From a satsang with Pt. Dr. Lomas Persad, SWAHA Sukh Shanti Bhakti Mandali
The divine appearance of Narsingh Bhagwan, the fourth embodiment of Shri Vishnu, is a cosmic drama that unfolds age after age, wherein the Lord vanquishes the malevolent spectres of demons ensnared in the coils of vengeance and other negativities. This year, his divine birth is celebrated on May 21.
Aeons ago, in a previous avataar as a boar, the Lord had defeated the demon Hiranyakashipu’s brother, stoking the fires of wrath within him. With infernal resolve, the demon embarked on a path of penance, beseeching the boon of immortality from the progenitor, Lord Brahma. Yet, even the creator’s benediction bore the immutable truth: all who draw breath must one day exhale their last.
Undeterred, the demon bargained for a semblance of invincibility, weaving myriad conditions meant to safeguard his sovereignty over life and death. However, fate, veiled by the enigma of divine irony, wove a different skein. After receiving his boon, his ascendancy burgeoned, casting a shadow of fear upon the three realms, coercing worship from the trembling masses, who were forbidden from worshipping Lord Vishnu.
Amidst the clamour of despair, a whisper of hope arose, carried upon the fervent prayer of the faithful to Vishnu Bhagwan. Yet, the demon’s grip tightened, banning the sacred chant of devotion, meting out merciless retribution to dissenters. It seemed that evil had triumphed, until Vishnu, the harbinger of cosmic equilibrium, reassured his devotees, imparting a prophecy of deliverance through the demon’s own son.
Thus, amidst the tumult of the world, in the tranquil refuge of Narad Muni’s hermitage, the seed of salvation found its cradle in the form of Prahlad, born from the demon’s consort. In the divine tutelage of Sage Narad’s teachings, Prahlad imbibed the tales of Narayan, his heart becoming an altar of unwavering devotion.
Incensed by his son’s steadfast allegiance to Vishnu, the demon’s ire surged forth in a tempest of fury, seeking to extinguish the flickering flame of Prahlad’s faith. Yet, each attempt to snuff out the divine spark was thwarted by Vishnu’s providence, shielding his devoted disciple from the venomous fangs of treachery.
In desperation, the demon, consumed by the fires of betrayal, unleashed his wrath upon Prahlad. The king’s soldiers tried to kill Prahlad by poisoning him, drowning him, throwing him from a mountain, in front of maddened elephants and burning him to death. But even amidst all the infernal challenges, Prahlad emerged unscathed, a testament to the inviolable sanctuary of faith.
In a final gambit, the demon demanded proof of Vishnu’s omnipresence, daring Prahlad to unveil the divine within a pillar of stone. With resolute conviction, Prahlad affirmed the Lord’s existence everywhere, igniting the flames of divine intervention.
With a thunderous reverberation, the pillar shattered, birthing forth Shri Vishnu in the formidable visage of Narsingh Bhagwan, the apex of man and beast. In that fleeting moment between twilight and dusk, amidst the crackling echoes of destiny, the demon met his inevitable demise, ensnared by the intricate web of his own hubris.
Thus, in the cosmic drama, the divine saga of Narsingh Bhagwan stands as a tribute to the indomitable power of faith, where even the mightiest of demons are but fleeting shadows in the eternal radiance of Shri Vishnu’s grace.
