Lord Vishnu, the greatest God of protection and nourishment, has taken in the form of Narasimha. ‘Nara’ is a person, and ‘Simha’ is a lion, making ‘Nara-Simha’ a Man-Lion. Lord Vishnu was forced to adopt this bizarre shape in order to defeat the great demon Hiranyakashipu, who was well protected by a series of boons and murdered him in order to protect his devotee and also to liberate the cosmos and its people from the Asura’s tyranny.
Legend has it that Narasimha came at dark on the Vaishak Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi, or the 14th day of the brilliant fortnight in the month of Vishaka (April-May). As a result, the day of his birth is commemorated with zeal as Narasimha Jayanthi.
The Narasimha Legend
Hiranyakashipu, the terrible demon who was well shielded by numerous wonderful boons he had gained, unleashed dread on the whole cosmos, inflicting unfathomable crimes on sentient beings. He was, however, gifted with a magnificent son, Prahalada, who grew up to become a great devotee of none other than his father’s archenemy, Lord Vishnu. When the demon began pestering his own son and others, Vishnu was forced to take on this human-animal shape and slay the vile demon with his own claws.
Narasimha in various forms
Narasimha is a magnificent shape. He is also worshipped in 74 somewhat varied forms, which are often characterized and called based on the postures the Lord maintains and the weapons he wields. The following nine are regarded as noteworthy and are called together the Nava-Narasimhas, the Lord’s nine major forms:
Ugra Narasimha
Kroddha Narasimha
Vīra Narasimha
Vilamba Narasimha
Kopa Narasimha
Yoga Narasimha
Aghora Narasimha
Sudarsana Narasimha
Lakshmi Narasiṁha
Mantras of Narasimha
Many songs glorify this Lord in order to obtain his abundant benefits for the devotees. Let us go through some of the most essential mantras that chanting devotees might benefit from.
Mantra of Narasimha
‘Om hrimksaumugramvirammahavivnumjvalantamsarvatomukham,
Nrsimhambhisanambhadrammrtyormrtyumnamamyaham’
Prayer to Lord Narasimha
‘Namaste, prahladahlada-dayine, hiranyakasiporvaksah, sila-tankanakhalaye,’ says Narasimhaya.
Stotra Dasavatara
‘Tavakara-kamala-varenakhamadbhuta-srngam, dalita-hiranyakasipu-tanu-bhrngam, kesavadhrta-narahari-rupajayajagadisa hare, kesavadhrta-narahari-rupajayajagadisa hare,’
Kamasikashtakam
‘Tvayiraksatiraksakaihkimanyaih, tvayicaraksatiraksakaihkimanyaihiitiniscitadhihsrayaminityam, nrharevegavatitaasrayamtvam, nrharevegavatitaasrayamtvam
Divya Prabandham
‘Adiadiagamkaraindhuisaipadippadikkannirmalgiengumnadinadinarasingaendru, vadivaduumivvalnuthale’
Narasimha Gayatri Mantra
‘Om Nrisimhayevidmahe vajranakhayadhimahi tan no simhahPrachodayat
Vajranakhayavidmahe tikshnadamstrayadhimahi tan no narasimhahPrachodayat’
Sri Narasimha Maha Mantra
‘Ugramvirammaha-vishnum jvalantamsarvatomukham
nrisimhambhishanambhadram mrityurmrityumnamamyaham’
The Advantages of Narasimha Mantras
Narasimha was an incarnation chosen primarily to protect Prahalada, a passionate devotee. Narasimha Mantras, too, are primarily used as Kavacha mantras, or protecting shields. When repeated with conviction, these hymns provide believers enormous protection from all perils and defend their welfare, much like armors protect soldiers’ bodies from hostile weaponry.
Furthermore, despite his terrible aspect, this Lord is fundamentally a highly sympathetic being who would listen to heartfelt petitions and hurry to cure devotees’ afflictions. He may also bestow bravery, serenity, money, and prosperity to them.