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Nava Narasimha Krithi MODELED AFTER AnnamAyA's sankkeerthanam

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • December 5, 1999 


Dear Nrusimha BhakthAs :

Sri TaaLapAkkam AnnamAchArya performed prapatthi 
under the holy feet of Adhi VaNN SatakOpa YathIndhra
MahA Desikan , the First Jeeyar of AhObila matam ;
he went on to compose thousands of Krithis on Lord SrinivAsan
of Thirumalai . Saint AnnamAryA never forgot his AchArya
Sambhandham and his AchAryA's sambhandham with AhObila
Nava Narasimhans in general and MaalOlan in particular .
In the raagam KarnAtaka DevaghAndhAri , Sri AnnamAryA 
saluted the dhivya desam of Ahobilam and described to us 
the real glories of this KshEthram :

Pallavi:    Anisamu talacharO AhObilam
            Anantha palatham AhObilam 

CharaNam 1: Hari Nija Nilayam AhObilam 
            Hara Virinchi nutham AhObilam
            AruNa MaNi sikharam AhObilam
            Ari dhaithya HaraNam AhObalam

CharaNam 2: Adhisaya Subhadham AhObilam
            Athula ManOharam AhObilam
            Hatha dhurithasayam AhObalam
            Yathimatha siddham AhObalam

CharaNam 3: agu Sri venkatam AhObalam
            agamyam asurula ahObalam
            agha paDuruNyula karO balam 
            aka kula rAjam mahO Balam 

Saint AnnamAryA invites us in the pallavi to meditate
always on the AhObila KshEthram and the Nava NarasimhAs 
presiding over the achalAchalam , VedAdhri and GarudAdhri . 
He points out that such meditation will give us all what
we wish for.

In the three charaNams , he weaves a wonderful word 
portrait of the dhivya dEsam dear to Lord Narasimhan .
He says: " AhObilam is the true place of residence of
Hari ; it is the place saluted by Haran ( Ahirbudhnyan)
in manthra rAja padha sthOthram ; this is the kshEthram ,
where the morning rays of the Sun first hit the peaks
of AhObilam hills; this is the  site , where asura 
samhAram by Hari took place ; this is the puNya bhUmi 
with rare auspiciousness; this is the kshEthram known
for its bewitching natural beauty; this is the place 
that has unparalleled enchantment ; this is the place 
for the people with strong hearts and MahA visvAsam ;
this is the dhivya dEsam that looks like ThiruvEnkatam 
in its splendor; This is the place that made the asurAs
shudder with fear over the prabhAvam of Narasimhan; 
this is the place , where the devotees of the Lord 
flock to receive His anugraham and this is the mighty 
king of the Jungles . 

AnnamAryA composed many beautiful krithis on 
Sri Narasimha DevA and the most well known 
krithi is the one that offers salutation to 
the Nava NarasimhAs presiding over the upper AhObilam :
"Nava NarasimhA namO namO ". AdiyEn heard it sung by
my sister and was inspired to compose a sthuthi 
modeled after the krithi of saint of TaLapAkkam . For us ,
the Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar is the NadamAdum 
Nava Narasimhan and is considered by us as the 10th
Narasimhan , an integrated essence of the Nine Narasimhans 
and the PrahlAda Varadhan of the Lower Ahobilam .
Hence adiyEn started the krithi as :

" Nava Narasimha svarUpa NaarAyana yathiyE NamO namO "

Then adiyEn switched into Sanskrit under the format
of AnnamAryA and the final version of the Krithi 
took the following form :

Palalvi:    Nava NarasimhA NamO NamO 
            Sri NaarAyaNa dhivya simhA (NamO NamO)

CharaNam 1: BhArgava Raama anugraha dhAyakaa ,
            udhAra BhArgava NarasimhA NamO NamO 
            Bhaktha PrahlAdha YogAchArya 
            YogAnandha NarasimhA NamO NamO 

CharaNam 2: abhaya hasthaalankrutha dhivya MoorthE
            Chathravata NarasimhA NamO NamO
            VaraahAkhAra Lakshmi SamEtha 
            KrODAkAra NarasimhA NamO NamO

CharaNam 3: Kaaranja Vruksha moola sthitha 
            adhbhutha NarasimhA NamO NamO 
            vrutthOthpulla VisAlAkshiNA aalinkitha
            athisundara MaLOla NarasimhA NamO NamO

CharaNam 4: KaruNA Veera Rasa Samyutha JwAlA MoorthE
            NaarAyana Roudhra SimhA NamO namO 
            VeNugOpAla GhAna lOla Paavana charitha
            Paavana Nathi theera vaasa NarasimhA NamO NamO

CharaNam 5: MahA PrabhAva AhObila Raaja Simha 
            NaarAyaNa Dhivya Simha NamO NamO 
            AvAptha Saamastha Kaama , PrahlAdha Varadha ,
            LakshmI KshEthra Sekara VibhO NamO NamO 

AdiyEn's salutations are to the Nine NarasimhAs of Ahobila
KshEthram : (1)Bhaargava (2) YogAnandha (3)Chathravata 
(4) KrODaakAra (5)Kaaranja (6)MaalOla (7) JwAlA 
(8)AhObila and (9) Paavana Narasimhans .

