Nrusinha Jayanti

Nrusinha Jayanti on Thursday 11/05/2006 Nrusinha Chaturdashi falls on the day of Vaishakh Sud Chaturdashi. It is an important day in the Hindu calendar to celebrate the appearance of Lord Nrusinha, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as half man-half lion in order to save his beloved of devotees, Bhakta Prahlad. The story of Prahlada is told in the Seventh book of the Srimad Bhagavatam. It is a fascinating account of how one who is devoted to the Lord is never let down by Him and how the recitation of God's names as the only and final resort is the gateway to reach the Lotus Feet of the Lord. The story of his manifestation represents the ultimate good over evil and shows to such a great extent, the love that God has for his devotees.

Observance of Vrata This day should be observed by performing a full day fast, in the same way that you would observe the vrata of Ramnavmi, Janmashtmi etc. Note that many in the sampraday do not observe this vrata day, but all satsangis should observe this day. This is clarified in the Shikshapatri Arthadipika - Narad Pancharatra explains the Birthday Vrata days as follows: Vratani Vishnubhaktanaam Nitganimani Sanjaguha | Ekadashyoakhilaha Sudha Dvadashi Vamanashya Cha || Shriramdevsajanmanavmi Divyasidhida | Krushnajanamashtmi Chatha Nrusinhasya Chaturdashi || Shivaratricheti Mukhyavratanuktani Tatvataha | ‘All faithful devotees of Vishnu should always observe the following Vratas: All Ekadashis, Vaman Dvadashi, Ramanavmi, Krishna Janmashtmi, Nrusinha Chaturdashi and Shivratri.’ The Story of Prahlad Brahma’s Boon to Hiranyakashipu In order to rescue the earth from the captivity of Hiranyaksha, God had arrived in Varaha (boar) form and killed him. Hiranyaksha’s elder brother Hiranyakashipu was very angry over it. Then and there, he resolved to take revenge of his brother’s death. He then went to the Himalayas and began to perform severe penance for thousands of years. Pleased by his penance, Brahma arrived and gave him a boon: “May you be killed neither by any weapon nor any creature made by me, neither in the day nor in the night, neither on earth nor in the sky”. Pre-natal Preachings While Hiranyakashipu was away, the gods had attacked his kingdom and killed nephews. Indra even abducted his queen Kayadhu who was expecting a child then. Devarishi Narad stopped Indra in his way but Indra asserted that as Kayadhu was pregnant, he would destroy her unborn baby and then release her. Narad however assured Indra that the unborn baby was a supreme devotee of the Lord and that they should not fear him. Thus convinced, Indra released Kayadhu, who then began to stay at Narad’s hermitage. Addressing the unborn baby, Narad daily used to preach Kayadhu about the devotion one should have for God. Thus, the baby could never forget the preaching received by it in the pre-natal stage. Birth of Prahlad, his Qualities At the appropriate time, Kayadhu gave birth to Prahlad. Prahlad was the youngest among Hiranyakashipu’s four sons. But in virtues, he appeared to be the eldest. He did not have any desires. He was content like the hermits, truthful and always wished well for everyone. He had full control over his senses, mind and body. He was completely untouched by the demonish virtues also. Since childhood, he remained submerged in devotion. Prahlad’s Education Hiranyakashipu takes Prahlad on his lapOne day, very lovingly taking Prahlad in his lap, Hiranyakashipu asked him: “Son, what are the things that you like most”? Prahlad replied: “Father, I want that everyone must surrender himself at the service of Lord Vishnu”. Hearing Lord Vishnu’s praise from his son, Hiranyakashipu laughed and thought that someone had misguided his son. So, he sent Prahlad under the guidance of Shand and Amark, the sons of Shukracharya, the demon teacher for formal education, cautioning them to reform his son and educate him in the knowledge as per the demons clan. When they asked Prahlad about the source of his anti-demon knowledge, Prahlad replied: “Ignorance is nothing but the feelings- ‘Its me’, ‘that’s the other’, living beings are under illusion. Only those who are truly devoted to god can be bestowed by His grace.” Prahlad’s Sermons These words infuriated Shand and Amark. Somehow, threatening and frightening him, they began to teach Prahlad economics (Arthashastra), law(Dandaniti) and politics(Rajniti). Prahlad too began to learn those subjects with full dedication, but those subjects never interested him. However, Prahlad never showed any disrespect for his teachers. When the teachers felt sure that Prahlad had been educated fully, they took him to his father. There, Prahlad respectfully greeted his parents and elders. Once again taking him in his lap, Hiranyakashipu lovingly asked his son: “Son, tell us, what do you think is the best knowledge?” Once again Prahlad replied: “Listening to the virtues of God, recalling and reciting His name and plays, serving His feet, praying Him and having a sense of dedication for Him are the part of my devotions. By these devotions, focussing one’s mind on the Lord is the best thing in my opinion, that the education can be imparted in this way”. Indignant by Prahlad’s words, Hiranyakashipu threw him on the floor. He then scolded Shand and Amark that they had behaved like his enemies by educating Prahlad in the wrong way. The teachers then tried to explain. Humiliated by his father, Prahlad was still standing unaffected and peacefully. He said: “Don’t be angry, father, its not their fault. Lured by lust, the whole world is moving towards hell. Such people cannot focus their mind at Lord Vishnu. They do not know that their welfare is possible only in respecting the Supreme Being. Whoever touches the feet of God, gets freed from the cycle of birth and death”. Hiranyakashipu’s Fury – Attempts to Kill Prahlad These words infuriated Hiranyakashipu to a great extent. He ordered the demons to kill Prahlad at once. He said: “He worships the same Vishnu who had killed his own uncle. He is not my son but my enemy. He cannot be trusted any longer now”. As soon as the demons heard their king’s order, they began to strike Prahlad with their weapons. Prahlad was then meditating on his Lord and was sitting peacefully. The blows of the weapons had no impact on him. No weapon could cut or pierce through his body. Hiranyakashipu then began to find even more formidable ways to kill Prahlad. He got Prahlad trampled by huge elephants, got him stung by poisonous snakes, got him thrown from a high cliff, got him imprisoned in a closed cell and made him drink poison but all in vain. Then Hiranyakashipu began to think: “May be, he is having some mysterious powers. He fears no one, nor meets his death”. Holika’s Incineration Tethering him to a stone, the demons even threw Prahlad into the sea, but he returned unhurt. Hiranyakashipu’s sister Holika had received a divine cloth in boon. That cloth could not be burnt by fire. So donning that cloth and taking Prahlad in her lap, Holika sat on a huge pile of wood. Soon that pile was put on fire. Incidentally, the fireproof cloth of Holika was blown away by the wind and Holika got incinirated. But the fire did not harm Prahlad at all. Prahlad Teaches Divine Knowledge to the Demons Shand and Amark Demons even tried to use their illusionary powers on Prahlad but none of their powers could stand before him. Shand and Amark then produced an ogress Kritya but she killed them instead of killing Prahlad. But the kind hearted Prahlad prayed to the Lord and got them resurrected. Thus, all the measures taken by the demons to kill Prahlad proved futile. Now, Hiranyakashipu began to feel afraid. Once more, he forcibly sent Prahlad to the hermitage of Shand and Amark. There, Prahlad did take the education but had no interest in their teachings. When his teachers used to get engaged in trivial works, Prahlad would assemble his fellow disciples around him and preach them thus: “Brothers, this human incarnation is not meant to be wasted. If we don’t find God in this birth, it would be a great loss. We can achieve the means to find God right in our childhood, for when we grow young, we are caught by allurement of women, children etc. and nothing can be done in old age. But it is very easy to find God. He is present in everyone’s hearts. He is in every living being. Hence, we should not torture any creature. We should concentrate our mind in the God”. “Call your God to Save you!” Those were the preaching of the five years old Prahlad to the demon boys. Those demon boys too followed him faithfully. Thus seeing Prahlad preaching against the demonic traditions, the horrified teachers sent Prahlad back to Hiranyakashipu and intimated him of the happenings. Now, Hiranyakashipu decided to kill Prahlad with his own hands. Tying him to a pillar, Hiranyakashipu asked in a loud voice: “O fool, with whose powers you have been humiliating me. Now, I am going to kill you, call your God to save you”. Undaunted Prahlad replied humbly: “Father, don’t be angry. Omnipresent Vishnu is the protector of us all. I am not dishonouring you. One’s own mind is his biggest enemy in the world. The God is all pervasive. He is in me, in you, in your sword and is also present in the pillar”. Manifestation of Lord Nrusinha! Prahlad could not even finish his words when the infuriated demon king hit the pillar with his mace and as soon as the mace touched the pillar, it broke with a thundering sound. Everyone present in the court panicked. They saw a creature emerging from the pillar. It had the face of a lion and a human body. That strange, huge figure was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Nrusinha Avtaar. He was roaring angrily. The demon king Hiranyakashipu tried his best to escape from Nrusinha. But at last, Nrusinha caught hold of him and dragged him towards the threshold. There, he put Hiranyakashipu on thighs and tore his belly with His formidable nails. The anger of Nrusinha did not subside even after killing Hiranyakashipu. He was still roaring repeatedly. Brahma, Shankar and even Lakshmi prayed Him from a distance but no one had the courage to go near. At last Brahma sent Prahlad near Nrusinha to calm Him down. Fearlessly, Prahlad went near Nrusinha and laid himself flat at His feet. Affectionately, the Lord in Nrusinha form raised Prahlad and embraced him and said: “O son Prahlad, you have to bear the sufferings for long. You forgive me”. Prahlad Calms Lord Nrusinha Prahlad felt overwhelmed. The Lord of the universe was standing before him and was stroking his head in assuring way. Folding his hands, Prahlad slowly prayed him and recited his virtues faithfully. The Lord then asked Prahlad to seek some boon. Prahlad said: “O omnipotent, kindly don’t put me on test by asking me to seek a boon. Those who seek rewards in exchange of their service are not servers but they are the traders. You are my true Lord. Even then, if you wish to grant me a boon, kindly bless me that never any desire may arise in my mind for anything”. The Boons Granted by the Lord Then Prahlad prayed to god for his father also: “O Lord, my father had always criticized you. May he be freed from his sins”. The Lord said: “Prahlad, that clan in which a devotee of mine takes birth becomes holy up to seven generations. Your father too has become holy. And a place where a devotee of mine is present, will also become as holy as a pilgrimage centre”. Thereafter, Lord promised Prahlad that He would from then onwards never kill any of his descendants. The Lord then escorted Prahlad to the throne of his father and made him seated on it, instructing: “Now, by all means, follow good conduct and do your duties”. Saying those words Lord Nrusinha disappeared.