narasimhanrisimhaashtottara108-names

Narasimha Ashtottara Shatanamavali

Narasimha Ashtottara Shatanamavali in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 108× repetitions·🕐 Narasimha Jayanti, Saturdays, and at dusk (the hour of his appearance)·📜 Traditional (Vaishnava tradition; sanskritdocuments.org)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

A litany of the 108 names of Lord Narasimha, the man-lion avatara of Vishnu, each chanted as 'Om ... namaha'. The names celebrate his fierce, fearless forms (Ugrasimha, Raudra, Agnilochana) and his protective love for devotees (Bhaktativatsala, Sharanagatavatsala). It is chanted above all for protection, courage and the destruction of evil and obstacles.

Origin & Story

Traditional (Vaishnava tradition; sanskritdocuments.org) · Traditional · Classical

Lord Narasimha is the fourth of the ten principal avataras of Vishnu, who burst forth from a pillar in the form of a half-man, half-lion to slay the demon-king Hiranyakashipu — who could be killed neither by man nor beast, by day nor night, inside nor outside — and so to save his five-year-old devotee Prahlada. This garland of his 108 names celebrates both the terrifying wrath with which he destroyed evil and the boundless tenderness with which he protects those who take refuge in him.

✦ As told in scripture

It is told that the boy Prahlada, though thrown from cliffs, trampled by elephants, given poison and cast into fire by his own father, remained unharmed because he never ceased to remember the Lord; and that Narasimha burst from a stone pillar to prove that God is present everywhere — so devotees hold that his 108 names form an invincible shield around all who chant them.

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The Mantra

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śrīnṛsiṃhāya namaḥ mahāsiṃhāya namaḥ divyasiṃhāya namaḥ mahābalāya namaḥ ugrasiṃhāya namaḥ mahādevāya namaḥ upendrāya namaḥ agnilocanāya namaḥ raudrāya namaḥ śauraye namaḥ mahāvīrāya namaḥ suvikramaparākramāya namaḥ harikolāhalāya namaḥ cakriṇe namaḥ vijayāya namaḥ ajayāya namaḥ avyayāya namaḥ daityāntakāya namaḥ parabrahmaṇe namaḥ aghorāya namaḥ ghoravikramāya namaḥ jvālāmukhāya namaḥ jvālamāline namaḥ mahājvālāya namaḥ mahāprabhave namaḥ niṭilākṣāya namaḥ sahasrākṣāya namaḥ durnirīkṣyāya namaḥ pratāpanāya namaḥ mahādaṃṣṭrāya namaḥ prājñāya namaḥ hiraṇyaka niṣūdanāya namaḥ caṇḍakopine namaḥ surārighnāya namaḥ sadārtighnāya namaḥ sadāśivāya namaḥ guṇabhadrāya namaḥ mahābhadrāya namaḥ balabhadrāya namaḥ subhadrakāya namaḥ karālāya namaḥ vikarālāya namaḥ gatāyuṣe namaḥ sarvakartṛkāya namaḥ bhairavāḍambarāya namaḥ divyāya namaḥ agamyāya namaḥ sarvaśatrujite namaḥ amoghāstrāya namaḥ śastradharāya namaḥ savyajūṭāya namaḥ sureśvarāya namaḥ sahasrabāhave namaḥ vajranakhāya namaḥ sarvasiddhaye namaḥ janārdanāya namaḥ anantāya namaḥ bhagavate namaḥ sthūlāya namaḥ agamyāya namaḥ parāvarāya namaḥ sarvamantraikarūpāya namaḥ sarvayantravidāraṇāya namaḥ avyayāya namaḥ paramānandāya namaḥ kālajite namaḥ khagavāhanāya namaḥ bhaktātivatsalāya namaḥ avyaktāya namaḥ suvyaktāya namaḥ sulabhāya namaḥ śucaye namaḥ lokaikanāyakāya namaḥ sarvāya namaḥ śaraṇāgatavatsalāya namaḥ dhīrāya namaḥ dharāya namaḥ sarvajñāya namaḥ bhīmāya namaḥ bhīmaparākramāya namaḥ devapriyāya namaḥ nutāya namaḥ pūjyāya namaḥ bhavahṛte namaḥ parameśvarāya namaḥ śrīvatsavakṣase namaḥ śrīvāsāya namaḥ vibhave namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya namaḥ prabhave namaḥ trivikramāya namaḥ trilokātmane namaḥ kālāya namaḥ sarveśvarāya namaḥ viśvambharāya namaḥ sthirābhāya namaḥ acyutāya namaḥ puruṣottamāya namaḥ adhokṣajāya namaḥ akṣayāya namaḥ sevyāya namaḥ vanamāline namaḥ prakampanāya namaḥ gurave namaḥ lokagurave namaḥ sraṣṭre namaḥ parasmaijyotiṣe namaḥ parāyaṇāya namaḥ

