Narasimha-Stotra: Shiva's Hymn to Narasimha

Verse 1 (garuda.1.231.1)

सूत उवाच । नारसिंहस्तुतिं वक्ष्ये शिवोक्तं शौनकाधुना । पूर्वं मातृगणाः सर्वे शङ्करं वाक्यमब्रुवन्

sūta uvāca nārasiṁhastutiṁ vakṣye śivoktaṁ śaunakādhunā pūrvaṁ mātṛgaṇāḥ sarve śaṅkaraṁ vākyamabruvan

Suta said: I shall now declare the Narasimha-stotra spoken by Shiva, O Shaunaka. Formerly, all the Mother-goddesses spoke these words to Shankara —

Verse 2 (garuda.1.231.2)

भगवन् भक्षयिष्यामः सदेवासुरमानुषम् । त्वत्प्रसादाज्जगत्सर्वं तदनुज्ञातुमर्हसि

bhagavan bhakṣayiṣyāmaḥ sadevāsuramānuṣam tvatprasādājjagatsarvaṁ tadanujñātumarhasi

'O Lord, with your grace, we shall devour the entire universe, together with its gods, demons, and men; you should grant us permission for this.'

Verse 3 (garuda.1.231.3)

शङ्करौवाच । भवतीभिः प्रजाः सर्वा रक्षणीया न संशयः । तस्माड्वोरतरप्रायं मनः शीघ्रं निवर्त्यताम्

śaṅkarauvāca bhavatībhiḥ prajāḥ sarvā rakṣaṇīyā na saṁśayaḥ tasmāḍvorataraprāyaṁ manaḥ śīghraṁ nivartyatām

Shankara said: 'All creatures are indeed to be protected by you, without doubt; therefore let your minds, now bent toward such an excessive act, be swiftly turned back.'

Verse 4 (garuda.1.231.4)

इत्येवं शङ्करेणोक्तमनादृत्य तु तद्वचः । भक्षयामासुरव्यग्रास्त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्

ityevaṁ śaṅkareṇoktamanādṛtya tu tadvacaḥ bhakṣayāmāsuravyagrāstrailokyaṁ sacarācaram

Though thus spoken to by Shankara, disregarding his words, they, undistracted, began to devour the three worlds together with all that moves and does not move.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.231.5)

त्रैलोक्ये भक्ष्यमाणे तु तदा मातृगणेन वै । नृसिंहरूपिणं देवं प्रदध्यौ भगवाञ्छिवः

trailokye bhakṣyamāṇe tu tadā mātṛgaṇena vai nṛsiṁharūpiṇaṁ devaṁ pradadhyau bhagavāñchivaḥ

When the three worlds were thus being devoured by the host of Mothers, then Lord Shiva deeply meditated upon the god in the form of Narasimha —

Verse 6 (garuda.1.231.6)

अनादिनिधनं देवं सर्वभूतभवोद्भवम् । विद्युज्जिह्वं महादंष्ट्रं स्फुरत्केसरमालिनम्

anādinidhanaṁ devaṁ sarvabhūtabhavodbhavam vidyujjihvaṁ mahādaṁṣṭraṁ sphuratkesaramālinam

— the god without beginning or end, the source of all beings' origin, with a tongue like lightning, mighty fangs, garlanded with a quivering mane,

Verse 7 (garuda.1.231.7)

रत्नाङ्गदं समुकुटं हेमकेसरभूषितम् । खोणिसूत्रेण महता काञ्चनेन विराजितम्

ratnāṅgadaṁ samukuṭaṁ hemakesarabhūṣitam khoṇisūtreṇa mahatā kāñcanena virājitam

— adorned with jeweled armlets and a crown, decorated with a golden mane, resplendent with a great golden waist-cord,

Verse 8 (garuda.1.231.8)

नीलोत्पलदलश्यामं रत्ननूपुरभूषितम् । तेजसाक्रान्तसकलब्रह्माण्डोदरमण्डपम्

nīlotpaladalaśyāmaṁ ratnanūpurabhūṣitam tejasākrāntasakalabrahmāṇḍodaramaṇḍapam

— dark as the petal of a blue lotus, adorned with jeweled anklets, whose splendor pervades the entire hall of the cosmic egg's interior,

Verse 9 (garuda.1.231.9)

आवर्तसदृशाकारैः संयुक्तं देहरोमभिः । सर्वपुष्पैर्योजिताञ्च धारयंश्च महास्त्रजम्

āvartasadṛśākāraiḥ saṁyuktaṁ deharomabhiḥ sarvapuṣpairyojitāñca dhārayaṁśca mahāstrajam

