Appearance Day of the Divine Protector - Lord Nrsimihadev

Hare Krishna dear friends,

Today marks the day on which Lord Nrsimihadev appeared to remove the obstacles for a young five-year-old boy named Prahlada. The day is called Nrshima Caturdasi and is the appearance of Lord Krishna in the form of half man-lion incarnation.

The obstacles Prahlada faced were the anger and wrath of his father, named Hiranyakasipu who controlled the world. Hiranyakasipu was extremely proud and hated Lord Vishnu (or Krishna). His son, however, was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and constantly thought of Lord Vishnu. Thus they were always at odds with each other. One day Hiranyakasiphu asked his little son where the Lord resides, and Prahlada replied that the Lord resides everywhere.

This greatly angered Hiranyakasipu and asked Prahlada- Well if He’s everywhere, is He in this pillar? Hiranyakaysipu was ready to kill Prahlada and struck the pillar. However, to substantiate Prahlada’s statements, the Lord emerges from the pillar in His wonderful incarnation as Nrsimhadev, a half lion and half man.

The backstory tells us that Hiranyakashipu could not be killed by a man or a beast, nor on land or sea, neither day nor night and, without weapons.  So with all these benedictions, Hiranyakashipu had thought he had it all covered and no one would ever defeat him. However, the Lord tricked him and attacked Hiranyakashipu at twilight (when it is neither day nor night) on the threshold of a courtyard (neither indoors nor outdoors), and placed the evil Hiranyakaspyu on his thighs (neither earth nor air). Then using his claws (neither living nor non-living), he defeated Hiranyakasiphu. This tells us that the Lord can defeat our mundane calculations, no matter how greatly thought out they are.

Although Lord Nrsimhadev’s form looks somewhat frightening to those who may not know the story, the incarnation is one of deep compassion for living beings. Lord Nrsimha Deva is the protector of His devotees and remover of all obstacles and difficulties in the path of devotion to the Lord.

Anyone can offer prayers to Lord Nrsimhadev to request guidance in hard times just as he guided and protected little Prahlada.

To read more about the story’s purpose and intention, please go to this article by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON - Nrsimha Caturdasi by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – Back To Godhead

All the best,
Rukmini Walker

Why Does There Have To Be Violence?

~by Rukmini Walker

The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart. ~Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Why does there have to be violence? Why do there have to be bullies on my child’s playground? Why do people cheat on their wives or husbands? Why do leaders invade the borders of other countries? Why does there have to be war? Why does evil exist in the world?In this earthly sphere, this nether world between heaven and hell, we choose our direction, by our own free will.We have freedom, but freedom bears responsibilities as well. Each moment we choose to lean in, toward doing the righteous thing, toward goodness, toward dharma; or we choose to lean out in the ways against dharma, or right action- manipulating or massaging our own greed or ego or self aggrandizement.An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.This is the in-between world where we have a chance to transform, and reform our consciousness and our hearts. But that can never be forced. Some choose to love God, and to love others as themselves; others choose the degradation of hate.If we want to live in a world without violence, then we have to seek, and help others seek that transformation of the heart. Being ever cautious not to encroach, taking more than my share.As Isopanisad advises us, “… knowing well to Whom all things belong.”Living in the simplicity of righteous dharma, or right action, offering each of my actions to Krsna, or the Divine by any name, helps us learn step by step how to one day transfer beyond this world to the eternal world of selfless loving exchanges.

My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that, and I intend to end up there… ~Rumi

On this Nrsimha Caturdasi, we can each try to emulate and follow the path of the simple, faithful child saint, Prahlada Maharaj. Or we can ignore that higher dictation and succumb to the path of anger and greed following his wayward father, Hiranyakasipu.Why does there have to be violence? It depends which way we lean, which way we choose, each day, each moment.----All the best,Rukmini Walker