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Sri Nrusimha PanchAmrutha Sthothram--Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • Sat Apr 05 1997 - 06:16:30 PST 


Dear BhakthAs of Sri Nava Nrusimhas of AhObilam :

In the earlier posting , I referred to the splendid way 
in which Chakravathi Thirumahan used 12 names 
to seat Sri MaalOlan in his heart cage in the spirit of 
DvAdasa Naama Panjara Sthuthi . 

One of the unusual combination of two NaamAs ,
into one name " NaarAyaNAchyutha " is a thought 
provoking usage by Sri Rama .This is the 12th and the 
last namA of the first slokam . 

The greatness of the Name " NaarAyaNa " is celebrated
as the elaboration of the first part of PraNavam (A) . 
The Various slokAs of Naaradheeya Kalpam (AshtAkshara
Brahma VidhyA) reveal to us the greatness and the profound
significance of NaarayaNa sabdham . It is part of Moola Manthram .
Indeed , it is the most significant part of Moola Manthram .
That is why it is considered as Dharaka -Poshaka - Bhogya
Sabdham as the resident of the golden  cage of AshtAkshari . 
Further , The central doctrines of Sri VaishNavAs are
the three rahasyams : AshtAkshari, Dhvayam and
Sarama Slokam . Our Acharyas and Sri RamachandrA's
Achaarya ( Sage VasishtA ) have instructed us that one 
is born in Thirumanthiram , grows in Dhvayam and ends 
with Sarama Slokam . All of them have at their core 
Sriman NaarAyaNan . That is why Sage Naaradha 
states that NaarAyaNA is AshtAkshara Svarupi :

vyaktham hi BhagavAn Deva: SakshAnnArAyaNa: Svayam I
AshtAkshara svarupENa mukhEshu parivarthatEh II

(Meaning ) : It is very clear and unquestionable .
 Sriman NaarAyaNan , the treasure house of the 
six guNAs such as J~nanam , Balam , Isvaryam etal 
roams in the faces of the reciter of moola manthram 
made up of eight aksharAs . This is the glory of NaarAyaNa 
parAyaNA : 

Elsewhere , Sage NaradhA reveals that he has taken 
refuge in the Manthram celebrating NaarAyaNa sabdham
this way :

AaseenA vaa sayanaa vaa thishtanthO yathra kuthra vaa I
NamO NaarAyaNAyEthi mantraika saraNA vayam II

(Meaning ) : Whether we are seated , resting or standing ,
whether we are here or there , We have taken refuge in 
the manthram , " NamO NaarAyaNAya " . 

Sri RamA saluted Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan in 
the Vaidhika Taantric way at Ahobilam through
the invocation of the  NaarAyaNa sabdham 
in the very first slokam of his eulogy .

The word Acyutha was attached by Him to the naamA,
"NaarAyaNA " to salute Sri Narasimhan of Ahobilam as
 " NaarAyaNAchyuthan " . The Achyutha naamam is a
reminder of Sriman NaarAyaNA's ancient tattvam stated 
in the Sarama slokam . He will not abandon anyone , who
truly surrenders to Him and seek refuge at His lotus feet. 
He is therefore Natha Sathyan ( true to those , who bow before
Him ). He is the protector of those , who do kaimkaryam to HIm
(Kinkara sathyan ). He never lets them down. He is 
the SaraNAgatha Sathyan . 

Many milleniums later , Swami Desikan composed a hundred
verses on the Achyuthan of Thiruvaheendhrapuram and celebrated
the NaarAyaNAchyutha Tattvam . One of the verses of this magnificient
poem (Achyutha Sathakam )  of Swami Desikan sums up 
brilliantly and assertively the reasons behind the usage of
this  compound name , " NaarAyaNAchyuathan " :

na kalu tava sadhrusAbhyadhikA :
Naatha tvameva Sarvaloka SaraNya : I
yehtAvath J~nanasaaramithi j~aathum 
ThridasanaathEtara vichinthA II

(Meaning ) : O DevanAyakA ! O Achyutha ! 
O SaraNAgatha SathyA ! There is no one in all
the worlds , who is equal to or superior  to you .
You are the sole protector of SaraNAgathAs .
This is the essence of all SaasthrAs. Research 
on and study (vichinhtA ) of all the SaasthrAs is 
to arrive at this discovery . 

Slokam 2:

devaassamasthA : kalu yogi mukhyA :
Gandharva VidhyAdhara kinnarAsccha I
Yath paadhamoolam sathatham namanthi
tham Naarasimham saraNam gathOsmi II

(meaning ) : I have taken refuge 
(performed SaraNAgathi) to that Naarasimhan ,
whose lotus feet are constantly saluted  indeed 
by all the DEvAs , Parama Yogis , GandharvAs 
and KinnarAs .

The use of the word "Kalu " in this slokam 
by Sri RamabhadhrA is very meaningful.
The word " Kalu " is used in poetry to lay stress
on the word by which it is preceded. Here that 
preceding word is "SamasthA : " . Sri Rama 
uses "Kalu " here to assert  that all --DevAs ,
Parama Yogis , GandharvAs, KinnarAs and all
who are not even listed --  are assembled at
the lotus feet (Paadha mmolam ) and are offering their 
salutations. " Kalu " is used as a particle in 
syllogistic speech and means , "indeed , 
verily , certainly " . 

Slokam 3 :

vEdhAn samasthAn KALU saasthragarbhAn
vidhyApalEh keerthimatheemcha Lakshmeem I
Yasya PrasAdhAth sathatham labhanthE 
tham Naarasimham saraNam gathOsmi II

(meaning ) : I have taken refuge (performed
SaraNAgathi ) to that Narasimhan by whose grace 
one obtains without fail the fruits of Brahma VidyA
elaborated in the VedAs and in  heart of the saasthrAs .
I have chosen that Narasimhan , who blesses one 
with keerthi and permanent wealth , as the means 
for my saraNAgathi . 

Slokam 4 :

BrahmA Sivasthvam PurushOtthamasccha 
NaarAyaNOsow maruthAm Pathisccha I
ChandhrArka vaayvAgni MaruthgaNAsccha 
TvamEvatham tvaam Sathatham NathOsmi II

This slokam is the essence of the Vedic Principle ,
" Ucchishta or Ut-sista Brahmam that reveals the Lord
as the final reality or the one that exists as the undecaying self ,
when all else is gone. He takes the form of all the Gods of 
many attributes and functions. Sri RamA recognizes 
Sri Narasimha BhagavAn as Brahma , SivA , PurushOtthama,
NarAyaNA , Maruth DevAs , Vaayu , Moon , Sun , Agni and 
every divine principle . Sri RamaA says that he salutes that grandest 
of Grand priciples , Sri NarasimhA as Ucchishta Brahmam 
and Aadhi Murthy( Moolam ) . 

This slOkam is of the ssence of many passages of the VedAs.
The echos of this slOkam are  heard in these illustrative 
Veda Manthrams:

sarvE asmin dEvA eka  vruthO bhavanthi ( Atharva Vedam XII.4.21)
(meaning ) : All the DevAs merge out and become one in Him alone.

Rg Vedic Passages ( RV .II .1.4, 1.6 and 1.7):

(meaning ) : You are the One known as Agni , King VaruNA ,
MitrA , AAryamaan  or amsA .--- You are the Dravinodha (giver
of wealth ) , deva , savithru , ratnadhaa (the store of gems) ,
bhaga (the effulgent ) and nrupathi ( hte Lord of men ) -- You
are the one , whom seers call by various names , such as IndrA , 
MitrA , VaruNA , Agni , DivyA, SuparNA , GaruthmAn , YamA and 
Matarisvan . 

Yajur vedam salutes the supreme Lord as the One everlasting
principle , even if He is saluted with different names :

" He alone is Agni , the same He is AdityA, the same one
is known as Vaayu ,and Chandramaa .He again is the same
one known as SukrA , Brahman , Apaah or Prajaapathi . 
( Yajur Vedam : XXXII .1 ).

SlOkam 5 :

svapnEapi nityam jagathAm TrayANAm 
srashtAcha hanthA vipurapramEya : I
TraathA tvamevakasthrividhOvibhinna:
tham tvAm Nrusimham sathatham nathOsmi II

(meaning ) ; I salute forever that Nrusimhan , who creates , protects 
and destroys the three worlds and their beings .He is indeed 
the supreme Lord and matchless in attributes and glory .He is 
the creator , protector and destroyer in all states of existence
and is divided in three forms to perform these functions for 
loka Kshemam and for his play . I salute that Parabrahmam ,
Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan of  Ahobilam always . 

The rest of the verses of this Sthothram deal with Sri RamA's
AarAdhanam of Maalolan , the celebration of that worship
by the Devaas through the showering of flowers (Pushpa Vrushti ) 
and the acclamation of the assembled sages and the pala 
sruthi . These are the verses covering the above happenings
at Ahobilam :

ithi sthuthvA Raghu Sreshta :
PoojayaamAsa Tham Viphum I

Pushpa Vrushti : papaathAsu 
Tasya Devasya Moordhani II

Saadhusaadhvidhitham prOchu :
DevArishi gaNaissaha I

DevA oochu : 

RaaghavENa krutham Sthothram 
PANCHAAMRUTHAMANUTTHAMAM I
patanthiyE dhvija varA :
teshAm svargasthu saasvatha : II

Sri Nrusimha PanchAmrutha Sthothram SampoorNam 

MahA PrabhAva : , Sri NaarayaNa Naarasimha : ,
NaarayaNa Veerasimha : , NaarayaNa Krurasimha: ,
NaarayaNa divyasimha : , NaarayaNa Vyaagrasimha : , 
NaarayaNa pucchasimha: , NaarAyaNa poorNasimha: ,
NaarAyaNa Roudhrasimha: , 

BheeshaNa bhadra simha: , Vihvala nEthra simha: ,
Brumhitha bhooth asimha: , Nirmala chithra simha: ,
Nirjitha Kaala Simha: , Kalpitha kalpa Simha: ,
Kaamatha kaama simha : , Bhuvanaika PoorNa simha : , 
KaalAgni Rudra Simha : .Anantha Simha Raaja Simha :

Jaya Simha Roopa Simha : , 
Narsimha Roopa Simha: ,
RaNa Simha Roopa Simha : , 
Abhayankara Roopa Simha : ,
HiraNyakasipu Haari Simha : ,
PrahlAdha Varada Simha : ,
BhakthAbheeshtadhAyee Simha : ,
Lakshmi Nrusimha Roopa Simha : ,
Adhyadhbuhtha Roopa Simha : ,
Sri Nrusimha Deva : Aathmana:
sakala bhootha vyApthim --nija 
bhruthya bhaashitham cha Satyam vidhAthum 
Prapanna RakshaNAya parispotitha 
than MahAsthambhE Paryadhrusyatha 
Paryadhrusyatha 

Satyam VidhAthum nija bhruthya bhaashitham
vyaapthimcha bhoothEshvakhilEshuchAthmana: 

adhrusyathAdhadhbutha roopamudhvahan
sthambEh sabhAyAm na Mrugam na Maanusham . 

The above passages are a combination used as 
Nrusimha Gadhyam by MahA VidvAn ,
Sri SanthAna GopalaacchAr Swami in his 
upanyAsams . They are a mixture of Sri PommEri
POthannA's Telegu Bhagavatham and Sri Nrusimha
Sahasra Naamams .

I will conclude this posting with a slokam 
from Sri Nrusimha MangaLam composed by
SrivaN^ satakOpa Srinivasa Yatheendhra MahA Desikan
of Ahobila Mutt :

Sarva Vedaantha vEdhyAya karaNAya MahaathmanE I
Sarvaloka SaraNyAya Sri NrusimhAya MangaLam II

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan