Few of the thousands of stories found in the Puranas (Hindu mythological scriptures) have as much beauty, poignancy, and moral and intellectually daring as the tale of Narasimha, who has the head of a lion and the body of the man. He's the fourth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu.

The circumstances under which Lord Vishnu descends to earth in the form of Narasimha are to be found in the fact, as enumerated in the Puranas, than in his previous incarnation as Varaha (the boar), Lord Vishnu had killed the Asura (demon) Hiranyaksha, and consequently filled his elder brother, Hiranyakashipu, with a burning desire of revenge. While commanding the asuras to create havoc on earth, Hiranyakashipu himself prepared for the battle with Lord Vishnu by practicing the most severe austerities, the effect of which was that he acquired the most tremendous powers. For scores of years he stood still on Mount Mandara, and though ant hills, grass, and plants grew on his body, he would not stir; the rivers and oceans trembled; the volcanoes roared and the earth shook; and the astral bodies went astray. The fiery smoke emanating from Hiranyakashipu’s very head left a massive trail of destruction, and the panic-stricken devas or gods, led by Indra, finally made their way to Brahma, the Creator's abode. Warning him that the worlds of his own creation would soon become extinct, the devas pleaded with Brahma to intercede, whereupon Brahma, declaring himself pleased at the immense austerities practiced by Hiranyakashipu, agreed to grant him any boon, hopeful that he would cease to terrorize the world and the devas.

Such is the tapas, the fire of Hiranyakashipu’s sacrifice and discipline, that even the Gods must render him obeisance. Hiranyakashipu receives from Brahma a boon that he shall "never be killed by these means: the striking and throwing weapons of my enemies, thunderbolt, dried tree-trunks, high mountains, by water or fire." Drought, fire, earthquakes, thunder, hurricanes, and all other manner of natural calamities: from all these he shall have immunity. Most decisively, Hiranyakashipu appears to have clinched his immortality when it is agreed that he shall not be slain in heaven, on earth, in the daytime, at night, from neither above nor below, and most importantly neither by man nor animal. In his arrogance, however, Hiranyakashipu fails to distinguish between Lord Vishnu and the other devas, and finds it beneath his dignity to ask that the boon should confer on him the power to withstand Lord Vishnu.

Emboldened by the boon, Hiranyakashipu and his asuras lose no time in bringing the entire world under their jurisdiction, dominating the devas, and creating a reign of absolute terror. This time, feeling betrayed by Lord Brahma, the devas approach Lord Vishnu, who consoles them with the observation that the seeds of Hiranyakashipu’s destruction are planted in his own home. If virtuous parents do not always have virtuous offspring, wicked-minded fathers do not always seed wicked-minded children. Hiranyakashipu’s own son, Prahlad, is a devoted follower of Lord Vishnu, and his father’s ceaseless efforts to make him abandon his faith do not bear fruit. He is subjected to much pain and suffering; asuras are let loose at him; and he is thrown down a cliff. Yet Prahlad outlives all these attempts at terminating his life. Immensely pleased by his devotion, Lord Vishnu at last decides to intercede directly. Descending to earth in the form of Narasimha, Lord Vishnu appears before the complaisant Hiranyakashipu. As half-man (nara) and half-lion (simha), He is neither man nor lion; He springs out of a pillar; He strikes at twilight, when it is neither day nor light; and He attacks Hiranyakashipu at the threshold of his palace, under the arch of the doorway, neither on earth nor in the sky. Narasimha throws Hiranyakashipu upon His thighs and rips apart his bowels with His claws.

In the destruction of Hiranyakashipu, went along with him was his ignorance, false ego and other immoral values. But yet, in this world, there are still millions of Hiranyakashipus in the form of organised religions' leaders & preachers, corrupted politicians and terrorists. And Adharma (unrighteous ways) is never eternal and it will be crushed to death like how Narasimha did to Hiranyakashipu.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws