Narsimha Avatar - The Furious Yet Blissful Incarnataion of a Half Man and a Half Lion!

When Varaah, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, incarnated on the Earth and vanquished Hiranyaksh, Hiranyakashipu, the brother of Hiranyaksh, was infuriated and determined to seek revenge. He went to Mt. Mandrachal and performed difficult austerities. Brahma was pleased with his devotion and granted him a boon. Hiranyakasipu wanted to cheat Brahma by indirect definition. First of all he wanted to become immortal. Brahma said, “That is not possible because even I am not immortal. Nobody in this material world is immortal. So that is not possible."

So Hiranyakasipu prayed to Brahma that “Please give me the benediction that...
I shall not be killed by any man or any animal.
I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water or on land.
I shall not be killed by any man-made weapons." 

In this way he utilized his intelligence in so many ways just to come to the conclusion of being immortal.

Brahma granted Hiranyakashipu this boon. Thereafter, Hiranyakashipu terrorized the three lokas with his newly acquired invincibility. He became arrogant and demanded that everyone should worship him as GOD. While Hiranyakashipu was performing penances, the child in his wife Kayadhu’s womb frightened Indra. Indra kidnapped her, but he encountered Naradji, who persuaded him to release Kayadhu. Naradji took her to his ashram and instructed her to worship Vishnu. During this time, Naradji read scriptures describing Lord Vishnu’s lilas to her. The child in her womb, Prahlad, became absorbed in Lord Vishnu’s bhakti. 

After Prahlad was born, Hiranyakashipu made several attempts to kill him because of his unflinching faith in Lord Vishnu. He used to love his son but when Prahlad refused to obey his orders and worshiped Lord Vishnu, the frustrated Hiranyakashipu became the worst enemy of his own son and tried to kill him by all means. Prahlad tried explaining the importance of performing bhakti and worshiping God, but his father, evil in nature, could not understand the glory of God. Without a moral conscience, Hiranyakashipu continued to terrorize thousands of people. 

Hiranyakashipu tried to torture Prahlad by throwing him down cliffs, getting him stamped by elephants, locking him in a room with many piosonous snakes, throwing him mid of the ocean but nothing happened to the great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Although Hiranyakashipu made several attempts to kill his son, but every time Prahlad without getting disturb kept on chanting “Aum Namo Bhagavate Vaasudevaay” with a gentle smile on face!! God saved him every time.

Finally, Hiranyakashiapu turned to his sister Holika. She was blessed by a boon which made her immune to fire. So her brother asked Holika to enter a fire with Prahlad in her lap. The demon king was sure that there was no way Vishnu could save Prahlad from death now! Holika sat on a pyre and coaxed young Prahlad to sit in her lap. Hiranykashipu ordered the attendants to light the pyre. Holika had to pay the price of her cruelty with her life. Holika was burned to death. Lord Vishnu  blessed him once again for his unwavering devotion.

Once, Prahlad was explaining the omnipresent glory of God to his father. Hiranyakashipu asked if Bhagawan was present in the room in a heated pillar. Prahlad reaffirmed that Bhagawan is everywhere, even in that pillar. Hiranyakashipu became angry and struck the pillar with his sword. From the pillar, Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Narasimha Bhagawan, whose upper body was that of a lion and lower body that of a man. He caught Hiranyakashipu and dragged him towards the threshold of his palace near doorstep and put Hiranyakashipu on His thighs.

The Lord roared angrily, “ O Hiranyakashipu! Look... 

you are neither in the sky nor on the earth, you are on my thigh.

It is neither day not night, it is twilight.

I am neither a human being nor an animal.

You are neither in your home nor outside your home, you are on the threshold.

You will be killed neither by any shastra nor any astra, its my claws!! "

Saying that Narasimha Bhagawan tore his belly with His nails.

Prahlad bowed down to Narasimha Bhagawan’s feet and received his blessings. He offered a unique prayer in which he requested forgiveness and devotion for his father and himself. Narasimha Bhagawan gave Prahlad his blessings and appointe him as the king. Prahlad ruled as a righteous king for 36,000 years!

How gracious is God! He took completely unimaginable form, just to protect His bhakt!

Bhagawan always protects His bhakt and for that He can do anything, can take any form and perform any Leela!!

Shree Vallabhacharya Jayanti!

Day-long schedule for a Child

Prepare breakfast containing milk, cream, butter, curd, mishri, and mathari with pickle.

Wake up a little Child with ringing of bells and clapping.

Lift up the Baby with gentle care and softly put Him on His seat.

Offer Him a breakfast which is suitable to His age and taste.

Also, simultaneously clean His bed by removing old bedsheet and spreading a fresh one, removing the pillow and arranging soft cushions for support.

After the breakfast, clean His mouth with gentle care.

When the breakfast is well-digested, bathe the Baby with lukewarm water mixed with rose petals or saffron. Very gently sprinkle the water on His charming body with lotus flower.

Makeover the Child with Tilak on forehead, dresses according to the season, beautiful ornaments, soft garland of different flowers, and a peacock feather.

When the Child is ready, show Him a mirror to look Himself at.

Offer Him varieties of toys and musical instruments to play.

When the Child is done with makeover and plays, offer Him a glass of sweet milk.

Send the Child to play with His friends and pets.

When the Child is back, offer Him a rich lunch with delicious sweets and not-so-spicy but yummy food verities.If the child goes far with the pets, give Him a lunch-box containing nutritive food.

After the lunch, gently wash His mouth.

Now He must be tired, so allow Him to sleep.

Close the curtains and doors to avoid glares of sunlight and noise.

Again in the early evening, wake up the Child with sweet and not-so-loud songs.

Offer Him some fruits and dry fruits.

Again get Him ready with the evening-wears which are suitable to the season. Apply some perfume on it. 

Offer Him toys and musical instruments to play.

Offer very light food with kheer as a dinner.

Clean His mouth gently.

Prepare His bed with perfumes and rose petals.

Get Him ready to sleep with soft night-suit and apply some perfume on it. 

Place Him on the bed and cover His little body with silken quilt.

Sing lullaby of bed-time melodies to make Him sleep!!!

As an occasional schedule, celebrate all the festivals like Uttarayan, Holi, Ratha-Yatra, Janmashtami, Radhashtami, Sharad Poornima, etc. with different themes, decorations, gifts and yummy foods to entertain this Child!!

No..no, this is not a daily schedule of a mother of an ordinary child! It is a prescribed schedule in Pushtimarg for a Divine Child Shree Nathaji!! Shreenathji is a form of Shree Krishna, manifest as a seven-year-old child. Lord Shrinathji symbolizes a form of Lord Krishna, when He lifted the 'Govardhan' Hill. He is also known as Giriraj Dharan!

Vallabhacharya, who was the founder of Pushtimarg, was worshiping Shree Krishna as a Child. He had a parental sentiments for God and so he prescribed various sevas for the whole day from early morning to night to engage mentally and physically with God.

In Indian philosophy, he is also known as the writer of sixteen stotras, as well as several commentaries on the Shreemad Bhagawatam, describing the pastimes of Lord Krishna. He was considered to be one of the five great Vaishnav Acharyas of the past, who established Vaishnav schools, the others being Ramanujacharya, Madhavacharya, Nimbarkacharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.