SRI PRAHALADA STOTRAM - With its Wonderful meaning

Narasimhar Blessing Prahaladan

Translations by Sri P.N.Krishnaswamy Iyengar


The first 7 verses presented here are in the nature of "PoorvapeeDikai" - Introductory.
The actual StOtram starts from verse 8.

yEvam surAdaya: sarvE brahma rudra puras sarA:/
na Upaithum asakan manyu samrambham sudurAsatham// 1

"Thus (even after praising the Lord) Brahma, Rudra and other Devas were unable to approach the presence of Lord Nrisimha, who was full of anger and hence unapproachable"

sAkshAth Sree prEshithA dEvai: drishtvA thun mahat adbutham/
adrishTa- asrutha poorvathvAth sA na upEyAya sankhithA// 2

"Seeing the anger of the Lord not quenched, His consort, Sri MahAlakshmi was sent by the dEvas. She too, did not approach Him because His appearance was neither seen nor heard of ever before"

PrahlAdham prEshyAmAsa brahmA avasthitham anthikE/
ThAtha prasamaya upEhi svapithrE kupitham prabhum/ 3

"The Brahma said to PrahlAda who was standing near- Oh! Dear child! Go near and appease the Lord who is angry with your father"

thathE ithi sanakai rAjan mahA BhAgavatOrbhaka:/
upEthya bhuvi kAyEna nanAma vidrutha anjali:// 4

"The child PrahlAda who was very devoted to the Lord consented and slowly
approached Him and with folded hands fell down on the ground prostrating"

sva pAdamoolE pathitham thum arbhakam
vilOkhya dEva: kripayA pariplutha:/
uththApya tath seershaNi adadhAth karAmbujam
kAlAhi vitrasthadhiyAm kritha abhayam// 5

"Lord Nrisimha saw the child who lay prostrated before Him and was moved by His own unbounded grace, liftedhim up and placed His hand on his head (as a mark of blessing) which hand was like a lotus and which always a refuge for all those who were afflicted by the effects of the serpent like evil fate"

sa tathkara sparsadutha akhilAsubha:
sapathi abhivyaktha parAthma darsana:/
tad pAda padmam hridhi nirvrita: dadhou
hrishyath thanu: klinna hridh asrulOchana:// 6

"PrahlAda, on the touch of the Lord's hand was at once freed from all sins
and realized His grace and became very elated with joy and began to shed
tears of joy and meditated upon Him in his own heart (mind)"

asthousheedh harim yEkAgra manasA susamAhitha:/
premagadgadayA vAchA thun nyastha hridayEkshaNa:// 7

"Then, PrahlAda began to praise the Lord with a mind wholly concentrated upon His grace and with a trembling voice"

BrahmAdaya: suragaNA munayO atha siddhA:
SathvaikathAna mathayO vachasAm pravAhai:/
Na AarAdithum puruguNai: adhunApi poorNa:
Kim thOshtum arhathi sa mE hari: ugrajAthE:// 8

" PrahlAda said " Devas including Brahma and all Rishis of old have not been able to fully worship the Lord. Such being the case, by what praise from me (who is born of asura origin) will ever please Him"

manyE dhana abhijana roopa thapa: srutha Oja:
tEja: prabhAva bala pourusha buddhi yOgA:/
na AarAdhanAya hi bhavanthi parasya pumsO;
bhakthyA tuthOsha bhagavAn gaja yoothapAya// 9

"I think that mere riches, family, beauty, penance, skill, strong will, bodily appearance, fame, trength of body, bravery, intelligence and yOga practice- all these twelve are not useful for the worship of the Lord, if wanting in Bhakti. Was not the Lord pleased with the worship by a wild elephant (Gajendra) which was devoid of all these?"

viprAth dvi shaDguNayuthAtharavinDa nAbha
pAdAravinda vimukhAth sva pacham varishTam/
manyE tad arpitha manO vachanE hithArtha prAna:
punAthi sa kulam na thu bhoorimAna:// 10

