to mercifully speak to me, a worthless fool, and remove my fears?
"Dear child, stay here happily in Gauranga-dhama. Worship
Nityananda-Gauranga and Radha-Krishna, and develop attraction for the holy
name. By the mercy of My devotees, all obstacles are transcended. With a
purified heart just worship Nityananda-Gauranga and Radha-Krishna, the abodes
of sweet nectar."
After speaking in this way, when will that Lord joyfully place His
feet upon my head? At that moment, by Lord Nrisingha's mercy, I will exhibit
symptoms of ecstatic love for Nityananda-Gauranga and Radha-Krishna, and I will
roll on the ground by the door of Lord Nrisingha's temple.
===========
Shri Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya of Seventh Goswami Shrila
Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Then, singing loudly the name of Gauranga, the party of pilgrims
entered Devapalli in Navadvipa. In that village, they took rest as the guests
of the presiding Deity, Nrisingha, and then took their midday meals. At the
last minutes of daylight, as they all wandered in the village, Nityananda
spoke: "This is Devapalli, and here is the temple of Nrisinghadeva, well
known since Satya-yuga. After bestowing His mercy on Prahlada by killing
Hiranyakasipu, the Lord came here to rest.
"Brahma and the other demigods made their houses here and
formed a village. This village was established on tilas, hillocks, here on the
bank of the Mandakini River, and all the residents were absorbed in the worship
of Nrisinghadeva. According to the scriptures, this village in Navadvipa, named
Shri Nrisingha-ksetra, is most purifying.
"See here Surya-tila and Brahma-tila and to the east was
Nrisingha-tila. The place is now transformed. See there Ganesa-tila, and over
there is Indra-tila. Though Visvakarma built hundreds of jeweled houses here,
in time, all were destroyed, and the Mandakini dried up. Now only the hillocks
mark the places. See these countless broken stones, the remnants of the
temples. Again in the future, one devotee king will receive a drop of
Nrisingha's mercy, and he will make a large temple, reinstall Nrisingha, and
take up service to Nrisingha again. This is on the border of the Navadvipa
parikrama within the sixteen krosas."
Giving up the net of maya and having only the wealth of the lotus
feet of Nitai and Jahnava, this beggar, Bhaktivinoda, sings the glories of
Navadvipa, which have no limit.
===========
Ontological Position
According to Vedic philosophy, Vishnu descends in a variety of
avatars all of whom are non-different from Him. All the avatars are of the
nature of sat-cid- ananda: eternity bliss and knowledge. They reside in the
spiritual world, Vaikuntha. When They descend into the material world, They are
called "avatar a" (literally, "descent"). Any attempt to
minimize the transcendental status of any avatar constitutes an offense and is
a stumbling block on the path of self-realization. And to understand Lord
Nrisingha, one must first appreciate the transcendence of Vishnu.
In addition, the scriptures describe Lord Nrisingha as prominently
manifesting all six attributes of God (strength, wealth, renunciation,
splendor, energy, wisdom): "In Nrisingha, Rama, and Krishna, all the six
opulences are fully manifest." (Nrisingha-rama-krsnesu sad-gunyam
paripuritam--Padma-purana)
Lord Krishna or Lord Narayana is considered to be the origin of
the other transcendental forms of God. From Narayana, Vasudeva is manifest, and
from Vasudeva, Sankarsana is manifest (Agni-purana 48.13). And according to the
scriptures, Lord Nrisingha is an expansion (amsha) of Sankarsana. [Padma-tantr
a 1.2.31 and Vishnu-dharmottara-purana 3.78(2).5-7 (haris Sankarsanamsena
Nrisingha-vapur dharah)] Just as Sankarsana destroys the universe, Lord
Nrisingha destroys all ignorance and all sins arising from body, mind and
speech.
Lord Nrisingha Himself is recognized in the scriptures by a
variety of forms. The Vihagendra-samhita (4.17) of the Pancaratra-Agama
enumerate more than seventy forms of Nrisingha. Most of these forms are
distinguished by the arrangements of weapons in the hands, His different
postures, or other subtle distinctions.
