Lakshmi Narasimha Pancharatnam
Lakshmi Narasimha Pancharatnam in English · English
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✦ Meaning
The Lakshmi Narasimha Pancharatnam ('Five Gems to Lakshmi-Narasimha') is a profound hymn by Adi Shankaracharya, addressed to the wandering mind imagined as a bee. Through five vivid images — silver in a shell, a scentless silk-cotton flower, a mirage, a dream — it shows the emptiness of worldly pleasures and urges the mind to drink instead the nectar of Lakshmi-Narasimha's lotus-feet. Each verse closes with the haunting refrain 'bhaja bhaja Lakshmi-Narasimha…'.
Origin & Story
Attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (Stotra literature) · Adi Shankaracharya · c. 8th century CE
Narasimha, the half-man half-lion avatara of Vishnu, appeared to slay the demon Hiranyakashipu and protect his devotee Prahlada. Adi Shankaracharya, who composed hymns to many forms of the divine, addressed this 'Pancharatnam' not in praise of the Lord's deeds but to the seeker's own restless mind — likening it to a bee that flits among illusory pleasures. In five gem-like verses he dismantles the charm of the world and points the mind to the one true refuge: the lotus-feet of Lakshmi-Narasimha.
✦ As told in scripture
Devotees of Narasimha hold that the fierce-yet-loving Lord, who burst from a pillar to save Prahlada, swiftly shields those who take refuge in him; reciting these five gems is said to dissolve fear and delusion and to fix the wavering mind firmly upon the Lord.
Complete Text with Meaning
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Tvatprabhujivapriyamicchasi cen naraharipujam kuru satatam Pratibimbalankritidhritikushalo bimbalankritimatanute | Cetobhringa bhramasi vritha bhavamarubhumau virasayam Bhaja bhaja lakshminarasimha- naghapadasarasijamakarandam || 1 ||
Meaning:If you wish to win the affection of your true Lord and Master, worship Narahari (Narasimha) constantly. One skilled only in decorating a reflection (in a mirror) is really adorning the original. O bee of the mind, why do you wander uselessly in the tasteless desert of worldly existence? Worship, worship the nectar of the sinless lotus-feet of Lakshmi-Narasimha!
Shuktau rajatapratibha jata katakadyarthasamartha cet Duhkhamayi te samsritiresha nirvritidane nipuna bhavati | Cetobhringa bhramasi vritha bhavamarubhumau virasayam Bhaja bhaja lakshminarasimha- naghapadasarasijamakarandam || 2 ||
Meaning:Just as the glitter of silver appears in a mere shell — can it ever serve as a real bracelet or ornament? — so this sorrow-filled worldly life of yours can never truly bestow lasting bliss. O bee of the mind, why wander in vain in the tasteless desert of samsara? Worship, worship the nectar of the sinless lotus-feet of Lakshmi-Narasimha!
Akritisamyacchalmalikusume sthalanalinatvabhramamakaroh Gandharasaviha kimu vidyate vikacha saroruhaparimalamilite | Cetobhringa bhramasi vritha bhavamarubhumau virasayam Bhaja bhaja lakshminarasimha- naghapadasarasijamakarandam || 3 ||
Meaning:Deceived by mere similarity of form, you mistook the (scentless) silk-cotton flower for a fragrant land-lotus! How can there be the perfume and sweetness here that belong to a fully-blossomed, fragrant lotus? O bee of the mind, why wander in vain in the tasteless desert of samsara? Worship, worship the nectar of the sinless lotus-feet of Lakshmi-Narasimha!
Srakchandanavanitadin vishayanasukhaya bhunkshva kimu mudha Sarvam idam rajanikara- kiranaviyadvarivibhramam chalitam | Cetobhringa bhramasi vritha bhavamarubhumau virasayam Bhaja bhaja lakshminarasimha- naghapadasarasijamakarandam || 4 ||
Meaning:Why, O deluded one, do you enjoy garlands, sandal-paste, women and other sense-objects, hoping for happiness? All this is as fleeting and illusory as the shimmer of moonbeams on water in the sky (a mirage). O bee of the mind, why wander in vain in the tasteless desert of samsara? Worship, worship the nectar of the sinless lotus-feet of Lakshmi-Narasimha!
Tava hitamekam vachanam vakshye shrinu sukhakamo yadi satatam Svapne drishtam sakalam hi mrisha jagrati cha smara taditi matiman | Cetobhringa bhramasi vritha bhavamarubhumau virasayam Bhaja bhaja lakshminarasimha- naghapadasarasijamakarandam || 5 ||
Meaning:If you desire lasting happiness, listen — I shall tell you one beneficial word: all that is seen in a dream is surely false; O wise one, remember this very truth in the waking state too. O bee of the mind, why wander in vain in the tasteless desert of samsara? Worship, worship the nectar of the sinless lotus-feet of Lakshmi-Narasimha!
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Lakshmi Narasimha Pancharatnam
Turns the restless mind away from fleeting pleasures toward the eternal feet of Lakshmi-Narasimha
Cultivates viveka (discernment) between the real and the unreal through striking poetic images
Invokes the fierce protective grace of Narasimha, the destroyer of fear and evil
Composed by Adi Shankaracharya, it carries the blessing of the great non-dual master
Deepens devotion (bhakti) and dispassion (vairagya) when recited reflectively
Traditionally chanted for protection from danger and for steadiness of mind
A complete contemplation on the impermanence of the world and the refuge of the Lord
How to Chant Lakshmi Narasimha Pancharatnam
Sit calmly before an image of Lakshmi-Narasimha, light a lamp and recite the five verses slowly, reflecting on each image — the silver in the shell, the scentless flower, the mirage, the dream. Let the refrain 'bhaja bhaja Lakshmi-Narasimha' settle the mind on the Lord's lotus-feet. It is especially recited on Narasimha Jayanti (Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi).
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