Today is Shree Narasimha Jayanti. Prahlad was one of the greatest devotees of
Lord Vishnu. He was repressed and tortured by his father – the demon
Hiranyakashyap for his great devotion to the Lord. This is the day Lord Vishnu
incarnated as Lord Narasimha in order to kill Hiranyakashyap and save Prahlad. This
is an enchanting story of the deep love of a devotee for his Lord and the Lord’s
greater love for him and His last dashing, dramatic rescue of His devotee.
Hiranyakashyap’s brother Hiranyaksha set out to
conquer the universe. His attacks and plunder ravaged the worlds, so he was
killed by Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap was pained by the death of his brother.
He invoked Lord Brahma and performed rigorous austerities in order to secure
the boon of immortality and then take vengeance on Lord Vishnu. Lord Brahma
told him that the boon of immortality could not be given and he could ask for
anything else. So he sought a boon that he cannot be killed by a man or an
animal, or by demons or by Gods, or by a weapon, he cannot be killed in day or
night nor inside a home or outside it.
The boon from Lord Brahma made Hiranyakashyap
invincible and he set out to conquer the earth and heavens. In meantime, his
wife gave birth to a son called Prahlad. Hiranyakashyap wanted his son to learn
the arts of demon powers and become a powerful ruler. He sent the child to a
guru to study. Hiranyakashyap proclaimed himself as God and ordered all his
subjects to worship him and not other Gods.
Prahlad refused to follow this rule and continued
to worship Lord Vishnu. He has already received the mantra of Om Namo Narayana
when he was in his mother’s womb from Sage Narad. He told his father that Lord Vishnu was the
only God and he would not accept his father as God. Hiranyakashyap was enraged
and ordered his servants to kill Prahlad. Prahlad was rolled down from a high
mountain, thrown from the cliff into the sea, thrown into a pit of serpents and
made to sit in a pyre with his aunt Holika. As he practiced Smaran and was
always chanting the name of the Lord, he was protected and could not be harmed.
Hiranyakashyap was in terrible rage. He wanted to
fight and kill Lord Vishnu for taking away Prahlad’s loyalties from him. He
dragged Prahlad to the main court and asked him where his Lord was present.
Prahlad replied that the Lord was present everywhere. His father pointed to the
main pillar of the court and asked if the Lord was present in it. Prahlad
replied that the Lord was present in the pillar and in a speck too.
Hiranyakashyap roared in anger and hit the pillar with his mace and ordered
Lord Vishnu to come out. The pillar blasted open and the form of Lord Narasimha
came out roaring. It was a terrible form. It had the head of a lion and body of
a man and the eyes were red with rage, the nails were curved talons of the
lion. Everyone shook with fright at the sight of Lord Narasimha except Prahlad
who stood there silently in surrender.
The fiery Narasimha attacked Hiranyakashyap and
dragged him to the doorstep. He placed the demon on his lap and used his talons
to tear his stomach. It was the doorstep – not in the home or outside the home.
It was the time of sunset – neither day nor night. The form killing him was neither
man nor animal. No weapon was used to kill him. The Lord found an excellent way
to overcome the exhaustive boon given to the demon and killed him. It was
difficult to calm down the raging Narasimha. Even Lakshmi Devi was afraid to
stand before him. Prahlad went fearlessly before Him and sang the praises of
the Lord who is present everywhere – even in a pillar- to save His devotee.
This stuti or song of praise is one of the best ever sung by anyone. Glory be unto
Lord Narasimha who is ever present to protect and save his devotees.
