The Narasimha Avatara was the fourth Avatara of Bhagavan Vishnu. The Lord took this Avatara in order to destroy Hiranyakashipu who was an almost immortal Asura. The brother of Hiranyakashipu was Hiryanaksha who was killed by Bhagavan Vishnu’s third Avatara which was the Varaaha Avatara.
Hiranyakashipu wanted to avenge the killing of his brother by Bhagavan Vishnu. He wanted to become the master of all the three ‘Lokaas’ or worlds namely the Heaven, Earth and Pathaala and rule over the Gods, Asuras and Humans.
Hiranyakashipu meditated and undertook a very rigourous penance for very many years. Brahma appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. He asked for the boon of immortality which Brahma said was not possible. Therefore Hiranyakashipu decided to trick Brahma by indirectly asking for his boon. He said he should not be killed by man or beast, neither by God nor devil, in the day nor in the night, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither by metal nor by stone, neither on the ground nor in the sky and also that he wanted to be the ruler of the world. Once he was granted the boon, his terror and cruelty knew no bounds. He was the height or pride, arrogance, violence and everything evil possible.
When people have excessive power and wealth, they tend to become ‘Hiranyakashipus’. They forget God and Divinity and go into the path of ‘Adharma’. They forget the omnipresence and the omnipotence of The Supreme Brahman. Even in today’s world, such people think that they can actually do anything. They don’t realise that they can’t even control their own heart and the beating of the heart can stop any time and anywhere. Everything happens as per the will of The Supreme Brahman. Just like all other Avataraas of Bhagavan Vishnu teach people important lessons, the Narsimha Avataara of Bhagavan Vishnu clearly teaches us that God is everywhere. God is everything and everything is God. The story of Hiranyakashipu shows us that however powerful a person may be or seem to be, he or she is simply nothing before The Supreme Brahman.
Lord Narsimha appeared at twilight -neither in the day nor in the night; as half man and half lion – neither man not beast; sat on the threshold of the house – neither indoors nor outdoors; placed him on his thighs – neither on the ground nor in the sky and ripped open Hiranyakashipu’s stomach and took his bowels out using His claws – neither metal nor stone.
There is no point trying to trick Bhagavan or the system. Even attempting to do something like that, causes the amassing of negative Karma which no sane person would want to do. Hiranyakashipu’s son, Prahlada was a divine child. While he was still in the womb of his mother Kayaadhu, who was an ardent devotee of Bhagavan Vishnu, he was blessed by the divine teachings of Sage Narada who used to advise and teach her. Total surrender before Bhagavan is the most sensible and also the simplest thing people can do. He is everywhere and nothing or no one is ever hidden from Him. Dharma will always win and there is no question about it.
Reciting the Narsimha Mantra – ‘Ugram Veeram Mahavishnum…’ regularly has very great significance. Lord Narsimha is known to be the remover of all negative past Karma, of all diseases and above all, He is known as death of death itself.
Om ugram veeram maha vishnum , jwalantam sarvatomukham, nrasimham bheeshanam bhadram, mrityor mrityum namamyahum
Om ferocious, brave and great Vishnu, His face glows like fire in all directions
Lord Narasimha who is frightening and also caring, I bow to the Bhagavan who is death of death itself
Tavamithram Sarvada 