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Namaste Narasimhaya (Narasimha Pranama) Meaning — Line by Line

नमस्ते नरसिंहाय (नृसिंह प्रणाम)

Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi

Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of Namaste Narasimhaya (Narasimha Pranama) with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

Verse 1#

namaste narasiṃhāya prahlādāhlādadāyine |

नमस्ते नरसिंहाय प्रह्लादाह्लाददायिने हिरण्यकशिपोर्वक्षःशिलाटङ्कनखालये

namaste narasiṃhāya prahlādāhlādadāyine | hiraṇyakaśiporvakṣaḥśilāṭaṅkanakhālaye ||

MeaningObeisances unto you, Lord Narasimha, who gives delight to (your devotee) Prahlada, and whose nails were like chisels upon the stone-like chest of the demon Hiranyakashipu.

Verse 2#

ito nṛsiṃhaḥ parato nṛsiṃho

इतो नृसिंहः परतो नृसिंहो यतो यतो यामि ततो नृसिंहः बहिर्नृसिंहो हृदये नृसिंहो नृसिंहमादिं शरणं प्रपद्ये

ito nṛsiṃhaḥ parato nṛsiṃho yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṃhaḥ | bahirnṛsiṃho hṛdaye nṛsiṃho nṛsiṃhamādiṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye ||

MeaningNarasimha is here, Narasimha is there; wherever I go, there is Narasimha. Narasimha is without and Narasimha is within my heart. I take refuge in Narasimha, the primeval Lord.

Verse 3#

tava karakamalavare nakhamadbhutaśṛṅgaṃ

तव करकमलवरे नखमद्भुतशृङ्गं दलितहिरण्यकशिपुतनुभृङ्गम् केशव धृतनरहरिरूप जय जगदीश हरे

tava karakamalavare nakhamadbhutaśṛṅgaṃ dalitahiraṇyakaśiputanubhṛṅgam | keśava dhṛtanaraharirūpa jaya jagadīśa hare ||

MeaningIn your beautiful lotus hands are nails like wondrous horns, with which you tore apart the body of Hiranyakashipu as a bee splits a flower. O Keshava, who assumed the form of the man-lion (Narahari) — all glories to you, O Lord of the universe, O Hari!

Word-by-Word Breakdown

नमस्ते
namaste
Obeisances / salutations unto you
नरसिंहाय
narasiṃhāya
Unto Lord Narasimha (the man-lion)
प्रह्लाद-आह्लाद-दायिने
prahlāda-āhlāda-dāyine
Who gives joy / delight to (the devotee) Prahlada
हिरण्यकशिपोः वक्षः
hiraṇyakaśipoḥ vakṣaḥ
The chest of (the demon) Hiranyakashipu
शिला-टङ्क-नख-आलये
śilā-ṭaṅka-nakha-ālaye
Whose nails were like chisels on that stone-like (chest)
इतः नृसिंहः
itaḥ nṛsiṃhaḥ
Here is Narasimha
परतः नृसिंहः
parataḥ nṛsiṃhaḥ
There (on the other side) is Narasimha
यतः यतः यामि
yataḥ yataḥ yāmi
Wherever I go
ततः नृसिंहः
tataḥ nṛsiṃhaḥ
There is Narasimha
बहिः नृसिंहः
bahiḥ nṛsiṃhaḥ
Narasimha is outside (everywhere around)
हृदये नृसिंहः
hṛdaye nṛsiṃhaḥ
Narasimha is within the heart
नृसिंहम् आदिं शरणं प्रपद्ये
nṛsiṃham ādiṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye
I take refuge in Narasimha, the primeval Lord
तव करकमलवरे
tava karakamalavare
In your excellent lotus hand
नखम् अद्भुतशृङ्गं
nakham adbhutaśṛṅgaṃ
The nails like wondrous (sharp) horns / peaks
दलित-हिरण्यकशिपु-तनु-भृङ्गम्
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam
Which tore the body of Hiranyakashipu as (a bee tears a flower)
केशव धृत-नरहरि-रूप
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa
O Keshava, who assumed the form of Narahari (man-lion)
जय जगदीश हरे
jaya jagadīśa hare
All glories to you, O Lord of the universe, O Hari!

Origin & History

Source: Traditional Vaishnava Narasimha Pranama (third verse from Jayadeva's Dashavatara Stotra)

Author: Traditional; third verse by Sri Jayadeva Goswami

Period: Traditional / Puranic; Jayadeva's verse c. 12th century CE

Lord Narasimha is the fourth avatar of Vishnu, who burst forth from a pillar in his fierce half-man, half-lion form to slay the demon-king Hiranyakashipu — who could be killed neither by man nor beast, by day nor night, indoors nor outdoors — and to protect his young devotee Prahlada. These pranama verses, recited throughout the Vaishnava world, offer loving obeisance to the Lord whose claws tore the demon apart, and affirm his protective presence everywhere. The third verse is drawn from Sri Jayadeva's celebrated Dashavatara Stotra.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Namaste Narasimhaya prayer?
It is the well-known Sri Narasimha Pranama — a short set of obeisance verses to Lord Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu. It is among the most widely recited Narasimha prayers, used daily in Vaishnava worship as an invocation for protection and fearlessness.
What does 'ito nrisimhah parato nrisimho' mean?
It means: 'Narasimha is here, Narasimha is there; wherever I go, there is Narasimha. Narasimha is outside and Narasimha is within my heart — I take refuge in Narasimha, the primeval Lord.' It expresses the Lord's all-pervading protective presence.
Where do these verses come from?
The first two verses are traditional Narasimha pranama mantras recited across the Vaishnava tradition. The third verse, 'tava kara-kamala-vare', is from Sri Jayadeva Goswami's Dashavatara Stotra in the Gita Govinda, glorifying the Narasimha avatar.
When should it be chanted?
It is chanted daily, morning and evening, and especially on Narasimha Jayanti. Devotees also recite it in moments of fear, danger or anxiety, taking refuge in the ever-present protection of Lord Narasimha.

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