“Shri Hari, who is the Lord of the demigods, who is worshiped by the people of the world, for benefiting the moving and nonmoving beings of the world took that dreadful form through His own energy and tore apart Hiranyakashipu, who caused suffering to so many, with His nails.” (Narasimha Purana, 44.43)

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हरिः सुरेशो नरलोकपूजितो हिताय लोकस्य चराचरस्य
कृत्वा विरूपं च पुरात्ममायया हिरण्यकं दुःखकरं नखैश् छिनत्

hariḥ sureśo naralokapūjito hitāya lokasya carācarasya
kṛtvā virūpaṃ ca purātmamāyayā hiraṇyakaṃ duḥkhakaraṃ nakhaiś chinat

The choice is yours. It is up to you. If you prefer, you can be both omnivorous and voluminous in your reading of Vedic literature. You can consume everything, from top to bottom, from ancient time periods to more recent publications, from both the impersonalist and personalist schools of philosophy. On the other side, you can choose to focus on a single work, such as Bhagavad-gita, and pass your days in this world blissfully, feeling a thrill at every moment. If steady in the concentration, if fixed in meditation, dhyana, then that thrill can launch you directly to the spiritual world at the conclusion of your time here.

राजन् संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य
संवादम् इमम् अद्भुतम्
केशवार्जुनयोः पुण्यं
हृष्यामि च मुहुर् मुहुः

rājan saṁsmṛtya saṁsmṛtya
saṁvādam imam adbhutam
keśavārjunayoḥ puṇyaṁ
hṛṣyāmi ca muhur muhuḥ

“O King, as I repeatedly recall this wondrous and holy dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, I take pleasure, being thrilled at every moment.” (Sanjaya, Bhagavad-gita, 18.76)

To assist in explaining the variety, for the possibly overwhelming nature to the steadily-expanding compendium of literature that is both the Vedas and their corollaries, we take the hypothetical example of a modern-day sports broadcaster. For this case, we will take someone who works on television. The playoff season really turns up the heat. The single broadcaster, if respected and skilled enough, might be in a different city every night across two months straight. They have to continue to describe to the viewers what they see, explain any points of confusion, and respond with a volume level of speech corresponding to the situation in the game.

Due to the hectic nature of the travel, this broadcaster has to sacrifice time that would otherwise be utilized for preparation. They might arrive just in time for the start of a game, not knowing any of the players. They have to become familiar with the names and matching uniform numbers, the top storylines from the series, and the strategies moving forward.

The press guide is their trusty friend. Turn to any page and you get a rundown on the participants in the contest. The plaudits stand out, as the broadcaster makes sure to sprinkle mentions of various qualities, attributes, accolades, and stories throughout the game. The press guide features something like the best of the best. If a particular player could be described in only a few paragraphs, which includes their greatest accomplishments, their career highlights, and notable quotes, the press guide fits the need.

If we take this same concept and apply it to God, we have a publication that is too lengthy to be confined to a single volume. The press guides would be many. Depending on your angle of vision, your maturity in life, the experiences you have had, and the goals you target moving forward, there is a corresponding guide to meet your needs. In the following review, we take just a few highlights, which are from different publications, to show how focusing on only a single verse [shloka] from such a guide can facilitate endless contemplation, which is blissful from start to finish.

प्रीति प्रतीति सुरीति स्ॐ राम राम जपु राम
तुलसी तेरो है भलेआ आदि मध्य परिनाम

prīti pratīti surīti soṃ rāma rāma japu rāma
tulasī tero hai bhaleā ādi madhya parināma

“Chanting Shri Rama’s holy name with love, faith and according to regulative principles will be beneficial for you from beginning to end, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 23)

1. Well-wisher of all living beings

रामेति प्रथितो लोके गुणवान्सत्यवान्शुचिः
विशालाक्षो महाबाहुस्सर्वभूतहिते रतः

rāmeti prathito loke guṇavānsatyavānśuciḥ
viśālākṣo mahābāhussarvabhūtahite rataḥ

“My husband Rama is famous throughout the world. He is pure, truthful, and very gentle. He is mighty-armed, has wide eyes, and is always busy working for the welfare of all living beings [sarva-bhuta-hite-ratah].” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 47.11)

In this verse from the Ramayana, the princess named Sita is describing her husband, who is named Rama. The title to the work essentially gives away the subject matter. The Ramayana is about Rama. Something like the Ramayana exists because Rama is so amazing.

Just how amazing? Sita describes Rama to be known throughout the world. Rama tells the truth, is not tainted by outside motives, and behaves gently. These are almost contradictory qualities, as hardly anyone feels this way about law enforcement today. The average citizen might respect the sacrifice that the police make, but they understand the prevalence of corruption and heavy-handedness, especially when encountering strangers on the road.

