vāg-īśā yasya vadane
lakṣmīr yasya ca vakṣasi
yasyāste hṛdaye samvit
taṁ nṛsiṁham ahaṁ bhaje
“I worship Lord Nṛsiṁha, within whose mouth reside the great masters of eloquence, upon whose chest resides the goddess of fortune, and within whose heart resides the divine potency of consciousness.” [This verse above was composed by Śrīdhara Svāmī before beginning his commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.87.1]
namas te narasiḿhāya
prahlādahlāda-dāyine
hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ-
śilā-ṭańka-nakhālaye
ito nṛsiḿhaḥ parato nṛsiḿho
yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiḿhaḥ
bahir nṛsiḿho hṛdaye nṛsiḿho
nṛsiḿham ādiḿ śaraṇaḿ prapadye
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛńgaḿ
dalita-Hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛńgam
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
Jaya Nṛsiṁhadeva! Jaya Nṛsiṁhadeva! Nṛsiṁhadeva! Jaya Nṛsiṁhadeva!
Jaya Prahlāda Mahārāja! Jaya Prahlāda Mahārāja! Prahlāda Mahārāja! Jaya Prahlāda Mahārāja!
Śrī Nṛsiṁhadeva Bhagavān ki Jaya!
Bhagavān Nṛsiṁhadeva ki śubha āvirbhava tithi ki Jaya!
Bhakta pravara Prahlāda Mahārājaa ki Jaya!
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Svāmī:
vāg-īśā yasya vadane
lakṣmīr yasya ca vakṣasi
yasyāste hṛdaye samvit
taṁ nṛsiṁham ahaṁ bhaje,
taṁ nṛsiṁham ahaṁ bhaje,
taṁ nṛsiṁham ahaṁ bhaje
[This verse above was composed by Śrīdhara Svāmī before beginning his commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.87.1]
This is a prayer offer[ed] by [the] demigods to the Supreme Lord in the prison-house of Kaṁsa when Kṛṣṇa was about to appear, in the womb of Devakī. This is the prayer, the demigod’s prayer.
matsyāśva-kacchapa-nṛsiṁha-varāha-haṁsa-
rājanya-vipra-vibudheṣu kṛtāvatāraḥ
tvaṁ pāsi nas tribhuvanaṁ ca tathādhuneśa
bhāraṁ bhuvo hara yadūttama vandanaṁ te
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 20.299]
"O Yadūttama, O best of the Yadu dynasty, You appear in many many incarnations: Matsyā incarnation: fish; Kūrma: tortoise incarnation; Varāha: boar incarnation; Hayagrīva: horse, Hayagrīva incarnation; Nṛsiṁha; Haṁsa; Vāmana; Balarāma; Rāmacandra; Buddha; Kalki, etc. They are all līlā-avatāras. You assume all these various līlā-avatāras, appear here, in this material world to annihilate the demons, those who are great burdens on Mother Earth. Thereby you lessen her burden. Therefore we all offer our obeisances to You repeatedly.”
In Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛta, Rūpa Gosvāmī has said: parāvastha-avatāra ṣāḍguṇyaṃ parikīrtitam –Six types of opulences in whom you find is known as parāvastha-avatara. What [are] [these]? All opulence, all strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge, detachment, renunciation. These six types of opulence are parāvastha-avatāra. Three are parāvastha-avatāra: Nṛsiṁha, Rāmacandra, Kṛṣṇa. In these three, these six types of opulence are completely full. Though these three are parāvastha-avatāra, still, Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān.
In Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛta, quoting statement of Bilvamaṅgala , Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhu says:
santv avatārā bahavaḥ
puṣkara-nābhasya sarvato-bhadrāḥ
kṛṣṇād anyaḥ ko vā latāsv
api prema-do bhavati
[Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 3.27]
“Though Padmanābha, that means [from] whose navel a lotus stem sprouts, [He] is Padmanābha, has many, many avatāras, all auspicious avatāras, still, Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān who even gives prema to a creeper.” Nobody gives prema, Kṛṣṇa gives. And the special characteristic of Kṛṣṇa avatāra is that Rāma and Nṛsiṁha kill demons, many demons, but none of them got mukti. Those who are killed by Rāma and Nṛsiṁha, they have not gotten mukti. They again were born here. Again they were born as demons or great kṣatriyas. But those who are killed by Kṛṣṇa or killed in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra seeing Kṛṣṇa, they all got mukti. They all got mukti. This is the special characteristic of Kṛṣṇa. Though these three are parāvastha-avatāra.
Kṛṣṇa is very beautiful, the source of all beauty, mādhurya-ka nilaya – very sweet, magnanimous, mūrti. As He is beautiful, sweet, similarly magnanimous also. Somehow, think of Kṛṣṇa, attach your mind to Kṛṣṇa. Even, Kṛṣṇa is the object of love; if he, if someone develops love for Kṛṣṇa, [who] [is] [the] only object of love then he can think of [Him] always because He is the only object of love, most beloved. Otherwise, how the stupid mind can think of unless one is most beloved. Kṛṣṇa is the most beloved, only object of love. So develop love for Kṛṣṇa then you will be able to think of Kṛṣṇa constantly, day and night for 24 hours.
But some demons, especially Kaṁsa, was very much afraid of Kṛṣṇa therefore he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa day and night. It is only because of fear, because [of] fear, do you understand? Therefore, Kaṁsa is known as bhaya-avatāra, an incarnation of fear, bhaya-avatāra. You understand? So somehow those who have thought of Kṛṣṇa, they have all gotten mukti-pada. Nṛsiṁha-avatāra comes in cākṣuṣa manvantara, after Kūrma-avatāra. So you’ll find [this] in the 7th canto Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the descriptions of Nṛsiṁha-avatāra. So we will read from that chapter. 7.8.12
yas tvayā manda-bhāgyokto
mad-anyo jagad-īśvaraḥ
kvāsau yadi sa sarvatra
kasmāt stambhe na dṛśyate
[Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.8.12]
Devotee: “O most unfortunate Prahlāda, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above everything, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all pervading. But where is He? If He is everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar?”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Svāmī: Hiraṇyakaśipu is the father of Prahlāda, publicly declared he is Bhagavān. “Who is your Bhagavān? I am Bhagavān. He is Bhagavān, better than me?” Prahlāda said, “No, Bhagavān is Bhagavān. Nobody will be equal to Him. Nobody will be greater than Him. He is all pervad[ing], everywhere.” Then he said, “Is He there?”
His son, Prahlāda Mahārāja, vaiṣṇava. Hiraṇyakaśipu employed, appointed Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, two teachers to teach Prahlāda politics, crookedness, nasty things, how to divide and rule: sāma, dhāna, bheda [and] daṇḍa. These are the principles of the ruling class: sāma, dhāna, bheda, daṇḍa, niti. Sometimes they will pass by somebody to give him some charity thereby [bringing] him into control. Then sometimes inflicting punishment to subdue, or sometimes they divide then two parties will fight and third party will win thereby. Sāma, dhāna, bheda, daṇḍa, niti. This is politics, political parties. So he appointed Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, two teachers to teach people, to teach Prahlāda Mahārāja, his son. [This] Prahlāda Mahārāja from very birth is a vaiṣṇava. When he was in mother’s womb, he got opportunity to hear from Nārada Muni, a sādhu, and from his very birth he is vaiṣṇava. You understand?
So when he was a boy, he start[ed] speaking about [the] Supreme Lord [to] all his classmates, demon boys, he taught them this bhakti. Then it is noticed, it was noticed that, “All demon boys are becoming viṣṇu-bhaktas. Oh, this is danger. What is this?” So, they, two teachers, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka reported it to Hiraṇyakaśipu. Otherwise their head will be cut off. “We are teaching this thing, but this boy is not taking [these] lessons from us, and he is speaking about Lord Viṣṇu, doing this thing. All demoniac boys turning [into] viṣṇu-bhaktas.” You understand?
Then Hiraṇyakaśipu asked his boy, called his boy, allowed him to sit on his lap, patted him, “Alright, what you have learned? Speak, my boy.” Then he [Prahlāda] spoke about Lord Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. Then he got angry. ‘‘What is this? Who is that Viṣṇu? Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, Supreme Lord. I am the Lord. Is He greater than [me]?” Prahlāda [said], “No. The Supreme Lord is Supreme, nobody is greater, nobody is equal to Him. He is all pervaded. You better surrender unto Him.” Then, much more angry. “What is that? He is greater than me? He is all pervading, everywhere? Is He here, in this pillar?” Then this person says.
so 'haṁ vikatthamānasya
śiraḥ kāyād dharāmi te
gopāyeta haris tvādya
yas te śaraṇam īpsitam
[Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.8.13]
The time of devastation has come, time…rain has come, these demoniac persons should be devastated, killed, definitely. Let Nṛsiṁhadeva appear and kill all these demoniac persons. Then there will be peace in the world. Otherwise there will be no peace. This time is coming, yes. This is Nṛsiṁhadeva’s mercy. Yes, all the demons should be killed now. Yes, devastated, yes. Therefore on time rain, unexpected, on time, such. This is a symptom of devastation. Yes. All [the] crops will be destroyed, no more availability of food grains then all drought, all die. Yes.
Devotee: “Because you are speaking so much nonsense, I shall now sever your head from your body. Now let me see your most worshipable God come to protect you. I want to see it. I want to see how He can protect you.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Svāmī:
satyaṁ vidhātuṁ nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitaṁ
vyāptiṁ ca bhūteṣv akhileṣu cātmanaḥ
adṛśyatātyadbhuta-rūpam udvahan
stambhe sabhāyāṁ na mṛgaṁ na mānuṣam
[Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.8.17]
Devotee: “To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlāda Mahārāja was substantial – in other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hall the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion. Thus, the Lord appeared in His wonderful form in the assembly hall.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Svāmī: You understand? Wonderful form. How can one understand the Supreme Lord? He can assume any form, any form, as He likes. Yes. You understand? His eyes were reddish, yes, immense, with thousand teeth, fearful, stone like sharp razors; His nostrils and mouth like mountainous caves, yes, appearing like mountainous caves. Yes. So great, His body was touching the sky, do you understand, and the hairs on His body [were] as white as moon, moonshine, yes. His arms were very long, appearing like swords of the soldiers, yes. Hiraṇyakaśipu thought of, “Who is this wonderful form? The Lord appears to kill me but who can kill me? I am the Lord.” Thinking like that, he lifted a club and starting attacking the Lord, there was fierce fighting between Hiraṇyakaśipu and Nṛsiṁhadeva. At last,
viṣvak sphurantaṁ grahaṇāturaṁ harir
vyālo yathākhuṁ kuliśākṣata-tvacam
dvāry ūrum āpatya dadāra līlayā
nakhair yathāhiṁ garuḍo mahā-viṣam
[Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.8.29]
“As a snake captures a mouse or Garuḍa captures a very venomous snake, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva captured Hiraṇyakaśipu, who could not be pierced even by the thunderbolt of King Indra. As Hiraṇyakaśipu moved his limbs here, there and all around, very much afflicted at being captured, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva placed the demon on His lap, supporting him with His thighs, and in the doorway of the assembly hall the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hand.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Svāmī: He had gotten that boon. He pleased Brahmā and got boon. He asked for immortality. Boon of immortality. Brahmā said, “I am not immortal. I will die. How can I grant you this boon?” A roundabout way, he said, “Alright, I’ll…I will not be killed by any demigod, human being, or by anybody; not killed by any weapon, [not] killed in daytime or night-time; not killed inside a room or outside a room; not killed on the land, or water or sky. In this way not by any weapon I will be killed.” So, in a roundabout way, immortality. “Granted, alright.” Brahmā granted this boon. He thought of, “Yes, I am now immortal.” But what is impossible for the Supreme Lord? So He appeared in such a wonderful form, neither as a human being, nor a lion; wonderful, and He killed him with His pointed nails; not with any weapon and put him on the lap, not in the land or water or sky, not inside a room, or outside a room – on the threshold, not daytime or night-time – in the conjunction: day and night conjunction. Isn’t it? He killed him, you understand? Śilā-ṭaṅka-nakhālaye.
