God Is Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva - The Fierce Protector of Devotees
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot tolerate the suffering of His pure devotees. To rescue the exalted child-devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja from the torture of his atheistic father, the Lord manifested His magnificent, unprecedented form as Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, simultaneously annihilating the demon and exhibiting boundless compassion.
The Transcendent Līlā-avatāra
The Supreme Lord's forms are never products of material nature. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is an eternal, spiritual incarnation (līlā-avatāra) who descends by His own sweet will to execute extraordinary pastimes.
- In different millennia there are different incarnations, and they are innumerable, although some of them are very prominent, such as Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Rama, Nrsimha, Vamana and many others. These incarnations are called lila incarnations.
- Incarnations like Brahma, Rudra, Manu, Prthu and Vyasa are His material qualitative incarnations, but His incarnations like Rama, Narasimha, Varaha and Vamana are His transcendental incarnations.
- The Lord descends either as Kapila or Rama, Nrsimha or Varaha, and whatever forms He assumes in the material world are all manifestations of His own personal internal energy. They are never forms of the material energy.
- The Lord has innumerable forms (ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan (BS 5.39)), and unless these forms, such as Lord Ramacandra, Nrsimhadeva, Krsna and Balarama, were transcendental, how could they be worshiped by devotees since time immemorial.
Bypassing Material Benedictions
The atheistic demon Hiraṇyakaśipu thought he had outsmarted God by securing complex boons of immortality from Lord Brahmā. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the Supreme Lord bypassed every single condition by appearing in an unimaginable form to kill the demon.
- The Lord, assumed the incarnation of half-man and half-lion (Lord Nrsimhadeva), which was beyond the imagination of a materialistic demon like Hiranyakasipu, and thus, keeping pace with the benediction of Brahmaji, the Lord killed him.
- The Lord appeared as half lion and half man so that Hiranyakasipu could not understand whether the great giant was a lion or a human being.
- The Lord assumed the incarnation of Nrsimhadeva, and just to finish the enemy of the demigods, the Lord killed Hiranyakasipu in a manner beyond the demon's imagination. Materialistic plans of godless demons are always frustrated by the all-powerful Lord.
- Lord Nrsimha-deva placed the demon (Hiranyakasipu) on His lap, supporting him with His thighs, and in the doorway of the assembly hall the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hand.
Fierce to Demons, Kind to Devotees
God perfectly reciprocates with the desires of the living entities. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is absolute death personified for atheists, He is a source of infinite, tender affection for His pure devotees.
- Just as a lion is very ferocious to other animals but very kind and submissive to his cubs, so Lord Nrsimha appeared ferocious to Hiranyakasipu and very kind to His devotee Prahlada.
- Although very ferocious, the lioness is very kind to her cubs. Similarly, although very ferocious to nondevotees like Hiranyakasipu, Lord Nrsimhadeva is very, very soft and kind to devotees like Prahlada Maharaja.
- When Lord Caitanya visited this temple (known as Jiyara-nrsimha-ksetra), He praised the Deity and quoted a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.1: "Although Lord Nrsimha is very severe to demons and nondevotees, He is very kind to His submissive devotees like Prahlada."
- Although Lord Nrsimhadeva appears as death for an atheist like Hiranyakasipu, He is always kind and is the reservoir of all pleasure for the devotees like Prahlada. A pure devotee is not, therefore, afraid of birth, death, old age and disease.
The Fearlessness of Prahlāda
The blazing anger of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva frightened the entire universe. Yet, Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights the profound purity of the five-year-old Prahlāda Mahārāja, who remained completely unafraid and peacefully approached his supreme master.
- When the fierce form of Nrsimha-deva appeared in order to kill Hiranyakasipu, Prahlada was unagitated. He remained calm and quiet, whereas others, including even Lord Brahma, were frightened by the features of the Lord.
- Even she (Laksmiji) had never seen such a wonderful and extraordinary form of the Lord, and thus she could not approach Him (Nrsimhadeva).
- Lord Brahma asked Prahlada Maharaja to go forward and pacify the Lord's anger. Prahlada Maharaja, being confident of the affection of his master, Lord Nrsimha-deva, was not afraid at all.
