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