Original text
ॐ उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखम् । नृसिंहं भीषणं भद्रं मृत्युमृत्युं नमाम्यहम् ॥
Transliteration
Om ugram viram mahavishnum Jvalantam sarvatomukham | Nrisinham bhishanam bhadram Mrityumrityum namamyaham ||
Narasimha and this mantra
Narasimha, half man and half lion, is the avatar Vishnu took to protect the child Prahlad from his father Hiranyakashipu, who had won a boon that he could be killed by neither man nor beast, neither inside nor outside, neither by day nor by night. Narasimha appeared from a pillar at dusk and killed him on the threshold, on his lap. Because he came instantly to save a devotee, Narasimha is above all the god of protection, and this four-line mantra, from the Narasimha Purva Tapaniya Upanishad tradition, is his most widely chanted prayer.
Word by word
- Ugram: fierce, terrifying to the wicked.
- Viram: heroic, mighty.
- Mahavishnum: the great, all-pervading Vishnu.
- Jvalantam: blazing, radiant.
- Sarvatomukham: with faces in every direction, seeing and reaching everywhere.
- Nrisimham: the man-lion.
- Bhishanam, bhadram: terrible, yet auspicious and kind. The two words together are the heart of Narasimha: frightening to evil, gentle to the devotee.
- Mrityu-mrityum: the death of death, the one who conquers death.
- Namamyaham: I bow to him.
How and when to chant it
- In times of fear, danger or illness, and before travel, as a prayer for protection.
- On Narasimha Jayanti (Vaishakh shukla chaturdashi) and on Saturdays or at dusk, the hour of his appearance.
- A mala of 108 is the usual count; even a few recitations with attention are considered effective.
Frequently asked questions
What does "mrityu-mrityum" mean?
"The death of death": Narasimha is the one before whom even death is powerless.
Why is Narasimha both "bhishanam" and "bhadram"?
He is terrible to the wicked, as Hiranyakashipu found, but auspicious and loving to devotees, as Prahlad found.
When is Narasimha Jayanti?
On Vaishakh shukla chaturdashi, usually in May, observed at dusk.
Can anyone chant this mantra?
Yes. It is a general prayer of protection, chanted widely in homes and temples.
Is there a Narasimha Gayatri?
Yes: "Om vajranakhaya vidmahe tikshnadamshtraya dhimahi, tanno Narasimhah prachodayat". This page covers the Ugram Viram mantra.
Spotted a mistake?
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