Then when He killed [him], Nṛsiṁhadeva’s mane all became stained with blood, it looked reddish, his intestine, and it was appearing like a flower garland around the chest of Nṛsiṁhadeva. It seemed as if a lion has killed an elephant, you understand. So many soldiers of Hiraṇyakaśipu, they all came out, fighting against Lord but Lord, with His sharp nails, tore them, all were killed. All the descriptions are there, you may read it.”
Devotee: “Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and His fierce eyes, full of anger, were impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nṛsiṁhadeva, decorated with a garland of intestines taken from Hiraṇyakaśipu’s abdomen, resembled a lion that had just killed an elephant.”
”The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had many, many arms, first uprooted Hiraṇyakaśipu’s heart and then threw him aside and turned toward the demon’s soldiers. These soldiers had come in thousands to fight with Him with raised weapons and were very faithful followers of Hiraṇyakaśipu, but Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva killed all of them merely with the ends of his nails.”
“The hair on Nṛsiṁhadeva’s head shook the clouds and scattered them here and there, His glaring eyes stole the effulgence of the luminaries in the sky, and His breathing agitated the seas and oceans. Because of His roaring, all the elephants in the world began to cry in fear.”
“Airplanes were thrown into outer space and the upper planetary system by the hair on Nṛsiṁhadeva’s head. Because of the pressure of the Lord’s lotus feet, the earth appeared to slip from its position, and all the hills and mountains sprang up due to His intolerable force. Because of Lord’s bodily effulgence, both the sky and all directions diminished in their natural illumination.”
“Manifesting a full effulgence and a fearsome countenance, Lord Nṛsiṁha, being very angry and finding no contestant to face His power and opulence, then sat down in the assembly hall on the excellent throne of the king. Because of fear and obedience, no one could come forward to serve the Lord directly.”
“Hiraṇyakaśipu had been exactly like a fever of meningitis in the head of the three worlds. Thus when the wives of the demigods in the heavenly planets saw that the great demon had been killed by the personal hands of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their faces blossomed in great joy. The wives of the demigods again and again showered flowers from heaven upon Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva like rain.”
“At that time, the airplanes of the demigods, who desired to see the activities of the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa, crowded the sky. The demigods began beating drums and kettledrums, and upon hearing them the angelic women began to dance, while the chiefs of the Gandharvas sang sweetly.”
“My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, the demigods then approached the Lord. They were headed by Lord Brahmā, King Indra and Lord Śiva and included great saintly persons and the residents of Pitṛloka, Siddhaloka, Vidyādhara-loka and the planet of the snakes. The Manus approached, and so did the chiefs of various other planets.”
The angelic dancers approached, as did the Gandharvas, the Cāraṇas, the Yakṣas, the inhabitants of Kinnaraloka, the Vetālas, the inhabitants of Kimpuruṣa-loka, and the personal servants of Viṣṇu like Sunanda and Kumuda. All of them came near the Lord, who glowed with intense light. They individually offered their obeisances and prayers, their hands folded at their heads.”
“Lord Brahmā prayed: My Lord, You are unlimited, and You possess unending potencies. No one can estimate or calculate Your prowess and wonderful influence, for Your actions are never polluted by the material energy. Through the material qualities, You very easily create the universe, maintain it and again annihilate it, yet You remain the same, without deterioration. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Svāmī: Nṛsiṁhadeva was so angry, nobody could dare approach Him. Even Lakṣmī devī couldn’t approach. At last, Brahmā persuaded Prahlāda Mahārāja to go and pacify Him. Then Prahlāda Mahārāja went there fearlessly. He was not the least afraid. All were afraid. Prahlāda was not the least afraid of the Lord [because] he is a so dear devotee. Then he fell flat at the lotus feet of Nṛsiṁhadeva then Nṛsiṁhadeva then put His hands, His lotus like arm on the head of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Then immediately Prahlāda Mahārāja got transcendental knowledge, mercy. Then Prahlāda Mahārāja offered many prayers. Then we will read the prayers of Prahlāda. That is in 9th chapter, 7th canto 9th chapter. These are the prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja.
Devotee: “Prahlāda Mahārāja prayed: How is it possible for me, who have been born in a family of asuras, to offer suitable prayers to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even until now, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, and all the saintly persons could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said for me? I am not at all qualified.”
“Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence and mystic yogic power, but I think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional service. Gajendra did this and thus the Lord was satisfied with him.”
“If a brāhmaṇa has all twelve of the Brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly, lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedicated everything – mind, words, activities, wealth and life to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brāhmaṇa because the devotee can purify his whole family, whereas the so-called brāhmaṇa in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself.”
“The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always fully satisfied in Himself. Therefore when something is offered to Him, the offering, by the Lord’s mercy, is for the benefit of the devotee, for the Lord does not need service from anyone. To give an example, if one’s face is decorated, the reflection of one’s face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated.”
“Therefore, although I was born in a demoniac family, I may without a doubt offer prayers to the Lord with full endeavor, as far as my intelligence allows. Anyone who has been forced by ignorance to enter the material world may be purified of material life if he offers prayers to the Lord and hears the Lord’s glories.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: Lakṣmī devī who is in the heart, chest of the Lord, cannot get it. It is very difficult on the part of Lakṣmī but a dear devotee of the Lord easily gets it, the mercy of the Lord. He is equipoised, He has equal vision. The Lord has equal vision: samah sarvesu bhutesu name dvesyo ’sti na priyaḥ [Bhagavad-gītā 9.29]. He says that thing in Bhagavad-gītā. What is that in English? Gītā, samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu, all are equal to Me, all living entities, nobody is dear to me and nobody is not dear to Me, isn’t it? So?
So, a bhakta, but a bhakta is very dear to Him. Ye bhajanti tu mām bhaktyā, those who do My bhajana in bhakti, they are in me I am in them. That verse is there in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā; Bhakta bhaktyā vadhī. Though He’s impartial but He’s very partial towards His devotees. But He’s impartial, yes bhakta vatsala. So many prayers. These are all prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja.
And one specific prayer, 7.9.14:
tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya
modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā
lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyanti sarve
rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti
[Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.14]
Devotee: “My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, please therefore, cease Your anger now that my father the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: Yes, scorpions and snakes should be killed. A saintly person kills them and gets pleasure, yes. Other living entities, sādhus, never kill. Sādhu kills scorpions and snakes. They get pleasure out of it. This verse says, yes.
