(Pictures taken by DSS lakshmi at Srikurmam temple)

Man-lion. One of the ten Avatars of Vishnu. (Glossary for the Vahinis)

Narasimhavatar (Man-Lion Incarnation) coming out of the broken pillar symbolises that only when the body – identification is broken, God can be seen. Thus the Indian culture seeks to unravel the inner meaning of every name and symbol in mythology. It emphasizes that the human has also the animal in its composition. Narasimha symbolizes the combination of human with the leonine. God punishes the wicked and protects the good. So, He is pictured as these two symbolic forms in one body. When we engage in vice, He tears us like beasts; when we good, He blesses us as God alone can. (NNSG Vol.8, p. 27)

The inner meaning of Narasimha Avatar

There is the inner meaning of the story of Prahlada. The distinction between a human and a demon arises only from qualities. Demons do not have any peculiar physical traits as portrayed in cinemas and books. They are humans also. It is only by qualities that a human becomes a demon. In the Bhagavatam there is a nice example. Krishna was God Himself. His parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, were true humans. And Devaki’s brother, Kamsa, was a demon. Thus, all three categories—divine, human and demon—can exist even within the same family! Kamsa was a demon because of his anger and cruelty. Devaki and Vasudeva were humans for their kindness and compassion. Possessing Divine traits, which are beyond all attributes, Krishna was God.

Out came the Lord in the form of the NarasimhaAvatar--half-man, half lion. It is a combination of the human and the animal. All human beings today are east in the same mould: a combination of animal and human nature. Hiranyakashipu was a hater of Hari and hence the form of Lord Narasimha appeared dreadful to him. But Prahlada was a great devotee. Hence the Lord appeared to him as full of love. Although the form was the same, it inspired fear in one and love in another. Wherefrom did Narasimha emerge? From a pillar. What does this pillar signify? Our body itself is like a pillar. When the body-consciousness is shattered, the Divine emerges from it. When the coconut shell is broken, the pure copra within it is seen. As long as the coconut is not broken, you cannot get at the copra. (SSS Vol.24)