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Last month I was with my family in New York city and we joined devotees of Krishna in a street kirtan in Union Square. The Square is well known for gatherings and protests of all kinds. The devotees regularly go there to perform kirtan and anyone who is there often comes to listen, tap their feet, clap their hands, or jump into their own form of dance. Here’s what happened when I led kirtan for a few minutes:

(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed)

I am only half kidding with today’s blog title, yet I am trying to make a point, as you will see. Specifically, this is the day we celebrate the devotion of Prahlad, his constant remembrance of Krishna, and Krishna’s assuming the fearsome, though ecstatic, form of Lord Nrisimhadeva to protect and glorify His pure devotee. However, we can also feel a kind of gratitude to Hiranya-kashipu, for without his demoniac nature, and trying to kill his son, we would have never heard of Prahlad, or seen the practical demonstration of the Lord’s love for his devotees. Great souls are glorified by their struggles and victory over adversity. In every great life story there must be an antagonist which allows the hero to shine. Although unimaginably powerful, Hiranya-kashipu also represents our tiny selves, or our personal rebellion against God, and—to put it nicely—those less than ideal qualities in our heart that we as devotees, or sadhakas, struggle with. Thus, in our material conditioned state, we can think of our dark side like a mini-Hiranya-kashipu, and pray that the Lord slay our “anarthas” or our unwanted conditioning, such as lust, anger, greed, enviousness, etc. We are fortune to have both good and bad examples in the scriptures, so we will know our ideal, and what we want to rise above. Everyone can be our teacher!

Preparation this afternoon for one of our seasonal celebrations, the appearance of Narasimha.
In our house it means we go to class at the temple followed by festive street chanting down in London, then take a break from the crowds to do a ceremonial abishek to our home deity when we return. Fruit juice, milk, cream, sweet water, coconut water – all poured over the deity along with kirtan.
Here’s how Srila Prabhupada sang prayers to Narasimha, then how a Narasimha abhishek looks in India, followed by the animated story, created by Mohan and Janaki