Devotee: “Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: Free from fear. Therefore, we always offer prayer, namas te nṛasiṁhāya, to be free from fear, and Nṛsiṁhadeva kills all inauspiciousness. Inauspiciousness comes in the path of devotion therefore we offer Nṛsiṁha praṇām. When we start journey also for no fear, no obstruction, no fearful conditions will be there. Nṛsiṁhadeva comes, kills it .You understand? Therefore, we always. And this says, devotees always remember You, offer You prayer are free from all sorts of fear. Yes. In 7.9.25 [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]:
tasmād amūs tanu-bhṛtām aham āśiṣo 'jña
āyuḥ śriyaṁ vibhavam aindriyam āviriñcyāt
necchāmi te vilulitān uruvikrameṇa
kālātmanopanaya māṁ nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam
Devotee: “My dear Lord, now I have complete experience concerning the worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and other material pleasures enjoyed by all living entities, from Lord Brahmā down to the ant. As powerful time, You destroy them all. Therefore, because of my experience, I do not wish to possess them. My dear Lord, I request you to place me in touch with Your pure devotee and let me serve him as a sincere servant.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: That is prayer. Another prayer, 7.9.44 [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]:
prāyeṇa deva munayaḥ sva-vimukti-kāmā
maunaṁ caranti vijane na parārtha-niṣṭhāḥ
naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumukṣa eko
nānyaṁ tvad asya śaraṇaṁ bhramato 'nupaśye
When Nṛsiṁhadeva offered him mukti, he refused. Why he refused, he says that verse, 7.9.44 [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]:
Devotee: “My dear Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, I see that there are many saintly persons indeed, but they are interested only in their own deliverance. Not caring for the big cities and towns, they go to the Himalayas or the forest to meditate with vows of silence [mauna-vratā]. They are not interested in delivering others. As for me however, I do not wish to be liberated alone, leaving aside all these poor fools and rascals. I know that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without taking shelter of Your Lotus feet, one cannot be happy. Therefore, I wish to bring them back to shelter at Your lotus feet.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: Yes, yes. All munis, sages, they are all interested for their own deliverance. They go to the Himalayan Mountains, solitary places, do sādhana there, so many severe austerities and penances they undergo. But who thinks of the deliverance of all the living entities, even of such mlechhas and yavanas? Those who are in the hellish planet, in Western countries means hellish planets, sādhu thinks and goes there and preaches Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and inculcates Kṛṣṇa Consciousness into those mlecchas, yavanas, demons.
Premjī is a typical example – a worm in the stool. Who thinks of them? Whose heart is so compassionate, so merciful? A vaiṣṇava like Prahlāda Mahārāja, yes. Otherwise nobody can do it. That is a vaiṣṇava, yes. In the heart, he’s so compassionate. So merciful heart he has for all living entities, yes, even for worms in the stool, yes, in his heart, yes. You understand. Another prayer: 7.9.50 [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]:
tat te ’rhattama namaḥ stuti-karma-pūjāḥ
karma smṛtiś caraṇayoḥ śravaṇaṁ kathāyām
saṁsevayā tvayi vineti ṣaḍ-aṅgayā kiṁ
bhaktiṁ janaḥ paramahaṁsa-gatau labheta
Devotee: “Therefore, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, the best of all persons to whom prayers are offered. I offer my respectful obeisance unto You because without rendering six kinds of devotional service unto you – offering prayers, dedicating all the results of activities, worshipping You, working on Your behalf, always remembering Your lotus feet and hearing about Your glories – who can achieve that which is meant for the paramahaṁsas?”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: Then, 7.10.4 [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]:
nānyathā te ’khila-guro
ghaṭeta karuṇātmanaḥ
yas ta āśiṣa āśāste
na sa bhṛtyaḥ sa vai vaṇik
Prahlāda Mahārāja, 7.10.4.
Devotee: “Otherwise, O my Lord, O supreme instructor of the entire world, You are so kind to Your devotee that You could not induce him to do something unbeneficial for him. On the other hand, one who desires some material benefit in exchange for devotional service cannot be Your pure devotee. Indeed, he is no better than a merchant.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: Than a merchant, yes, who does business with the Lord, “I give you this thing, You give me this thing.” Yes.
Devotee: “Indeed, he is no better than a merchant who wants profit in exchange for service.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: Yes. Then verse 6 [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]:
aham tv akāmas tvad bhaktas
tvaṁ ca svāmy anapāśrayaḥ
nānyathehāvayor artho
rāja-tu vṛṇe varaṁ
Devotee: “O my Lord, I am Your unmotivated servant, and You are my eternal master. There is no need of our being anything other than master and servant. You are naturally my master, and I am naturally Your servant. We have no other relationship.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: That is the prayer. Understand Premjī? Then next verse.
yadi dāsyasi me kāmān
varāṁs tvaṁ varadarṣabha
kāmānāṁ hṛdy asaṁrohaṁ
bhavataś tu vṛṇe varaṁ
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.10.7]
This is the only prayer You should offer, all should offer, yes.
