||    SrI Lakshmi Nrusimha Avathara Sthalam Mahimai    ||

I had a wonderful day visiting the web page created by Sriman Dileepan as a part of the 108 CD ROM project. I read the lovely articles of fellow BhakthAs , Sri MuraLi Rangaswamy , Sri Sudarshan and Sri MadhavakkaNNan that day . I remembered the request of Sri Mudumbi of Boise , Idaho about the Sri Lakshmi Nrusimah KarAvalampana sthOthram by Adi Sankara , a great BhakthA of Sri Lakshmi NBrusimhA . I thought I will share with you in a belated sense my reflections on that day and the translations of two brilliant and insightful tributes of Adi Sankara to Lord VishNu ( Sri Laksmi Nrusimha KarAvalampana SthOthram and ShatpdhI sthOthram ) .

The nine NarasimhAs of AhObilam
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The mangalAsAsana slOkam on the Nine Narasimhas is:

JwAlA Ahobila MaalOla Krodha Kaarancha Bhaargava: I
YogAnanda Kshathravata Paavana Nava MUrthaya : II

The individuality of each of these nine NarasimhAs can only be enjoyed by the darsanam of these ArchA MUrthys . I will breifly share with you the quick and brief impressions of my darsana soubhAgyam before I write about one slokam of Adi SankarA's two sthothrams in each of these postings devoted to Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan.

Nine NarasimhAs
****************

The first Azhagiyasingar had the divine command of Sri Nrusimha BhagavAn and established the Ahobila Matam in the year 1368 A.D. We will be celebrating the 600th anniversary of the founding of this Matam in September 1998 at Pomona , NY at Sri RanganathA Temple. The First Jeeyar , H.H. Sri Adi VaNN Satakopa Yatheendhra Mahaa Desikan had Sri Nrusimha SaakshAthkAram and the Lord MaalOlan jumped into his hands after being initiated by Nrusimha BhagavAn Himself into SanyAsAsramam earlier .

LOwer Ahobilam
***************

The abiding memory of Lower AhObilam for me is the Divya Mangala Vigraham of the First Jeeyar holding with great affection MaalOla Uthsava MUrthy next to his heart . This Uthsava mUrthy has travelled across the length and breadth of India on SanchAram to bless every one. PrahlAda Varadan with his Ubhaya NaacchiyArs and Garudan at the feet of the peetam is an eye filling sight.

This Lower Ahobila Narasimhan ( PrahlAda Varadan ) is the one , whom the boy Prahladan approached after the ferocious destruction of his offending father by Ugra Nrusimhan , the Ugra SthambhOthbhavar ( who came out of the pillar in the darbar hall of HiraNyakasipu ).
After destroying the offender , who insulted his bhakthan , the Lord was so ferocious and flames were surrounding Him . Nobody dared to approach this JwAlA Nrusimhan including MahA Lakshmi . BrahmA sent the Boy PrahlAdhan near the Lord and he fell at the Lord's feet . Our merciful Lord's anger subsided immediately and He lifted His bhakthan and placed His auspicious hand on PrahlAdan's Siras . PrahlAdan acquired from that kara sparsam , divya Jn~Anam and with tears of Joy rolling down his cheeks praised His Lord with 55 slOkams ( Srimadh BHAgavatham : 7th Canto, 9th Chapter). Fourty three of the 55 are SaakshAth ( Direct ) SthOthrams of The Lord by PrahlAdA . They have deep meanings . I will quote one that is a favorite of many BhagavathAs:

Balasya nEha SaraNam pitharou Nrusimha
nArhtasya chAgadhamudanvathi manjathO nou : I
tapthasya tath preethi vidhirya ihaanjasEshtas-
tAvadhvibhO tanubruthAm tvadhupEkshitham II

(Meaning): O BhagavAn NrusimhA ! Oh VibhO ! If you are not pleased , even the parents will not serve as the rakshakAs ( protectors ) of their own children ; the medicines will not have any healing power to cure the sick ; the boat will no longer protect the man drowning in the ocean . If that all powerful grace is not here , all the medicine and remedies prescribed for those suffering under the flames of the fierce samsAram will be totally ineffective and powerless.

Prahladan with his divya JN~Anam asks the Lord in a rhetorical sense: Taptasya tath prathividhi: Ya : ? Th Lord was pleased with the sincerity of the devotion of His bhakthA and states:

" Oh PrahlAdA !Long Life to you ! If one does not please me , it is impossible for him to have my darsanam . If one has my darsanam , he will never ever suffer any pain whatsoever . There will be no room for
even the minutest of sorrows for such a man .

The original slOkam containing the above revelation is:

maam apreenatha Aayushman darsanam dhurlabham hi mE I
dhrushtvA maam na puna: Janthu aathmAnam tapthum arhathi II

In the next slOkam, Prahlaada Varadhan amplified this thought link:

preeNayanthyEva hi maandheerA: sarvabhaavEna saadhava: I
srEyaskAmA mahA bhAgA : sarvasAm aasishAm pathim II

( Anvaya Kramam ) DheerA : Saadhava : srEyaskAmA; mahA
bhaavA: SARVASAAM AASISHAAM PATHIM MAAM Sarva bhAvEna
preeNanthi yEva hi ?

Here , Bhagavan equates the BhakthAs ( Saadhus ) of His to DheerA ; (Courageous Ones for their steadfast Bhakthi against all temptations) . He describes them furhter as SrEyas KaamA: mahA bhAvA: (Those great Ones , who seek the ultimate sukham of Moksham ) from HIm . He reveals Himself as the SarvasAm AsishAm Pathi: ( The One , who gives every soubhAgyam to His BhakthAs). He asks a rhetorical question :Do not they try to please Me by all possible means ( SravaNam ,Keerthanam , Dayam , Sakhyam , and other five means ) ending up with aathma nivEdanam .
That is the glory of PrahlAda Varadhan of Lower Ahobilam . At this sannidhi , we have the darsanam of the uthsava mUrthy of Ashta Bhuja JwAlA Nrusimhan laying HiraNya Kasipu on His lap and tearing apart his intestines and wearing them as garland . That is the JwAlA Nrusimhan that shed off His anger at the sight of Bhaktha Prahladan at His feet and became Saantha Narasimhan and the boon giver to PrahlAdan (PrahlAda Varadhan) .

Nava narasimhAs
****************

In the earlier posting , we referred to Ahobilam as the Nava Narasimha KshEthram . We discussed the mahimai (the glories) of prahalada Varadan of Lower Ahobilam temple in that posting. The nine others on upper and lower hills are : (1) Bhargava narasimhan (2) YogAnanda Narasimhan (3)Chathravata Narasimhan (4) Ugra or Ahobila Narasimhan (5) Krodaakara Or Varaha Narasimhan (6) Kaaranja Narasimhan (7)Malola Narasimhan (8) JwaalA narasimhan and (9) Paavana Narasimhan .

1 .Bhaargava Narasimhan
************************

Each of the nine Narasimha MUrthis have their own personalities. For Instance , Bhargava Narasimhan worshipped by Bhaargava Raaman ( Paasu Raaman ) is angry looking . Near by the temple of this Narasimhan , Parasu Raaman performed penance on the banks of Bhargava theertham ( pond ) . The site is two kilometers from the Lower Ahobilam temple. Swami Desikan's mangalAsAsanam of Bhargava Raaman is " KrOdhAgnim Jamadagni peetana bhavam santharpayishyan kramath--- ( This Lord , who killed 21 geenrations of KshathriyAs to appease the flames of anger over his father , Sage Jamadagni's , murder by a king ) . Thus , Bhargava Narasimhan worshipped by ParasurAman is older than RaamAvathAram .Later Dasaratha Raaman came to Ahobilam on the southward journey and worshipped MalOlan and composed Sri Nrusimha PanchAmrutha SthOthram .

2 .Yogaananda Narasimhan
*************************

He is seated with Yoga Pattai as at number of other Nrusimha Divya desams sung by the AzhwArs . The bliss coming from yoga samadhi is written largely on His beautiful face. This is the Naarasimha Vapu: SrimAn , who is saluted by the VishNu Sahasra Naamam : Om SadhA YoginE nama :( the One who is forever awake watching over His bahkthAs ) .He is the one saluted by the NaamAs 18-24 of Sri VishNu Sagasra naamams :

yOgO yOgavidAm nEthA pradhAna: PurushEsvara:
Naarasimha Vapu: SrimAn kEsava: PurushOtthama :

Everything related to Sri Narasimhan in general and YogAnanda Narasimhan is right here. YogA menas that He is the Supreme MEANS for Moksham . As SvetasvatAra Upanishad points out, " parAmruthAth parimuchyanthi sarvE " . Mukthi prApyathvam is only thru His grace . He is the Moksha hEthu (means for Salvation ) known as yOgA .

He is the leader (nEthA) among those , who know the rigors of Yogic practise ( YogavdAm nEthA ) ; He is the nirvAhan for them .This YogAnanda Narasimhan is the PradhAna PurushEsvaran ( the Master of the primordial matter and the Jeevans (PurushAs ) . He unites the changing Prakrithi and the unchanging Jeevans thru His maayA . He is the IsvarA for the Sarva BhUthams . That is His KrretA ( play ) . He has the Narasimha Vapu : (possesses the body of a man and the head of a Lion) and sits practising YogA as YogAnanda Narasimhan at Ahobilam . That He has a Lovely form inspite of His fear-provoking Jaws and manes is indicated by the sahasranAma Salutation : " SrimAn " . He is also Kesavan with the lovely locks of hair ( Pidari Mayir around His face and neck ) , as we have His darsanam as YogAnanda Narasimhan at a distance of 2 Kilometers South-East of lower AhObilam temple . He has a sweet smile and rsts His left hand on His left thigh .

3.Chathravata Narasimhan
**************************
We have the darsanam of this MUrthy at the bottom of a peepal tree surrounded by thorny bushes . Chathram means umbrella or a cover .Vatam means the white Basil ( peepal tree) . The symbolic reference here is to the 827th sahasranAmam of our Lord : Om nyagrOdhumbaraya Nama: " . Bhagavan Chathra Vata Narasimhan with His extended Abhaya hastham is both NyagrOdhAn and Udumbaran . He is NyagrOdhan because He is anchored at the foot of a tree with side branches (vizhuthu vittu nirpathu pOl) and is prevented from going elsewhere by the BhakthAs standing below Him praying for His darsanam . He is the Udumbaran because He is the supreme abode (ud+ambaran) with the most auspicious guNAs (kalyAna GuNAs) and riches including Sri Devi and His Vaikunta ParivArams. This Udumbaran (supreme One) is yet reachable by the lowliest ones because of His soulabhyam. Such is the glory of the Lord seated on the wayside under the glory of His umbrella (Chathra Vata Varadha Narasimhan).

4. AhObila Narasimhan
**********************

On upper AhObilam, at a distance of 8 Kilometers from PrahlAdha Varadan Sannidhi, we have the darsanam of this Svayambhu mUrthy known as Ugra Narasimhan . The sixth Azhagiya Singar of Ahobila Mutt peetam was a siddhi purushan of Ugra Narasimha Manthram . He composed Nrusimha Sthavam on this Lord. He is revered as Sri Shashta ParAnkusa Yatheendhra mahA Desikan. He is said to have walked into a cave nearby and never returned. The twenty fifth Azhagiya Singar of AhObila Mutt paramparai had similar manthra sakthi and is revered as Sri Srinivasa Yatheendhra MahA desikan. In this line of Ugra Narasimha Manthra UpAsakaas came the 28th simhAsanAdhipathi (Sri Ranganatha Yatheendhra MahA Desikan), the 33th Azhagiya Singhar (Sri SatakOpa Yatheendhra MahA dEsikan) and the 40th Azhagiya Singar (Sri Ranganatha SatakOpa Yatheendhra Mahaa dEsikan).

5. KrOdAkaara ( VarAha ) Narasimhan
************************************

One Kilometer away from Ugra Narasimhan Sannidhi is located VarAha Narasimha Swamy"s temple at upper AhObilam.His ThirumEni is covered with Manjal ( Turmeric powder ) and and Kumkumam and wild flowers of the forest . Infront of Him are Akal ViLakkus . The simplicity of the Lord with the face of a VarAham accompanied by Mahaa Lakshmi is a beautiful sight .

The relvance of VarAha mukam on Lakshmi Nrusimhan can be guessed from the 8 Sri VishNu Sahasra Naamams starting with " MahA varahO and ending with Chakra GadhA Dhara :

mahAvarAhO Govindha: sUshENa: kanakaangadhee I
guhyO gabhirO gahanO Guptha: Chakra gadhAdhara: II

He is the MahA varAhan , who lifted the Earth from the nether-world with His tusk and emerged as a great blue mountain . He is the One , who gave us the MahA VarAha Prapatthi slOkam asuring that He will come to the rescue of His bhakthAs , when they lie senseless like stone or wood during the last moments of their lives .

As Govindhan , He rescued ( vinda ) Earth ( gO ) as Govindhan .As Su-sEnan or the One , who is equipped with an efficient army-like body . It helps Him tear apart the enemies of His BhakthAs ( the offending HiraNyan , who tormented PrahlAdhan ). Those arms also lifts His BhakthAs like PrahlAdhan . He is Guhyan or concelaed as VisvAntharyAmi in every blade of grass and stone . He came out of the pillar of HiraNyan's palace as SthambhOthvan . He is Narasimha Garbham in the Guhyaa state .

He is Gahanan , whose qualities and sankalpams are unfathomable .He is also Gupthan or is the hidden One in our heart caves. He is chakra-gadhAdharan and is the Sriman Narasimha VarAhan (KrOdhAkAra Narasimhan) with Sudarsanam and gathai (mace) in His hands.

6. Kaaranja Narasimhan
**********************

The Sannidhi for Kaaranja Narasimhan is not too far from that of Ugra Narasimhan . Here sits the Lord in PadmAsanam poisture with a welcoming smile under the shade of the hood of Adi Seshan . The mUla BhEram is installed under a Kaaranja tree and therefore He is known as Kaaranja Narasimhan .

7. MaalOla Narsimhan
**********************

Two kilometers away from Ugra narasimhan sannidhi is the AsthAnam of MaalOlan or the Supreme One beloved by Lakshmi (Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan). He is the one, who jumped into the hands of the First Jeeyar of AhObila Matam , who established this Matam on direct command of BhagavAn Narasimhan Himself. He is the AarAdhana mUrthy of the AhObila Matam Jeeyars and travels with them on their sanchArams around India . He is seen at the silver mantapam of the Ahobila Matam sannidhi. We will refer to the union of this Aradhana mUrhty of Ahobila matam with the mUla BhEram of MalOlan on top of Ahobilam hills later.

8. JwAlA Narasimhan
********************

This mUrthy is at a temple on a hill called AchalAchaya Meru that is four kilometers from Ugra Narasimha Swamy. This is considered the spot, where Lord NarasimhA's anger grew to the highest level during and after the tearing apart of HiraNyan .

There are three mUrthams at this sannidhi . At the center is the JwAlA Narasimhan with Garudan at His feet . He is holding HiraNyan's head and
ankles with one set of hands ; with the third and fourth hands , He is tearing apart the stomach of HiraNyan ; with the fifth and the sixth hands , He is holding Chakram and Sankham ; with the seventh and the eighth hands , he is pulling the two strands of HiraNyan"s intestines up and wearing them as a garland around His neck .The Uthsava mUrthy of JwAlA Narasimhan is at the Lower AhObilam temple with 10 hands and is the most awesome ArchA mUrthy to behold !

The second mUrtham on the right side is that of SthambhOthbhavar , who is jumping out of the pillar that HiraNyan hit with anger asking his son as a retort whether VishNu was in that pillar . Out comes the Lord in a fearsome form that sent a chill around the spine of HiraNyan .

The third mUrtham is that of the Lord chasing and grabbing HiraNyan , who has a sword on his hand . The movement of the feet of the Lord is so beautiful and the stunned look of HiraNyan is so realistic. The mouth of the Lord is open in rage and one can hear almost the angry roar that deafened the world . The impending " calamity " is writ largely in the eyes of the defiant HiraNyan . You must visit the home pages created lovingly by Sri Dileepan to fully appreciate the beauty of this Lord , who jumped out of the Pillar on demand , chased the arrogant asuran and tore him apart in anger .

9. Paavana Narasimhan
***********************

Near JwaalA Narasimhan Sannidhi , Paavana Narasimhan is located right on the banks of the Paavana river. Paavanam means pure and sacred . Nothing can be more sacred than the charithram of the Vaikunta Kanteeravan . He is the one worshipped as Om PavithrAya nama: He is Purity incarnate. He is also saluted as " Om Parasmai MangaLaaya nama:". He is He is the embodiment of Supreme Auspiciousness and Purity . He is "atharangam anirdEsyam apadhAnandha LakshaNam ( bliss incarnate , whose nature is steady , indefinable and indescribable ). Pavaana Narasimhan sits on the banks of the cool river in a tranquil state , steady and motionless . He is sweet as the nectar ( sAntham anudhAdhAtham atharangam t*ruptham amrutham Param Brahama SvarUpam ) .

The Union of the Uthsava MaalOlan with the Moolavar
****************************************************

Some six hundred years ago and a few years after Swami Desikan's ascent to Sri Vaikuntam , Adi VaNN SatakOPa Jeeyar was initiated into SanyAsAsramam by BhagavAn Narasimhan Himself at AhObilam . At that time, when the first Jeeyar wondered about which of the nine Narasimhaa will be his ArAdhana MUrthy , MaalOlan jumped into his hands and has been travelling ever since with every Jeeyar of Ahobila Matam. For many
years , the mUla MUrthy and the travelling ArchA mUrthy did not offer their darsanam together like in the days before , when the Uthsavar jumped into the hands of Sri Adi VaNN SatakOpa Jeeyar and descend from the AhObilam hills to visit His bahkthAs . Many years went by. The mUla
BHEram had to wait for a few centuries for a reunion with the Uthsava mUrhty and their joint ArAdhanam by the Ahobila Matam Jeeyars.

The first of this great Union happened during November 26, 1992. Since that historic time, there have been seven sErthis (Reunions) initiated by the Current Jeeyar of AhObila Mutt , Sri NarAyaNa Yatheendra MahA Desikan . These dates of reunion at Ahobilam hills are:

First: November 26, 1992 ( Year Aangeerasa , Month Kaarthikai)
Second: March 2, 1993 ( Aangeerasa Maasi Month )
Third: October 3, 1993 ( Srimuka Purattasi Month )
Fourth: March 20, 1994 ( Srimuka Panguni Month )
Fifth: October 8, 1996 ( Yuva PurattAsi Month )
Sixth: March 9, 1997 (DhAthru Maasi Month )
Seventh:March 8, 1998 ( Isvara Maasi Month )

Blessed are those , who climbed these sacred hills with Sri Azhagiya Singar and had SamAsrayaNams and BaranyAsams in front of the Uthsava and mUla BhEra MaalOlans.

ahO Veeryam ahO Souryam
ahO Baahuparakrama:
Naarasimham param dhaivam
ahObilam ahO Balam

NamO Nava NarasimhAya ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

The First SlOkam of Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha SthOthram of Adi SankarA
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Srimath payOnidhi nikEtana ChakrapANE
bhOgeendhra BhOga maNi ranjitha puNya mUrthE I
Yogeesa sAsvatha SaraNya bhavAdhi pOtha
LakshmI Nrusimha maa dEhi karAvalampam II

(Anvaya kramam /Prose order) : Srimath PayOnidhi NikEtana !
ChakrapANE ! BhOgeendhra BhOga maNi ranjitha puNya
mUrthE ! Yogeesa! Saasvatha ! SaraNya ! BhavAbthipOtha!
Lakshminrusimha ! mama karAvalampam dEhi .

Each of the words chosen by Adi Sankara is precious and powerful . The waves of thoughts associated with them are profound in the context of Vedams , Upanishads and Bhagavadh Vishayam . Let us enjoy the deeper meanings of the 8 namaskArams or naamArchanais that Adi Sankara performed during his appeal for protection .