— joined with body-hairs shaped like whirlpools, and wearing a great garland fashioned of every flower.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.231.10)

स ध्यातमात्रो भगवान्प्रददौ तस्य दर्शनम् । यादृशेन रूपेण ध्यातो रुद्रैस्तु भक्तितः

sa dhyātamātro bhagavānpradadau tasya darśanam yādṛśena rūpeṇa dhyāto rudraistu bhaktitaḥ

The Lord, merely meditated upon, granted him a vision — in that very form in which he had been devotedly meditated upon by the Rudras,

Verse 11 (garuda.1.231.11)

तादृशेनैव रूपेण दुर्निरीक्ष्येण दैवतैः । प्रणिपत्य तु देवेशं तदा तुष्टाव शङ्करः

tādṛśenaiva rūpeṇa durnirīkṣyeṇa daivataiḥ praṇipatya tu deveśaṁ tadā tuṣṭāva śaṅkaraḥ

— in that same form, difficult even for the gods to behold. Having then prostrated before the Lord of gods, Shankara praised him —

Verse 12 (garuda.1.231.12)

शङ्कर उवाच । नमस्तेऽस्त जगन्नाथ नरसिंहवपुर्धर । दैत्येश्वरेन्द्रसंहारिनखशुक्तिविराजित

śaṅkara uvāca namaste'sta jagannātha narasiṁhavapurdhara daityeśvarendrasaṁhārinakhaśuktivirājita

Shankara said: 'Salutation to you, O Lord of the universe, bearer of the Narasimha form, resplendent with claws like conch-shells that destroyed the lord of the Daityas —

Verse 13 (garuda.1.231.13)

नखमण्डलसभिन्नहेमपिङ्गलविग्रह । नमोऽस्तु पद्मनाभाय शोभनाय जगद्गुरो । कल्पान्ताम्भोदनिर्घोष सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभ

nakhamaṇḍalasabhinnahemapiṅgalavigraha namo'stu padmanābhāya śobhanāya jagadguro kalpāntāmbhodanirghoṣa sūryakoṭisamaprabha

— O golden-tawny form split by the circle of claws, salutation to you, lotus-navelled, resplendent Guru of the universe, whose roar is like clouds thundering at the kalpa's end, whose splendor equals ten million suns —

Verse 14 (garuda.1.231.14)

सहस्रयमसंत्रास सहस्रेन्द्रपराक्रम । हसस्त्रधनदस्फीत सहस्रचरणात्मक

sahasrayamasaṁtrāsa sahasrendraparākrama hasastradhanadasphīta sahasracaraṇātmaka

— O terror of a thousand Yamas, valor of a thousand Indras, resplendent as a thousand Kuberas' wealth, of a thousand-footed nature,

Verse 15 (garuda.1.231.15)

सहस्रचन्दप्रतिम ! सहस्रांशुहरिक्रम । सहस्ररुद्रतेजस्क सहस्रब्रह्मसंस्तुत

sahasracandapratima ! sahasrāṁśuharikrama sahasrarudratejaska sahasrabrahmasaṁstuta

— O likeness of a thousand fierce ones, of a thousand-rayed sun's stride, of the splendor of a thousand Rudras, praised by a thousand Brahmas,

Verse 16 (garuda.1.231.16)

सहस्ररुद्रसंजप्त सहस्राक्षनिरीक्षण । सहस्रजन्ममथन सहस्रबन्धनमोचन

sahasrarudrasaṁjapta sahasrākṣanirīkṣaṇa sahasrajanmamathana sahasrabandhanamocana

— recited by a thousand Rudras, gazed upon by a thousand eyes, destroyer of a thousand births, releaser from a thousand bondages,

Verse 17 (garuda.1.231.17)

सहस्रवायुवेगाक्ष सहस्राज्ञकृपाकर । स्तुत्वैवं देवदेवेशं नृसिंहवपुषं हरिम् । विज्ञापयामास पुनर्विनयावनतः शिवः

sahasravāyuvegākṣa sahasrājñakṛpākara stutvaivaṁ devadeveśaṁ nṛsiṁhavapuṣaṁ harim vijñāpayāmāsa punarvinayāvanataḥ śivaḥ

— O you of eyes swift as a thousand winds, gracious to a thousand ignorant ones' — having thus praised Hari in his Narasimha form, Lord of the gods, Shiva, bowing in humility, spoke again —

Verse 18 (garuda.1.231.18)

अन्धकस्य विनाशाय या सृष्टा मातरो मया । अनादृत्य तु मद्वाक्यं भक्ष्यन्त्वद्भुताः प्रजाः

andhakasya vināśāya yā sṛṣṭā mātaro mayā anādṛtya tu madvākyaṁ bhakṣyantvadbhutāḥ prajāḥ

'The Mothers, whom I created for the destruction of the demon Andhaka, disregarding my own word, are now devouring these wondrous creatures.'

