Sri Narasimha Nakha-Stuti
BY: PAYONIDHI DASA
Apr 4, MARYLAND, USA (SUN) — Lord Narasimha is so exalted that even His nails are glorified by the Vaishnava acharyas. In the Sudarsana-sata-nama stotra of the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya it is said that Lord Narayana's Sudarshana Chakra descended as the tusk of Varaha, the axe of Parasurama, and the nails of Narasimha. In this way, the nails of Narasimha accompany the Lord in His various avatars.
Sri Madhvacharya (1238-1317 AD) worships the power of Lord Narasimha's nails in his Nakha-Stuti. What follows is the Sanskrit and English translation by Madhusudana Rao, and then the Word for Word meaning.
Nakha-Stuti
1
paantvasmaanpuruhuutavairi balavaN matangamAdyat ghaTa
kumbOkshAdrivipATanAdikapaTu pratyEka vajrAyitA.h
O Sri Narasimha, who is omnipresent, may your nails protect me and others at all times. Just as a lion attacks powerful elephant groups and splits apart their heads with its nails and the vajrayudha (Indra's defense weapon) splits the highest mountains, in the similar way, the Asuras (who through the blessings of Sri Brahma, Rudra and the demigods) are like powerful exhilarating elephants who are easily killed by each of Sri Narasimha's nails which are precious and powerful.
2
shriimadkanTeeravAsya prathathasunakharA dAritAratiduura
pradvastha dvAnta shAnta pravitatamansA bAvitAbuuribhAgai.h
All demigods are devoted to and praying to this nail, which eliminates all bad elements in this world. They are very [devoted to] this nail as it will give all six senses of a brahman or devataas. This nail will even give complete knowledge and the gods will come out of the darkness (of ignorance). By praying to this nail, they will get peace and knowledge of all the qualities of Sri Hari.
3
lakshmiikAnta samantatOpi kalayaN naiveshitustEsamam
pashyAmittamavastu duuritaratOpastham rasOyasTama.h
O Sri Narasimha, who has Sri Lakshmi, there is no body equal to you. If there is any thing which is equal, it is 'astama rasa' the famous six essences. Similarly, there is nobody equal or uttama [more excellent] than you.
4
yadrOshakkharadakshaNEtra kuTilaprAntOpitAgnispurat
khadhyOtOpama vishpulinga basitA brahmEsha shakrOtkarA.h
There are many Brahma's, many Rudra's, many Indra's and all of these and other demigods became ashes because of your smallest vision. Your vision is like the smallest firefly [a twinkling insect which glows in night], yet it has the brightness of the sun's rays.
WORD FOR WORD MEANINGS
First sloka
pa.nTu - protect us
asmAn - all of us
puruhuuta - Indra
vairi - enemies like Asuras
balavat - stronger or powerful
matanga - elephants
mAdhyat - exhilirating or plump
ghata - group(s)
kummbO -frontal globe of an elephant's head
ucchAdri - highest mountains
vipATanA - breaking
AdikapaTu - highest support
pratyEka - each one
vajrAyitA.h - looks to be vajrayudha (Indra's defensive weapon)
Second Sloka
prathatha - omini present
shriimadkanTeeravAsya - Sri Narasimha along with Sri Lakshmi Devi
sunakaraH - your precious
dAritA - destroyed
arati - six duties of a brahman
duura pradvastaha - solved since ancient times
dvAnta - darkness of poor knowledge or ag^nyana
shaAnta - One who is devoted to Sri Vishnu
pravitita - One who knows qualities of Sri vishnu
manasa - obliged or sensitive
bhavitaH - prayed by
bhuribhagai - Brahma and other devataas who are all devoted devataas
Sloka Three
lakshmiikAnta - One who has Sri Lakshmi, Sri Narasimha,
samantata - everywhere
kalayaN opi - in search of
eshita - one who has complete knowledge
tE - like you
samam - no equal
pashyAmi naiv - I cannot find or I cannot see
yah - which is
uttamavastu - there is nothing which is equal or greater than door
ataratah - at any distance
appastam - nothing I could find or there is nothing to find.
asTama rasaH - even astama rasa also; who is called astamarasa
Sloka Four
yad - whose
rOksha - wilderness
utkara - glowing rays
daksha - capable of burning this world or brahmanda
NEtra - eyes
kuTila - hapazard or curved
prAnt - from the end
Opita - wake up
Agni - fire
spurat - glowing or brighness
khadhyOtOpama - Though it look to be a small like twinkling insect (smallesh
insect which twinkles at night times) but glowing like sun
vishpulinga - sparks
basita - ashes
brahma - many Brahma's of previous kalpa
Esha - many rudras
shakra - many Indra's
OtkarA.h - groups
(Note: The English translation as it appears here has been partially edited)
