Nrusimha or Nara-Simha is the incarnation of lord Vishnu for a specific purpose of eliminating the demon king of Hiranyakashyapa. His brother Hiranyaksha was eliminated by lord Vishnu through Varahavatara. When Brahma appears before him to grant the boon as a result of the long sadhana he performed, Hiranyakashyapa asks an impossible boon of not having the death. However, Brahma denies it and asks him for any alternative boon. Assuming that he was asking impossible conditions of death, Hiranyakashyapa asks like he should not die during the day or night, by any weapon, by any human or animal forms, neither in the sky nor on the earth, and more such. Then he starts harassing the world with his crude and unjust acts.
To bring an end to the tyranny of Hiranyakashyapa, lord Vishnu takes up the incarnation as Nrusimha or Narasimha, meaning ‘man-lion’ or half lion on the upper portion, and torso of being the man. He appears from the steel pillar when it was broken by Hiranyakashyapa. He appeared at the dusk time, which is neither day nor night in strict terms. He places him in the lap and attacks him with his nails. Thus, neither ground nor sky condition was fulfilled. So also the condition that he should not die with any weapon attack, nails are not weapons in that sense. With all the desired conditions fulfilled, it was the time for the Hiranyakashyapa to leave the body. The sad era ended.
The fear for us often is so intense that we neither can overcoome nor actively engage. We are mostly lost, in physical and mental energy terms. Here, is we need to take recourse to Nrusimha. Narasimha protects the unprotected who seek the compassion of the lord “mrutyor myutyu”, death of the death. We offer pranams to such.
Simhasana or lion-posture is the yoga posture that makes the person mentally receive the energies of confidence and fearlessness. The “beeja” of Narasimha is recited in the specific format for minimum number of times as instructed by the mantra-guru. The vibrations that get created then makes the sadhaka or the person just be out of fear. Once the fear leaves, all the energy is focused on the task, and smooth journey begins for the higher orbits.
Prof S Ainavolu is a Mumbai-based teacher of Tradition and Management. Views are personal. https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-ainavolu-6831b724/
