Narasimha
Sign in to saveNarasimha (, , or , ), is a deity in Hinduism, revered as the fourth of the ten principal avatars (Dashavatara) of the god Vishnu. Depicted with a human torso and a lion's head and claws, Narasimha is venerated as a fierce protector who destroys evil and safeguards his devotees. He is most widely known for protecting his devotee Prahlada and for slaying the tyrannical demon king Hiranyakashipu.''''''
Key facts
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.type
- Hindu
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.member_of
- Dashavatara
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.image
- South India, late Chola Period - Yoga Narashimha, Vishnu in his Man-Lion Avatar - 1973.187 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.caption
- A sculpture of Yoga-Narsimha, South India, late Chola period
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.name
- Narasimha
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.weapon
- Claws, Sudarshana Chakra (discus), Kaumodaki (mace)
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.god_of
- God of Protection, Destruction, Yoga and Kala (Time); The Destroyer of Evil and Fear
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.festivals
- Narasimha Jayanti, Holi
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.consort
- Lakshmi
- Deity<! Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology >.mantra
- ugraṃ vīraṃ mahāviṣṇuṃ jvalantaṃ sarvatomukham nṛsiṃhaṃ bhīṣaṇaṃ bhadraṃ mṛtyumṛtyuṃ namāmyaham
- Royalty.name
- Dashavatara Sequence
- Royalty.predecessor
- Varaha
- Royalty.successor
- Vamana
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
33 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Texts
- Vedas
- The story of Indra killing Namuci
- Puranas
- Sangam literature
- Other texts
- Legends
- Prahlada legend
- Iconography
- Significance
- Coins, inscriptions and terracotta
- Performance arts
- Notable temples
- India
- [[Andhra Pradesh]]
- [[Karnataka]]
- [[Kerala]]
- [[Odisha]]
- [[Tamil Nadu]]
- [[Telangana]]
- [[West Bengal]]
- Notable Shrine/Ruins
- India
- [[Karnataka]]
- Pakistan
- Notable Matha
- India
- [[Andhra Pradesh]]
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Narasimha (, , or , ), is a deity in Hinduism, revered as the fourth of the ten principal avatars (Dashavatara) of the god Vishnu. Depicted with a human torso and a lion's head and claws, Narasimha is venerated as a fierce protector who destroys evil and safeguards his devotees. He is most widely known for protecting his devotee Prahlada and for slaying the tyrannical demon king Hiranyakashipu.''''''
According to Hindu texts, Hiranyakashipu, the elder brother of Hiranyaksha—who was killed earlier by Vishnu's Varaha avatar—received a boon from the creator god Brahma that made him nearly invulnerable. The conditions of the boon prevented his death by man or beast, indoors or outdoors, during day or night, on earth or in the sky, and not by any weapon. Empowered by this, Hiranyakashipu persecuted Vishnu’s devotees, including his own son Prahlada. To circumvent the boon, Vishnu incarnated as Narasimha—neither man nor animal—and killed Hiranyakashipu at twilight, on a palace threshold, placing him on his lap and tearing him apart with his claws.