Ahobila Narasimha Paasurams : Periya Thirumozhi: 1.7.9 (Part I ) : PrahlAdha Sthuthi

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Nrusimha BhakthAs :

 

Let us reflect on the NINTH Paasuram of Kaliyan on AhobilaKshEthra

Naathan , Sri Lakshmi Narsimhan . This is a moving one :

 

nallai nenjE naamm thozhuthum nammudaya namperumAL alli mAthar

pulha ninRa aayiram thOLan-idam

nelli malhik-kalludaippap-pul ilai aarntu atharvaay

silli sill yenRu oll aRAtha SingavEL KunramE

 

Introductory Comments

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Lord Narasimhan has completed His avathAra Kaaryam .

He sat on the throne of HiraNyan to cleanse it of its dhOshams

and to consecrate it for the coronation of PrahlAdhan as the next

asura king . Brahma and Siva concluded their sthuthis of the Lord .

Our Lord's anger had still not subsided . DevAs requested

MahA Laskshmi to appear before the Lord to calm Him down .

She saw Her Lord in a form that She had not heard about or seen

before and wondered what this gigantic form with the head of

a lion and the body of a human was . Out of wonderment and fear ,

She did not choose to go near the angry Narasimham sitting on

the throne . Srimad BhAgavatham describes this scene as :

 

SaakshAth SrI: prEkshithA dEvai: dhrushtvA tanmahadhadhbhutham

adhrushta-asrutha poorvathvAth Saa nOpEyAya sankithA

 

Srimath BhAgavatham : 7.9.2

 

Brahma was now at his wit's end . He thought of an idea . PrahlAdhan

was standing next to him and told PrahlAdhan : " Oh dear Child ! Go near

and appease the Lord , who is still mighty angry at your deceased father ".

 

The child PrahlAdhan responded positively and slowly came close to

the Lord and prostrated before the Lord with folded hands .

 

The most compassionate Lord lifted the child that was prostrating

before Him and embraced the dear one and placed His lotus soft hands

on the child's head in benediction . PrahlAdhan was now rid of all his sins

from the Lord's kara sparsam and shed tears of happiness . He meditated

on the sacred feet of the Lord in his heart lotus. With a trembling voice

choked with emotions, PrahlAdhan began to praise the Lord . Here are

some slOkAs from Srimath BhAgavatham (Translations are from

Sri P.N.Krishnaswamy Iyengar of Coimbatore ) :

 

Srimath BhAgavatham : 7.9.9 " Oh Lord Narasimha ! I think that mere

riches (dhanam), family (abhijanam) , beauty (roopam) , penance (Tapas) ,

skils (Srutha) , strong will ( Ojas) and bodily appearance (dEha Kaanthi) ,

fame (PrabhAvam) , strength of body (Pourusham) , Balam , bravery ,

intelligence (Buddhi) and yoga practise -- all these twelve are not

useful for the worship of You ,the Lord , if wanting in Bhakti . Was it not

You , the Lord , pleased with the worship offered by a wild elephant

(GajEndhra) which was devoid of all these ?

 

SlOkam 7.9.10: " Oh Lord ! I think that a chandaaLa , with Bhakti , is far

superior to a Brahmin , who is possessed of all of the above 12 attributes

but wanting in Bhakthi . For that ChaNdaaLa with Bhakti , he purifies

himself and his whole clan ., whereas that proud brahmin does not

purify even his own self " .

 

Portion of SlOkam 7.9.14 : " Oh Lord ! Please control Your anger !

Let this avathAra of Yours be hereafter the object of meditation for

men to get rid of all fears in their lives ( roopam Nrusimha vibhayAya

janA: samaranthy) ."

 

Portion of SlOkam 7.9.15: " Oh Lord ! You are invincible . I am not

afraid of Your appearnace .... These Brahma and other gods may be

afraid of seeing You in this form after samhAram of my father . But ,

I am not afraid ".

 

SlOkam 7.9.24: " Oh Lord ! Knowing as I do that all the long life ,

wealth and prosperity that are enjoyable from Brahma downwards

are transient and fleeting . Those worldly pleasures are all subject to

You . Hence , please take me in the assembly of Your servants

(nijabhruthya paarsvam maamm upanaya) ".

 

SlOkam 7.9.50: " Oh Lord ! There are six ways to attain that Bhakti

towards You , (Viz)., (1) Prostration (2) Praising You (3) performing

aarAdhanam for You (4) keeping dharmAs (5) Meditation of Your

sacred feet (6)Hearing stories about You . These are the ways of real

devotes or BhaktAs or SanyAsis . Except by such sevA , it is not

possible to reach the path of such sanyAsis or to become Your BhakthA ."

 

Lord Narasimha was immensely pleased with the delightful and yet

humble eulogy of PrahlAdhan and spoke to the child with bent knees

in front of Him:

 

Vathsa PrahlAdha bhadhram tE preethOham tE asurOtthama

varam vruNeeshva abhimatham kaamapUrOasya aham nruNAm

 

Oh Child PrahlAdha ! All auspiciousness to You ! Ask me of any boons .

I am immensely pleased with thee . I am the fulfiller of all the prayers of

the devotees of Mine .

 

PrahlAdha Sthuthi concludes with Sukha Braham's statement that PrahlAdha ,

even though tempted by the Lord Himself with the choicest of boons ,

which would have naturally enticed comonfolk did not desire any such

boons even from the Lord Himself , since all his concentration and

dhyAnam was on Lord Bhagavaan Himself and not on any other .

 

Lord Narasimhan was touched by the great bhakthi displayed by

PrahlAdhan and became completely tranquil and approachable to

MahA Lakshmi and the Deva samooham .

 

Thirumangai covers what happened thereafter at Ahobilam

in this ninth Paasuram .

 

( To be continued)

Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Srimath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan