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Narasimha Caturdasi – Appearance of Lord Narasimhadeva
May 18, 2019
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tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-srngam
dalita-hiranyakasipu-tanu-bhrngam keshava dhrta-narahari-rupa jaya jagadisa hare
"O Keshava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one's fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasp like demon Hiranyakashipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands."
"The fourth incarnation is Nrisimhadeva. Nrisimhadeva appeared to save Prahlada Maharaja, who was five-years-old boy and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiranyakasipu took benediction from Brahma that he’ll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal. This is the difference between the Lord’s intelligence and our intelligence. We are thinking that we can cheat the Lord by our intelligence, but the Lord is more intelligent than us. This Hiranyakasipu wanted to cheat Brahma by indirect definition. First of all he wanted to become immortal. Brahma said, “That is not possible because even I am not immortal. Nobody in this material world is immortal. That is not possible.” So Hiranyakasipu, the demon… The demons are very intelligent. He thought that “Round about way I shall become immortal.” He prayed to Brahma that “Please give me the benediction that I shall not be killed by any man or any animal.” Brahma said, “Yes, that is all right.”
“I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water or on land.” Brahma said, “Oh yes.” “I shall not be killed by any man-made weapons.” “That’s all right.” In this way he utilized his intelligence in so many ways just to come to the conclusion of being immortal. But the Lord is so cunning that He kept intact all the benediction given by Brahma, still he was killed. He said that “I’ll not be killed either during daytime or night.” Brahma said “Yes.” So he was killed just in the evening, just in the junction of day and night. You cannot say it is day or night. He took the benediction that “I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water, on the land.” So he was killed on His lap. He took the benediction that “I shall not be killed by any man-made or any God-made weapons.” That was given, “All right.” So he was killed by the nails. In this way, all the benedictions were kept intact, still he was killed. Similarly, we may make plan, we may make very advancement in scientific knowledge, but the killing process of nature will be there. Nobody can escape. By our intelligence we cannot escape. The four principles of material existence means birth, death, old age and disease. We can manufacture many medicines, many weapons, many means, many methods, but you cannot escape these four principles of material existence, however great you may be. That was proved by Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu was one of the stalwart materialistic and he wanted to live forever, enjoy, but he also could not live. Everything was finished" (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 18th February 1970. Class on Sri Varaha-dwadasi purporting the Dasavatar-stotra – Ten main incarnations of the Lor. Los Angeles.)
Lord Nrisimhadeva’s Appearance Day
Prabhupada: So today, appearance day of Lord Nrisimhadeva. Lord Nrisimhadeva appeared on this Nrisimha Caturdasi on account of His devotee, Prahlada. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, abhyutthanam adharmasya [Bg. 4.7]. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca dushkritam, sambhavami yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]. The Lord appears with two purposes. Paritranaya sadhunam: just to give protection and rescue the devotees, and to kill the demons, vinasaya ca dushkritam. So Prahlada Maharaja, five-years-old boy, his only fault was that he was Krishna conscious. He was devotee of Krishna. That was his only fault. And the father was so unkind to a child, even five years old. He could not excuse, “Oh, let this boy do whatever, chanting Hare Krishna.” No. The demons are so much against God consciousness that even at his home he would not allow his own child to become God conscious. This is demoniac civili… So you’ll find many critics, many enemies, because you are making progress in Krishna consciousness. So the demons are always against this Krishna consciousness movement. That is the whole history. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. What was his fault? He was preaching God consciousness, that’s all. This society is so cruel. So Prahlada Maharaja was tortured in so many ways. The torturing methods, I think you will find as you will see in today’s picture, how Prahlada Maharaja was tortured.
