9. Dhasavatar - Narasimhavatar (Devotional)

      Narasimhavatar is 4th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This is continuation of his 3rd incarnation Varahavatar. After knowing that Lord Vishnu killed his brother Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashyapu pledged to avenge his brother's death by killing Sri Hari (Lord Vishnu). He went to perform thapas (Deep meditation) for Lord Brahma to be immortal. during his absence, Indra attacked his home to capture Hiranyakashyapu's wife Kayadhu. Sage Narada intervened to protect her as she was pure in heart. From then Kayadhu was under Narada's protection at his hermitage. One day Narada was explaining about Lord Vishnu to her during which she fall asleep and her unborn son Prahlada listened to everything Narada said. Prahlada became a devoted follower of Vishnu.

      Lord Brahma appeared before Hiranyakashyapu to grant a boon after several years of his Tapas but he has to refuse to grant immortality as it is nature's law that everything that has a begining must have an end. When Hiranyakashyapu has to ask for some other wish, he wished that he should not meet death from any of the living entities created by Brahma and he should not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky and his death not be brought by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal. Brahma granted him the boon due to which Hiranyakashyapu started thinking that he is immortal and started harassing the world.

      Hiranyakashyapu commanded that everyone should pray to him only and all devotees of Vishnu will be killed. He searched all over the world for Vishnu to fight. But as Hiranyakashyapu's death time was far, Vishnu took his wife Lakshmi and was hiding from him. As Hiranyakashyapu won over the world, he had all money which means Lakshmi (Goddess of money) was his slave. Lakshmi was ot willing to serve himwith her glory. So Vishnu turned her glory into a fruit and kept it on a tree. He advised Lakshmi to go to her parents and he hid in Hiranyakashyapu's heart waiting for right time.

      Prahlada was devoted to Vishnu and started preaching everyone about him which made Hiranyakashyapu very unhappy. He tried to explain his son how Vishnu kiled his brother Hiranyaksha. Prahlada was so adament. Hiranyakashyapu threatened him that he will be killed if he dont stop praying Vishnu. Prahlada has so much belief on Vishnu that he was ready to die. Hiranyakashyapu attempted many ways to kill Prahlada which were failed by Vishnu's mystical powers. He gave his son poison. Commanded his soldiers to throw Prahlada from a big mountain. Made a big elephant stamp on him. Nothing worked and Prahlada was still devoting Vishnu.

      Finally Hiranyakashyapu asked his son Prahlada why Vishnu is hiding if he is so great. Then Prahlada said that Lord Vishnu is everywhere. Hiranyakashyapu showed one of the pillars and asked whether Vishnu will be inside. After acknowledgment by Prahlada, he started breaking the pillar to show that his son was wrong. Then Lord Vishnu in the form of Narasimha (Half Lion Half Human) emerged from the pillar and attacked him. As per Brahma's boon, Hiranyakashyapu could not be killed by human, god or animal,

Narasimha is neither one of these but a part-human, part-animal. He comes upon Hiranyakashyapu at twilight (when it is neither day nor night). He took Hiranyakashyapu to the threshold of a courtyard (neither indoors nor out), and put him on his lap (neither earth nor space). Using his nails (neither animate nor inanimate) as weapons, he disembowels and kills the demon. After killing Hiranyakashyapu also Narasimha was soo furious and angry. All gods failed to calm his fury. Narasimha went to forest near by.

      Before some time Narada advised to a tribe couple to eat a fruit to get kids. He shows the same fruit which Vishnu created from Lakshmi's glory. That tribe couple ate that fruit and got a daughter which is Lakshmi's incarnation. She was named "Chenchu" who was later called as "Chenchu Lakshmi". Narasimha with his furious form entered forest and met Chenchu. He was calmed by her beauty and glory. They finally got married after Narasimha agreed to her conditions. Prahlada continued devoting Vishnu and ruled the world rest of his life. He born as Raghavendra Swamiji in his next life.