Rama is of the kshatriya order. He is the best warrior, assisted by His mighty arms. Rama is not one of these officers who regularly frequents the doughnut shops while on a shift. Rather, Rama is always working. What exactly is He working for? Rama seeks the welfare of all living beings. He wants the best for me, you, your family, strangers, and even the animal community. For these reasons and more, Rama is God.

2. The subduer of Kaliya

विपन्नान् विषपानेन निगृह्य भुजगाधिपम्
उत्थाप्यापाययद्गावस्तत्तोयं प्रकृतिस्थितम्

vipannān viṣa-pānena
nigṛhya bhujagādhipam
utthāpyāpāyayad gāvas
tat toyaṁ prakṛti-sthitam

“The inhabitants of Vrindavana were perplexed by great difficulties because a certain portion of the Yamuna was poisoned by the chief of the reptiles [Kaliya]. The Lord chastised the snake-king within the water and drove him away, and after coming out of the river, He caused the cows to drink the water and proved that the water was again in its natural state.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.2.31)

Here, the broadcaster known as Uddhava is briefly covering the timeline of the amazing things done by the youth named Krishna. An inhabitant of the sacred rural area known as Vrindavana, Krishna once encountered and subdued a poisonous snake. The snake had many hoods and at one time was able to get a firm grasp on the young Krishna. The concerned residents thought that the vision spelled doom, but Krishna was able to emerge victorious. The poison was removed from the Yamuna river. Only the most pure person could remain unaffected by the poison. His presence alone purified the situation, which was subsequently proven by the beloved cows drinking the water from the river without issue.

3. There at all times

अहम् एवासम् एवाग्रे
नान्यद् यत् सद्-असत् परम्
पश्चाद् अहं यद् एतच् च
यो ऽवशिष्येत सो ऽस्म्य् अहम्

aham evāsam evāgre
nānyad yat sad-asat param
paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca
yo ‘vaśiṣyeta so ‘smy aham

“Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.33)

This verse is also from Bhagavata Purana, which is commonly referred to as Shrimad Bhagavatam. We learn directly from the individual in question. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, informs the creator, Lord Brahma, about the steady presence of the Almighty. If we want to quickly describe God to someone, we could say that He is the one standing in the topmost position before, during, and after. He is true in Himself during all three time periods: beginning, middle, and end.

4. The peace formula

भोक्तारं यज्ञ-तपसां
सर्व-लोक-महेश्वरम्
सुहृदं सर्व-भूतानां
ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिम् ऋच्छति

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.29)

This verse is from Bhagavad-gita, which itself is a smaller work nestled in between the many pages of the work of epic length known as Mahabharata. Here, we learn that connecting with God as Krishna essentially creates something known as the peace formula. We can find peace right now, here, today, by recognizing that Krishna enjoys all sacrifice, yajna. Whatever ritual we see being performed, authorized and with a longstanding tradition, is actually meant for Krishna’s satisfaction.

Krishna stands tall among the devas, as we previously heard in the explanation to Brahma, who is like one of the highest gods in his position as creator. As mentioned previously by Sita Devi, God wishes well to everyone. If there is any sort of partiality, if there are lingering feelings of contempt towards any population, then the view is limited. God is unlimited in His kindness.

5. The protector of Prahlada

If God wishes well to everyone, then how will the broadcaster explain the verse from Narasimha Purana? This summarizes the triumphant and unexpected appearance of Hari as the half-man/half-lion. Hari is another name for the same Krishna and Rama described above. Hari manifested as the avatara named Narasimha, who was able to overcome the inimical leader known as Hiranyakashipu.

Narasimha tore apart the leader of the Daityas. Using only His nails, Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu. But we see the same principle reiterated in this verse: God wishing well to both the moving and nonmoving beings. The appearance of Narasimha gave the visual evidence to the doubters, who were wondering how the five-year old boy named Prahlada was surviving the entire time. Prahlada was the son of Hiranyakashipu and also the target of his father’s wrath.

Hari wished well for Prahlada by protecting him. Prahlada was only interested in devotion. This was the goal of his life, already realized at a young age. Hari wished well for Hiranyakashipu by finally putting an end to the atrocities. The amazing nature to the father’s demise ensured liberation in the future, and so everyone involved in the affair received a transcendental benefit.

In Closing:

Wisdom on pages each,
For press guide to reach.

Quickly Hari to understand,
How highest authority to command.

For everyone wishing well,
Even Narasimha episode to tell.

That Daitya leader torn apart,
Protecting Prahlada end to start.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, hari, narasimha, poem, poems, poetry, vedas