So one day, Hiranyakasipu… After all, he was his son. Affection was there. So one day, Hiranyakasipu asked the boy,
prahradanucyatam tata
[SB 7.5.22]
sravanam kirtanam vishnoh
iti pumsarpita vishnau
bhaktis cen nava-lakshana kriyeta bhagavaty addha tan manye ’dhitam uttamam [SB 7.5.23-24]
Tan manye ’dhitam uttamam: one who is engaged in the matter of hearing about Vishnu, sravanam kirtanamvishnoh. We are engaged in hearing and talking and chanting about so many things non-Vishnu. Just like you’ll find thousands of, millions of different types of magazines sold in your country, in all countries. Some of the magazines are sex literature, some cinema literature, some this literature, that… So many different types. There is one paper I have seen, “Diabetes Literature.” There are many patients of diabetes, so they have formed a society, “Diabetic Society.” I have seen it. (laughter) And there are many diabetic patients, they are being hoaxed, that “You pay two dollars per year, and you get all information how to protect yourself from diabetes disease.” So in America two dollars is nothing, but it is collecting millions and millions of dollars, Diabetic Society. Diabetic magazine. So that sort of hearing and chanting is not needed. We are not interested in all these magazines, because we are followers of Prahlada Maharaja. He’s our acarya. He’s guru. Prahlada Maharaja’s guru is Narada, and Narada is also our guru. Narada is guru of Vyasadeva. So we are a branch, but the original guru is Narada, Brahma-sampradaya. So Prahlada Maharaja is also a disciple of Narada Muni. So he teaches that sravanam kirtanam vishnoh [SB 7.5.23].
We have to hear and talk and chant about Vishnu. Sravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam. To remember Him always, to worship His lotus feet, pada-sevanam. Arcanam, temple worship, to keep the Deity nicely worshiped, offer foodstuff, arati, this is called arcanam. Vandanam, offering prayers. Just like we offer prayer, govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami **. These are prayers. There are so many prayers. Kesava-dhrita buddha-sarira, keshava-dhrita narahari-rupa. These are all prayers. This is also part of devotional service.
sravanam kirtanam vishnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam… [SB 7.5.23]
Arcanam vandanam dasyam. To be always in service of the Lord, dasyam; sakhyam, to make friendship with Him, to consider Krishna as your friend. He says… Even if I do not say that He’s my friend, He says, “I am friend of everyone.” Suhridam sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. He’s friend of everyone. We don’t want His friendship, but He wants our friendship. He wants us to go back to home, Godhead; we don’t want. So He is more anxious to take us, exactly like the father is more affectionate than the son. That’s a fact. So He’s the supreme father. So He wants that we may be happy, and therefore He comes to show us. He sends His representative, son. He leaves behind Him books so that we may go back to home, back to Godhead. So, sakhyam. He’s always sitting with me, within my heart. I am in the heart, and Paramatma is also within the heart as friend to give me advice that “Why you are bothering in this material world? Please come back to home, back to Me.” This is going on. Sakhyam atma-nivedanam. Atma-nivedanam means fully surrendered. So there are examples of devotees who, sarvatma-nivedanam. Just like Bali Maharaja. He gave everything to Krishna, even his body, everything, whatever, his kingdom, money, everything.
So Prahlada Maharaja says, iti pumsarpita vishnau bhaktis cen nava-lakshana. All these items means hearing. Hearing about Vishnu, chanting about Krishna, giving everything to Vishnu, offering prayers to Vishnu, offering arcana, temple worship, Vishnu. In this way Prahlada Maharaja summarizes that “Anyone who is doing like this, everything about Vishnu…” iti pumsarpita vishnau bhaktis cen nava-lakshana, “this nine kinds of different devotional services,” kriyeta bhagavatay addha, “directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” tan manye ’dhitam uttamam, “I think he is the best learned man in the world. He is the most learned.” Tan manye ’dhitam. “He has studied everything very nicely.” Actually, that is the fact. Jnana, knowledge Knowledge means to know Krishna, God, and the Vedic injunction is, yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavanti. If you understand the Supreme Lord, then you understand everything. You haven’t got to study differently different subject matters. Just like we sometimes talk of science, of astronomy, economics, politics. We talk sometimes. But we are not going to, or we didn’t study all the subject matter separately. But in course of our studying Krishna consciousness, we know something of everything. So Prahlada Maharaja says, tan manye adhitam uttamam: “One who is engaged in these nine kinds of devotional services directly…” So Prahlada Maharaja recommends, kriyeta bhagavaty addha tan manye ’dhitam uttamam.
