Mahavatar Narsimha

Sage Kashyapa is engaged in evening prayers when one of his wives, Diti, approaches him for children. Kashyapa requests Diti to be patient as this is an inauspicious time for union, but she remains adamant. Kashyapa relents out of marital duty, but declares that since Diti approached him during an inauspicious hour, she shall give birth to two Daityas who shall provoke enmity with Vishnu and terrorize his devotees. Kashyapa also declares that the two Daityas shall be slain by Vishnu for their crimes. Diti gives birth to two sons, Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, who are instructed in tamasic knowledge and mystical powers under the guidance of Shukracharya. As they grow in power, the brothers wage war on the universe.

The younger brother, Hiranyaksha, kidnaps Bhudevi (Mother Earth) and imprisons her in the Garbodhak ocean to provoke Vishnu, throwing the world into chaos. In response, Bhagwan Vishnu, protector of the universe, takes the form of Varaha—a colossal, divine boar—and engages in a fierce battle across the cosmic waters. Varaha rescues Bhudevi and kills Hiranyaksha in the subsequent duel.

Devastated by the death of his beloved brother and consumed by vengeance, Hiranyakashipu retreats into the Himalayas for deep tapasya (penance). His austerities shake the cosmos and ultimately earn him a boon from Brahma: he cannot be slain by any creation of Brahma, be it a god, man or beast, day or night, indoors or outdoors, on land or in the sky, by weapon or by hand. Believing himself now invincible, Hiranyakashipu declares war on the Devas, conquers their realms, and proclaims himself “God of the Universe.”

But the divine has its own mysterious ways. During Hiranyakashipu’s absence, Indra abducts his pregnant wife, Kayadhu. However, Sage Narada intervenes in the role of a Guru (spiritual guide) and advises Indra to uphold dharma (righteous conduct), even in times of adversity. Narada then offers shelter to Kayadhu in his ashram and instructs her in the path of devotion to Vishnu, teachings which are absorbed by her unborn child Prahlad while still in the womb.

To Hiranyakashipu’s dismay, his own son Prahlad, a gentle and wise-hearted child refuses to acknowledge him as God. Instead, the boy remains deeply devoted to Lord Vishnu, chanting his name with unwavering faith. Prahlad had imbibed Narada’s teachings before he was born. Hiranyakshipu urges the sons of Shukracharya to teach the boy better, but they fail to do so. Infuriated, the demon king subjects Prahlad to unimaginable torments: mad elephants, having him thrown from a cliff and more. But Prahlad emerges unharmed each time, protected by the very force his father seeks to destroy. Hiranyakashipu orders his sister Holika, who has power on fire, to take Prahlad with her as he is burned to the stake. However, Holika’s boon backfired and is burnt to death while Prahlad remains unscathed. Hiranyakashipu has him thrown into the sea, only for Varuna to save Prahlad. On Varuna’s suggestion, Prahlad calls out to Lord Vishnu, who finally appears before the boy. Vishnu expresses his eagerness to meet his devotee and reassures Prahlad that he considers himself a servant (dāsa) of his true devotees. Pleased with Prahlad’s devotion, Vishnu grants him the boon that the boy shall perceive him in every animate and inanimate object in the universe.

Upon returning home, Prahlad is mocked by his father, who sarcastically asks if Vishnu is present within a nearby pillar. Prahlad affirms that he is. Enraged, Hiranyakashipu strikes the pillar, from which emerges Lord Narasimha a terrifying incarnation of Vishnu with the body of a man and the head of a lion. A massive battle ensues, during which Narasimha slaughters many Asuras. Narasimha ultimately defeats Hiranyakashipu and kills him through evisceration in a manner that circumvents Brahma’s boon: at twilight (neither day nor night), on a threshold (neither indoors nor outdoors), on his lap (neither earth nor sky), using his claws (neither weapon nor bare hands), and as Narasimha (neither man, god, beast, nor a creation of Brahma).

Following Hiranyakashipu’s death, the gods request Prahlad to pacify Narasimha’s rage. Moved by Prahlad’s devotion, Narasimha calms and blesses him, stating that his father Hiranyakashipu’s sins have been absolved through divine contact. Narada lightheartedly reminds Indra that Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu are the first of three incarnations of Jaya and Vijaya in Satya Yuga, the cursed dvarapalakas (gatekeepers) of Vaikuntha, who are destined to be reborn as enemies of Vishnu across three yugas. Surrounding devotees, along with the gods and demigods gather in reverence to perform the “Narasimha Aarti”, a devotional hymn praising Lord Narasimha for his fierce protection and boundless grace.

Last Updated: August 28, 2025 at 13:07