ISKCON Narasimha Aarti Lyrics

Lord Narasimha is the ferocious yet compassionate incarnation of Lord Vishnu who appeared to protect His pure devotee, Prahlada Maharaj. Within ISKCON temples around the world, devotees sing the Narasimha Aarti daily after the evening arati. This aarti glorifies the Lord’s power, mercy, and protective nature.

Chanting or listening to the ISKCON Narasimha Aarti fills the heart with devotion and removes fear, negativity, and obstacles from life.

Śrī Nṛsiṁha Praṇāma

(1)
namas te narasiṁhāya
prahlādāhlāda-dāyine
hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ
śilā-ṭaṅka-nakhālaye

namaḥ—obeisances; te—unto You; nara-siḿhāya—unto Lord Narasiḿha; prahlāda—(to) Prahlāda Mahārāja; āhlāda—(of) joy; dāyine—the giver; hiraṇyakaśipoḥ—of Hiraṇyakaśipu; vakṣaḥ—chest; śilā—(on) the stonelike; ṭańka—chisels; nakha-ālaye—whose nails.

Meaning: I offer my obeisances to Lord Narasiṁha who gives joy to Prahlāda Mahārāja and whose nails are like chisels on the stonelike chest of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu.

(2)
ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho
yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ
bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho

nṛsiṁham ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye

itaḥ—here; nṛsiḿhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiḿha; parataḥ—there; nṛsiḿhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiḿha; yataḥ yataḥ—wherever; yāmi—I go; tataḥ—there; nṛsiḿhaḥ— Lord Nṛsiḿha; bahiḥ—externally; nṛsiḿhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiḿha; hṛdaye—in the heart; nṛsiḿhaḥ—Lord Nṛsiḿha; nṛsiḿham—to Lord Nṛsiḿha; ādim—the origin; śaraṇam—the supreme refuge; prapadye—I surrender.

Meaning: Lord Nṛsiṁha is here and also there. Wherever I go Lord Nṛsiṁha is there. He is in the heart and is outside as well. I surrender to Lord Nṛsiṁha, the origin of all things and the supreme refuge.

Śrī Nṛsiṁha Prāthanā
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
(The above verse is the 4th verse from Sri
Dasavatara Stotram by Jayadeva Goswami)

tava–Your; kara-kamala-vare–upon the beautiful lotus hands; nakham– the nails; adbhuta-śṛńgam–wonderfully sharp tips; dalita–ripped apart; hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu–the body of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu; bhṛńgam–the wasp; keśava–O Lord Keśava, of fine hair!; dhṛta-narahari-rūpa–who have accepted the form of half-man, half-lion (nara–man, hari–lion); jaya jagadīśa – all glories to the Lord of the universe; hare – Lord Hari
(Comes from the fourth verse of the song Dasavatara Stotram by Jayadeva Goswami.)

Meaning - O Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half lion. All glories to You! Just as you can easily crush a wasp between one's fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasp like demon Hiranyakasipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands.

Significance of the Narasimha Aarti in ISKCON

The Narasimha Aarti holds a central and cherished place in the daily spiritual life of ISKCON devotees. This is not by accident, but by the design of ISKCON's founder, Srila A.C.

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who personally instituted this prayer for the community's well-being. It is sung with great devotion every evening in all ISKCON temples across the globe, immediately following the Gaura Aarti ceremony.

Its primary theological significance is to serve as a powerful and constant reminder that the Lord always protects His devotees. The prayer draws a direct parallel between the Lord's historic protection of Prahlada from the overwhelming evil of Hiranyakashipu and the protection He offers us in our own lives.

The vibration of the line "ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁhaḥ" ("Lord Narasimha is here, and Lord Narasimha is there") is especially potent. Chanting these words is believed to create a protective spiritual atmosphere, invoking the Lord's divine presence everywhere—within our homes, our hearts, and our surroundings.

Srila Prabhupada’s introduction of this prayer was a profound act of pastoral care for his spiritual community. He provided this Aarti as a practical, daily tool for devotees to directly experience the Lord's shelter amid the challenges of modern life.

By encouraging this practice, he transformed the abstract theological concept of divine protection into a tangible, felt reality, allowing everyone to remember the Lord’s protective aspect and feel an immediate sense of spiritual strength and safety.

Who is Lord Narasimha Deva?

Lord Narasimha (Nara-simha = Man-Lion) is a special incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who appeared in a unique form — half-man, half-lion — to protect His pure devotee Prahlada Maharaja and to kill his demon father Hiranyakashipu.

Why do devotees worship Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva?

Because He is the protector of devotees
He protects those who sincerely want to serve God, from all dangers — both external (enemies, obstacles) and internal (fear, anger, lust).
Because He removes obstacles in spiritual life
Devotees pray to Him to remove difficulties in their path of bhakti (devotional service), so they can serve him without any hindrances.
Because He grants fearlessness
In this material world, there is fear at every step. Worshiping Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva gives us strength and courage to face life and stay fixed in devotion.

What is the mood of worship?

Devotees don’t worship Lord Nṛsiṁha out of fear — they worship Him with love and faith, knowing that He is very kind to His devotees.
He appears fierce to the demons, but to His devotees, He is most loving and protective — just like a lion protects its cubs.

Nava Narasimha — The Nine Divine Forms of Lord Narasimha in Ahobilam

Lord Narasimha is one of the most awe-inspiring and protective forms of the Supreme Lord, Sri Vishnu.
He manifested in a divine half-man, half-lion form to protect His devotee Prahlada and to annihilate the demon Hiranyakashipu.
Apart from the most popular form — Ugra Narasimha (fierce form) — there are traditionally 9 main forms (called Nava-Narasimha) worshipped by devotees, especially in South India and in some Gaudiya Vaishnava temples.

1) Ahobila Narasimha (Ugra Narasimha)
The Fierce One
The original and main deity of Ahobilam — roaring with divine fury, He destroys evil to protect Prahlada.

2) Jwala Narasimha
The Blazing Fire
The most intense form, burning with cosmic flames — here, the Lord annihilated Hiranyakashipu

3) Malola Narasimha (Lakshmi Narasimha)
The Loving Lord
With Mother Lakshmi on His lap, He radiates divine grace, compassion, and protection to all who surrender unto Him.

4) Kroda (Varaha) Narasimha
The Boar-Lion Form
A rare form combining Varaha (boar) and Narasimha, symbolizing the rescue of Mother Earth and protection of devotees.

5) Karanja Narasimha
The Protector under the Karanja Tree
Sitting under a Karanja tree, holding a bow — ready to defend His devotees.

6) Bhargava Narasimha
The Lord of Tapasya
Worshiped by Sage Bhargava; seated under a sacred tree, blessing seekers with knowledge and strength.

7) Yogananda Narasimha
The Serene Yogi
Revealed in deep meditation; grants inner peace and spiritual awakening to devotees

8) Chatravata Narasimha
The Forest Lord
Manifest under a giant banyan tree (chatra-vata), accompanied by sweet music from Gandharvas

9) Paavana Narasimha
The Purifier
Manifest near a sacred river — washing away the sins of devotees and blessing them with purity.

Conclusion

The ISKCON Narasimha Aarti is far more than a beautiful ritual; it is a profound and heartfelt surrender to the divine protector. It is an active declaration of faith in the Lord's promise to safeguard those who turn to Him.

By chanting or even listening to these prayers with a sincere and devoted heart, we invite the boundless mercy of Lord Narasimha into our lives.

This divine grace acts as a powerful force that dispels all negativity, both internal and external, and fills our hearts with unwavering courage and sublime peace.