Hindu Festivals No 14.

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Dear friends and devotees,

 

Bhakti is eternal,

 

14. Shri Narasimha Jayanti

 

(Vaishakha suddha chathurdasi)

 

Lord Vishnu took the incarnation of Narasimha (half-man/half lion incarnation)

on the fourteenth day in the bright fortnight of Vaishaakha. A special festival

is arranged, but there is no tradition of decorating Sri Krishna as Narasimha.

Since Sri Krishnapur Math and Sri Kaniyur Math have the icon of Narasimha,

special car festivals and feasts are arranged on this day.

If possible an idol of Narasimha made out of gold should be installed. The

idol should bear severe expression of anger, the face should be that of a lion

and the rest part of the body should be that of human, the nails should be long

and sharp, long beard of a lion and angry expression in the eyes.

Devotees offer lots of Khaja and Vaada’s to the idol. At the end of the

celebrations, kirtans of the Narsimha avtara are sung.

 

Lord Narasimha is a popular deity but only a few temples are dedicated to Him

as in this avatar, the Lord is seen in a terrible form.

Once the demon king Hiranyakashipa secured a boon from Lord Brahma that he

should not be killed by devas, human beings, animals, beasts, weapons of any

kind, during daytime or night, inside or outside and a dwelling place.

His son, Prahlada was an ardent devotee of the Lord and declared before demon

Hiranyakashipa (his father) that Lord Vishnu is everywhere. Hiranyakashipa asked

Prahlada to show the presence of Lord Vishnu in a pillar by hitting on the

pillar. Thus, from the pillar emerged Lord Narasimha as half-man and half-lion.

He caught hold of the powerful demon and sat on the gateway, which was neither

inside nor outside the house, by placing him on his thighs and slayed him with

sharp nails, without using any weapons. However, according to the mythological

accounts, it took 1000 years for the Lord to kill the demon.

Even after slaying Hiranyakashipa, it is stated that the Lord’s anger did not

subside. So Lord Brahma appealed to Mother Lakshmi to pacify Lord Narasimha. But

she did not dare to go near him. Then Lord Brahma asked Prahlada, the ardent

devotee, who with folded hands went close and prayed. Beholding his bhakta,

Lord’s anger cooled down. Brightly smiling he drew Prahlada closer, made him sit

on his lap and asked, “Prahlada dear, are you really afraid of seeing me in this

form?” This is how God blessed a devotee even though he was a little child and

moreover a son of a Demon Hiranyakasipa.

(A collection )

 

With love and regards,

 

Sastry.

 

 

 

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