nisamyaitat suta-vaco
hiranyakasipus tada guru-putram cedam rusha prasphuritadharah As soon as he heard, “Oh, what this nonsense boy is speaking?” he became so angry that sphuritadharah. When one becomes angry, his lips vi…, I mean to say, jumps. What is called? Quiver, yes. So he became so angry that it is said, sphuritadharah. (He) immediately called his teacher. He’s king… Because he thought, “The rascal teachers, they have taught him like this. I have entrusted the boy to the teachers, to brahmanas, and they have taught this Krishna consciousness. So call him. Otherwise, how is that this small boy, five years old only, he’s talking just like a great saint? So call his teacher!”
brahma-bandho kim etat Hiranyakasipu became bitterest enemy of Vishnu because his brother Hiranyaksha, he was killed by Vishnu taking the shape of Varaha. You know the story. Since then, Hiranyakasipu was bitterest enemy. “Oh, He has, Vishnu has killed my brother. So He is my greatest enemy.” So he won’t hear anything about Vishnu. Any Vishnu devotee, he will punish him, even his own son. That was his policy. So he immediately called him, the teachers, and addressed him,
brahma-bandho kim etat te
So here… Teachers are generally brahmanas. Not generally. To become teacher is the business of the brahmanas. Brahmana means they have got six kinds of… Everyone must have livelihood. This material world is that you must work; otherwise you cannot get your livelihood. That is the law, whatever you may be. So the brahmanas’ means of livelihood, six things: pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigraha. Pathana means he must be a very learned scholar, study the Vedic literature, and must teach others also. That is brahmana’s business. And in that way, whatever the disciples bring, that is his income. No salary, no contract, that “If you pay me hundred dollars or five hundred dollars weekly, then I can teach you.” No. There is no such contract.
Teaching is free. It is the business of a brahmana to give free education to everyone. Now, it is the… Just like in our institution, I am your teacher, but there is no such contract that you have to pay me. But you pay me more than anything. So pathana pathana, that is the means of livelihood of brahmana. And kshatriya, they are kings. They can levy tax of the citizens because they are giving protection from being hurt by others. Kshatriya means one who gives protection (to) a man being hurt by others. That is the real root meaning. Kshatriya. And vaisya means they should, krishi-gorakshya-vanijyam, they should engage themselves in producing foodstuff, foodgrains, krishi, protect cows. Especially gorakshya. As the king is meant for giving protection to the man, similarly, a vaisya is supposed to give protection to the cows, or they keep cows and produce milk products. They are vaisya. And sudra, simply service. So these are the different types of employment of different kinds of social order. And a king, the king has to see that everyone is employed. Not that hundreds of people are unemployed, and government has to give welfare, subsidy. Not like that. The king’s duty is that everyone is independently earning his livelihood. That is king’s duty.
So here the teachers are addressed here brahma-bandho. Brahma-bandho means a person who is born by a brahmana father but is not acting as a brahmana. He’s called brahma-bandho, dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu, one who is born of a, actually born of a brahmana father, but he’s not acting as a brahmana. So Hiranyakasipu addressed the teachers brahma-bandho, not brahmana. “Because you are untrustworthy. I gave you, I entrusted you with my son to be taught, and you have taught him this Krishna consciousness. So against my will…” He says practically, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipaksham srayatasata: “I entrusted my child for being educated by you, and you have instigated him to speak in favor of my enemy, Vishnu? Vishnu is my enemy. How is that?” Asaram grahito balo mam anadritya durmate. “This rascal boy, he does not care for me, and he has learned this Krishna consciousness, and you have taught him. How is that?”
santi hy asadhavo loke
durmaitras chadma-vesinah tesham udety agham kale rogah patakinam iva
“So I think these demigods who are followers of Vishnu, they are coming in disguise and poisoning my son by teaching Krishna consciousness, and you did not take care of him. So what is this?” Then the teachers replied,
na mat-pranitam na para-pranitam
suto vadaty esha tavendra-satro naisargikiyam matir asya rajan niyaccha manyum kad adah sma ma nah
They said, “My dear King, don’t think we have taught him like this. It is not… I know, it is not our duty to teach him against your will. But his Krishna consciousness is not due to our teaching; neither somebody is coming in disguise and teaching him.” Na mat-pranitam na para-pranitam. “He is neither taught by us, nor by anyone else.” Suto vadaty esha tavendra-satro. Indra-satro. The enemy… The Hiranyakasipu is the enemy of the demigods; therefore he is addressed as Indra-satro. As he addressed the brahmana, brahma-bandho, so they retaliated also, that “You are enemy of the demigods.” Naisargikiyam, “By nature he is doing that. We try to forbid him. We try to stop him chanting Hare Krishna, but still he’s doing.” Matir asya rajan niyaccha manyum kad adah sma ma. “You don’t be angry upon us. We never did it.” So… “He is, by his own nature he chants, he preaches, he’s doing all this.”
