What an excellent elobaration quoting from several scriptures! Adiyen
also enjoyed the speeches of Vaikundavasi Sri U.Ve. Mukkur
Lakshminarasimhachariar Swamy during one of " Sri Nrusimha
Jayanthi" and also at Brindavan when Swamy was in the midst
of " Swathi Yajna' in that holy place.
Not only there, but also at Mattapalli twice
Dear Swamin,
You have kindled adiyen's memory to those times and it is adiyen's
misfortune to be here in this world, without
meeting/seeing/hearing/ learning from such a Maha Vidwan ( No
words to tell )Sarvam Sree Hayagreeva preeyathaam
Dasan
Uruppattur Soundararajan
Srikainkarya--- On Sat, 9/5/09, rangaswamy_m <rangaswamy_m wrote:rangaswamy_m <rangaswamy_m Nrusimha JayanthiOppiliappan Date: Saturday, 9 May, 2009, 3:23 AM
Sri:
SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,
Dear Bhaktas,
For the most sacred occasion of Narasimha Jayanthi, adiyen wishes to share the
excerpts from the anubhavam of the pre-eminent Nrusimha Upasakar, Mahavidwan
Paramapadavasi Sri Mukkur Lakshminarasimhacha riar Swamin (For further
elaboration, adiyen has included additional notes, with due attribution) .
"There is no incarnation of Lord Narayana that is greater than the Nrusimha
avataram nor is there a deity that is equal to or greater than Bhagavan
Nrusimha. The Vedam is replete with His glory. A sampling of Vedic hymns
reflecting this fact can be found in the following places:
1. The Purusha Sooktham of the sama vEdam glorifies Bhagavan Nrusimha in the
opening anuvakam through the Rk "sa BhUmim sarvathO vruthvA" referring to His
omniscient nature.
2. The shanti mantram of the MundakOpanishad glorifies Bhagavan Nrusimha
"Bhadram KarNe BishruNuyAma dhevA: Bhadram PashyEmAkshaBhiryaj atrA:
SthiraiRangaIsthush TuvAmsastanUBhir vyashema Devahitam YadAyu: (Meaning: Oh Lord!
May we be blessed to hear auspicious sounds with our ears. May our eyes behold
all things auspicious with our eyes. Praising the Lord with sturdy limbs and
bodies may we live the full-life span as ordained by the Lord.
3. Further testimony to vedic glorification of Bhagavan Nrusimha is found in the
mantram "svasthina indhrO vruddhasravA : svasthina pooshA vishva vEdhA: ,
svastinasthArkshyO arishtanEmi:
svasthinO bruhaspathir dhaDhAtu" May He, who is the Lord of unbounded knowledge,
bless us with prosperity. He who is the sustainer of all; May He, who is the
source of all Vedas, bless us with prosperity. May He, who confers the wealth of
horses and cows bless us with
prosperity. May He, who rules over all elements guarantee our welfare.
4. The taittriya Upanishad glorifies Bhagavan Nrusimha as "BhIshAsmAth vAtha:
pavathE BhIshOdhEthi sUrya: BhIshAsmAth agnischEndhrascha mruthyur DhAvathi
panchama ithi" Out of fear of the awe-inspiring one (Bhagavan Nrusimha) the
wind-God (vAyu) performs his assigned function; Out of fear of Him, the Sun
carries out his prescribed duties; Out of fear of Him, agni (Lord of fire),
Indra (king of the Devas) and Yama (God of death) perform their respective
duties.
5. The Mahanarayana Upanishad glorifies Bhagavan Nrusimha through the mantram
"ya AtmadhA baladhA yasya vishva upAsathE prashiSham yasya dhEvA: yasya cChayA
amrutam yO mrutyumrutyu: kasmai dhEvAya haviShA viDhEma" He who bestows refuge
to those who seek His protection, He who gives strength to experience Himself,
He whose divine command is implicitly obeyed by all beings, He to whom gods like
Indra are all subservient, He whom immortality follows like a shadow and He who
is death to death itself, to that Lord all creatures may we offer the oblation
in form of our atman. This mantram is most important in context of performing
SharaNagati to the Lotus feet of Bhagavan Nrusimha and contains several layers
of inner meanings.
