| The asura kings Hiranyakshan
and Hiranyakasibu were brothers, who were causing untold misery to the
sadhus, saints and to the God fearing. Lord Vishnu had killed Hiranyakshan
in his Varaha Avataram. Hiranyakasibu vowed to avenge the death of his
brother. He performed sever penance and became all powerful as he had asked
for a boon that he should not face natural death. He cunningly thought
of the most impossible combinations and asked that he could be killed by
neither man or beast, neither inside nor outside, neither in the day time
nor in the night, neither on land nor in air and that he killed by no weapon. |
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| This mighty asura
had a son called Prahaladha, who turned out to be a great devotee of Lord
Vishnu. Hiranyakasibu tried his utmost to convert the boy from his faith
but failed miserably in all his attempts. He finally hardened his heart
and decided to kill his own loving son, for showing reverence to his arch
enemy Vishnu. He tried various methods such as dropping the child in the
ocean, feeding him with poison, etc. but in vain. Every time Lord Vishnu
rushed to save his devotee. The vexed asura asked his son where he could
meet Lord Vishnu. Prahaladha replied that Lord Vishnu exists in every particle
- from the minute dust to the huge pillar in the palace. On hearing this,
the vexed Hiranyakasibu hit hard on the pillar with his gada, breaking
it in two. Seated within was Lord Narasimha (Mahavishnu). |
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| He was in the guise
of half man, half lion, i.e., a man with the head and claws of a lion (neither
man nor beast). Narasimhar took Hiranyakasibu to the front step (neither
in nor out) and tore him apart with his sharp claws (no weapon) in the
evening - Sandhyakalam (neither day or night).
Even after killing Hiranyakasibu,
the Lord's anger did not diminish. The universe could not bear the ugram
(anger) of the Lord. Goddess Lakshmi was called to soothe him. But even
she feared his roused form. Everybody requested Prahaladhan to cool down
the Lord with his prayers. In his angry form he is called Ugra Narasimhar
and once he had cooled down he was referred as Lakshmi Narasimhar. He is
seen in yet another meditative posture, when he is called Yoga Narasimhar. |
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