gurunaivam pratiprokto
bhuya ahasurah sutam na ced guru-mukhiyam te kuto ’bhadrasati matih
Then he again asked his son, “Now I understand that your teacher has not taught you all these things. You rascal, where you have learned all this Krishna consciousness?” (laughter) Abhadra. Kuto abhadrasati matih: “Wherefrom you got this rascal wisdom? Tell me.” So this is the position, you see. Even father becomes enemy. Now, Prahlada Maharaja is replying. Prahlada Maharaja is replying,
matir na krishne paratah svato va
mitho ’bhipadyeta griha-vratanam adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punah punas carvita-carvananam
[SB 7.5.30]
“My dear father, don’t be afraid. It is not a thing to be taught.” Matir na krishne. “Nobody can become Krishna conscious,” matir na krishne parato, “being taught by others,” matir na krishne paratah svato va, “or by mental speculation or thinking oneself,” mitho ’bhipadyeta, “or by making conference meeting, religious meeting, conference.” No. Three things. One thing is to learn Krishna consciousness by speculative method, self-realization. Just like so many people are very much interested that “Why shall I go to a guru? I can realize myself. I shall meditate.” So that is called svatah. And paratah means by others’ instruction. And mitho, mitho means by assembly. So who? Now, griha-vratanam. If one is griha-vrata… There are two things: grihastha and griha-vrata, or grihamedhi. “So those who are griha-vrata…” because he is pointing out his father’s position, that he’s griha-vrata. He has no other business. He simply wants to get money, hiranya. Hiranya means gold, and kasipu, a nice apartment. That’s all. So he says that griha-vratanam, “If one makes it his point to remain in a comfortable home life, for him, either by speculation or by teaching or by meeting, he’ll never develop Krishna consciousness.” Griha-vratanam. Then what is their position? Now, adanta-gobhir visatam tamishram: “They are unable to control their senses, and as such, they are entering into the darkest region of material existence.” Punah punas carvita-carvananam: [SB 7.5.30] “Their only business is chewing the chewed.” They have no other ways. Griha-vratanam, those who want to be happy materially, actually they are chewing the chewed. Material happiness means sex life, ultimate, utmost, topmost happiness. So people are simply trying to, how to utilize this sex life in so many ways, in pictures and in… I do not wish to discuss. In dancing, in club, in so many ways. Because they cannot control the senses. The same thing, same thing, the same sex life in different way. Sometimes a naked dance, sometimes in this way, sometimes in that way.
Therefore it is called punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. I have heard that some people go to Florida and they spend fifty thousand dollars per week for organizing naked dance. So naked woman he has seen so many times, but still he spends more money to see it in a different way. That is called punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30], “chewing the chewed.” So persons who are too much attached to sense gratification, and they have made it their conclusion that “We shall be happy within our family life or this social life…” Vidyapati sings, tatala saikate vari-bindu sama suto-mita-ramani-samaj(?). Our society means… Society, friendship, and love. There must be woman, must be children, suto-mita-ramani-samaje. So there is some pleasure, undoubtedly. Otherwise, why people are working so hard to stick to this position? Vidyapati sings that tatala saikate vari-bindu sama suto-mita-ramani-samaj(?). There is undoubtedly some pleasure, but that pleasure is so insignificant that it can be compared: a drop of water on the desert. Desert, if you want to utilize desert to make it a garden or productive field, you have to pour water. The whole ocean water you have to pour there. Now, if somebody says, “All right, you want water. Now take this one drop water,” then what it will do? Similarly, our heart is hankering after so many things. We are hankering… Actually we are hankering after Krishna, but we do not know. We are trying to satisfy our hankering in so many ways in material life. Actually we are hankering after Krishna. Just like a small child, it is crying. It cannot express, but it is wanting the mother’s breast feeding. So you cannot stop him crying unless it is transferred to the mother. Similarly, actually we love Krishna. That is a fact. Because we love Krishna… Therefore you, who did not hear even the name of Krishna, say, four or five years ago, why you after so much Krishna? This is the proof, that actually we are after Krishna. This Krishna consciousness movement is being accepted in Western countries by the younger generation. Why? Because every one of us, we love Krishna. But it is now covered by maya. We have to simply take out the covering, maya; then we are Krishna conscious.
