The Supreme Personality appears in the material world in many many forms. He appeared in the animal forms as Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar) and in the human forms as Rama, Balarama and Krishna to name a few. But as Lord Narasimha, he appears in the most astonishing and wonderful form of half man and half lion.
Lord Rama was there for 11000 years, Lord Krishna was there for 125 years, whereas when the Lord appeared as Narasimha, he was there for only 1.5 muhurta kalam which is 72 minutes. He created the biggest impact in the shortest period.
There are many reasons for the appearance of the Lord. Krishna states in Bhagavad Gita several reason for his appearance.
yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself. - Bhagavad Gita 4.7
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge
To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium. - Bhagavad Gita 4.8
These are but external reasons for him to appear. Krishna did not use a single weapon when he killed all the demons. Narasimha used his nails to tear open Hiranyakashipu's stone like chest. He doesn't have to descend to kill demons. He can do it just by his desire and it will happen.
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛńgaḿ
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛńgam
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
O Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lionl 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 Hiranyakasipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands. - Nrsimha Purana
Hiranyakashipu was so terrorizing that the Devas would tremble, by him merely lifting his eyebrows. Lord Narasimha ripped apart Hiranyakashipu's chest with his nails just as one crushes a wasp between finger nails. Killing demons is literally child's play for the Supreme Personality.
His main reason to appear is to have loving exchanges with his devotees. Each of us have an eternal relationship with the Lord. We have forgotten our relationship and the Lord appears and manifests his pass times just to kindle our dormant love of God. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says
jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. - Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 20.108.
It is the soul's svarupa or constitutional position to server the Lord. Each of us have an individual relationship with the Lord through which we can serve him and the Lord reciprocates multi fold.
Lord Narasimha appeared just to satisfy his devotees. The avatar is so wonderful that he satisfied the wishes of three of his devotees at the same instant. He appeared in his most magnificent form as half man half lion so as to adhere to the conditions of Lord Brahma's boon to Hiranyakashipu. Narada Muni, Prahlad Maharaj's guru promised him that he will see the Supreme Personality and when Prahlad Maharaj said that the Lord is there in the pillar to Hiranyakashipu, in order to make Prahlad Maharaj's words come true he came out of the pillar. That is why the Lord is called Bhaktavatsala, He is always compassionate to his devotees.
After Lord Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu, he was ferocious. Everybody including Mother Lakshmi were so fearful that they didn't go near him. Yet, Prahlad Maharaj, a five year old boy pacified the Lord. Prahlad Maharaj says beautiful prayers to the Lord in Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam is replete with prayers from the devotees to the Lord. Each prayer tells the mood and relationship between the Lord and his devotee.
On the auspicious day of Narasimha Chaturdasi, the appearance day of the Lord, let us follow in the foot steps of Prahlad Maharaj and awaken our dormant love of Godhead.
yathā hi puruṣasyeha
viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam
yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ
priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt
The human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings. - Prahlad Maharaj - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.2.
Lord Rama was there for 11000 years, Lord Krishna was there for 125 years, whereas when the Lord appeared as Narasimha, he was there for only 1.5 muhurta kalam which is 72 minutes. He created the biggest impact in the shortest period.
There are many reasons for the appearance of the Lord. Krishna states in Bhagavad Gita several reason for his appearance.
yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself. - Bhagavad Gita 4.7
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge
To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium. - Bhagavad Gita 4.8
These are but external reasons for him to appear. Krishna did not use a single weapon when he killed all the demons. Narasimha used his nails to tear open Hiranyakashipu's stone like chest. He doesn't have to descend to kill demons. He can do it just by his desire and it will happen.
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛńgaḿ
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛńgam
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
O Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lionl 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 Hiranyakasipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands. - Nrsimha Purana
Hiranyakashipu was so terrorizing that the Devas would tremble, by him merely lifting his eyebrows. Lord Narasimha ripped apart Hiranyakashipu's chest with his nails just as one crushes a wasp between finger nails. Killing demons is literally child's play for the Supreme Personality.
His main reason to appear is to have loving exchanges with his devotees. Each of us have an eternal relationship with the Lord. We have forgotten our relationship and the Lord appears and manifests his pass times just to kindle our dormant love of God. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says
jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. - Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 20.108.
It is the soul's svarupa or constitutional position to server the Lord. Each of us have an individual relationship with the Lord through which we can serve him and the Lord reciprocates multi fold.
Lord Narasimha appeared just to satisfy his devotees. The avatar is so wonderful that he satisfied the wishes of three of his devotees at the same instant. He appeared in his most magnificent form as half man half lion so as to adhere to the conditions of Lord Brahma's boon to Hiranyakashipu. Narada Muni, Prahlad Maharaj's guru promised him that he will see the Supreme Personality and when Prahlad Maharaj said that the Lord is there in the pillar to Hiranyakashipu, in order to make Prahlad Maharaj's words come true he came out of the pillar. That is why the Lord is called Bhaktavatsala, He is always compassionate to his devotees.
After Lord Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu, he was ferocious. Everybody including Mother Lakshmi were so fearful that they didn't go near him. Yet, Prahlad Maharaj, a five year old boy pacified the Lord. Prahlad Maharaj says beautiful prayers to the Lord in Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam is replete with prayers from the devotees to the Lord. Each prayer tells the mood and relationship between the Lord and his devotee.
On the auspicious day of Narasimha Chaturdasi, the appearance day of the Lord, let us follow in the foot steps of Prahlad Maharaj and awaken our dormant love of Godhead.
yathā hi puruṣasyeha
viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam
yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ
priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt
The human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings. - Prahlad Maharaj - Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.2.
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