Regarding Lord Narasimha. (repost)

(This topis somehow disappeared, hopefully it wasn't me who deleted it with spam.)

Submitted by Mihir Sheth on Mon, 2013-06-17 08:04

Dear Prabhuji, Hare Krishna !

Lord Krishna is the madhurya(sweetness) feature of the Lord. Lord Chaitanya is the audarya(merciful) feature of the Lord. Similarly Lord Narasimha is what feature of the Lord ?

The way devotees of Lord Krishna experience His feature of sweetness while they are in this material world and in Goloka Vrindavan similarly what do devotees of Lord Narasimha experience in this material world and in His spiritual planet ?

I understand that we all have a fixed relationship with the Lord so those who have an eternal relationship with Lord Narasimha will worship Him and love for Lord Narasimha will awaken in them. However still I was keen to know the answer to the above questions. I request if someone could enlighten me on the same.

Sincerely,
Mihir

Sri Nrsimha manifests various bhavas, mostly wrathful but also peaceful ones (like some of His murtis in Ahobilam or Santa Nrsimha in Puri).

Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta about Sri Nrsimha appearing in this universe is that He's not a form of Sri Visnu residing in one of Vaikunthas but directly Sri Krsna. His lila manifests only in the material realm. This is hinted on in SB 3.24.33 p., last par., and BG 4.8. He personifies this verse.

nrsimha-rama-krsnesu sad-gunyam paripuritam: "In Narasimha, Rama and Krsna, all the six opulences (strength, wealth, renunciation, splendor, energy, wisdom) are fully manifest." (Padma Purana, quoted by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Laghu-bhagavatamrta 1.5.16)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written five beautiful prayers in "Sri Navadvipa Bhava Taranga" for receiving the mercy of Lord Nrsimha. These prayers are certainly assurance to all sincere devotees that the worship of Lord Nrsimha is purely in the line of aspiring love and devotion to Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.

e dusta hrdaye kama adi ripu chaya
kutinati pratisthasa sathya sada raya
hrdaya-sodhana ara krsnera vasana
nrsimha-carane mora ei to' kamana

Within my sinful heart the six enemies headed by lust perpetually reside, as well as duplicity, the desire for fame, plus sheer cunning. At the lotus feet of Lord Narasimha, I hope that He will mercifully purify my heart and give me the desire to serve Lord Krsna.

kandiya nrsimha-pade magibo kakhana
nirapade navadvipe jugala-bhajana
bhaya bhaya paya yan'ra darsane se hari
prasanna hoibo kabe more daya kari

Weeping, I will beg at the lotus-feet of Lord Narasimha for the benediction of worshipping Radha and Krsna in Navadvipa, perfectly safe and free from all difficulties. When will this Lord Hari, whose terrible form strikes fear into fear itself, ever become pleased and show me His mercy?

yadyapi bhisana murti dusta-jiva-prati
prahladadi krsna-bhakta-jane bhadra ati
kabe va prasanna ho'ye sa krpa-vacane
nirbhaya karibe ei mudha akincane

Even though Lord Narasimha is terrifying toward the sinful souls, He offers great auspiciousness unto the devotees of Lord Krsna headed by Prahlada Maharaja. When will He be pleased to speak words of compassion unto me, a worthless fool, and thereby make me fearless?

svacchande baiso he vatsa sri-gauranga-dhame
jugala-bhajana hau rati hau name
mama bhakta-krpa-bale vighna jabe dura
suddha cite bhajo radha-krsna-rasa-pura

He will say, "Dear child! Sit down freely and live happily here in Sri Gauranga-dhama. May you nicely worship the Divine Couple, and may you develop loving attachment for Their Holy Names. By the mercy of My devotees, all obstacles are cast far away. With a purified heart, just perform the worship of Radha and Krsna, for such worship overflows with sweet nectar."

ei boli' kabe mora mastaka-upara
sviya sri-carana harse dharibe isvara
amani jugala-preme sattvika vikare
dharaya lutibo ami sri-nrsimha-dvare

Saying this, will that Lord delightedly place His own divine lotus-feet upon my head? I will experience sublime love for the Divine Couple Radha-Krsna and undergo the ecstatic transformations called sattvika. Falling on the ground, I will roll about at the door of Sri Narasimha's temple. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Navadvipa Bhava Taranga 36-40)

Bhaktivinoda Thakura prays to Sri Nrsimhadeva to clear his path to Radha Krsna worship. He wouldn't be praying to the equivalent of an "ordinary" Visnu tattva in Vaikuntha for entrance into Goloka.

Another argument against the identity of the two Nrsimhas is that the Pancaratra texts identify the Nrsimha avatara of the dasavatara as manifesting from Sankarsana: haris sankarsanamsena narasimha-vapur dharah (Padma tantra 1.2.31 and Visnu-dharmottara Purana 3.78(2).5-7) However, the vyuha Nrsimha is manifested from Pradyumna (CC Madhya 20.206).

Lilas:
http://narasimhalila.com/

Hari Hari
ys Jan