Avatar 4 of 10 · Satya Yuga
Narasimha
The fourth avatar: Vishnu as the man-lion, who burst from a pillar at dusk to protect the child Prahlada and destroy the tyrant Hiranyakashipu.
- His form
- The man-lion
- Satya Yuga
- His day
- Narasimha Jayanti
- Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi
The story
Hiranyakashipu, brother of Hiranyaksha, won from Brahma a boon that he could be killed by no man or beast, by day or by night, indoors or outdoors, on earth or in the sky, by no weapon. He made himself lord of the three worlds and forbade the worship of Vishnu.
His own son, Prahlada, would not stop praying to Vishnu. His father had him thrown from cliffs, trampled by elephants and given poison; his aunt Holika took him into a fire, and she burned while he came out unharmed.
At last Hiranyakashipu asked whether Vishnu was in the pillar before him, and struck it. Vishnu burst out as Narasimha, neither man nor beast, at dusk, neither day nor night. He carried the tyrant to the threshold, neither inside nor out, laid him on his lap, neither earth nor sky, and tore him apart with his claws, which are no weapon.
Why he came
To keep his word to his devotee, and to show that no boon or cunning puts anyone beyond dharma.
How he is shown
With a lion’s head and mane on a four-armed man’s body: fierce, tearing Hiranyakashipu across his lap; calm, seated in yoga; or gentle, with Lakshmi on his lap as Lakshmi Narasimha.
His verse
तव करकमलवरे नखमद्भुतशृङ्गं दलितहिरण्यकशिपुतनुभृङ्गम्।
केशव धृतनरहरिरूप जय जगदीश हरे॥
Tava kara kamala vare nakham adbhuta shringam, dalita hiranyakashipu tanu bhringam;
Keshava dhrita narahari rupa, jaya Jagadisha Hare.
On your lotus hands are wondrous claws, which tore the body of Hiranyakashipu as a bee is crushed, in the form of the man-lion. O Keshava, glory to you, Lord of the world, Hari!
आपके कमल जैसे हाथों पर अद्भुत नाख़ून हैं, जिन्होंने हिरण्यकशिपु के शरीर को भौंरे की तरह चीर डाला, नरसिंह के रूप में। हे केशव, आपकी जय, जगत के स्वामी हरि!
His day
Narasimha Jayanti
Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi, the fourteenth day of the bright half of Vaishakha (April or May), worshipped at dusk
Where he is worshipped
- Ahobilam Narasimha TemplesAhobilam, Andhra Pradesh
- Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha TempleSimhachalam, Andhra Pradesh
- Lakshmi Narasimha TempleYadagirigutta, Telangana
Questions
How is Narasimha connected to Holi?
Holika Dahan remembers how Prahlada’s aunt Holika burned while he survived the fire. Soon after, Vishnu came as Narasimha to end his father’s rule.
Why is Narasimha worshipped at dusk on his day?
He appeared at dusk, neither day nor night, so his birth is kept at twilight on Narasimha Jayanti.