Shloka 43
Nṛsiṁhadeva Appears from the Pillar and Slays Hiraṇyakaśipu
श्रीऋषय ऊचु: त्वं नस्तप: परममात्थ यदात्मतेजो येनेदमादिपुरुषात्मगतं ससर्क्थ । तद्विप्रलुप्तममुनाद्य शरण्यपाल रक्षागृहीतवपुषा पुनरन्वमंस्था: ॥ ४३ ॥
śrī-ṛṣaya ūcuḥ tvaṁ nas tapaḥ paramam āttha yad ātma-tejo yenedam ādi-puruṣātma-gataṁ sasarktha tad vipraluptam amunādya śaraṇya-pāla rakṣā-gṛhīta-vapuṣā punar anvamaṁsthāḥ
ঋষিসকলে ক’লে—হে শৰণ্যপাল, হে আদিপুৰুষ! আপুনি আমাক যি পৰম তপস্যাৰ পথ শিকাইছিল, সেয়া আপোনাৰ আত্মতেজৰেই শক্তি; সেই তপস্যাৰ দ্বাৰাই আপুনি আপোনাৰ ভিতৰত নিদ্ৰিত জগতক সৃষ্টি ৰূপে প্ৰকাশ কৰে। এই দানৱৰ দুষ্কর্মে সেই তপোমাৰ্গ প্ৰায় লুপ্ত হ’বলৈ ধৰিছিল; কিন্তু ৰক্ষাৰ্থে আপুনি নৃসিংহৰূপে আবিৰ্ভূত হৈ দানৱক বধ কৰিলে আৰু পুনৰ তপস্যাৰ পথক অনুমোদন কৰি প্ৰতিষ্ঠা কৰিলে।
The living entities wandering within the jurisdiction of the 8,400,000 species of life get the opportunity for self-realization in the human form and gradually in such other elevated forms as those of the demigods, Kinnaras and Cāraṇas, as will be described below. In the higher statuses of life, beginning from human life, the main duty is tapasya, or austerity. As Ṛṣabhadeva advised His sons, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet. To rectify our material existence, austerity ( tapasya ) is absolutely necessary. However, when people in general come under the control of a demon or a demoniac ruling power, they forget this process of tapasya and gradually also become demoniac. All the saintly persons, who were generally engaged in austerity, felt relieved when Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed by the Lord in the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva. They realized that the original instruction concerning human life — that it is meant for tapasya for self-realization — was reaffirmed by the Lord when He killed Hiraṇyakaśipu.
FAQs
This verse addresses the Lord as śaraṇya-pāla, affirming that He assumes a protective form to restore order and safeguard those who take shelter, especially when dharma is disrupted by demonic forces.
Because Hiraṇyakaśipu has disrupted the sacred order and the yajña environment; the sages recognize the Lord as the source of cosmic manifestation and request Him to re-establish the disturbed arrangement.
It teaches refuge in the Divine during chaos: when values and inner order are disturbed, one can sincerely seek the Lord’s protection and re-alignment of life with dharma through devotion and humility.