The beautiful home page for AhObila matam created
and maintained by Sri ParthasArathy Dileepan has
the beautiful images of these nine NarasimhAs 
and prahlAdha Varadhan . Please visit these home
pages for your full enjoyment of the nava Narasimhans. 

Notes on special allusions in the Krithi : 

CharaNam 1: Bhargava Narasimhan sits at the site ,
where ParasurAman ( BhArgava Raaman ) did penance 
and received Lord Narasimhan's anugraham .Thus , He came
to be known as Bhaargava Narasimhan.

YogAnandha Narasimhan taught PrahlAdhan the intricacies of 
YogAsanams at this site , where there is a temple 
for YogAnandha Narasimhan .This instruction took
place after HiraNya SamhAram .

CharaNam 2: Chathravata Narasimhan has the most beautiful
abhaya hastham and is sitting under a pupil tree surrounded
by Thorny bushes. 

KrODAkAra Narasimhan has the face of a boar 
reminding one of NammaazhwAr's paasuram passage:

" nilavarai iraNDu piRai kalvi nimirntha thoppak kOla 
VarAhamonRAi nilam kOttidaik koNDaventhAi"

CharaNam 3: Kaaranja Narasimhan is sitting under 
a Kaaranja tree.

MaalOlan is giving us sEvai with His consort with
the widely-expanding eyes ( VruddhOthpulla VisAlAkshi) 
resulting from Her joy of experiencing the incomparable 
beauty of Her Lord . She is embracing Her Lord ( aalinkitha)
and is enjoying the bliss of that anubhavam . He becomes
MaalOlan and RamA sakha Nru Kesari .

CharaNam 4: One eye of the Lord is full of KaruNai for
His Bhakthan , PrahlAdhAn and the other eye is full 
of uncontrollable anger and is looking at the offending
father of PrahlAdhan .Hence the rasam is a mixture of 
KaruNai and Roudhram .His hair is full of JwAlA . This
is the JwALA Narasimhan about to pounce on HiraNyan .
As Kambhan explains :

disai thiRanthathu , aNDam keera siritthathu
acchenkaNN seeyam ; piLanthathu thooNum , aankE
piRanthathu seeyam ( singham ). 

Paavana Narsimhan is sititng on the banks of 
Paavanaa river and next to Him stands a beautiful
VeNugOpAlan in the prathyAleetam pose playing 
enchantingly on His flute .Paavana Narasimhan
is enjoying the VeNu ghAnam .

CharaNam 5: AhObila Narasimhan is at the main shrine at 
Upper AhObilam .He is mahA prabhAvan and His roopam is Ugram 
with shOdasa KalAs . This Singap PirAn is the One 
that Thirumazhisai saluted as : " Dhaanavanai vaLLuhirAl
maarviraNdu koorAhak keeRiya KOLari". He is the one of
MahA prabhAvam eulogized by the Atharva Vedha Saara , 
Periya ThiruvanthAdhi of NammAzhwAr as : Tani ninRa
saarvilA Moorthy ". He is the One that Thirumangai
reverentially saluted as " DhaivamallAl sellavoNNA 
senRu kaaNDaRkkariya SingavEL " KunRatthAn . NammAzhwAr 
proudly identifies with Him as "Yenn SingappirAn "
and another AzhwAr admits htat he is the servant
of that Lord of AhObilam  "(AhObila) NaraNanArkkE naam 
adimai" .

LakshmI KshEthra Sekara Vibhu: The top of VedAdhri
peak is known as Lakshmi KshEthram . RamA LOlan 
sports with His consort there and His beauty 
on the Lakshmi KshEthram inspires adiyEn to salute 
Him as " Lakshmi KshEthra sEkara Vibhu".  

Sookshma Chidhachith Visishta LakshmI Nrusimha 
Para BrahmaNE NamO Nama : , SthUla chidhachith 
Visishta LakshmI Nrusimha ParabrahmaNE namO nama:

Sri NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya nama:
Daasan, Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan