Narasimha
| Narasimha | |
|---|---|
God of Protection, Destruction, Yoga and Kala (Time); The Destroyer of Evil and Fear | |
| Member of Dashavatara | |
A sculpture of Yoga-Narsimha, South India, late Chola period | |
| Affiliation |
|
| Mantra | ugraṃ vīraṃ mahāviṣṇuṃ jvalantaṃ sarvatomukham | nṛsiṃhaṃ bhīṣaṇaṃ bhadraṃ mṛtyumṛtyuṃ namāmyaham || |
| Weapon | Claws, Sudarshana Chakra (discus), Kaumodaki (mace) |
| Festivals | Narasimha Jayanti, Holi |
| Consort | Lakshmi[1] |
| Dashavatara Sequence | |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Varaha |
| Successor | Vamana |
| Part of a series on |
| Vaishnavism |
|---|
Narasimha (Sanskrit: नरसिंह, lit. 'man-lion', IAST: Narasiṃha, or Sanskrit: नृसिंह, IAST: Nṛsiṃha), is a deity in Hinduism, revered as the fourth of the ten principal avatars (Dashavatara) of the god Vishnu.[2] Depicted with a human torso and a lion's head and claws, Narasimha is venerated as a fierce protector who destroys evil and safeguards his devotees. He is most widely known for protecting his devotee Prahlada and for slaying the tyrannical demon king Hiranyakashipu.[3][4]
According to Hindu texts, Hiranyakashipu, the elder brother of Hiranyaksha—who was killed earlier by Vishnu's Varaha avatar—received a boon from the creator god Brahma that made him nearly invulnerable. The conditions of the boon prevented his death by man or beast, indoors or outdoors, during day or night, on earth or in the sky, and not by any weapon. Empowered by this, Hiranyakashipu persecuted Vishnu’s devotees, including his own son Prahlada. To circumvent the boon, Vishnu incarnated as Narasimha—neither man nor animal—and killed Hiranyakashipu at twilight, on a palace threshold, placing him on his lap and tearing him apart with his claws.[5][3][6][7]
Narasimha holds a central place in the Vishnu-centric Vaishnava theology, iconography, and devotional traditions, particularly within the Vaikhanasa, Sri Vaishnava and Sadha sects.[8] He is portrayed in a range of forms, from fierce (ugra) to serene (saumya), and in certain Vaishnava interpretations, he is also worshipped as Yoga-Narasimha, the god of yoga,[9][10] and as the god of destruction, who destroys the entire universe through Pralaya. Early representations have been found at archaeological sites in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, such as Mathura, and are dated between the 2nd and 4th centuries CE.[11] Important pilgrimage sites dedicated to Narasimha include Ahobilam in Andhra Pradesh, where Nava Narasimha–nine forms of the deity–are venerated.[12]
He is honored in various temples, scriptures, performance traditions, and festivals, including Holi.[5][13] The annual festival Narasimha Jayanti, observed on the 14th day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha (April–May), commemorates the deity’s appearance to protect Prahlada and defeat Hiranyakashipu.
- ^ Mallik, Anupama; Chaudhury, Santanu; Chandru, Vijay; Srinivasan, Sharada (31 March 2018). Digital Hampi: Preserving Indian Cultural Heritage. Springer. p. 183. ISBN 978-981-10-5738-0.
- ^ Blurton, T. Richard (1993). Hindu art. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. p. 123. ISBN 0-674-39188-8. OCLC 25833896.
- ^ a b George M. Williams (2008). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. Oxford University Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.
- ^ Gavin D. Flood (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge University Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-521-43878-0.
- ^ a b Roshen Dalal (2010). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-14-341517-6.
- ^ Nanditha Krishna (2009). The Book of Vishnu. Penguin Books. pp. 50–53. ISBN 978-0-14-306762-7.
- ^ Steven J. Rosen, Narasiṁha Avatar, The Half-Man/Half-Lion Incarnation, p5
- ^ Farley P. Richmond; Darius L. Swann; Phillip B. Zarrilli (1993). Indian Theatre: Traditions of Performance. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 127 with footnote 1. ISBN 978-81-208-0981-9.
- ^ Soifer 1991, p. 102.
- ^ Soifer 1991, p. 92.
- ^ Meister, Michael W. (1996). "Man and Man-Lion: The Philadelphia Narasimha". Artibus Asiae. 56 (3/4): 291–301 with footnotes. doi:10.2307/3250120. JSTOR 3250120.
- ^ Rangachar Vasantha (1991). The Nārāyaṇasvāmi Temple at Mēlkōṭe: An Archaeological and Historical Study. Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. p. 9.
The layout of this matha is almost like that of the Parakāla - matha above described. Here too in the central shrine are kept a few bronze murtis, including that of Lakshmi Narasimha, the presiding deity of that matha.
- ^ Soifer 1991.