That is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrita,
nitya-siddha krishna-bhakti ‘sadhya’ kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya
That Krishna consciousness is not an artificial thing, that we are making some propaganda on Krishna consciousness, publishing some books, magazines, and our preachers are going place to place. No, there are so many propaganda is going on. But they are not so effective. And our, what means we have got to make propaganda? We simply make this propaganda, “Please chant Hare Krishna.” That’s all. Of course, we do sincerely. So if we propagate sincerely and seriously, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu has ordered, yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krishna’ upadesa… [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. We must be sincere. Then, if we canvass, “Please chant Hare Krishna,” it will be effective. It will be effective. The business is not very serious or very difficult. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krishna’… “Anyone you meet, you simply request him about hearing about Krishna.” So… But if one is so much covered by materialistic enjoyment, it takes little time. It takes little time. Otherwise, automatically there is love for Krishna, and sravanadi-suddha-citte…
bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam
tayapahrita-cetasam vyavasayatmika buddhih samadhau na nigacchati
[Bg. 2.44]
“What is that?”
“The cat chases after me always. I’m very unhappy.” “So what do you want?” “Now, if you make me a cat, then I can get relief from this thing.” “All right, you become cat.” So he became cat. So after few days, again he comes. “Sir, again I am in trouble.” “What is that?” “The dog is chasing me.” (laughter) Don’t laugh, hear seriously. “Dog is chasing me.” “All right, then, what do you want?” “Now, make me a tiger.” “All right, you become a tiger.” So when he became a tiger he was staring on the saintly person like this. So he asked, “Why you are staring upon me? You want to eat me?” “Yes.” So he again curses, punar mushiko bhava: “Again you become mouse. Again you become mouse.” So that is our position. We are advanced in civilization. Now we want to kill God. So we are again going to be uncivilized, to remain in the forest and to remain naked. Actually, they are practicing that: nature’s way. So again they are going to be aborigines. And that is being practiced. They are going to the forest, they remain naked. So actually, punar mushiko bhava: “Again become mouse.” Civilized human being means God conscious, happy life, no trouble, no enviousness, everything happy, no hard labor. Why hard labor? Everything is there. You just employ your little intelligence, you get sufficient food by grains, by fruits, by flowers, milk. There is no difficulty if we remain in our own way. So that is the difficulty, that we do not know that our ultimate goal of life is God-realization. Then God has got all arrangement. You cannot produce fruits and grains in factory. They are given by God. Why? That “You eat them and be Krishna conscious, chant Hare Krishna.” But we don’t want that. We want slaughterhouse, unnecessarily. Actually, if you go to the store… There are so many stores. How many stores are selling only meat? It is not possible. Ninety-nine percent fruits, vegetables, grains you are taking, and maybe a little percentage of meat. So why you cannot give up this little percentage? If you think that meat is very palatable, why don’t you live on meat? Russia is also trying like that. That has become the fashion. In Moscow, it was very difficult to find out nice grains. With great difficulty Syamasundara used to spend two hours daily to secure these things. So this is the problem. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi vishnum durashsaya ye bahir-artha maninah [SB 7.5.31]. They are trying to be happy by the arrangement of these material activities. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te ’pisa-tantryam. They do not know that the material nature is so strong that you cannot get out of it unless you are prepared to suffer more and more. If you take to natural life and live peacefully and take to Krishna consciousness, that is your real life. And if you simply increase botheration and problems, then you’ll have to suffer. That is the position of modern civilization. Actually, superficially we see that material advancement of material science, people have got so many machines, so many facilities. But actually, they are in trouble. Just like I gave you one example: the computer machine. It can work for thousands of men. So thousands of men means the thousands of men must be unemployed. And especially in your country, they are taking advantage of this machine because the salary is If you want to pay to the worker, a big, big salary. So they want to save. They are taking machine, and they think they will save money, so many workers. But the workers are becoming unemployed. The government has to give them welfare. The government will tax. That’s all. (laughter.) Government will not give money, welfare, from government’s pocket. The government will increase your taxation. So you are…, you stop payment by importing some machine, now you have to pay that money to the government. This is called entanglement. This is a crude example. I don’t say that you stop all this business, but the material world is like that. You want to solve something; instead of solving, you’ll create so many problems. This is material life. Because our life is not meant for solving problems and creating problems. Our life is meant for understanding God. Then everything is all right. But that you have given up.