" I think that a chanDALa, with bhakti, is far superior to a Brahmin who is possessed of all the above 12 attributes but wanting in Bhakti, for that ChaNDALa with Bhakti, purifies himself and his whole clan, whereas that proud Brahmin does not purify even his own self"

naivAtmana: prabhu: ayam nijalAbha poorNO
mAnam janAtth avidusha: karuNO vriNeethE/
yath TajjanO bhagavathE vidadheetha mAnam
tath cha AatmanE prathi mukhasya yathA mukhasree// 11

"The Lord is wholly self-contained. He does not care for any offering from anybody. But, He accepts such offerings only for doing good to the devotees who make such offerings. The effect of grace bestowed by the Lord is so clear and certain just as one's own image is surely eflected in a mirror"

tasmAth aham vigatha viklava Eeswarasya
sarvAthmanA mahi gruNAmiyathA maneesham/
neecgha:ajayA guNa visargam anupravishTa:
pooyEtha yEna hi pumAn anuvarNithEna// 12

"Hence, I, though low by nature and birth, shall praise the Lord's glory in all ways and by all possible efforts. Any soul or jiva though environed in the body by its karma, gets purified by such praise of the Lord"

SarvE hyamee vidhikarAs thava stavadhAmnO
BrahmAdayO vayam iva Eesa! Thava udvijantha:/
KshemAya bhoothaya uthAtma sukhAya cha asya
VikreeDitham bhagavata:ruchira avatArai:// 13

"Oh! Lord! The Gods, Brahma and others, are just like us, your servants.
They are equally afraid of approaching you. These AvatAras of yours have
been taken by you more for sports and for the purpose of bringing good to
the world and also for pleasing yourself"

Tath yascha manyum asuras cha hatha: tvayA adhya
MOdEtha sAdurapi vichika sarpa hathyA/
LOkA; cha nirvrithimithA: prathiyAnthu sarvE
Roopam nrisimha vibhayAya janA: smaranthi// 14

" Oh! Lord! Please control your anger. My father has been killed by you today. Good men will hereafter be most happy just as ordinary men become pleased by killing scorpions and serpents. Let all these Gods now present go to their respective abodes. Let this avatAra of yours be hereafter the object of meditation for men to get rid of all fears in their lives"

na aham bhibEmi ajitha thE athibhayAnakasyajihvAgra
nEtra bruguTee rabhasa ugra damshTrAth/
Aanthra sraja: Kshathaja kEsara sanku karNAth
NirharAda bheetha dikibAth aribinna nakAgrAth// 15

" Oh! Lord! You are invincible. I am not afraid of your appearance. Your
mouth, tongue, brows and curved teeth are all awe inspiring. You are
wearing the garland made of the intestines of my father. Your mane is wet
with blood. Your ears are standing erect indicating your greatest anger. The
elephants that are bearing the earth are terribly trembling on hearing your
roars. Your nail ends are always used in splitting the very hard chests of
your enemies. These Brahma and other Gods may be afraid of you. But, I am not"

thrasthOsmi aham kripaNa vatsala dussaha ugrasamsAra
chakrakadanAth grasathAm praNeetha:/
baddha sva karmabhi usaththama!thE angri moolam
preethO pavarga saraNam hyavasE kadhA nu// 16

" Oh! Lord! You are all fragrance. You are really the friend and protector of the weak. I am caught in the whirls of samsAra wheels. The grip is tight. I am bound to this body as the effect of my own good and bad deeds. When will you be pleased to free me from this bondage and make me join your holy feet which are the only means of salvation (i.e) Moksha or Absolute
bliss?"

tasmAth priya apriya viyOga sayOgajanma
sOkAgninA sakala yOnishu dahyamAna:/
duhka oushadam thadapi duhkam athadhiyA aham
Bhooman ! bramAmidisa mE thava Dasya yOgam// 17

"Oh! Lord! The Immeasurable! In all the cycles of births I am met with miseries where they are not expected and on some occasions with some so called fleeting pleasures. I am burnt with sorrows. Whenever I try to solve these miseries, the remedy itself is leading to another misery. I am in the whirlpool of samsAra going round and round. As a remedy for all such ills, I pray that you make me a humble servant of yours- always engaged in your service"

sOham priyasya suhruda: para dEvatAyA:
leelA kathA: thava nrisimha virinchi geethA:/
anja: thitharmi anugraNan guNaviprayuktO
durgANi thE pada yugAlaya hamsa sanga:// 18

" Oh! Lord Nrisimha! , in the company with those devotees (Bhaktas of yours) who concentrate upon and have their abode in your holy feet, I shall always praise your qualities and get rid of these prakrits which are the result of changing TriguNas, and I shall always be singing your stories of the several AvatAras and thus cross the several samsAric miseries very easily"

bAlasya na iha saraNam pitharou Nrisimha
na aarthasya chaagadam udanvathi majjatha: nou:/
taptasya tath prathividhi ya: iha anjasA ishTa thAvath vibho:!
ThanubruthAm tvad upEkshithAnAm// 19

"Oh! Lord Nrisimha! Oh! All pervading! If you are not pleased, even parents will not be the protectors of their offsprings; medicines will not have any effect on the sick; the boat will not protect the man drowning in the sea. If there is not yet that grace, all the remedies prescribed for the suffering souls in samsAra will be powerless"

yasmin yathO yarhi yEna yasya yasmAth
yasmai yathA yad utha yas thu apara: parO vA/
bhAva: Othi vikarOthi prithak svabhAva:
sanchOditha:tad akhilam bhavata: svaroopam// 20

"That creative or destructive force which is found in any form, which is having its origin from anywhere, which is visible in whatever manner or form, which is working, for whom meant it may be and for any source and which is the author or destructor of whatever thing found in this world, whether it is the actual parent or the Brahma, the creator of the universe - it
is all your nature and none else"

mAyA mana: srujathi karma mayam baleeya:
kAlEna chOditha guNA anumathEna pumsa:/
chandOmayam yadajayA arpitha shODasAram
samsAra chakram aja kOathitharEth tvada anya:// 21

" Oh! Lord! Your mAya (moolaprakriti) is the creator of that mind which is the effect of one's own good and bad deeds, which is capable of roaming anywhere as it pleases and hence, which is strongest and not easily controllable. For this creation of the mind, your mAya takes the period of the ever moving time and consequent changing of the TriguNas (Satva, Rajas
and Tamas). Such being the case, who else except you Oh! Lord! can help this soul to cross or get out from the whirls of the wheels of this samsAra?"

satvam hi nitya vijitha AatmaguNa: svadhAmnA
kAlO vaseekritha visrujya visarga sakti:/
chakrE visrushTam ajaYeswara! ShOdasArE
nishpeeDyamAnam apakarsha vibhO: prapannam// 22

 

" Oh! Lord! All pervading! The GuNas are under your control. You have subdued the same. Your Sakti creates the bodies for all the souls and sustains the same. Even time is ruled by you. Hence, will you please drag me out of the sixteen shafted wheel of samSsAra? I have surrendered myself completely to you. There is no other go for me except your holy feet. I am your refugee SaraNAgathan."
(Note: The 16 shafted wheel here refers to JnAnEndriyas 5, KarmEndriyas 5,
PanchprAnas 5, and Buddhi 1 Total 16) drishTA mayA divi vibhO: akhila dishNyapAnAm

aayuh: sriyO vibhava ichchathi yAn janOyam/
yE asmat pithu: kupitha hAsa vijrimbitha bhroovispoorjithEna
lulithA: sa thu thE nirasthah:// 23

"Oh! Lord! The Absolute without a second! Generally men in this samsAra wish and pray for long life, wealth and greatness which are enjoyed by all the minor Devas and even by Devendra in the heaven. Such long life etc, purely depended upon my father's anger, pleasure and bending of the brows indicative of displeasure. Such a father of mine has been destroyed by you. I have seen all of them"

tasmAd amoo: thanu bruthAm aham aasisha: gnya
aayuh sriyam vibhavam aindriyam Aa virinchAth/
na ichchAmi thE viluLithAn uru vikramENa
kAlAthmanA upanaya mAm nija brithya pArsvam// 24

" Oh! Lord! Knowing as I do, that all the long life, wealth and prosperity that are enjoyable from Brahma downwards are transient and impermanent and fleeting, I do not want them at all. Those worldly pleasures etc. are all subject to you. Hence, take me in the assembly of your servants who are at your service" 

kutra Asishah: sruthi sukhA: mriga thrishNa roopa:
kva idam kalEbaram asEsha rujAm virOha:/
nirvidyathE na thu janO yad api ithi vidwAn
kAma analam madhulavai: samayan durApai:// 25

" People know fully well that long life, wealth and prosperity though pleasant,
are only a mirage at the time of their enjoyment. Yet, they try their best to
attain them; And, they do not show any inclination for renunciation."

kve aham raja: prabhava: Isa! tamO adhikE asmin
jAtha: surEthara kulE kva thava anukampA/
na brahmaNo na thu bhavasya na vai ramAyA
yath mE arpitha: sirasi padma kara: prasAda:// 26

" Oh! Lord! Where am I, who am the origin of RajOguNa and who has been born in the asura clan, which is the seat of TamOguNa? Where is your grace to one born so low as I am? You, in your infinite grace have placed your Lotus holy hand on my head: but not even on Brahma, Siva and MahAlakshmi who have not been deserving of your blissful grace."

na yEshA parAvara mathi: bhavathO na thu syAth
janthO: yatha Aatma suhridO jagatas thathApi/
sam sEvayA sura TharOr Iva thE prasAda:
sEvAnuroopam udayO na parAparatvam// 27

" It is only man who makes a distinction between high and low in this world. For you, Oh! Lord! There is no distinction. To you, all are equal. For example, the reward one derives from kalpaka tree depends upon the way one worships the same. The degree of the reward ultimately lies in the degree of worship of that tree. There is no distinction between high and low so far as that tree is concerned. That kalpaka tree is impartial. So also you are."

eEvam janam nipathitham prabhavA hi koopE
kAmAbhi kAmam anu yah: prapathan prasangAth/
kritvA AatmasAth sura rishirNA bhagavan gruheetha:
sOham katham nu visrujE thava brithya sEvAm// 28

" Oh! Lord! I am already fallen into the well of samsAra which is full of snakes (worries). I am always inclined to fall more and more into such a well by coming into contact with men who always are eager to fulfil their worldly desires; yet, you have saved me by sending the Deva rishi NAraDhA to initiate me into the holy teachings and to make me your own. Then, how can I ever think of leaving the service to your real devotees whose motto is - SERVICE FOREVER."

math prANa rakshaNam anantha pithur vadas cha
manyE sva brithya rushi vAkhyam rutham vidhAthum/
khaDgam pragruhya yad avOchath asath vidithsu:
tvAm EeswarO mad madh apara: avathu kham harAmi" 29

" Now, Oh Lord! The Immeasurable! You have saved me and you have killed my father. These two things you have done first with a view to establish your Bhakta Sri NAraDa's words and then to make false my father's words  'I am now going to kill you. If there is any Iswara besides me, let him now be your protector. I will cut off your head.' "

yEka: tvamEva jagad Etath amushya yath tvam
aadhy anthayO: prithag avasyasi madhyathas cha/
srushTvA guNa vyathikaram nija mAyayA idam
nAnEva thairavasitha: tad anu pravishTa:// 30

"Oh! Lord! You are the one. You manifest yourself in the beginning, middle
and end of this universe. You exhibit yourself in those three different stages
of existence. You create this world by your own mAya as an effect of the
interchanging TriguNas and you enter into the created world and you exhibit
yourself in all the forms of your own creation. Thus, you are the manifestation of this world creation"

tvam vA idam sad asad eesa! bhavAn tatha: anya:
mAyA yad Aatma para buddhir iyam hi apArthA/
yad yasya janma nidhanam sthithir eekshaNam cha
tadvai tadEva vasukAlavath ushTitharvO:// 31

" You are the Lord of this universe which is of soul and matter. Yet, you are
out of this universe. The idea that this body is itself the soul is false. The
creation, protection and destruction of this universe are all imbedded in the
earth. The seed disappears and the result is the tree which grows in the
earth as time passes on."

nyasya idam Aatmani jagad vilaya ambhu madhyE
sEshE svathO nija sukhAnubhavO nireehah:/
yOgEna meelitha drig Aatmani veetha nidrah:
thuryE sthithO na thu thamO na guNAms cha yunkshE// 32

" In the praLaya stage of this universe, you place all these souls in a secure
position and you are immersed in yOga sleep closing your eyes. Even then
you are doing this for your own pleasure, yet being detached. You are not at
all affected by these worldly attachments."

tasyai thE vapu: idam nija kAla sakthyA
sanchOditha prakriti dharmiNa Aatma ghooDam/
ambasi anantha sayanAth viramath samAdhE:
nabhEhr abhooth svakaNikAth vaDavath mahA abjam// 33

" You, after the yOga nidra, get up from the deep slumber and begin to
create the universe again i.e. you exhibit yourself again. Then, from your
divine navel springs up a lotus flower, just as a Banyan tree rises up from a
small seed. The lotus flower is a very big one"

tath sambhava: kavi: athO anyath apasyamAnah:
tvAm beejam Aatmani thatham sva bahir vichinthya/
na avindaath abda satham apsu nimajjamAnah:
jAtha ankurE katham athah: upalabEda beejam// 34

" From that flower, Lord Brahma was born. Then, Brahma did not see
anything except himself and that flower. He was curious to know how he and
the flower came. He went round and round. No success. Then, for full one
hundred Brahma-years he dived into the praLaya ocean. Even then he could
not see the Lord who was the cause of that lotus flower. This, however, is
nothing strange. How can a seed be again observed when the seed has
sprouted?"

sa tvat AatmayOnir athi vismitha aasritha abjam
kAlEna theevra tapasA parisuddha bhAva:/
tvam Aatman Eesa! Bhuvi gandham iva athi sookshmabhootha
indriyAsayam ayam vithatham dadarsa// 35

" Then, that Brahma performed Tapas for a very long time and became purified in mind. Then he saw you, Oh! Lord!, all pervading, in a subtle fashion, just as one feels smell in the earth. How were you then? You were all exhibiting yourself in all your Bhuta-sookshma and Indriyas (senses). Such are you. Oh! Lord!"

yEvam sahasra vadhana angri sirah: kara OorunAsAsya
karNa nayana AbharaNa AayudhAdyAm/
mAyamayam sad upalakshaNa sannivEsam
drishTvA mahA purusham Aapa mudham virinchih:// 36

" That same Brahma then saw your awe-inspiring form full of mAya, with thousands of faces, mouths, ears, hands, thighs, noses etc. and realized that you are the one mahApurusha and derived immense pleasure"

thasmai bhavAn haya siras thanuthAm cha bibhrath
vEda druhou athi balou madhu kaiTaba aakhyou/
hatvA anayath sruthigaNAms thu rajas tamas cha
satvam thava priyathAmAm thanum Aamananthi// 37

" Oh! Lord! You took the form of Hayagriva and killed the two asuras, Madhu
and KaiTabha, who once stole away the Vedas and you restored the same to
Brahma. All great men proclaim that that Hayagriva form of yours is
producing Sattva guNa and Sattva is most pleasing to you."

iththam nru thiryag rishi dEva jasha avatArailOkAn
vibhavayasi hansi jagath pratheepAn/
dharmam mahA purusha pAsi yugAnu vritham
Chchanna: kalou yad abhavath thriyugOsi athah: tvam// 38

" Thus, you, Oh! Lord! You take several AvatAras in the shape of man, beast, rishi, dEva and fish and become manifested as the protector of the afflicted souls and the killer of wicked men like RavaNa. Oh! MahApurusha! You are at the same time in the several AvatArs, do maintain the limits of VarNa ashrama Dharma. In the Kali yuga also, you do so though you do not
manifest yourself in a clear manner. Hence, you are known as TRIYUGA"

na yEtan manas thava kathAsu vikunTa nAtha
sampreethayE duritha dushTam asAdhu theevram/
kAmAthuram harsha sOka bhayEshaNArtham
thasmin katham thava gathim vimrusAmi dheena:// 39

" Oh! Lord of VaikunTa! My mind is tossed by going after sinful deeds. Hence,
I become fully troubled by attachment towards worldly desires. Further, I am
always troubled by the care and anxiety for me and my family, wealth etc.
Hence, I become powerless. Then how can I, with a useless mind, be inclined
to repeat your stories and how can I go on inquiring after your Paratva i.e.
How can I realize your holy self?"

jihvA ekatha: achyutha! Vikarshathi mA avithruptham
sisna: anyathah: tvag udaram sravaNam kuthaschit/
grANO anyathas chapala drig kva cha karma saktih:
bahava: sapathnya: iva gEhapathim lunanthi// 40

" Oh! Achyuta! What is my unfortunate position? My senses all drag me here and there. For instance, my tongue goes after sweet and tasteful things; my sensual organs are insatiable; my stomach is unfillable; my sense of touch craves for soft things; my nose craves for fragrant things; my eyes are always fleeting and going after seemingly beautiful objects; my hands and
feet won't keep to one place for a second. In one word, these senses drag me here and there just as one's several co-wives will drag their husband without giving him a second's rest."

yEvam sva karma pathitham bhava vaitharaNyAm
anyOnya janma maraNAsana bheetha bheetham/
pasyan janam sva para vigraha vaira mitram
hanthEthi Para achara! Piproohi moodam adhya// 41

" Oh! Lord! You are always out of the samsAra and are looking out upon your
created universe. What do you see? This stupid world is caught in the ever
moving VaitharaNi river of this samsAra. In this world, one is afraid of the
other by his birth, death and even of the chance of one eating away the
other's possessions. Why? This is due to the world being carried away by the
stupid attachment to their bodies (Prakriti) which leads to one another's
friendship or hatred. Lord! Please be gracious to look upon these stupid folk
and have pity on them and be their protector at once"

kO nu athra thE akhila gurO: bhagavad prayAsa:
uththAraNE asya bhava sambhava lOPa hEthO:!/
mooTEshu vai mahad anugraha Aartha bandhO:!
kim thE na thE priya janAn anusEvathAm na:// 42

" You are the world teacher. You are the protector of the destitute. What is the difficulty for you to lift not only myself but also all those dear and near to me from the depths and miseries of this samsAra? You are the cause of creation, sustenance and destruction of this universe. We not only worship you but also your dear Bhaktas"

naiva udvijE parama! hEy! Bhava vaitharaNyA;

tvad veerya gAyana mahAmrutha magna chitthah:/

sOchE thathO vimukha chEthasa indriyArthamAyA

sukhAya bharam udhvahathO vimooTAn// 43

"Oh! Highest Lord! I am not afraid of the samsAric vaitharaNi river, because I
am always immersed in the amrutha ocean of singing your brave and heroic
deeds of your several AvatAras. But, I am really sorry for those fools who are
carried away by the unbearable kArmic deeds which are all done for the
fleeting, impermanent and false satisfaction of the several Indriyas."

prAyENa dEva munayas sva vimukthi kAmA:
mounam charanthi vijanE na parArtha nishtA:/
na yEthAn vihAya kripaNAn vimumuksha EkO
na anyam tvad anya saraNam bhramthO anupasyE// 44

" Oh! Deva! Generally Rishis are always selfish. They are only engaged for
their own salvation. They don't care for the advancement of others. Hence,
they always prefer solitude and go to forest to do penance; Not so am I. I do
not want liberation from this samsAra for myself alone. I do not like to leave
behind these souls who are beside me and who out of ignorance, are caught
in the whirlpool of samsAra. I do not find any other liberator for them except
you. Oh! Lord! Have mercy on them too!"

yath maithunAdi gruhamEdhi sukham hi tuchcham
kaNTooyanEna karayOriva duhka duhkam/
trupthyanthi na iha kripaNA bahu duhka bhAja:
kaNToothivath manasijam vishahEtha dheera:// 45

" The apparent enjoyment of a Grihasta i.e. the householder is sexual
pleasure. But, it is no pleasure at all. It is a trifle. Really, such sexual
pleasure is nothing but the cause of misery. It is like scratching the body
with the fingernails to ease itches. But, this leads to further itching and
"growing pains". Further, the more one gets addicted to worldly pleasures,
the more discontented one becomes. But, very rarely we come across a few
bold men who resist such sensual and sexual enjoyment"

mouna vratha srutha thapO adhyayana sva dharmavyAkhyA
rahO japa samAdhaya AapavarghyA:/
prAya: param purusha thE thu ajithEndriyANAm
vArthA bhavanthyuth utha na vA atra thu dAmbikAnAm// 46

"Oh! The Supreme Lord! Meditation, observance of all the Sastric commands, reading of Vedas, performance of penance, observing all the varNa AchAras, expounding vEdas to others, chanting holy mantras in solitude and other meditation and concentration - are surely the means of attaining Moksham. But, NOT FOR ALL. They are so only for those who have conquered their senses. For those who have not so conquered, these modes of life become means of eking out their livelihood. For those who do all these things for pomp and show, they will lose that character of eking out livelihood also. Such being the case, how can they become means of attaining salvation? They will be the means of salvation only for those who have subdued their senses."

roopE imE sadasathee thava vEda drishTE
bheejAnkura iva na cha anyath aroopakasya/
yukthA:samaksham ubhayatra vichakshathE tvAm
yOgEna vahnim iva dArushu na anyatha: syAth// 47

" All the objects, animate and inanimate are as proclaimed by Vedas, Oh! Lord! your forms. Not only that they form respectively the seed and the sprout, they are also exhibited by you. Great Rishis by their yOga abhyAsa found out your art amidst those objects just as fire (is found out) by rubbing wood"

tvam vAyu: agni: avani: viyad ambu mAtrA:
prAna indriyANi hridayam chid anugrahas cha/
sarvam tvamEva saguNO viguNas cha Bhooman!
na anyath tvad asthi api manO vachasA niruktham// 48

" Oh! The Great Lord! You are everything- VAyu, Agni, Earth, Ether and Water, the senses and their GuNas, all the five PrANa Vayus, Mind, Buddhi, AhamkAra. All these are yourself. You possess all good qualities and you are rid of all bad qualities. All that are within the reach of the mind and speech are nothing but yourself"

na yEthE guNA na guNinO mahA dAdaya: yE
sarve mana: prabruthaya: saha dEva marthyA:/
aadhyantha vantha urugAya! Vidanthi hi tvAm
yEvam vimrusya sudhiyO viramanthi sabdAth// 49

" Oh! Lord! You are the only one deserving of all praises. All the guNas, and those that are the effect of these guNas i.e. Mahath, Manas, Devas and Manushyas etc. have beginning and end. They do not know you. Great ones have by their austerities found you out among all those things and have refrained themselves from worldly desires and attained VairAghya and as a
consequence thereof realized you and are keeping absolutely motionless"

thath thE Mahththama ! namah sthuthi karma poojA
arma smrithi charaNayO: sravaNam kathAyAm/
samsEvayA tvayi vinOthi shadangayA thu
bhakthim jana: parama hamsa gathou labhEtha// 50

" Oh! Lord, the Supreme! There are six ways to attain that Bhakti towards you viz., (1) Prostration (2) Praising you (3) Offering Poojas to you (4) Doing Dharmas (5) Meditation of your holy feet (6) Hearing stories about you. These are the ways of real devotees, bhaktas and SannyAsis. Except by such sEva, it is not possible to reach the path of such SannyAsis or to become a Bhakta of yours."

yethAvad varNitha guNO bhakthyA bhaktEna nirguNa:/
PrahlAdam praNatham preetha: yathamanyu: abhAshatha// 51

" Sage NArada said to Yudhishtra as follows: Lord Nrisimhamurthi was
immensely pleased with the wonderful and humble praises of His devotee, Sri
PrahlAda who was standing close by with bended knees and spoke to him
thus."

vatsa! PrahlAda! Badram thE preethO aham thE asurOththama/
varam vrineeshva abhimatham kAmapoorO asmi aham nruNAm// 52

