Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 26
Sumanā and Somaśarmā: Tapas at the Kapilā–Revā Confluence and the Theophany of Hari
यो मे मृगेंद्ररूपेण भयं दर्शयतेग्रतः । तमहं शरणं प्राप्तो नरसिंहं नमाम्यहम्
yo me mṛgeṃdrarūpeṇa bhayaṃ darśayategrataḥ | tamahaṃ śaraṇaṃ prāpto narasiṃhaṃ namāmyaham
جو میرے سامنے مِرگیندر (شیر) کی صورت میں خوف دکھاتا ہے، میں اسی نرسِمہ پر بھگوان کی پناہ لیتا ہوں اور اُسے سجدۂ تعظیم کرتا ہوں۔
Unspecified (a devotee speaking in first person)
Concept: Invoking Narasiṃha as refuge converts fear into fearlessness: the terrifying form becomes the devotee’s shield, making भय itself ‘appear before’ the surrendered one and lose power.
Application: When confronted by intimidation or inner panic, remember the protective aspect of the Divine; recite Narasiṃha-nāma/stotra, cultivate moral courage, and act without hatred.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Narasiṃha erupts in radiant fury—lion-faced, man-bodied—yet His eyes soften toward the devotee who bows in surrender. Shadowy embodiments of fear recoil and scatter like bats before sunrise, while the Lord’s mane blazes as a protective halo around the trembling world.","primary_figures":["Narasimha","surrendering devotee (Prahlada-like or generic)","personified fear/demons (symbolic)"],"setting":"A palace threshold with a broken pillar and swirling dust; behind, a dark hall suggests danger, while around Narasiṃha a circle of light forms a sanctuary.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["molten gold","blood red","midnight black","saffron orange","steel gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Narasimha in dynamic stance emerging from a pillar, gold leaf flames and halo, fierce yet compassionate expression, devotee prostrating at His feet, ornate jewelry with gem highlights, rich reds and greens, dramatic apotropaic composition where dark fear-forms dissolve at the edges.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Narasimha with refined but intense features, swirling dust and broken pillar rendered delicately, the devotee small and luminous, cool background tones with sharp saffron-gold accents, lyrical contrast of terror and refuge.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Narasimha’s lion face and large eyes, red-yellow-green palette with deep black background, stylized flames around the mane, devotee in folded-hands posture, temple-wall symmetry with ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Narasimha framed by lotus and flame motifs, intricate floral borders, deep indigo ground with gold highlights, symbolic fear-figures as dark silhouettes outside the protective mandala, devotional emphasis on refuge."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","mridangam strokes","temple bells (rapid)","roaring wind-like drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mṛgeṃdrarūpeṇa = mṛgendra-rūpeṇa; darśayategrataḥ = darśayate + agrataḥ; tamahaṃ = tam + aham; namāmyaham = namāmi + aham.
FAQs
Narasimha, the man-lion incarnation of Viṣṇu, is praised and worshipped as the devotee’s refuge.
It means “in the form of the lord of beasts,” i.e., the lion-form associated with Narasiṃha, emphasizing divine power that overcomes terror.
The verse highlights śaraṇāgati (taking refuge): when fear arises, the devotee turns to God with surrender and reverence rather than panic or retaliation.