- The great saint Narada said: Thus Lord Nrsimhadeva was pacified by the devotee Prahlada Maharaja with prayers offered from the transcendental platform. The Lord gave up His anger.
Rejecting Material Benedictions
A pure Vaiṣṇava never performs devotional service with the expectation of material reward. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that when Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva offered Prahlāda Mahārāja any benediction he desired, the boy strictly refused, wishing only to remain a humble servant.
- When Prahlada Maharaja was offered a benediction by Lord Nrsimhadeva, he refused to accept it and instead declared that a devotee should not be like a vanik, a mercantile man who gives something in exchange for some profit.
- Prahlada Maharaja, when he was ordered by the Lord to take some benediction, he said that "I am not a merchant, Sir, that by giving You some service I'll take some return. Please excuse me." Nrsimha-deva was very much satisfied: "Here is a pure devotee."
- When Prahlada Maharaja was offered a benediction by Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada rejected all kinds of material benedictions, but he prayed to become the servant of the servants of the Lord.
- Nrsimhadeva offered Prahlada Maharaja all kinds of benedictions, but Prahlada Maharaja did not accept any of them, for he simply wanted to engage in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord.
Liberating the Enemy
The compassion of a pure devotee compels the Supreme Lord to act in extraordinary ways. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Prahlāda Mahārāja utilized his unique position to beg Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to pardon and liberate his demonic, abusive father.
- Prahlada Maharaja requested Lord Nrsimhadeva to deliver his sinful father, who had so many times offended the lotus feet of the Lord.
- The same pure devotee (Prahlada Maharaja) requested the Lord (Nrsimhadeva), "My Lord, my father (Hiranyakasipu) was atheist, and he has committed so many offenses, so I beg that my father may be liberated."
- The SP of Godhead (Nrsimhadeva) said in effect, "I fulfill the desires of everyone. Since you (Prahlada Maharaja) are My devotee, whatever you want for yourself will naturally be given, but if you pray for anyone else, that prayer also will be fulfilled."
- Prahlada Maharaja, the topmost devotee of the Lord, is a reservoir of all the good qualities of great personalities. His character and activities have delivered all the fallen members of his demoniac family.
The Eternal Protector
Preaching the glories of God in a material world full of atheists is a dangerous task. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures his disciples that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is the eternal patron and supreme protector of all sincere preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- To spread the Krsna consciousness movement, devotees have to face many dangers and impediments all over the world, but a faithful servant who preaches with great devotion to the Lord must know that Lord Nrsimhadeva is always his protector.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His transcendental form of Narahari, Nrsimhadeva, is always ready to kill the demons, who always create disturbances in the minds of honest devotees.
- O demons, give up the so-called happiness of family life and simply take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nrsimhadeva, which are the actual shelter of fearlessness.
- Let Lord Nrsimha-deva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world.
The Perfection of Devotion
Hearing the glories of the Lord purifies the heart of all contamination. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that by meditating on Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva and His loving exchanges with Prahlāda, one transcends the modes of material nature and achieves eternal bliss.
- Prahlada prayed to Nrsimhadeva, "I shall not care for all those sinful activities because simply by hearing about Your pastimes I shall get out of all the contamination of material attachment."
- Prahlada prayed to Nrsimhadeva, "You are the supreme friend, the supreme worshipable Deity. Your pastimes are transcendental, and simply by hearing of them one can counteract all his sinful activities."
- O my Lord Nrsimhadeva, by engaging in Your transcendental loving service in the association of devotees who are liberated souls (hamsas), I shall become completely uncontaminated by the association of the three modes of material nature.
- When he was offered a benediction by Lord Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear Lord, whenever I chant I immediately merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. I only lament to see others bereft of Your love.
Conclusion
To protect the principles of pure devotional service, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is prepared to manifest the most terrifying and unimaginable forms. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva perfectly proved the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by annihilating the immense material power of Hiraṇyakaśipu while simultaneously submitting to the simple, unalloyed love of the five-year-old Prahlāda Mahārāja. By constantly seeking the shelter of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, sincere devotees are completely freed from all internal and external demonic impediments, allowing them to peacefully advance back home, back to Godhead.
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