1 .Srimath PayOnidhi nikEtana: As all auspicious pronouncements about the Lord have to begin with the Sri sabdhaham , Adi Sankara follows this ancient custom embedded in the dhvaya manthram ( Sriman NaarAyana charaNou SaraNam prapadhyE ) and addresses the Lord as Srimath or the One who possesses all the wealth and riches possessed by Him as a result of the auspcious glances of MahA Lakshmi , which in turn identifies Him as LakshmI Narasimhan , LakshmI Hayagreevan , LakshmI NarayaNan , Sriya: pathi , MaalOlan , SrIdharan et al .

He has Srimath Gaambheeryam as well ,as He sits in the court of His bhakthAs and BhaagavathAs . He has that Srimath Gaambheeryam (auspicious majesty) because of Her presence next to Him . She is " MaanAtheetha prathitha vibhavA , MangaLam mangaLAnAM ( She is of limitless glory and is the inner auspicious power of all auspicious entities ) . Her BhUmA (wealth) extends from Sri Vaikuntam to the Milky Ocean and the lotus forests of the Earth , which She elects as one of Her places of residence besides the Lord's chest . Adi sanakara seems to suggest ,

" SrEyOmUrthim Sriyam AsaraNa: tvAm SaraNyAm prapadhyE
( I who has no other refuge perform my saraNAgathi at
Your auspicious feet ).

The second word of this first namaskAram is ( Srimath ) PayOnidhi nikEtana . The Lord of LakshmI is visualized here as the resident of the Milky Ocean where the waves striking His holy feet break up into white pearl-drops as described by Sri Kulasekara In his his beautiful Mukunda MaalA. There He rests with His consort on the bed of AdisEshan. This is the VyUha state of the Lord.The VimAnam here is AshtAnga VimAnam .There are 51 paasurams for this divya desam that we can not see in our bodily state .

PeriyAzhwAr addresses this KsheerAbdhi naathan as " Paarkadal VaNNA !, PaaRkadaluL paLLi koLhinRa parama mUrthy ! ". ANDAL salutes Him as " pARkadalUL paiyaatthuyinRa paraman " in Her Thiruppaavai and " Pongiya PaaRkadal paLLIkoLvAn " in Her NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi . Kulasekara salutes Him as " pARkadaluL thuyilum MaayOn " . " Naaga mUrthy sayanamAi nalam kadal kidanthu " is the MangalAsAsanam of Thirumazhisai. Thirumangai addresses Hima s " ParamanE pARkadal KidanthAnE " . NammAzhwAr salutes Him as " pARkadal pAmpaNai mEl paLLIkondu aruLum seethanai " . The Lord's VyuhA state is thus adequately saluted by Adi SankarA in the line of the AzhwArs .

2 . ChakrapANE ! The Lord with the shining disc , Sudarsana chakram , is revered here. The hand of the Lord holding the divine disc is addressed endearingly as ChakrapANE . Our Lord Uses His chakram resting in His hand as PrayOga chakram to use against the enemies of His BhakthAs or as SamAsrayaNa chakram to imprint the seal of Disc on the right hand shoulders of humans to initiate them into the fold of Sri VaisshNavAs as he did atthe divya desam of NaacchiyAr Koil , when He initiated Thirumangain Mannan and conferred Sri VishNava Sri on him .

NammAzhwAr salutes this ChakrapANi in his Thiruvaimozhi 5.1.1: " KaiyAr chakkarathen karumANikkamE --" . Here AzhwAr concedes that the dear One shining like a gem holding Sudarsana Chakram in His hand was won over notwithstanding his hypocisy in devotion to Him .That is the power of ChakrapANi .

Sudarsanan is hailed as AayudhEsvara ( the Lord of the weapons of Sriman naarAyaNan ) . ChakrapANi is the SarvEsvara, the Lord of the Lord of Weapons . He has an esteemed place on the right hand of the Lord and gives him the name ChakrapANi .

3.BhOgeendhra BhOga maNI ranjitha puNya mUrthE ! This is the third namaskaraNam . BhOgeendhran is the Lord of Serpents , AdisEshan . On his thousand hoods are sparkling rathnams that illuminate the dark blue body of the auspicious Lord , which shines with an extraordinary red hue.