Bhagavan Nrusimha is further glorified by the vedam as the three eyed one in the
mantram "trayambakam yajAmahE suganDhim pushti varDhanam urvArugamiva banDhanAth
mruthyOrmukshIyamAm ruthAth" (We worship the Supreme Lord [bhagavan Nrusimha] of
the most auspicious name, who is the bestower of might. May thou free me from
death as cucumber from the stalk, and grant me immortality. ) .
The thApanIya Upanishad of the atharvana vedam pays its tribute to Bhagavan
Nrusimha as the three eyed one, with the left eye denoting the moon, the right
eye denoting the sun and the eye in his forehead denoting Agni (fire). Swami
Desikan highlights this fact through the kamasikAshtakam salutation
"thapanEndhvagni nayana: thApAnapachinOthuna : thApanIya rahasyANAm sAra:
kAmAsikA hari:" Dhivya prabandham pays its tribute to Bhagavan Nrusimha as the
three-eyed one through the salutation "mukkaNNapirAn" . The thApanIya Upanishad
further glorfies Bhagavan Nrusimha as "nithyam Dhanu: kapardhina:" (he whose
arms are ever adorned by a bow known as pinakam.Therefore, he begets the name
pinAki ). This fact is again confirmed by the vedam Rk "bAhuBhyAm thava
DhanvanE". Furthermore, the Mahanarayana Upanishad and the thApanIya Upanishad
contain Gayathri mantrams for Bhagavan Nrusimha.
Next, the greatness of Bhagavan Nrusimha is highlighted from the mantra
ShAstram. The loftiness of the NrusimhAnustup mantram arises from the fact that
it is of Vedic origin. It is possible to counteract the effect of one veda
mantram by the recitation of another. However, the effect of the NrusimhAnushtup
mantram cannot be counteracted by uttering any other mantram. Therefore, among
mantrams, the NrusimhAnushtup mantram reigns supreme and is thus rightly
acclaimed as mantraraja. The NrusimhAnushtup mantram composed of 11 padams
contains 32 syllables (aksharams) representing the condensed essence of the
Brahma Vidyas, which are Upanishadic prescriptions (Upasanas) for attaining Lord
Narayana. Initiation into this mantram by a qualified Acharya, and proper
prayOgam of the mantram according to its prescriptions confers the upasaka with
the benefit of practicing the prescriptions of the 32 Brahma vidyas. Therefore,
it is the favored mantram of mumukshus (those desirous of securing Moksham).. As
a result, Bhagavan Nrusimha is known as the mumukshu upAsya daivam. Therefore,
the salutation nama: is most befitting for Bhagavan Nrusimha. Swami Desikan
describes the significance of the term nama: in the Srimad Rahasyatrayasaram
through the salutation "tAram pUrvam". In the tantric form of worship, practiced
in KeraLa, Nrusimha Tantrikam reigns supreme.
The ithihasas are replete with glorification of Bhagavan Nrusimha. The Ramayana
mentions Nrusimha explicitly in four places. (1) When Ravana approaches MarIcha
for help in abducting Seetha Piratti, MarIcha says "asamBhavam" (impossible)
because Sita Piratti is seated on the lap of Nrusimha (2) Valmiki glorifies Rama
entering the cave as "simhO giri guhAshaya:" (3) While offering words of comfort
to Sita Piratti, Hanuman conveys the message "Do not worry. Narasimha will be
here shortly to rescue you." (4) In the ViBhishaNa sharaNagati, Sugriva enquires
of Lord Rama "what if the surrender of ViBhishaNa is a deceitful ploy on the
part of the Rakshasas to gain our confidence and kill us while we are caught off
guard?. Lord Rama answers this question as "angulyagrENa thAm hanyAm" (Do not
worry. If indeed what you say is true, I do not even need my weapons to destroy
the asuras. I shall rip them apart with my finger nails. " Swami Desikan
discusses this fact quite extensively in the aBhayapradhAna sAram, while
treating the ViBhIshaNa sharaNagati.