Verse 19 (garuda.1.231.19)

सृष्ट्वा ताश्च न शक्तोऽहं संहर्तुमपराजितः । पूर्वं कृत्वा कथं तासां विनाशमभिरोचये

sṛṣṭvā tāśca na śakto'haṁ saṁhartumaparājitaḥ pūrvaṁ kṛtvā kathaṁ tāsāṁ vināśamabhirocaye

'Having created them, I, though unconquered, am unable to destroy them; having earlier made them, how could I now wish for their destruction?'

Verse 20 (garuda.1.231.20)

एवमुक्तः स रुद्रेण नरसिहवपुर्हरिः । सहस्रहेवीर्जिह्वाग्रात्तदा वागीश्वरो हरिः

evamuktaḥ sa rudreṇa narasihavapurhariḥ sahasrahevīrjihvāgrāttadā vāgīśvaro hariḥ

Thus addressed by Rudra, Hari in the form of Narasimha — Hari, the Lord of speech, from the tip of his thousandfold tongue —

Verse 21 (garuda.1.231.21)

तथा सुरगणान्सर्वान्रौद्रान्मातृगणान्विभुः । संहृत्य जगतः शर्म कृत्वा चान्तर्दधे हरिः

tathā suragaṇānsarvānraudrānmātṛgaṇānvibhuḥ saṁhṛtya jagataḥ śarma kṛtvā cāntardadhe hariḥ

— withdrew all the hosts of gods and the fierce Mother-goddesses, and, having brought peace to the world, the all-pervading Hari disappeared.

Verse 22 (garuda.1.231.22)

नारसिंहमिदं स्तोत्रं यः पठेन्नियतेन्द्रियः । मनोरथप्रदस्तस्य रुद्रस्येव न संशयः

nārasiṁhamidaṁ stotraṁ yaḥ paṭhenniyatendriyaḥ manorathapradastasya rudrasyeva na saṁśayaḥ

Whoever, with senses controlled, recites this Narasimha-hymn — it fulfills his desires just as it did for Rudra, without doubt.

Verse 23 (garuda.1.231.23)

ध्यायेन्नृसिंहं तरुणार्कनेत्रं सिदाम्बुजातं ज्वलिताग्निवत्क्रम् । अनादिमध्यान्तमज पुराणं परापरेशं जगतां निधानम्

dhyāyennṛsiṁhaṁ taruṇārkanetraṁ sidāmbujātaṁ jvalitāgnivatkram anādimadhyāntamaja purāṇaṁ parāpareśaṁ jagatāṁ nidhānam

One should meditate on Narasimha, whose eyes are like the rising sun, seated upon the lotus of perfection, whose stride is like blazing fire; without beginning, middle, or end, unborn, ancient, the Lord of higher and lower, the treasury of the worlds.

Verse 24 (garuda.1.231.24)

जपेदिदं सन्ततदुः खजालं जहाति नीहारमिवांशुमाली । समातृवर्गस्य करोति मूर्तिं यदा तदा तिष्ठति तत्समीपे

japedidaṁ santataduḥ khajālaṁ jahāti nīhāramivāṁśumālī samātṛvargasya karoti mūrtiṁ yadā tadā tiṣṭhati tatsamīpe

He who recites this abandons the perpetual web of sorrow, as the sun dispels the mist; when one makes an image of Narasimha together with the host of Mothers, He abides near it.

Verse 25 (garuda.1.231.25)

देवेश्वरस्यापि नृसिंहमूर्तेः पूजां विधातुं त्रिपुरान्तकारी । प्रसाद्य तं देववरं स लब्ध्वा अव्याज्जगन्मातृगणेभ्य एव च

deveśvarasyāpi nṛsiṁhamūrteḥ pūjāṁ vidhātuṁ tripurāntakārī prasādya taṁ devavaraṁ sa labdhvā avyājjaganmātṛgaṇebhya eva ca

The destroyer of Tripura, in order to establish the worship of this Narasimha form of the Lord of gods, having propitiated and obtained this boon from that best of gods, thereby protected the world from the host of Mothers.