Lord nrsimha and shiva sarabha

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1. BY: SUN STAFF

Lord Narasimhadev Pacified by Shiva Sarabha
Pahari, Kangra School, c. 18th century

May 22, CANADA (SUN) — A three-part series on Lord
Nrsimhadev's post-destruction lila.

2. This beautiful painting of Lord Nrsimhadev being pacified by Sarabha-
Shiva depicts Lord Shiva in his winged form as Sarabha. Images of the
Devi's are iconographically depicted on his body. Lord Nrsimha sits
nearby, the destroyed demon Hiranyakasipu on His lap, with Prahlad
and Laksmi nearby.
The Puranas describe Lord Nrsimhadev's pastime of killing the demon,
saying that the Lord consumed every drop of H iranyakasipu's blood,
then wore the demon's mangled body as a garland to make sure that
none of the demon's physical remains made contact with the universe.
After the destruction, Prahlad, Laksmi and various demigods
attempted to soothe the Lord's anger, but without success. Coming at
the request of the rishis and demigods, Lord Shiva, along with Sri
Soolini and Prathyankira Devis and Their respective entourages,
manifested His supremely aggressive Sarabesvara form. He embraced
Sri Nrsimha, cooled Him down and made Him accessible to all beings.
This Sri Sarabesvara is Lord Shiva's universal Omkara form.
As mentioned in yesterday's opening segment of this series, Lord
Nrsimhadev's post-destruction and Disappearance pastimes were not
discussed in any detail by our Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya Acaryas.
While numerous temple deities, painted images and sastric references
are found to Lord Shiva's Sarabha form, the major Puranas like Srimad
Bhagavatam do not mention the Sarabha forms of Lord Nrsimha and
Lord Shiva. Likewise, no mention appears to have been made in the
Upa Puranas like the Narasimha Purana , or other Upanishads
associated with Sri Nrisimhadev. Rather, they stop at the point in the
lila pastime with the destruction of Hiranyakasipu and the pacification
of the Lord's anger by Bhakta Prahlad and the demigods and
goddesses.
Although the post-destruction pastimes are not mentioned in the
primary sastra, there are many references found to Shiva Sarabha and
to Lord Nrsimhadev's own Sarabha Form. Included amongst them are
references to Sri Nrsimha's Form as Ganda Bherunada, a rare two -
headed bird incarnation worshipped in South India, as well as to
versions of a pastime wherein Shiva Sharabha actually fought with and
killed Lord Nrsimhadev. Some have concluded that this incarnation of
Shiva was simply created by a group of South Indian Shaivites as a
means to position Shiva as being greater than Vishnu, and that
question seems left to the discussions of academics and pandits.

3. In the Atharva Veda, the tenth of thirty-one Upanishads is the Sarabha
Upanishad, which glorifies Lord Shiva in his fierce Sarabha
manifestation. Verse 3 of this Upanishad states that Maheswara took
the form of Sarabha and killed Narasimha. What follows is a
translation by P.R. Ramachander:
Sarabha Upanishad
Om ! O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious;
May we see with our eyes what is auspicious, O ye worthy of
worship !
May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas,
Praising them with our body and limbs steady !
May the glorious Indra bless us !
May the all-knowing Sun bless us !
May Garuda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us !
May Brihaspati grant us well-being !
Om ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !
I am saluting that primeval God who is the Lord, who is the best,
who is the father of the world, who is the greatest among gods,
who has created Brahma, who gave all Vedas to Brahma in the
beginning, who is the father of Vishnu and other devas, who
merits praise, and who at the time of deluge destroys the world.
He is the only one who is greater than every body, who is the
best and who rules over others. 1-2
That very strong Maheswara took the horrifying form of Sarabha
and killed Narasimha who was destroying the world. (Sarabha is
the avatar of Shiva which is a combination of eagle, lion and
man.) 3
That god with his sharp claws tore, Vishnu who took the form of
Narasimha. He who was wearing the hide became Veerabhadra.
4
For every one desiring to get all occult powers, he is the one who
should be meditated. Salutations to that Rudra who tore away
the fifth head of Brahma. 5

4. Salutations to that Rudra who kicked Kala the God of death and
made him fall and also him who drank the burning Halahala
poison. 6
Salutations to that Rudra whose feet were worshipped by the
flower of Vishnu’s eyes and who being pleased gave him the holy
wheel (Chakra). 7
The one, who has crossed sorrows, sees that God, who is atom
within an atom, gross among the gross, who as Atma hidden in
the heart of beings and who is beyond physical action, clearly
because of these reasons. 8
Salutations to that Rudra who is the greatest god, who holds the
Soola (spear) in his hand, who has a big swallowing mouth, who
is the Maheswara and whose blessing has good effects. 9
“Chara”, indicates beings which move and because Brahmam
shines in the half of their body as Hari, it is called Sarabham.
Hey great sage, that can grant salvation directly. 10
Any twice born who reads this, which is called “the great Sastra
of Paippalada” or makes others read it, would get rid of births
and deaths and attain salvation. The Upanishad tells that he will
become similar to Brahma.
Here ends the Sarabhopanishad, as contained in the Atharva-
Veda.

