Narasimha is Lord Vishnu’s fourth incarnation and it is one of my very favourite stories to read and tell. It tells you a tale about the smartness of Lord Vishnu and the devotion of Prahlad. To date, whenever one finds themselves in a difficult situation, they must remember this story, pray to the Lord and ask for his protection.
The beginning of Narasimha avatar’s story started at the end of Varaha avatar’s narrative. Hiranyakashipu was furious and full of rage due to the death of his brother – Hiranyaksha. To get his revenge he went to a quiet valley and meditated with his hands above his heads. He also fixated his eyes on the sky as if asking for a boon.
He did not eat, sleep or drink. He stayed in that position for a hundred and twenty-five years. Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe noticed this and came to meet with this king. He was very happy with the devotion of this king and promised him a blessing.
Hiranyakashipu asked for immortality but Brahma replied that even though I live for a million years, I would have to die one day too. How could I give you something that I don’t have myself?
Upon hearing that, the king thought and asked for granting him a blessing that would make him almost immortal.
He said to the lord, “Grant me a blessing that none of your created beings can kill me. That I can’t be killed inside or outside of a building. That I cannot be killed on sea, ground or in the sky, That I cannot be killed with a weapon of the worldly creation. And that I cannot die during day or night. Lord Brahma agreed to grant him all these blessings.
King Hiranyakashipu considered him to be immortal and went ahead to fight and conquer many planets. With his blessing, he also defeated Lord Indra and stayed happily and proudly in his palace. He enjoyed all the worldly possessions, a beautiful wife and a son he was extremely proud of while living in the palace.
He expected his son to become the greatest evil. His expectations were soon to be crushed. Prahlad did not show signs of pride or greed but showed the pure intentions of a clean heart and peaceful mind. The king was shocked to see this and questioned his son one day. His son replied and said to his dad that war and money is a waste of time. One should indulge in devoting themselves and their soul to the lord.
The king was enraged and boiling with anger. He instructed his guards to kill the young boy for he is clearly an enemy to the king. Hiranyakashipu never forgot his oath of defeating Lord Vishnu. The guards and the king himself tried multiple ways of killing Prahlad but his dear god came to his rescue each and every time.
One fine day, the king agitated with his son’s behaviour and asked him where his god was. Prahlad simply replied that he was omnipresent. He is everywhere. The king pointed towards a pillar and asked if he was here? He then went ahead and kicked the pillar turning it into rumbles.
A deafening roar came from the pillar and there stood Lord Vishnu in his spectacular Narasimha avatar. He fought with the king in the sky, at the ground. He used many of his weapons as well. Finally, he picked up the king, placed him on his lap and tore his stomach apart on the porch of the palace at dusk. Lord Vishnu kept all the promises that Lord Brahma had made to the king of demons.
Narasimha gave Prahlad a chance to ask for any blessing he wished for and Prahlad asked forgiveness for his father’s behaviours. Lord Vishnu is the supreme lord who keeps reminding us to think about him in good and bad times and keep believing in him.
Click here to read about Varaha – The Third Avatar Of Lord Vishnu.
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