Meaning:The Narasimha Ashtottara Shatanamavali is the garland of the 108 names of Lord Narasimha (Nrisimha), the fierce man-lion avatara of Vishnu who tore apart the demon Hiranyakashipu to save his devotee Prahlada. The names blaze with his ferocity — Ugrasimha, Raudra, Agnilochana, Mahadamshtra (great fangs), Chandakopi (of terrible wrath) — yet also reveal his tenderness as Bhaktativatsala (loving to devotees) and Sharanagatavatsala (protector of the surrendered). Recited with 'Om' and 'namaha', the litany grants fearless protection, destroys enemies and evil, and shields the devotee like Prahlada from all harm.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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śrīnṛsiṃhāya namaḥ🔊Salutations to Sri Nrisimha, the man-lion Lord

mahāsiṃhāya namaḥ🔊to the great lion (Mahasimha)

divyasiṃhāya namaḥ🔊to the divine lion (Divyasimha)

mahābalāya namaḥ🔊to the one of immense strength (Mahabala)

ugrasiṃhāya namaḥ🔊to the fierce lion (Ugrasimha)

mahādevāya namaḥ🔊to the great God (Mahadeva)

upendrāya namaḥ🔊to Upendra, the younger brother of Indra (Vishnu)

agnilocanāya namaḥ🔊to one whose eyes blaze like fire (Agnilochana)

raudrāya namaḥ🔊to the terrible, wrathful one (Raudra)

śauraye namaḥ🔊to the valiant one (Shauri, of the Shura lineage)

mahāvīrāya namaḥ🔊to the great hero (Mahavira)

suvikramaparākramāya namaḥ🔊to one of excellent prowess and valour (Suvikrama-parakrama)

harikolāhalāya namaḥ🔊to Hari of the terrifying roar (Harikolahala)

cakriṇe namaḥ🔊to the wielder of the discus (Chakri)

vijayāya namaḥ🔊to the victorious one (Vijaya)

ajayāya namaḥ🔊to the unconquered one (Ajaya)

Benefits of Chanting Narasimha Ashtottara Shatanamavali

✦

Chanting the 108 names of Narasimha grants powerful, fearless protection from all dangers and evil.

✦

Invoked to destroy enemies, black magic, negative forces and obstacles, as he destroyed Hiranyakashipu.

✦

Each name is offered as an archana for the courage, strength and fearlessness the man-lion embodies.

✦

Shields the devotee and the home like a protective fortress, as he protected the child Prahlada.

✦

Especially powerful on Narasimha Jayanti and Saturdays; suitable for daily recitation with devotion.

✦

Calms fear and anxiety by surrendering to the Lord who is Sharanagatavatsala, loving to the surrendered.

How to Chant Narasimha Ashtottara Shatanamavali

Repetitions108times

Best TimeNarasimha Jayanti, Saturdays, and at dusk (the hour of his appearance)

Bathe and sit before an image of Lord Narasimha, ideally after lighting a lamp. Recite each of the 108 names beginning with 'Om' (ॐ) and ending with 'namaha' (नमः), offering a flower or a leaf for each name (archana). Narasimha is said to have appeared at dusk (neither day nor night), so twilight and Narasimha Jayanti are especially auspicious. Many devotees chant his names for the protection of children and the home, often together with the Narasimha Kavacham.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Narasimha Ashtottara Shatanamavali written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is the garland of the 108 names of Lord Narasimha, the fierce man-lion avatara of Vishnu. Each name, chanted with 'Om' before and 'namaha' after, praises his ferocious protective forms and his love for devotees, and is offered as an archana, above all for protection.

Narasimha incarnated to destroy the tyrant Hiranyakashipu and save his devotee Prahlada from harm. Because he subdued an enemy who could not be slain by man or beast, day or night, indoors or out, he is revered as the supreme protector against all dangers, enemies and evil forces.

This litany names the Lord Narasimha alone, emphasising his man-lion forms and protective power. The Lakshmi-Narasimha Ashtottara invokes him together with Goddess Lakshmi in his peaceful (shanta) aspect. Both are 108-name garlands; this one is the standalone Nrisimha namavali.

Narasimha Jayanti (his appearance day) is the most auspicious, along with Saturdays and the dusk hour, which recalls the twilight in which he appeared. It may also be chanted daily with devotion.