Of these seventy-four, nine are very prominent
(Nava-vyuha-Nrisingha):
(1) Ugra-Nrisingha
(2) Kruddha-Nrisingha
(3) Vira-Nrisingha
(4) Vilamba-Nrisingha
(5) Kopa-Nrisingha
(6) Yoga-Nrisingha
(7) Aghora-Nrisingha
(8) Sudarsana-Nrisingha
(9) Laksmi-narasima
In Ahobila, Andhra Pradesh, the nine forms are as follows:
(1) Chhatra-vata-Nrisingha (seated under a banyan tree)
(2) Yogananda-Nrisingha (who blessed Lord Brahma)
(3) Karanja-Nrisingha (4) Uha-Nrisingha
(5) Ugra-Nrisingha (6) Kroda-Nrisingha
(7) Malola-Nrisingha (With Laksmi on His lap)
(8) Jvala-Nrisingha (an eight armed form rushing out of the
pillar)
(9) Pavana-Nrisingha (who blessed the sage Bharadvaja)
Other forms are as follows:
Stambha-Nrisingha (coming out of the pillar)
Svayam-Nrisingha (manifesting on His own)
Grahana-Nrisingha (catching hold of the demon)
Vidarana-Nrisingha (ripping open of the belly of the demon)
Samhara-Nrisingha (killing the demon)
The following three refer to His ferocious aspect:
Ghora-Nrisingha
Ugra-Nrisingha
Chanda-Nrisingha
Jvala-Nrisingha (with a flame-like mane)
Laksmi-Nrisingha (where Laksmi pacifies Him)
Prasada-Nrisingha or Prahlada-varada-Nrisingha
(His benign aspect of protecting Prahlada)
Chhatra-Nrisingha (seated under a parasol of a five-hooded serpent)
Yoga-Nrisingha or Yogesvara-Nrisingha (in meditation)
Avesha-Nrisingha (a frenzied form)
Attahasa-Nrisingha (a form that roars horribly and majestically
strides
across to destroy evil)
Chakra-Nrisingha (with only a discus in hand)
Brahma-Nrisingha, Vishnu-Nrisingha, and Rudra-Nrisingha
Prthvi-Nrisingha, Vayu-Nrisingha, Akasa-Nrisingha,
Jvalana-Nrisingha, and
Amrta-Nrisingha (representing the five elements)
Pusthi Nrisingha (worshipped for overcoming evil influences)
There are still other varieties which are standing, riding on
Garuda, alone, in company, benign, ferocious, and multi-armed (two-sixteen).
All of these forms point to the diversity in transcendence of the
Nrisingha-Avatar.
==========
vag-isa yasya vadane
laksmir yasya ca vaksasi
yasyaste hrdaye samvit
tam Nrisingham aham bhaje
"Lord Nrisinghadeva is
always assisted by Sarasvati, the Goddess of
learning, and He is always embracing to His chest Laksmi, the
Goddess of
fortune. The Lord is always complete in knowledge within Himself.
Let us
offer obeisances unto Nrisinghadeva."
"I worship Lord
Nrisingha, within Whose mouth reside the great masters
of eloquence, upon Whose chest resides the Goddess of fortune, and
within
Whose heart resides the divine potency of consciousness.
prahlada-hrdayahladam
bhaktavidya-vidaranam
sarad-indu-rucim vande
parindra-vadanam harim
"Let me offer my
obeisances unto Lord Nrisinghadeva, Who is always
enlightening Prahlada Maharaja within his heart and Who always
kills the
nescience that attacks the devotees. His mercy is distributed like
moonshine, and His face is like that of a lion. Let me offer my
obeisances
unto Him again and again."
samsara-cakra-krakacair
vidirnam udirna-nana-bhava-
tapa-taptamkathancid apannam
iha prapannam tvam uddhara
shri-nrhare nr-lokam
"O Shri Nrhari, please deliver those human beings who have
suffered
all kinds of torments and been ripped apart by the sharp edge of
samsara's
wheel, but who have now somehow found You and are surrendering
themselves
unto You."
==========
NRISINGHA FORMS IN GENERAL:
Kevala-Nrisingha -- Nrisinghadeva alone (with 2 or 4 hands),
standing.
Girija-Nrisingha -- coming out of a mountain cave, seated.
Yoga-Nrisingha -- in yoga-asana, sometimes with yoga-patta around
legs.
Stambodbhava-Nrisingha (Sthauna-Nrisingha) -- coming out of the
pillar.
Yanaka-Nrisingha -- riding on Garuda or lying on Ananta-sesa
Laksmi-Nrisingha -- peaceful or fierce. Fierce form described in
Naradiya
Mahapurana: five faces (each with 3 eyes), garland of entrails,
yajnopavita made of a serpent.
