Message of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji in Bhakti TV Program telecast on May 5, 2020
Compiled by: Jaya Akkanapragada
Narasimha Avatāra Part 1
ekena cakram aparena karena śankham
anyena sindhu tanayā mavalambya tiśtham
vāme tareńā varadā bhayā padma cinham
lakshmī nrusimha mamadehi karāvalambam
Bhajan nāma vadāmi sadā nrharé (ID 832)
Sometime during the worship of the Lord, this bhajan was composed. Two children – Sanmathi and Sreekruthi Varanasi who grew up here in the ashrama have sung this song very well today.
Amongst all beings, man (nara) is the highest. Amongst all animals, the lion (simha) is the greatest. The Vedās say that combining these two names results in Narasimha which is another name of Paramātma. Sri Hari took this form and this name to bless Prahlāda. To illustrate that Paramātma is all-pervading as mentioned in Yoga Vidya, Swami took this form. When we face any difficulties in life, if we pray to Narasimha Swami, all those difficulties will just melt away. On the occasion of Narasimha Jayanti, let us understand a little bit about this avatara of Swami as mentioned in Bhāgavatam.
There are 3 main characters in this story – Sri Hari, Hirańyakaśipu and Prahlāda. Sri Hari is eternal, but if we understand Hiranyakaśipu and Prahlāda’s past lives, it will help us appreciate this story. The samskārās – inherent tendencies that we are born with in this life are dependant on our karmās in past lives. This is why each person is different. Jaya and Vijaya’s story best illustrates this fact. Jaya and Vijaya were two beings who worshipped Sri Hari and reached the Lord’s abode. They were filled with satva guńa, but Sri Hari was still not pleased with them, so they were given the job of guarding the eastern gates of the Lord’s abode in Vaikuntha.
One day, the Sanātana Maharśīs – Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumāra and Sanatsujata reached these eastern gates. These four Maharśīs are known as kumāra catuśtayam since they are always in the form of seven year old children who never wear any clothes. They are great tapasvīs who do not know how to recognize people but can gauge the extent of satva guńa in a person just by looking at them. Based on the degree of satva guńa, they accord respect to the people they come across. This is usually how tapasvīs behave.
When a CCTV camera captures an image, it will tell you about the external features of the person, but these tapasvīs can also tell you about the degree of the three guńās in the person, where they have come from, what they are thinking and what they will do. They can even predict how the people behind them will behave. These tapasvīs are like moving high power CCTVs whereas Jaya and Vijaya are like immovable basic CCTVs.
When these Sanātana Maharśīs reached the eastern gates, Jaya and Vijaya failed to recognize them as great tapasvīs because they had always believed that great sages would be very wise-looking and old and dress in a certain way. They refused entry to these Maharśīs. The Maharśīs in turn, without caring about these two sentries were entering as if it was their own home. Thinking them mere infants, Jaya and Vijaya stopped them from entering. The Rajōguńa in them became dominant and they just acted without thinking. Never before had anyone behaved in such a manner with the Maharśīs.
Looking at the two sentries again, the Maharśīs realised that the satva guńa had not developed enough, and that is why rajas and tamas were frequently taking over. They understood that Sri Hari had posted Jaya and Vijaya as sentries, but His aim was to completely develop the śuddha satva guńa in them and merge these two beings into Himself. The Maharśīs were delighted with Sri Hari’s compassion and long-term view for the well-being of His devotees. They realised that they were only present there that day to bless these two beings, and they spoke thus. “You have failed to recognize us and insulted us because the satva guńa in you has not developed. May you be reborn as demons filled with tamōguńa.”
The sentries realizing that these Maharśīs were probably born when creation began, fell at their feet and begged forgiveness. The Maharśīs said “Our curse is inevitable. But you can choose. Would you prefer seven lifetimes spent as devatās? Or three lifetimes spent as demons?”
Jaya and Vijaya by then had already learnt their lesson. With great respect they replied “O Maharśīs, if we fall prey to the enjoyments of svargalōka, only He knows how many lifetimes we will be there. We do not want svargaloka. We cannot stay away for seven lifetimes. That is too much for us. We prefer the lives of sinners. It is okay even if we are born as demons who hate Sri Hari, but three lifetimes is enough! Please bless us so that we may quickly reach Sri Hari.” Because of this wish, in the first lifetime, Jaya and Vijaya were born as Hiranyakśa and Hiranyakashipu, in the second lifetime as Ravana and Kumbhakarna, and in the third life as Śiśupāla and Dantavakra. After completing these three lives, they merged into Sri Hari.
From this we understand that Sri Hari has neither love nor hate for anyone. All beings must go through their karma, and in the process as they let go of lower qualities and become purer, and just as the rivers which merge into the ocean, the beings also merge into Paramātma. In myriad ways just to help purify beings, Paramātma takes various avatārās. The formless and nameless Paramātma takes a form and name just to bless devotees. Therefore the 1000 or 108 names of a deity also arise because of the devotees who love and hate the Lord. Narasimha avatāra is a great example of this, and this incident is known as Prahlāda charitra – the story of Prahlāda. When we see the story of Prahlāda in movies or while listening to Bhāgavatam, it does not seem very significant. We must never see it as a mere story.
After completing 18 Purāńās, Vyāsa Maharśi then blessed us with Bhāgavatam. To understand the stories in Bhāgavatam, we must connect them with the incidents mentioned in Purāńās. This is why we have spent time understanding Hiranyakaśipu’s past life.
In dvāpara yuga, Sri Krishna lifted an island named Dvāraka out of the sea using his Yogic powers. Before dvāpara yuga, this island was teeming with people and activity. Due to some reasons, it got submerged in the sea, and Sri Krishna restored it. On this Dvāraka island, once upon a time, there lived a Brahmin named Shiva Sharma. Even though he was a householder, Shiva Sharma was very accomplished in yogic and spiritual studies. He had five sons who were all great yogīs. This is a story which goes back to the tretā yuga. In those days, many tapasvīs lived. Although these five sons were very accomplished, they were very devoted to their father. Their father imparted knowledge of Dharma, Bhakti and Yoga to them. When Shiva Sharma became old and realized he would not live very long, he decided to test his sons and see how much they had learnt.
With his yoga śakti, he made his wife suffer from an unknown disease resulting in her death on the third day of contracting the illness. Neither his wife nor his children were ordinary people. They all were great yogis who could see the past as well as the future. Everyone was surprised as to how the mother had died so suddenly. Shiva Sharma who had always been very devoted to his wife, learning of her death kept cursing her. He summoned his eldest son – Yagña Sharma and said “In spite of imparting so much knowledge, she died of a mere illness. Take this unfortunate wretch’s body into the forest and chop it up into pieces and feed it to the scavengers.” Yagña Sharma was very surprised on hearing such harsh words from his father. But without doubting him even once, he carried the body on his shoulder into the forest and did as he was told. He took a dip in the river and came home as if nothing had happened. Shiva Sharma was very pleased.
After a few days, a family came from the city to live in their neighbourhood. Their young daughter would keep walking up and down the street. Seeing that young girl, Shiva Sharma seemed like he lost his mind. The old man could neither sit up nor stand, but after four days, he called upon his second son – Veda Sharma and said “Son, now that your mother is gone, you are all taking care of me. But none of you can care for me the way a wife does. I wish to marry this young girl, who is only a little younger than me. (She was in fact his graddaughter’s age) It is not such a big deal, but I am afraid she may reject me in her foolishness. Since you are dear to me, why don’t you go and speak to her and convince her to marry me. I am afraid I will not be able to live without her.”