Lakshmi Nrsimha KarAvalambha Stotra

[Guest guest]

There are two Lakshmi Nrsimha Karavalambha Stotras. The first one

was written by Adi Sankaracharya. The story as I have heard it goes

like this. Sri Sankara had agreed to debate someone and the topic

included discussion on Kama Sutra. Since Sri Sankara was a

brahmachari and had no experience with Kama. He therefore through

Yogic power left his body and entered that of a recently deceased

king in Assam. Before he did so he asked his disciples to protect

his body till he came back. The king was a drunkard etc. All of a

sudden the king started practicing all his religious rites and did

not go near alcohol. The queen was overjoyed with this especially

since the king spent more time with her than ever before. But she

suspected that this amazing transformation could only be because a

great soul had possessed her husband's body. In order not to lose

this association she instructed her soldiers to find and burn any

corpse they might come across. The soldiers eventually found

Sankara's disciples protecting his body and using brute force

overcame the resistance of Sankara's disciples and set it on fire.

Adi Sankaracharya in the meantime realized what was happening

returned to his body and composed and sang the KarAvalambha stotra to

Lakshmi Nrsimha who came and saved Him. If anyone can either vouch

for the authenticity of this story or correct what I have heard

please let me know.

 

The composition of the 44th Jeer has the same 4th line in every verse

i.e. Lakshmi Nrsimha Mama Dehi KarAvalambam, but the rest of the

composition is different.

 

Jaganath.