Lakshmi Narasimha () is an iconographical depiction of

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

, the fourth

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

, with his consort

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

, the goddess of prosperity. It is one of the five iconographical forms of Narasimha, among Jvala Narasimha,

Gandaberunda Gandaberunda () or Bheruṇḍa (Sanskrit: भेरुण्ड, lit. ''terrible'') is a two-headed bird in Hindu mythology, believed to possess immense magical strength. Later Vaishnava traditions hold it to be a form of Vishnu to fight Sharabha ...

Narasimha, Ugra Narasimha, and Yoga Narasimha.

Legend

In an alternate iteration of the legend of Narasimha, after he slays

Hiranyakashipu Hiranyakashipu (; also known as Hiranyakashyap) was an Asura king of the ''daityas'' from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. His name literally translates to "clothed in gold" (''hiranya'' "gold" ''kashipu'' "soft cushion"), and is often inte ...

, his fury is still unabated. The deity is enraged that his virtuous devotee,

Prahlada Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion towards the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by slaying his wicked fa ...

, is traumatised by the violent deeds of his own father. Despite the fact that the

devas Devas may refer to: * Devas Club, a club in south London * Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter * Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist * Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club * Devas (band), ...

sing his praises and extol his glories, he remains unpacified. The devas proceed to pray to Lakshmi, who appears before her consort. She soothes Narasimha, assuring him that both his devotee and the world had been saved. Hearing his wife's words, the deity is pacified, and his appearance also becomes more benign. As a result, Lakshmi Narasimha is venerated as a representation of gentleness and peace.

Iconography

Narasimha is depicted with his consort Lakshmi, seated on his lap. In contrast to his ''ugra'' (terrible) aspect, where his face is contorted and enraged, he appears to be serene in this form. He often carries his aspects of the

Sudarshana Chakra Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र, lit. "disc of auspicious vision", IAST: Sudarśana Chakra) is a spinning, celestial discus with 108 serrated edges, attributed to Vishnu and Krishna in the Hindu scriptures. The Sud ...

and

Panchajanya Panchajanya (IAST: Pāñcajanya) is the ''shankha'' or conch of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, known to be one of his four divine attributes. It is stated to have been one among the various substances that emerged during the Samudra Manthana ...

, and his

murti In the Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' ( sa, मूर्ति, mūrti, ) is a devotional image such as a statue, or "idol" (a common and non-pejorative term in Indian English), of a deity or saint. In Hindu temples, it is a symbolic icon. Thus ...

is decorated with ornaments and garlands.

Symbolism

In the

Thiruppavai The Thiruppavai ( Tamil: திருப்பாவை) is a set of Tamil devotional religious hymns attributed to the female poet-saint Andal (also known as Nachiyar, Kodhai or Goda Devi). She is considered the manifestation of Bhudevi, who h ...

, the mythical motif of the lion is invoked in the representation of Lakshmi Narasimha. The deity is regarded to be magnanimous, the greatest of all beings (

Purushottama Purushottama ( sa, पुरुषोत्तम, from पुरुष, ''purusha'' "spirit" or "male" and उत्तम, ''uttama'', "highest") is an epithet of the Hindu preserver deity, Vishnu. According to Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the sour ...

), and his heart is symbolised by his consort, Lakshmi.

Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, Dharmapuri Telangana - 06

Temples

* Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Antarvedi * Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Dharmapuri *

Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Yadadri Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple or simply known as Yadadri or Yadagirigutta temple, (also known as Pancha Narasimha Kshetram and Rishi Aradhana Kshetram) is a Hindu temple situated on a hillock in the small town of Yadagirigutta in the Ya ...

Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Mangalagiri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is a Vaishnavite temple and one of the eight sacred places of Lord Vishnu in India. It is also known for being one of the eight ''mahakshetras'' Narasimha in India. It is situated at the foot of the ''Auspicious Hill'' ...

Lakshminarasimha temple, Javagal The Lakshminarasimha temple at Javagal, sometimes referred to as Lakshmi Narasimha temple of Javagallu, is a mid-13th century Hindu temple with Hoysala architecture. It is located in Javagal about 20 km northeast from Halebidu and 50 k ...

Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Bhadravati Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, also referred to as Lakshminarasimha temple of Bhadravati, is a 13th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, built by the Hoysala ruler Vira Someshwara. It is located in Bhadravati, Shimoga District of Karnataka sta ...

Lakshminarasimha temple, Haranhalli The Lakshminarasimha temple at Haranhalli, sometimes referred to as Lakshmi Narasimha temple of Haranhalli, is one of two major historic Hindu temples that have survived in Haranhalli, Karnataka, India. It is triple-shrine temple dedicated to ...

* Lakshminarasimha temple, Vignasante * Lakshmi Narasimhar temple, Narasinghapuram *

Lakshminarasimha temple, Nuggehalli The Lakshminarasimha temple at Nuggehalli is a 13th-century Hindu temple with Hoysala architecture in Nuggehalli village, Hassan district, Karnataka, India. This three shrine Vaishnava complex is dedicated to Keshava, Lakshminarayana and Venugopa ...

Gallery

References