Scriptural Story of Lord Narasimha’s Birth
Lord Narasimha is believed to be the most ferocious incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He came to earth to destroy evil forces. It is celebrated on Vaisakh Chaturdashi or the 14th day of the Shukla Paksha and devotees choose to fast on this day. Lord Narasimha was Vishnu’s 4th incarnation. On this day, Lord Vishnu took the form of Narasimha, half lion, and half man, to kill the demon, Hiranyakashipu.
Hiranyakashipu: The Demon King
Hiranyakashipu was a demon who had become drunk on power. He coerced people into respecting him as God and demanded that they pray to him instead of other gods. He delighted in torturing and exploiting people. Through rigorous penance, he had persuaded Lord Brahma to grant him a boon by which neither animal nor man could kill him. Neither could he be killed by any weapons, during the day nor at night. Obviously, this made it very difficult for his foes to kill him.
Prahalada: A Great Devotee of Lord Vishnu
Ironically, Hiranyakashipu’s son, Prahalada, was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Only eight years old, he had the wisdom of an adult and knew right from wrong.
Hiranyakashipu tried to turn his son’s mind away from Lord Vishnu but failed. Nothing worked, not even threats. Then he tried to kill his son on several occasions, but Lord Vishnu always saved the boy. Finally. The Lord decided to put an end to the demon. He assumed the form of Narasimha, half man and half lion, to accomplish the task. As the demon was killed during the twilight hour, between daytime and night, and on the threshold of his palace, his boons did not help save his life.
Benefits of Observing Narasimha Jayanthi Vrat
The time of Lord Narasimha’s descent to earth to destroy the evil is believed to be highly auspicious. Observing a Narasimha Vrat during this period bestows many benefits.
- Bestows good health
- Gives freedom from dangers, ghosts, and evils
- Leads to spiritual progress and salvation
- Gives Siddhi and enlightenment
- Gives victory in court cases and enemies
- Enables the spiritual motivation of children
- Brings happiness and peace in the family
- Gives success & prosperity in life
This day has the power to eliminate negative traits like jealousy, ego, obstinacy, etc. traits that prevent you from moving forward in life.
Rituals for Narasimha Jayanthi
- Wake up early in the morning and take a bath.
- Wear new clothes.
- Observe fast and visit temples.
- Perform Pooja to Narasimha and Goddess Lakshmi.
- Take light food and break the fast the next day, after the Visarjana Pooja and giving daan (donation) to a Brahmin.
- No grains and cereals are taken during the fast.
- Worship Narasimha in the evening on the day of Vishaka Shukla Chaturdashi.
- Offer Jaggery and gram sprouts to the Lord.
- Read about the Narasimha avatar in the Bhagavata Purana.
- Donate to the poor and needy