Devotee: “O my Lord, best of the givers of benediction, if You at all want to bestow a desirable benediction upon me, then I pray [from] Your Lordship that within the core of my heart there be no material desires.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: That crop up in my heart; offer this prayer, yes, then if the Lord grant it then no more material desire. This is the prayer all should offer. We have so many lusty desires, yes. Who will root it out? So, all should offer prayer at the lotus feet of the Lord. Yes, from the core of your heart, “Please take away all these things from me. Anytime, any condition, any circumstances, no material desires will crop up in my heart. Please give me this boon if you want to give me a boon.” That boon Prahlāda Mahārājaa asked for. Yes. And Prahlāda Mahārāja, when Nṛsiṁhadeva was ready to give him any boon, he asked. Then this boon he asked.
Prahlāda uvaca then text, 15…15, 16, 17 three verses.
varaṁ varaya atat te
varadeśān maheśvara
yad anindat pita me tvaṁ
avidvāṁs teja aiśvaram
viddhāmarṣāśayaḥ sākṣāt
sarva loka gurum prabhum
bhrātṛ heti mṛṣā dṛṣṭis
tvad bhakta mayi cāghavān
tasmāt pīta me pūyeta
durantād dustarād aghāt
pūtas te pāṅga-saṁdṛṣṭas
tadā kṛpaṇa vatsala
Devotee: Prahlāda Mahārāja said: “O Supreme Lord because You are so merciful to the fallen souls, I ask You for only one benediction. I know that my father, at that time of his death, had already been purified by Your glance upon him, but because of his ignorance of Your beautiful power and supremacy, he was unnecessarily angry at You, falsely thinking that You were the killer of his brother. Thus, he directly blasphemed Your Lordship, the spiritual master of all living beings, and committed heavily sinful activities directed against me, Your devotee. I wish that he may be excused for these sinful activities.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: He prays for his father therefore his father was excused. Then what Lord said? Text 18
triḥ-saptabhiḥ pīta pūtaḥ
pitṛbhiḥ saha te ‘nagha
yat sadho ‘sya kule jato
bhagavān vai kula-pāvanaḥ
Devotee: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlāda, O most pure, O great saintly person, your father has been purified, along with twenty-one forefathers in your family. Because you were born in this family, the entire dynasty has been purified.”
Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govind Swami Mahārāja: Your entire dynasty has been purified. If a vaiṣṇava like Prahlāda Mahārāja takes birth in some family, twenty-one, what you say twenty-one forefathers, all become delivered, you see, understand? Vaiṣṇava putra, a Vaiṣṇava putra, if a son becomes Vaiṣṇava what he can do? If you want to procreate a son, just procreate a son like Prahlāda! Otherwise, why [would] you procreate [a] child? The hogs, hogs procreate hundreds of children, all eat stool, all eat stool. What is [this] nonsense!
If you want to procreate a son, procreate a son like Prahlāda, bas, such son! His father is glorified, his mother is glorified, as [a] real father, real mother. Otherwise, they are not father and mother, they’re hogs, she-hogs, yes, only engaged in this sexual activity, or sex enjoyment, nothing else, yes, procreating all nasty bastard children! Unwanted children! All eat stool! All nonsense. The hogs produce children, yes, hundreds of children then why produce such children ? No need of producing children.If you want to produce children, alright, you want to marry, alright, you marry, produce children, a Vaiṣṇava son like Prahlāda, bas. The father, the mother is glorified. Yes. Otherwise, it’s condemned. That’s that.
These are some prayers, many prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja. So, these prayers we should offer, such prayers to the Supreme Lord. Especially, you should offer, yes. No more give me this boon on this day, offer to Jagannātha, Kṛṣṇa, Nrsimha offer to Him:
“Please, give me this boon on this auspicious day of Your appearance – no material desire, lusty desires, will crop up in my heart. Please take it [all] out from me.” Understand? Yes.