" Sri BhagavAn said: "Oh! Child! PrahlAda! All happiness to you! Ask of me any boon. I am immensely pleased with you. I am the fulfiller of all the prayers of my devotees"

mAm apraNeetha Aayushman darsanam durlabham hi mE/
drishTvA mAm na punar janthu: thapthum arhathi// 53

"Oh! Long living one!. Long life to you! Oh! PrahlAda! If one does not please
me, it is impossible for him to have my Darsan. If one attains my Darsan, then he shall not be in the least deserving to suffer any pain whatsoever. There will be no room for the least sorrow for such a man who has had my Darsan"

preeNanthi yEva hi mAm dheerA: sarva bhAvEna sAdhava:/
srEyas kAmA mahAbhAgA: sarvAsAm AasishAm pathim// 54

" All good men (i.e) SAdhus always try to please me by all possible ways.
They are really men desirous of attaining Moksha. They are really the blessed
people. They please me, who is the bestower of all wishes of my devotees"

yEvam pralObhyamAnOpi nvarai: lOka pralObhanai:/
yEkAnthithvAth bhagavathi na ichchathAn asurOthama:// 55

" That great one among Asuras (i.e) PrahlAda, even though tempted by the
Lord Himself with tempting boons which will naturally entice ordinary
common folks, he did not desire for such boons since all his concentration
and meditation was upon BhagavAn Himself and no others"

Foreword
Sri D.T.Tatachar Swami

The StOtra contains 55 SlOkas.The first 7 are Introductory. They describe how even after killing Hiranyakasipu, The Lord looked so ferocious (ugram) that Brahma and other Devas were afraid to approach Him and requested Mahalakshmi to pacify the Lord. Since she had also never seen such rage before, she could not take bold to approach. Brahma then deputed PrahlAda for the purpose.
PrahlAda approached fearlessly and fell at the feet of the Lord whereupon the Lord's anger subsided and placing His hand gently on the head of PrahlAda, commanded him to ask for any boon he desired.
The next 43 SlOkas represent the StOtram proper.

The last 5 SlOkas describe how pleased with the devotion of PrahlAda offered to grant any
boon he wished saying that those who meditated on Him would get all they desired.The 43 SlOkas contain the essence of Tattva, Hita and Purushartha which form the bastion of VisishtAdvaita SiddhAntam."

Sri Uttamur Swami Says:This AvatAram is unique in many respects:

Sri Uttamur Swami Says:

This AvatAram is unique in many respects:

1. In other AvatArams, the Lord appeared in either animal form or human form. It was in this AvatAra,
He exhibited Himself in a combination of the two.

2. This Avataram was taken solely for the purpose of saving PrahlAda, an Asura by birth but a Satvik by nature.

3. In all other Avatars, the PurushAkaram of PirATTi was manifest; In this
AvatAram, He showed that even without this, a true devotee could approach Him.
That is why Periya PirATTi permitted PrahlAda to approach the Lord.
Following him, the other celestials approached Nrisimha.

4. As this StOtram emerged from one who developed devotion to the Lord right from the days he was
in his mother's womb, it has special merit as the crown piece of all StOtras.
If one recites this Stotram even from childhood, Nrisimha is sure to bless that one as He did to
PrahlAda.

5. Though the Lord appeared as a fierce lion to some, He showed Himself as a merciful human to
PrahlAda and others out of His limitless "Vatsalyam"

Sri D. Ramaswamy Iyengar observes:

1.
If PrahlAda is the Premier devotee, the God whom he loved so intensely and who came to his rescue at a most critical time is the Premier God. Did not NammAzhwAr say …"En SingappirAn perumai aaraayum seermaithE"

2. Not only was there a Lion-Man combination but there was also a Fury-Love demonstration at one
and the same time. The selfsame face that struck terror into the heart of HiraNya simultaneously showered mercy and ambrosia on young PrahlAda.

3. A touch of this Man-Lion (Nara-Simha) gives a strange sweetness to His other Avatars too.
Rama is "RAghava-Simha". Rukmini Devi addresses her Krishna as "KaalE Nrisimha!"