Bhagavan Nrusimha is extensively glorified in the Vishnu sahasranamam of the
MahaBharata. It is a commonly held belief that Bhishma was rendering a eulogy
for Lord Krishna in this exquisite stotram. However, closer examination will
reveal that the Vishnu sahasranamam is a glorification of Bhagavan Nrusimha from
start to finish. The first incarnation mentioned in this stotram is Bhagavan
Nrusimha through the salutation "nArasimhavapusrImA n kEshava purushottama: " The
mane of the lion was beautiful to behold because the man-lion was gentle to His
Bhakta, Prahlada, while striking terror in the heart of HiraNyan. Swami
Parashara Bhattar in his Vishnu sahasranama Bhashyam elaborates on this namam as
"sundara simha:". Swami Desikan describes the compassionate glances of Bhagavan
Nrusimha for Prahlada as a nectarine offering of milk in the kamasikAshtakam
salutation "sarOja sadhrushA drushA vyathiBhishajyathE vyajyathE". The first
stotram of the sahasranamam can be divided into four groups each containing 8
aksharams. The first group of 8 syllables represent the ashtakshara mantram.. The
next group of salutations containing 8 aksharams when added to the previous 8
produces 16, which is the number of mantrams in the Purusha Sooktam. The next
set of 8 syllables added to this gives 24, the number of aksharams in the sacred
Gayathri mantram, which is a pre-requisite for reciting all other veda mantrams.
Finally, the 8 aksharams from the last group of salutations when added to 24
produces 32, which is the number of aksharams in theNrusimhAnushtup mantram! The
vishNu sahasranamam concludes with the salutation sarva praharaNAyuDha Om nama
ithi. Lord Krishna never bore arms during the MahaBharata war. Nor did he adorn
himself with weapons while appearing before BhIshma. Therefore, this description
does not fit Lord Krishna in the present instance. However, Bhagavan Nrusimha's
finger nails have the power from all of His 5 weapons. Therefore, the concluding
salutation of the vishNu sahasranamam is most appropriate for Him. These facts
conclusively demonstrate that it is Bhagavan Nrusimha that is glorified from
start to finish in the VishNu sahasranama stotram.
The puraNas extensively glorify the avataram of Bhagavan Nrusimha (i.e.,
Bhagavata PuraNam and VishNu PurANam). For example the vishNu purANam contains
an exquisite gadyam authored by mArkandEya known as the lingAspOtitha Nrusimha
Gadyam (linga=difficulties , AspOtitha=shatter) . The Bhagavata purANam glorifies
Bhagavan Nrusimha in the seventh skandam. It may be remembered here that this
story was narrated by the greatest Brahmavith (knower of Brahman), Shuka
Brahmam, who exemplified the Vedam salutation "sarvam Khalvidham Brahma" or its
Tamil equivalent "nikkindredallam nedumal avananukku nAm nilayadiyOm" . The
listener of this narration too had unparalleled greatness. Parikshith was born
due to the munificent grace of Lord Krishna in keeping with the salutation
"jAyamanamhi purusha: yam pashyEth madhusUdhana: ". ParIkshith was oblivious to
the pangs of hunger, thirst, and sleep while hearing Shuka Brahmam's exposition
on the Bhagavatam. The greatness of Parikshith is that he would not be a mute
listener. In order to gain a good understanding of the narration, he would ask
probing questions to Shuka Brahmam. This form of listening is known as prashNa
mathi. In the seventh skandam, ParIkshith enquires of Shuka Brahmam "sama:
priya: suhruth Brahman BhUthAnAm Bhagavan svayam indhrasyArThE katham dhaIthyAn
avaDhIth viShamOyathA" (Oh kind-hearted Brahman, you say that the Lord is
impartial. He is equally fond of all beings. However in closer examination of
your narrative, it seems as though the Lord repeatedly incarnates to favour
Indhra and destroy his enemies, the asuras. Does this not mean that the Lord
dislikes the asuras?) Shuka Brahman was extremely pleased at this question
raised by ParIkshith and his reply in the verse "apapruShtan thvayA rajan
lOkAnAm hitha kAmyayA yathra Bhagavata mAhAthmyam Bhagavad Bhakthi varDhanam"
indicates this ("Oh king your question is going to result in the well being of
the entire universe. It seems as though your love for Bhagavatas exceeds even
that of Bhagavan). To precisely demonstrate the Lord's impartiality towards all
and specifically demonstrate the Lord's love for Prahlada, who was born in the
asura clan, Shuka Brahmam narrated the Vaibhavam of Bhagavan Nrusimha. Therefore
if ParIkshith's questions were in the manner of "Evam vEdha", Shuka Brahmam's
replies were in the manner of "brahmavAdhinO vadhanthi".
It is instructive to understand the reason for Bhagavan Nrusimha's AvirBhavam
from the pillar. Was this intended to rescue Prahlada from HiraNyan? Sri Mukkur
Swami avers most definitely not? To drive home his point Sri Mukku Swam observes
that "Was Prahlada not protected when he was poisoned or bitten by snakes or
thrown into the flames or trampled upon by elephants? Then why did Bhagavan
Nrusimha incarnate as He did and when He did? Sri Mukkur Swamin answers this by
stating that the incarnation of Bhagavan Nrusimha was solely to uphold the words
of his Bhagavata-Prahlada (tasmAth sthAmbena dhrushyathE- Indeed He is seen in
the pillar) and subsequently the conditions of Brahma's boon to HiraNyan and
rishi Narada-who dissuaded Indra from killing Kayadhu, the wife of HiraNyan,
when HiraNyan was engaged in penance. Testimony in support of this fact can be
found in the Bhagavatam salutation "satyam viDhAthum nijabhruthya BhAshitham
vyApthim cha BhUthEShvakhilEshu chAthmana: Adhrushyatha athyAdhBhutha
rUpamudhvahan sthambhE sabhAyAm na mrugam na mAnusham", the tribute from Periya
Azhwar "andhiyampOdhil arivuruvAgi ariya azhithavanE" , and Andal's tiruppavai
tribute "yAm vandha kAryam arAyandhu aruLElO rembAvai"
The essence of the puranic tributes is consummately captured in the Nrusimha
Karavalambam Stotram composed by H.H. the 44th Azhagiyasingar (Mukkur
Azhagiyasingar) of Ahobila Matham-which is verily the condensed essence of the
Nrusimha Vaibhavam. Each verse of this magnificent stothram ends with
"lakshminrusimha mamadEhi karAvalambam" . For example the verse "sandhIpithAgni
vinipAthitha dhAithyadimba samrakshaNAya vinivarthitha vahni shakthE.
BhakthAyadhAru parikalpitha padhmathalpa lakshmInrusimha mamadehi karavalambam"
(When the child Prahlada was thrown into the scorching flames, the grace of
Bhagavan Nrusimha transformed the fire into a bed of lotus petals).
The verse "prahlAdhanAsha parichOdhita sarpajAtha chUdamaNipravaradha ntha
vinAsha hEthO smruthyA thavaIvanavivEdha thanum suBhaktha: lakshmInrusimha
mamadEhi karAvalambam" illustrates the fact that when poisonous serpents were
let loose to sting Prahlada, the grace of Lord Narayana caused Prahlada to
appear like Garuda, which scared the daylights out of the serpents. It is
particularly instructive to recall Swami Desikan's tribute in the Garuda
dandakam in this context "nagEndhra pIdAshruNI BhavabhAsvannaKhash rENayE".
Another verse in the Karavalamba StOtram of importance on a puraNic note is
"sUthadhidhattha vishapAnasamAnakAla nAmAmruthEna paripAlitha dhaIthyaputhra
prahlAdhadEha parirakshaNa jAgarUka lakshmInrusimha mamadEhi karAvalambam" (When
HiraNyan ordered his wife to feed Prahlada with poison [kArkOtaka sarpa visham],
Prahlada gladly partook of this offering. This is saluted in the Bhagavata
puraNam as "anukUlE jagannAtham visham pathyam BhavEn mama" [Oh Mother! Do not
cry or feel sad. You carry out the orders of my father. The Lord of the
Universe, who is helpful to me, will transform this offering into nutritious
food.].
Finally, the verse "shaIlAgraBhAga pathamAna hiraNyadimba samrakshaNAya
mrudhuBhUtha DharADhinAtha dhAithyEndhra puthra hrudhayAsana mangalAnga
lakshmInrusimha mamadEhikarAvalamba m" (The VishNu puraNam summarizes this as :
HiraNyan ordered that Prahlada be thrown down from a cliff. As the child fell,
he did not for a moment think of the impending death as a result of his fall.
Instead, he clutched hard at his heart out of concern that Lord Narayana, who is
seated therein, would come to harm due to the fall. Bhumidevi, greatly moved by
this sight reasons to herself "This child is least concerned about his
impending doom. Instead his focus is the well being of my husband [Lord
Narayana], who is seated in his heart. Should I not therefore, make his landing
gentle?" Accordingly, Bhumidevi transformed herself into an extremely soft patch
to facilitate a smooth landing for Prahlada.). The puraNic anuBhavam is
eloquently saluted in simple Sanskrit by H.H. the 44th Azhagiyasingar.
The Agamas too are replete with glorification of Bhagavan Nrusimha. The
Ahribudhnya samhitha, an important text of the PancharAthra Agama discusses all
aspects of iconography, consecration and sacrifices for Bhagavan Nrusimha and
outlines the procedure for His worship. The Mantrarajapada stOtram appearing in
the Ahirbudhnya Samhita is an elaboration of the individual padams of the
NrusimhAnushtup mantram. The opening verse of this stotram contains the blessed
NrusimhAnushtup mantram. Verses 2-5 describe the svarUpam of Bhagavan Nrusimha.
In verse 6 Ahirbudhnyan is blessed with the darshana SouBhAgyam of Bhagavan
Nrusimha. Verses 7-10 describe the elevated protection afforded by Bhagavan
Nrusimha. The formal SharaNagati of Ahirbudhnyan is discussed in verses 11 and
12, while verse 13 summaizes the benefits of reciting this magnificent stotram
(Phalashruthi) . An elaboration of the individual verses of this stotram can be
found in adiyen's postings on the Malolan net between September and November
1998. Swami Desikan repeatedly refers to verses 11 and 12 of this stotram in
Srimad Rahasya trayasAram and glorifies Ahirbudhnyan as sarvajnyan (all knowing
one).