na te viduh svartha-gatim hi vishnum
durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te ’pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah
They do not know that you cannot go an inch beyond the stringent laws of material nature. That is not possible.
naisham matis tavad urukramanghrim
sprisaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhishekam nishkincananam na vrinita yavat
Therefore one has to take shelter of a pure devotee. That is the only solution. He says, naisham matis tavad urukramangrhim. The beginning was that “They are not interested in Krishna consciousness.” Then how to become Krishna conscious if that is the solution? Then Prahlada Maharaja says, naisham matis tavad: “So long one does not approach a pure devotee,” mahiyasam nishkincananam, “great personalities, who has no more any material interest,” nishkincana, “and takes the dust of his lotus feet on the head…” Naisham matis tavad urukramanghrim: “So long one does not approach such personality, there is no possibility of becoming Krishna conscious.” Naisham matis tavad urukramanghrim. As soon as one approaches the pure devotee and takes the dust of his lotus feet and puts it on his head, immediately, anartha apagamah, he’ll be freed from all this nonsense. That means he’ll forget this idea that “Materially we can advance.” This is the process. So we have to approach a nishkincana, who has nothing to do with this material world. His only ambition is to serve more Krishna. And if somebody approaches him and takes the dust of his lotus feet, then he can understand. Mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhishekam nishkincananam na vrinita yavat. (aside:) Our time is over? All right.
So in this way Prahlada Maharaja talked with his father, and the father became more angry. Instead of taking the lesson … Murkhaya upadesa hi prakopaya na santaye. If you teach lesson to a foolish person, he’ll be simply angry. He’ll not take your lesson. How it is so? Payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visha-vardhanam. If you keep a snake and if you want to make friendly behavior with him, that, “My dear snake, don’t bite any more. I’ll give you milk and banana. You eat here and stay here nicely,” he’ll not… His poison will increase, and one day he will… There is a story in the Hitopadesa: one day, one… The same thing. So payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visha-vardhanam. So these are lessons, stories. So his father, Hiranyakasipu, became more and more angry. So one day… Because after all, son and father… The son was simple boy. So one day he said, “Prahlada, I shall now kill you. I shall see how your Krishna saves you.” So immediately, Prahlada was seeing to the pillars of the hall. He was king. So Hiranyakasipu asked him, “Is your God, Krishna, in the pillar?” He said, “Yes, sir. Yes, my father, He is there.” So immediately, with anger he broke the pillar and Nrisimhadeva came out. Now we can honor Him. (end) (Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34. Los Angeles, May 27, 1972. ) Srila Rupa Goswami mentions some of the benefits of worshipping a Nrsimha shalagram sila in his book, Padyavali:
"A tulasi leaf offered to the lotus feet of the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of murder. Water that has washed the lotus feet of the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of theft. Foodstuff offered to the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of drinking liquor. Sincere surrender to the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of adultery with the wife of the spiritual master. Association with the devotees of the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of offenses to the devotees. This is the extraordinary glory of the Nrsimha shalagram sila."
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Please note that this vaishnava calendar displays the holy days according to the dates and times for Mayapur, India, the spiritual capital of Gaudiya Vaishnavas. At this sacred place Lord Sri Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to mercifully deliver the fallen souls of this age of kali-yuga.