5. Other References to Sarabha
In the Sri Nrsimha-sahasra-nama, the thousand Names of L ord
Nrsimhadeva (which was translated by Sriman Kusakratha dasa), the
name "Sarabha" is included as one of the names of Lord Nrsimhadeva
which was recited by Lord Brahma to calm the Lord's anger after He
had killed Hiranyakasipu.
Text 157
"Obeisances to Lord Nrsimha, who gives religion, economic
development, sense gratification and liberation (dharmartha -
kama-moksha), who is always aloof from matter (virakta), who
is the most pure (bhava-Suddha), who is perfect (siddha), who
is the goal of spiritual life (sadhya), who is ferocious like a
Sarabha monster (Sarabha)…"
The Shiva Purana describes Sarabha, also known as Sarabheswara, as
follows:
"He had a thousand hands and wore matted locks. His head was
adorned by the crested moon. He appeared like a bird with wings
and beak. His body was fierce and fully developed.
His fangs were very sharp. Adamantine claws were His weapons.
His neck was black in colour. He had huge arms and four legs.
He was blazing like fire.
His voice was resonant and terrible like the rumbling sound of
the clouds that gather at the end of the yuga. His three eyes
were wide and blazing as the fire of the evil spirit of great fury.
His fangs and lips were clearly visible. He was producing a
hissing sound of humkara. Shiva of such a form appea red in
sight.
In addition to the description of Sri Sarabeswara's advent in Atharva
Veda mention is also found in the Linga Purana, Skanda
Purana and Brahmanda Purana . Special mention is made
in Rigveda and Thaitriya as well, at the Uttara bhaga of Sri Lalitha
Sahasra-nama.

6. Paayaanno Deva Sarabasthva Payaath
Sathaarirogath Vipinorakaapyam
Vaiswanaro Kugari Ritchakebya
Prethebyo Bhoothebyo Rusha Krudanthan
(Atharva Veda)
The Vedic mantras affirm that all ones sins are wiped away by
chanting the powerful mantra of Sri Sarabha. Srila Vedavyasa in the
96th chapter of his Linga Purana categorically states that those who
worship Sri Sarabeswara will be rid of all afflictions caused by bad
dreams, chronic ailments, poisonous bites, disasters caused by
earthquake, floods, cyclone, thunder, lightning, etc.
Sarva Vigna Prasamanam, Sarva Vyadi Vinasanam
Arichakra Prasamanam, Sarva Dukka Vinasanam,
Atraanyothpada Bookamba thaavagni Pa amasu Vrishtisu
Thatho duswapna Samanam, Sarvabhootha Nivaranam,
Vishagraha Kshayakaram Puthra powthraadhi Vardhanam
Thathraksha Daaranam Kuryaath Jangamaangey Varaananey
Linga Purana, Chapter 96
One rendition (source unknown) of Lord Nrsimhadev's post -destruction
pastime with Sarabha is described as follows:
"Unfortunately His anger and fierceness did not subside, even after
annihilation of the demon and the three worlds trembled in fear. All
the Devas headed by Lord Brahma appealed to Lord Shiva to appeas e
the anger of Lord Narasimha. The compassionate Lord Shiva sent His
lieutenant Agora Veerabhadra to do the job, but it went in vain.
The rajoguna caused by tasting the blood of the demon did not let
Lord Narasimha calm down. Veerabhadra, unable to subdue Sri
Narasimha, prayed to Lord Shiva to intervene.
There appeared the most terrible form of a combination of man, bird
and animal. It was a queer combination of man with Saraba (Bird) and
Yaali (animal), celebratedly known and worshipped by the name Sri
Sarabeswara, being the Thirtieth avatar of Lord Shiva amongst His
Sixty four incarnations.
Sri Sarabeswara, sporting two huge wings, (representing Soolini Durga
and Prathyankira Devi), eight legs, the nose of an eagle, four arms
carrying fire, serpent, a deer and the ankus, with fingers having sharp

7. nails looking very fierce and turbulent, came flying and comforted Sri
Narasimha with his two wings to calm down. But the fiery energy
stored in the latter came out in the form of a bird called
'Kandaberunda' and started to fight with Sri Sarabha, and this divine
encounter continued for eighteen days.
Lord Sarabeswara decided to conclude this 'sport'. By His will, Goddess
Prathyankira Devi came out of one of his wings, took a huge physical
form, gulped the Kandaberu nda bird and brought its end. Sri
Narasimha realising his erroneous action, praised Lord Sarabeswara
with beautiful epithets, which later became the Ashtothra (108 Names)
of the victorious Lord.
Lord Shiva then revealed to all the Devas that: "To annihilat e the
Asura, Lord Narasimha came, and to appease Lord Narasimha, I have
come as Sarabeswara. Be aware that we are both one and the same
like water and water, milk and milk, ghee and ghee, both inseparable
and to be worshipped as one".
Yatha Jaley Jalam, Kshiptham, Ksheeram, Ksheeray Kruthang
Kruthey Yekayeva Thatha Vishnu: Shiva Leetho Nachanyatha
Lord Brahma, out of gratitude for saving the universe from the anger
of Sri Narasimha, worshipped Lord Sarabeswara with Sri Sarabeswara
Ashtothra. At the very appearance of Lord Sarabeswara glittering like
thousand Suns, the rage of Narasimha subsided and the entire
universe heaved with relief. Let Sri Sarabeswara protect us for ever,
from any disaster.

9. Shiva Sharabha, Lord Nrsimha, and Laksmi Devi