Narasiṁha Caturdaśī on May 11, 2025
A transcendental festival of protection and devotion
The demon Hiraṇyakaśipu attacked Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva with great force, but the Lord captured him and placed him on his lap, supporting him with His thighs. Then, in the doorway of the assembly hall, the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hands.
Śrī Narasiṁha Jayantī – The Appearance Day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva
Śrī Narasiṁha Jayantī, the appearance day of Viṣṇu’s avatar, as half-human-half-lion, is an important festival among the Vaiṣṇavas and is celebrated on Vaiśākh Chaturdasi, the 14th day of the waxing moon, (śukla pakṣa), which falls in the year 2025 on 11.05.2025.
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INVITATION
On Sunday, May 11, 2025, we will celebrate Narasiṁha Caturdaśī at our temple in Mainhausen.
This auspicious day marks the appearance of Śrī Narasiṁha, the half-human, half-lion incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu.
In addition to ecstatic mantra chanting (kīrtan) and a feast (prasādam), there will be a reading on the glorious deeds of Śrī Narasiṁha and Prahlāda Mahārāja. On this day, it is also advisable to offer prayers to Śrī Narasiṁha, asking for his grace and protection from all kinds of dangers and disturbances on the spiritual path.
The festivities begin at 4 p.m. All are cordially invited to this celebration. We look forward to seeing you! Best regards, Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Program:
Kīrtana: Collective chanting of sacred mantras
Lecture: The story of Prahlāda and Narasiṁha
Prasādam: Festive vegetarian Prasādam meal
The appearance of Lord Narasiṁha Deva
The Supreme Lord appeared as Narasiṁha to protect his beloved devotee Prahlāda from the persecutions of his demonic father, Hiraṇyakaśipu.
Through rigorous penances, Hiraṇyakaśipu had received the boon from Lord Brahmā which made him almost invincible. The boon was such that he could not be killed by any living being, inside or outside a residence, by day or night, on land or in heaven, with any weapon, and by any living being—dead or alive.
Endowed with this special boon, Hiraṇyakaśipu became extremely powerful and hostile to Lord Viṣṇu and his followers. In contrast, his son Prahlāda was a great devotee of the Lord from the beginning. Therefore, Hiraṇyakaśipu made several attempts to kill his son in various ways, but each time the Lord saved him.
When Hiraṇyakaśipu mockingly asked his son if Viṣṇu was present in a pillar, Prahlāda replied in the affirmative. Thereupon Hiraṇyakaśipu struck the pillar, and the Lord appeared in the unique form of Narasiṁha – half man, half lion – to protect His bhakta and destroy the demon.
He killed Hiraṇyakaśipu in the evening (neither day nor night), at the door of the assembly hall (neither inside nor outside a residence), by holding the demon in His lap (neither land nor sky), and by tearing the demon’s body to pieces with His nails (neither by a weapon nor by any being—dead or alive). Thus, the Lord effortlessly killed Hiraṇyakaśipu and simultaneously fulfilled all the conditions of Brahmā’s boon.
After the victory, the Lord was still angry. Only Prahlāda’s humble prayers could appease Him. The Lord placed His hand on Prahlāda’s head, cleansing him of all material defilement and causing him to experience deep spiritual ecstasy.
Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasized that the Lord in His most terrible form is always loving to His bhaktas. Narasiṁha Deva embodies the protection of devotion and the destruction of obstacles and pride.
Verse of the day:
vidikṣu dikṣu ūrdhvam adhaḥ samantād
antar bahir bhagavān nārasiṁhaḥ
prahāpayaḻ loka-bhayaṁ svanena
sva-tejasā grasta-samasta-tejāḥ
“May Lord Narasiṁha, who is present in all directions – above, below, within and without – dispel all fears by His roar and outshine all other influences with His own effulgence.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.8.34)
Prahlāda Mahārāja loudly chanted the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. May Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, roaring for His devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja, protect us from all fear of dangers created by demoniac leaders in all directions through poison, weapons, water, fire, air and so on. May the Lord cover their influence by His own transcendental influence. May Nṛsiṁhadeva protect us in all directions and in all corners, above, below, within and without.
Jai Prahlāda! Jai Narasiṁha Deva!
Personal Prayer to Lord Nṛsiṁhadev
(chanted after arati)
TEXT 52
नमस्ते नरसिंहाय प्रह्लादाह्लाददायिने
हिरण्यकशिपोर् वक्षःशिलाटङ्कनखालये
namas te nara-siṁhāya prahlādāhlāda-dāyine
hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ- śilā-ṭaṅka-nakhālaye
namaḥ—I offer my respectful obeisances; te—unto You; nara-siṁhāya—Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva; prahlāda—to Mahārāja Prahlāda; āhlāda—of pleasure; dāyine—giver; hiraṇya-kaśipoḥ—of Hiraṇyakaśipu; vakṣaḥ—chest; śilā—like stone; ṭaṅka—like the chisel; nakha-ālaye—whose fingernails.
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. You are the giver of pleasure to Mahārāja Prahlāda, and Your nails cut the chest of Hiraṇyakaśipu like a chisel cutting stone. (CC Antya 16.52)
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TEXT 53
इतो नृसिंहः परतो नृसिंहो यतो यतो यामि ततो नृसिंहः
बहिर् नृसिंहो हृदये नृसिंहो नृसिंहम् आदिं शरणं प्रपद्ये
ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho
yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ
bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho
nṛsiṁham ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye
itaḥ—here; nṛsiṁhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiṁha; parataḥ—on the opposite side; nṛsiṁhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiṁha; yataḥ yataḥ—wherever; yāmi—I go; tataḥ—there; nṛsiṁhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiṁha; bahiḥ—outside; nṛsiṁhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiṁha; hṛdaye—in my heart; nṛsiṁhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiṁha; nṛsiṁham—Lord Nṛsiṁha; ādim—the original Supreme Personality; śaraṇam prapadye—I take shelter of.
“Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is here, and He is also there on the opposite side. Wherever I go, there I see Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. He is outside and within My heart. Therefore I take shelter of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (CC Antya 16.53)
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तव करकमलवरे नखम् अद्भुतशृङ्गं दलितहिरण्यकशिपुतनुभृङ्गम्
केशव धृत-नरहरिरूप जय जगदीश हरे जय जगदीश हरे, जय जगदीश हरे
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
jaya jagadīśa hare, jaya jagadīśa hare
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one’s fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasp like demon Hiraṇyakaśipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands.
(This verse is from Śrī Daśāvatāra-stotra, the Gita-govinda, written by Jayadeva Gosvāmī.)
O my Lord, Your hands are very beautiful, like the lotus flower, but with Your long nails You have ripped apart the wasp Hiraṇyakaśipu. Unto You, Lord of the universe, do I offer my humble obeisances. [Purport to Nṛsiṁha Prayers]