In his very first verse of PerumAL Thirumozhi , Kulasekara AzhwAr describes this beautiful scene at Srirangam , where the red rays emanating from the rubies on the thousand hoods of AdisEshA cast their unparalleled glow on the body of the Lord .

4. yOgeesa ! The tribute here is to YogAnandha Narasimhan , who sits in Yogic posture as at AhObilam ,ThiruvELukkai , Sholigar divya desam and ThiruvallikkENi . This Yoga Nrusimhan taught Yogic secrets to His parama Bhakthan, PrahlAdan . He invited PrahlAdan with aahlAvana mudhrA and sat him on His lap and taught him the intricate Yoga saasthram .

Swami Desikan in the fifth verse of KamAsikhAshtakam salutes this Yogeesan :

"-- paryanka sthira dhAraNA prakatitha prathyak
mukha avasthithi: , prAyENa praNIpEthushAm
prabhurasou YOGAM NIJAM SIKSHAYAN --KamAsikhA KesarI " .

Swami Desikan had saluted earlier the RamaNeeya ParyankAsaanam, Bhanthum akilasya JanthO: Bhanthura paryanka bhandara RAMANEEYAM. (Sriman Sudarsanan has commented beautifully on this slOkam earlier ).In the fifth slOkam , Swami Desikan describes the AhAryan aspect of Yoga Nrusimhan seated with Yoga Pattai teaching Yogam ( dhyAnam about Him )to all those , who approached Him for such instruction . This group is led by PrahlAdan .

5. Saasvatha ! He is eternal and the Sarva Seshi . He is the Ucchishta Brahmam , who is the enduring principle .

6. SaraNya ! He is the Loka SaraNyan . He is the home for PrapannAs . With MahA VisvAsam about the Lord's SaraNYa rakshakthvam , the prapannAs thru AchArya Mukam perform their prapatthis at the lotus feet of the SaraNyan and He keeps after His vow of protecting them as the Sarva janthu SaraNya mUrthy . The reference is to the Charama Slokam of Srimadh Bhagavadh GitA , Abahaya PradhAnam by Sri RamachandrA and the assurance given by Sri Lakshmi Varahan to PrapannAs .

7. BhavAbhdhi pOtha ! He is the boat to transport us safely across the turbulent and fearsome ocean of SamsArAm . He is " YugyyAna Cinthyan " or the object of DhyAnam by Yogis to attain freedom from the cycles of births and deaths ( SamsAram or Bhavam ) . He is Vara GuNa arNavan (the ocean of auspicious attributes). He takes the form of a secure boat to transport us across BhavArNavam to His parama padham .Therefore, he is the BhavAbdhi pOthan . The whole concept of the Divya desam , ThirunAvAi in KeraLA is about this Naavam (NoukA )aspect of the Lord .

8. Lakshmi Nrusimha ! ( mama dEhi karAvalampam ) : Here in a spirit of utter helplessness ( aakinchanyam and KaarpaNyam ) , Adi Sankara appeals to the Lord LakshmI Nrusimhan to rush to his rescue as the flames are engulfing his body . Thrice has Adi sanakra has been saved by the grace of Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan . Here , Adi SankarA asks the Lord to give His hand to lift him out of his miseries. The spirit of Adi sankarA's prayer is covered by Swami Desikan 's KamAsikAshataka slokam ( #3 ) :

aakuntam aadi Purusham Kanteeravam upari kuntitha arAthim
vEgOpakantasangAth Vimuktha Vaikunta bahumathim upAsE

( Meaning ) : Our Lord Narasimhan's body structure is awe inspiring and mysterious . From head to His neck , he has the usual form of Sriman NaarAyaNan . Above the neck , He has the head of a Lion ( Simham ). With this mysterious form , he took the role of kapata Narasimhan to destroyHiraNyan and bypass the power of his boons . Appreciating the special beauty of the banks of the Vegavathi river , our VaikuntanAthan has put a lower priority on the soukyam of residing in parama padham and has decided to stay instead at ThiruvELukkai divya desam near Kanchipuram .

Sri LakshmI Narasimham yeedE !
Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

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