The Azhwars too shower great tributes in their outpourings on Bhagavan Nrusimha:
1. For example PeriyAzhwar maps the entire mantrarajapada Stotram into Tamil in
his glorification of Bhagavan Nrusimha
2. Tirumangai Azhwar sings his glory in the singavElkundram verses
3. Swami NammAzhwar, who is an avowed lover of Lord Krishna, desires to see none
other than Bhagavan Nrusimha even in Srivaikuntam (en singapirAn perumai)
In seeking the hand of Lord Krishna, Rukmini conveys her appeal in the form of 7
verses in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Significantly not once in these verses does She
mention Lord Krishna by name. Instead Rukmini employs the salutation "kAlE
Nrusimha". This is because She is apprehensive of Lord Krishna's propensity for
uttering innovative lies. Sri Andal attests to this fact in the Brindavana
Pasuram through the salutation 'mAlAy pirandhanambiyE mAlE.sheyummanALanE
eLApoygaL uraippanE ingaipOhakandIrE. " Again while describing the Laaja Homam
of Her wedding ceremony, Sri Andal refers to Bhagavan Nrusimha in the vAraNam
Ayiram verse as "Arimukhan Achyuthan" (The lion faced one who does not slip from
His position, namely, rushing to the rescue of those who have sought refuge in
Him). Andal again refers to Bhagavan Nrusimha in the tiruppAvai salutation "yAm
vandha kAryam". From these references it is clear that the Lord sought after by
Sri Devi (Rukmini Thayar) and by BhU Devi (Since Andal is an Amsham of BhUmi
piratti) is Bhagavan Nrusimha. Furthermore, Prapanna Jana Kootasthar, Swami
NammAzhwar desires to behold none other than SingapirAn in Srivaikuntam. These
facts are sufficient to establish that Lord Nrusimha is the supreme Lord. Swami
Desikan seeks the bountiful blessings of Bhagavan Nrusimha through the
kamasikAshtakam verse "thvayi rakshathi rakshakaI: kimanyaI:
thvayichArakshathir akshakaI: kimanyaI: ithinischithaDhI: shrayAminithyAm nruharE
vEgavathI thatAshrayamthvAm" (When You have decided to protect someone, where is
the need for other protectors? If you have decided not to protect someone, of
what use are other protectors? Resolving thus, I surrender unto You Oh Bhagavan
Nrusimha, who has taken residence on the banks of the Vegavathi river). Again
Swami Desikan and Andal declare their preference for Andal by instructing us to
utter the name of Hari (which denotes Simham) 7 times while waking up in the
morning.
Prakritham Srimad Azhagiyasingar noted in his upanyasam "Lord Ranganatha is
revered as periya perumal due to his worship by Lord Rama. However, Bhagavan
Nrusimha, who was worshipped by Lord Rama as well as by Lord Srinivasa is
celebrated as Periya Periya Perumal." H.H. Srimad InjimEdu Azhagiyasingar would
unfailingly mention in his upanyasams that "Ranganatha is no doubt great!
However he suffers from one fault. Lord Rama worshipped Him (saha pathnyA
vishalAksha ranganathamupAsathu ) and the next day was banished to the forest. On
the other hand behold the greatness of Bhagavan Nrusimha! Upon worshipping Him
Rama was re-united with Sita Piratti and regained his kingdom. Bhagavan Nrusimha
was also worshipped by the nomad Srinivasa, who roamed the forest. As a result,
He became nithya Sri and stands on top of the Venkatachalam Hill" This eulogy
needs to be understood in the context of nahi-nindha nyAyam. More precisely, to
illustrate the greatness of a person, he is compared to someone of similar
caliber and then it is demonstrated that the former tops the latter. However,
this is in no way belittling or derogatory to the latter. The worship of
Bhagavan Nrusimha by Lord Srinivasa is eloquently documented in the Venkatachala
mahAthmyam. Specifically, at the time of his wedding to Padmavathi Thayar
Srinivasa was seated in the altar ready to perform the wedding rites. Agni
personally undertook the preparation of food for the occasion. When the food was
ready for offering as naivedyam, Brahma had a question "Who should the food be
offered to when Bhagavan Himself was present?" Lord Srinivasa answered this as
"ahObila nrusimhAya pUjAm kruthvA yathA viDhi"
Finally, we note that Bhadram is the name of Bhagavan Nrusimha, while Bhadra is
the name for Thayar. The Bhadram (protection) afforded jointly by Bhagavan
Nrusimha and Thayar is that of unfailing coming to the rescue of those who
surrender to His Lotus Feet (sharaNagata rakshakathvam) . Consequently,
Prapannas are assured of the benefit of Moksham at the end of their earthly
existence. This is referred to in the Mantrarajapada stOtram salutation
"shriyAcha BhadhrayAjuShta: yastham Bhadram namAmyaham"
svAthi samBhavAn tiruvadigaLE SharaNam,
Namo Narayana,
SriMuralidhara Dasan
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