Lord Narsimha Avatar: The Story of Prahlad’s Unshakable Devotion

The importance of the Narsimha incarnation

Lord Narsimha is known as the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Dashavatara.

This is an incredible incarnation of Lord Vishnu, in which a half-human, half-lion, that is an amalgamation of power and compassion.

Lord Narsimha appeared as Narsimha to safeguard dharma and protect his devotee, Prahlad, from the horrifying atrocities of his father, Hiranyakashipu. 

References to this divine story are found in the Vishnu Purana, Bhagwat Purana, and Narsimha Purana, where each verse carries the fragrance of devotion and valor.

Hiranyakashipu’s Vow

When Lord Varaha slew Hiranyaksa, his mother, wife, his brother Hiranyakashipu, and the entire family were deeply saddened.

Hiranyakashipu calmed everyone by persuading them, but the flames of revenge in his heart blazed fiercely.

“I will take my revenge on Vishnu,” he swore.

On the advice of his guru Shukracharya, he began to perform rigorous penance to obtain a boon that would make him immortal.

A unique Boon

After taking this decision, Hiranyakashipu went to the Mandarachal valley and performed such severe penance that even the gods became troubled.

At the request of the gods, Lord Brahma appeared before him and offered any boon except immortality.

Cleverly, Hiranyakashipu said:

• No creature created by you should be able to kill me.
• Neither indoors nor outdoors should my death occur.
• No weapon created by you should harm me.
• Neither on the ground nor in the sky should I die.
• No one should be able to defeat me in battle.
• I should rule as the sole emperor over all living beings.
• My glory should equal that of Indra among all people.
• I should possess inexhaustible wealth like the elite

Brahma granted him the boon. Hiranyakashipu rejoiced, convinced that he had outwitted even Brahma and gained a form of immortality.

But such is the nature of living beings; they often try to deceive even the gods with their cleverness. Hiranyakashipu believed that he had sealed every path to death. Yet, Lord Narsimha always leaves a path open when destiny demands.

Destruction Caused by Hiranyakashipu

After receiving the boon, Hiranyakashipu brought under his dominion all directions, the three worlds, and even the gods themselves. The demons, men, Gandharvas, Garuda, serpents, Siddhas, Charanas, Vidyadharas, and sages all submitted to his will. The lords of the ancestors, Manu, Yakshas, Rakshasas, Pishachapatis, and the leaders of ghosts also bowed before him.

By his might, he seized the abodes of the guardians of the worlds and took residence in Indra Bhavan itself. Summoning his demon armies, he declared:

“The number of Brahmins and Kshatriyas has grown greatly. Destroy all who engage in penance, fasting, sacrifice, self-study, and sacred deeds such as charity. For the root of Vishnu lies in the karma and dharma of the noble, and that is the ultimate foundation of righteousness.”

The demons obeyed, carrying out his will, and the light of dharma began to fade, and the terror of demons spread in the world. People awaited the arrival of Lord Narsimha to restore balance.

The Birth of Prahlad

In a time when dharma was being destroyed, a divine soul was born in the very house of the tyrant Hiranyakashipu. Among his sons was Prahlad, a devout follower of Lord Vishnu.

When Hiranyakashipu went away for penance to avenge his brother’s death, Indra kidnapped his pregnant wife, Kayadhu, intending to take her to heaven. On the way, Sage Narada, inspired by Lord Vishnu, stopped Indra and made him realize: “She carries a child in her womb; harming her would be a sin.” Realizing his mistake, Indra released Kayadhu.

Sage Narada took Kayadhu to his hermitage, for he knew that within her womb was growing a great devotee of Vishnu. There, as Kayadhu listened to the praises of Lord Vishnu, the unborn Prahlad absorbed every word. These divine teachings left a deep mark on his soul, filling him with unshakable devotion even before birth.

By the age of five, Prahlad openly spoke of bhakti, narrating lessons of devotion to his father. To Hiranyakashipu, this was unbearable. He looked at his child and saw not a son, but the reflection of his greatest enemy.

Attempts to kill Prahlad

Hiranyakashipu could not tolerate his son’s devotion, so he ordered that Prahlad be killed. But as a true devotee of Lord Vishnu, every attempt failed.

The demons tried many ways:

• They tried to trample him with intoxicated elephants.
• Poisonous snakes were made to bite him.
• A demon named Kritya was created to devour him.
• He was thrown down from the mountains.
• Poison was administered to him.
• The demon Shambarasura used various illusions to destroy him
• He was made to enter the burning fire and drowned in the sea.

Yet, despite all these attempts, not even a hair on Prahlad’s head was harmed. Lord Narsimha protected him every time.

On the advice of his teachers, Prahlad was later tied with Varun Pasha so he could not escape. His teachers then began instructing him in the concepts of Artha, Dharma, and Kama.

But during recess, Prahlad would gather the young demon children and teach them the greatness of devotion to Lord Vishnu. Inspired by him, many of his classmates also became devotees of Lord Vishnu.

When the priests saw this, they immediately reported everything to Hiranyakashipu.

The Anger of Hiranyakashipu

As soon as Hiranyakashipu heard this, his body trembled with anger.  He called Prahlad before him, scolded him harshly:

He asked, “On whose authority are you disobeying my orders?”

With folded hands, Prahlad calmly replied, speaking of the Supreme Soul, Lord Vishnu:

“Father, the Almighty Lord Vishnu resides everywhere. He is within you, within me, and in every corner of this universe.”

Hiranyakashipu grew even more furious. “If your Lord Vishnu is truly everywhere, then why do I not see Him in this pillar?” he roared.

Without fear, Prahlad replied:

“Yes, Father. I can see my Lord in this pillar too.”

The Incarnation of Lord Narasimha

Blinded by rage, Hiranyakashipu leaped from his throne, sword in hand, rushing to strike Prahlad down. Just then, Prahlad said, “The Lord is in this pillar too.”

In uncontrollable fury, Hiranyakashipu struck the pillar with his fist. Instantly, a thunderous roar resounded, shaking the palace walls. Startled, he froze, his eyes darting around to find the source of that dreadful sound.

Then, before his eyes, the pillar cracked open. From within emerged a being like no other — neither man nor beast, but a fierce, divine, and majestic form, half lion and half human. His mane blazed like fire, His eyes shone with divine fury, and His roar made even the heavens tremble.

Thus, in a blaze of divine wrath, Lord Narsimha had appeared.

Killing of Hiranyakashipu

Lord Narsimha toyed with Hiranyakashipu for a while, striking terror into his heart. Then, as evening descended, the Lord let out a terrifying, thunderous laugh that made the demon’s eyes shut in fear.

In that very moment, Lord Narsimha seized him with divine power and dragged him to the threshold of the palace, a place that was neither inside nor outside. Placing the demon across His thighs—neither earth nor sky—He tore open his chest with His sharp nails, which were not weapons forged by any hand.

Thus, every clause of the boon granted by Lord Brahma was fulfilled, yet Hiranyakashipu met his destined end. The tyrant received the fruit of his evil deeds, and the Lord, in His fierce form, saved His devotee Prahlad.

The life of Prahlad reminds us that true bhakti is beyond age, beyond fear, and circumstances. When devotion is unshaken, even God Himself manifests to protect His devotee.

“उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखम्।
नृसिंहं भीषणं भद्रं मृत्युर्मृत्युः नमाम्यहम्॥“

What lesson do you take from the story of Lord Narsimha and devotee Prahlad? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Jagannath Temple, Puri