Yogananda-Laksmi-Nrisingha -- "yoga" and
"bhoga" combined; very rare
Varaha-Laksmi-Nrisingha -- rare. Mouth of Varaha. Laksmi on lap.
Prahladanugraha Murti -- blessing Prahlada with His hand.
Rare, not mentioned in agama-sastras.
Nrisingha and Chencheta -- Nrisingha in Hari-Hara aspects
Tandava (Nritta Nrisingha) -- Dancing. No sanction in
agama-sastras.
Nrisingha-tapani Upanisad mantra:
shri Nrisingha, jaya Nrisingha, jaya jaya jaya shri Nrisingha
ugram viram mahavisnum
jvalantam sarvato-mukham
nrisingham bhisanam bhadram
mrtyu-mrtyum namamy aham
ugram-terrible; viram-heroic; mahavisnum-Maha Vishnu;
jvalantam-effulgent; sarvato-mukham-having faces everywhere;
Nrisingham-half-man, half-lion; bhisanam-astounding, terrible;
bhadram-auspicious; mrtyu-mrtyum-death personified, or death to death itself;
namamy aham-I offer my humble obeisances.
This mantra was given by Nrisinghadeva to Lord Brahma of the
previous creation in the same way that our Lord Brahma received the Gopal
mantra after performing tapasya. This mantra is the main subject of the
Nrisingha-tapani Upanisad.
Madhya-lila: Chapter Eight, Text 5
shri-Nrisingha, jaya Nrisingha, jaya jaya Nrisingha
prahladesa
jaya padma-mukha-padma-bhrnga
All glories to Nrisinghadeva! All glories to Nrisinghadeva, who is
the Lord of Prahlada Maharaja and, like the honeybee, is always engaged in
beholding the lotus-like face of the goddess of fortune.
PURPORT
The goddess of fortune is always embraced by Lord Nrisinghadeva.
This is mentioned in Shrimad-Bhagavatam in the First and Tenth Cantos by the
great commentator Shrila Shridhara Svami. The following verse was composed by
Shridhara Svami in his commentary on Shrimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.1).
vag-isa yasya vadane
laksmir yasya ca vaksasi
yasyaste hrdaye samvit
tam Nrisingham aham bhaje
"Lord Nrisinghadeva is always assisted by Sarasvati, the
goddess of learning, and He is always embracing to His chest the goddess of
fortune. The Lord is always complete in knowledge within Himself. Let us offer
obeisances unto Nrisinghadeva."
Similarly, in his commentary on the First Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.1),
Shridhara Svami describes Lord Nrisinghadeva in this way:
prahlada-hrdayah ladam
bhakta vidya-vidaranam
sarad-indu-rucim vande
parindra-vadanam harim
"Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Nrisinghadeva, who is
always enlightening Prahlada Maharaja within his heart and who always kills the
nescience that attacks the devotees. His mercy is distributed like moonshine,
and His face is like that of a lion. Let me offer my obeisances unto Him again
and again."
Madhya-lila: Chapter Eight,
Text 6
ugro'py anugra evayam
sva-bhaktanam nr-kesari
kesariva sva-potanam
anyesam ugra-vikramah
"Although very
ferocious, the lioness is very kind to her cubs. Similarly, although very
ferocious to nondevotees like Hiranyakasipu, Lord Nrisinghadeva is very, very
soft and kind to devotees like Prahlada Maharaja."
PURPORT
This verse was composed
by Shridhara Svami in his commentary on Shrimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.1).
ugraM vIram mahA-viSNuM
jvalantaM sarvato mukham I
NrisinghaM bhISaNaM bhadraM
mRtyur mRtyuM namAmy ahaM II
I bow down to Lord Nrisinghadeva who is ferocious and heroic like
Lord
ViSNu. He is burning from every side. He is terrific, auspicious
and
the death of death personified.
om hrim ksraum - bIj mantra
for Lord Nrisingha (?)
ugraM - ferocious / terrible
vIram - heroic
mahA-viSNuM - the Supreme Lord Maha Vishnu
jvalantaM - (guessing from the translation below) fiery?
sarvato mukham - whose face
is everywhere / who faces all directions (?)
NrisinghaM - Lord Nrisingha
bhISaNaM bhadraM - turns poison into auspicious substance
mRtyur mRtyuM - is the
original mantra not 'mRtyumRtyum' ? - He is death to
death itself
namAmy ahaM - I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him