Forth Incarnation Vishnu-Narsimha Avtar

Narasimha Avtar

Story of Narasimha Avtar

NARASIMHA Avatar, the forth incarnation of Lord Vishnu who emerged as a semi-man, semi-lion in the world.

In Satyuga (last age), there was the powerful king of all demons (asuras) named Hiranyakasyapa.  He was the brother of Hiranyaksha whom killed Lord Vishnu in his previous incarnation as a Varaha. He was extremely angered on all Gods and decided for revenge by this. He wanted to become eternal and also had inclination to stay young forever.

To fulfill this, he decided to gain a boon from Lord Brahma and started penance of Lord Brahma to please him. As he was performing a severe penance, the all gods were afraid and requested Lord Brahma to pacify the king Hiranyakasyapa. But Lord Brahma was pleased by his severe penance and asked him for a wish.

HiranyaKasyapa asked a boon that

“He would not be killed by,
-neither a man nor an animal (beast)
-neither in day nor in night
-neither inside not outside the building
-neither on the earth nor in space
-neither in fire nor in water
-neither by human hands nor god’s weapons”

Lord Brahma granted his wish and after that he considered himself as ultimate God and disallow to everyone to worship of Gods as he hated the all Gods specially Lord Vishnu. He started to torture everyone who was the follower of Lord Vishnu.

But HiranyaKasyapa’s own son Prahlada was impassioned devotee of Lord Vishnu therefore he angered on him. HiranyaKasyapa tried his every way to change the way of his son’s towards the Lord Vishnu but became failure. Then he ordered to kill Prahlada and tried his every ways to finish him but Prahlada was safe as he was protected by Lord Vishnu.

HiranyaKasyapa also ordered his sister to sit in fire with Prahlada who could not be flamed as she had a boon. But she poorly burned and then died. Again Hiranyakashipu enraged on Prahlada and asked him to consider his father as God of Universe but he refused to follow his order and said that only Lord Vishnu is the ultimate God. Hiranyakashipu asked Prahlada where Lord Vishnu was and ordered him show at once. Prahlad replied, “Lord Vishnu is everywhere”. Hiranyakashipu asked him whether his Vishnu could appear from the pillar to show his presence.

Then suddenly Lord Vishnu emerged as Narasimha in the form of semi man and semi lion from that pillar. When Lord Vishnu incarnated it was neither a day nor a night (twilight), neither inside not outside the palace (in the entrance of his palace’s courtyard), he used his nails that were neither human’s nor god’s weapon (means neither animate nor inanimate). This way Lord Vishnu in the form of Narasimha became a slayer of HiranyaKasyapa save his devotee Prahlada.   

This incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha was really amazing and unbelievable.