vaisakhasya caturdaśyāṁ
suklayam śrī nṛkeśarī
jātas tad asyām tatpojot
savam kurvīta savratām
Quoting Padma Purana, Sanātana Gosvāmī says. This is the tithi, day, today month [is] Vaisakha. This is the fourteenth day of bright fortnight. This day, auspicious day, auspicious tithi, Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared therefore on this very auspicious tithi, all devotees we observe it, we fast. Fasting should be there, yes, and offer prayers to Nṛsiṁhadeva.
prahlāda-kleśa nāsāyā
ya hi puṇya caturdaśī
pūjayet tatra yatnena
hareḥ Prahlādam agrataḥ
This tithi, this day, before offering worship to Nṛsiṁhadeva, first you should offer worship to Prahlāda Mahārāja, His dear devotee. Devotee should be first worshiped, and worship of devotees is superior to direct worship of the Lord, yes. You understand? And the Lord appeared in order to protect His dear devotee from persecutions of his demoniac father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, yes. So first of all, we should offer worship to Prahlāda then we offer worship to Nṛsiṁhadeva. This is the process.
So this is required that you should fast [on] this day, this is vratā. Don’t eat – fast. Little, like Ekadashi little prasadam anukalpa you may take. vratā.
In Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa, it is mentioned there, Prahlāda Mahārāja asked Nṛsiṁhadeva how He developed such bhakti towards Him. In answer to it, Nṛsiṁhadeva said: “In ancient days, in Avanti, there was a brāhmaṇa named Vasu Sharma, he is very paṇḍita, he knows Veda. He had a wife, very good wife, devoted wife, chaste wife, endowed with all good qualities. She was celebrated for her devotion towards her husband. Her name is Sushila. So, Vasu Sharma and his wife Sushila gave birth to five sons.
Four sons were all learned, educated. They had all good behavior, they were all obedient sons to father but the youngest son, you, [pointing out Prahlāda] Your name was Vāsudeva. Your name was Vāsudeva, you [had] a very bad character. You had a bad character. You were addicted to prostitutes, yes, typical example, all prostitutes, all nasty bad character.
One day, you quarreled with a prostitute, do you understand, fighting among yourself, prostitute and yourself so that night both of you fasted because of quarrelling and fighting, yes. Fortunately, that day was my appearance day, this day. That you, both of you, because of quarreling and fighting both of you fasted on this auspicious day, this appearance day, my appearance day. So, you got such good result, you got the result, auspicious result of fasting on my appearance day; both of you got, yes.”
Therefore we should fast today.
“You were born as the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, my dear devotee Prahlāda and that prostitute took birth in the heavenly planets, as a heavenly prostitute there, apsarā, angel and she enjoyed so much material enjoyment she had there. After that, she became My devotee, and now you are very dear devotee of mine also but, though born in a demoniac family. Observing my vratā, Brahmā is endowed with the creating potency. Brahmā observes this vratā, this nṛsiṁha-caturdasi-vratā, and Śiva also observes this vratā, nṛsiṁha-caturdasi-vratā. Observing this vratā of my appearance day, Śiva ji got such strength and potency that he was able to kill that demon Tripurāsura. Those who observe My vratā on My Appearance Day, whatever desire they have, they offer to Me, I immediately grant them.”
Then He’ll be very merciful today, Nṛsiṁhadeva, you understand, Premji? You offer this prayer, as I said, “Please give me this boon O Nṛsiṁhadeva, all merciful Nṛsiṁhadeva, on the auspicious day of your appearance, I offer anytime, any condition and circumstances: no material desires will crop up in my heart. Please grant me this boon. I want only this thing. And as I develop pure devotion towards You, please grant me this.” This is [the] only prayer you [should] offer. Alright?
All of you should offer, yes. All of us have lusty desires, so much lusty desires you have. And Nṛsiṁhadeva is very, very merciful today. Alright. So, he will definitely grant that boon to you.
Bhagavān Nṛsiṁhadeva ki Jaya!
Bhakta Prahlāda Mahārāja ki Jaya!
Bhakta Prahlāda Mahārāja ki Jaya!
Bhagavān Nṛsiṁhadeva ki Jaya!
Gaura-Premānande! Haribol!