Avatar 4 of 10 · Satya Yuga · सत्य युग
Narasimha Avatar · The Man-Lion
नरसिंह अवतार · नर-सिंह
Half man and half lion, he appeared from a pillar to protect the child Prahlada from his tyrant father, Hiranyakashipu.
आधे मनुष्य, आधे सिंह — जो खंभे से प्रकट होकर बालक प्रह्लाद को उसके अत्याचारी पिता हिरण्यकशिपु से बचाने आए।
The story of Narasimha · नरसिंह की कथा
The Answer in the Pillar
Hiranyakashipu wanted to be beyond death. After fierce penance he won a boon that seemed perfect: he could not be killed by man or beast, by day or by night, indoors or outdoors, on the ground or in the sky, by any weapon. Believing himself unbeatable, he ordered the whole world to worship him alone.
His own small son, Prahlada, would not. The boy loved Vishnu with a simple, unshakable faith. His father raged and tried everything to break him. Prahlada was thrown from a cliff, trampled by elephants, given poison and left among serpents. Each time the child came through unhurt, still gentle, still smiling, still singing the Lord’s name.
One evening, beside himself with anger, Hiranyakashipu pointed at a stone pillar in his hall. “You say your Vishnu is everywhere. Is he in this pillar?”
“He is,” said Prahlada quietly.
The king struck the pillar with his mace. It split with a sound like thunder, and out stepped a being no one had ever seen: the body of a man and the head of a lion, blazing with light. At twilight, which is neither day nor night, Narasimha seized the tyrant, carried him to the threshold, which is neither indoors nor outdoors, and laid him across his lap, which is neither ground nor sky. With his claws, which are no weapon, he ended the demon’s reign. Every condition of the boon was kept, and still it could not save him.
The gods trembled at Narasimha’s fury and none dared come near. It was little Prahlada who stepped forward and bowed. The Lord’s rage melted. He lifted the boy onto his lap and gently stroked his head.
The lesson
No cleverness can shield cruelty for ever, and no harm can defeat a sincere heart.
Story: Retold from the Bhagavata Purana (7.2–7.10) and the Vishnu Purana
In the scriptures · शास्त्रों में
The original verses, with their romanisation and our own English and Hindi translation.
चतुर्दशं नारसिंहं बिभ्रद्दैत्येन्द्रमूर्जितम् । ददार करजैरूरावेरकां कटकृद्यथा ॥
caturdaśaṃ nārasiṃhaṃ bibhraddaityendramūrjitam dadāra karajairūrāverakāṃ kaṭakṛdyathā
In His fourteenth descent He took the form of Narasimha and, holding the mighty king of the demons on His thighs, tore him apart with His nails, as a mat-maker splits a reed.
चौदहवें अवतार में उन्होंने नृसिंह रूप धारण किया और बलवान दैत्यराज को अपनी जंघाओं पर रखकर नखों से ऐसे चीर डाला जैसे चटाई बनाने वाला सरकंडे को चीरता है।
तव करकमलवरे नखमद्भुतशृङ्गम् । दलितहिरण्यकशिपुतनुभृङ्गम् ॥ केशव धृतनरहरिरूप जय जगदीश हरे ॥
tava karakamalavare nakhamadbhutaśṛṅgam dalitahiraṇyakaśiputanubhṛṅgam keśava dhṛtanaraharirūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
On your fine lotus hand the nails are wondrous points that crushed the body of Hiranyakashipu like a bee. O Keshava, who took the form of the man-lion: victory to you, Hari, lord of the world!
आपके श्रेष्ठ कर-कमल के अद्भुत नुकीले नखों ने हिरण्यकशिपु के शरीर को भौंरे की तरह कुचल दिया। हे केशव, नरहरि रूप धारण करने वाले जगदीश हरि, आपकी जय हो!
उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखम् । नृसिंहं भीषणं भद्रं मृत्युमृत्युं नमाम्यहम् ॥
ugraṃ vīraṃ mahāviṣṇuṃ jvalantaṃ sarvatomukham nṛsiṃhaṃ bhīṣaṇaṃ bhadraṃ mṛtyumṛtyuṃ namāmyaham
I bow to Narasimha: fierce and heroic, the great Vishnu, blazing and facing every direction, terrifying yet auspicious, the death of death itself.
मैं उन नृसिंह को नमन करता हूँ जो उग्र और वीर हैं, महाविष्णु हैं, प्रज्वलित हैं और सब ओर मुख वाले हैं, भयंकर होकर भी मंगलकारी हैं, और मृत्यु की भी मृत्यु हैं।