narasimhanrisimhavishnumadhvacharya

𑌨𑍃𑌸𑌿𑌂𑌹 𑌨𑌖 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌤𑌿𑌃

Narasimha Nakha Stuti in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Early morning and at dusk; especially on Narasimha Jayanti and Saturdays·📜 Invocation to the Vayu Stuti (Madhva / Dvaita tradition)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Invocation to the Vayu Stuti (Madhva / Dvaita tradition) · Sri Madhvacharya (Anandatirtha) · 13th century CE

When Sri Trivikrama Panditacharya, a disciple of Sri Madhvacharya, composed the celebrated Vayu Stuti in praise of his guru as an incarnation of Vayu, Madhvacharya himself is said to have added two verses in the Sragdhara metre — one at the beginning and one at the end — in praise of Lord Narasimha. The opening verse, the Narasimha Nakha Stuti, glorifies the claws of the Man-Lion that destroyed Hiranyakashipu, and is chanted first as a shield of protection before the Vayu Stuti.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally believed that Lord Narasimha manifested before Sri Madhvacharya, and that reciting these two verses invokes the Lord's claws as a living shield; devotees in the Madhva tradition chant the Nakha Stuti to ward off fear, illness and unseen dangers, holding that no darkness can stand before the radiance of those nails.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑌪𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌹𑍂𑌤𑌵𑍈𑌰𑌿𑌬𑌲𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌤𑌙𑍍𑌗𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌘𑌟𑌾- 𑌕𑍁𑌮𑍍𑌭𑍋𑌚𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌵𑌿𑌪𑌾𑌟𑌨𑌾𑌧𑌿𑌕𑌪𑌟𑍁𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌕𑌵𑌜𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌃 । 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌮𑌤𑍍𑌕𑌣𑍍𑌠𑍀𑌰𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌤𑌸𑍁𑌨𑌖𑌰𑌾 𑌦𑌾𑌰𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌦𑍂𑌰- 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌧𑍍𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌧𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌶𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌤𑌤𑌮𑌨𑌸𑌾 𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌿𑌤𑌾 𑌭𑍂𑌰𑌿𑌭𑌾𑌗𑍈𑌃 ॥ ௧ ॥

Pantvasman puruhutavairibalavanmatangamadyadghata- kumbhoccadrivipatanadhikapatupratyekavajrayitah | Shrimatkanthiravasyapratatasunakhara daritaratidura- pradhvastadhvantashantapravitatamanasa bhavita bhuribhagaih || 1 ||

Meaning:May the long, beautiful claws of the glorious lion-faced Lord protect us — each one of them sharper and more capable than a thunderbolt at ripping open the lofty, mountain-like temple-bones on the heads of the rutting elephant-herd that was the mighty enemy of Indra (Hiranyakashipu). Those claws, which tore the foe asunder and drove away all darkness, are meditated upon with serene and expansive minds by the most fortunate of souls.

Verse 2

𑌲𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌮𑍀𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤 𑌸𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌤𑍋𑌽𑌪𑌿 𑌕𑌲𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍈𑌵𑍇𑌶𑌿𑌤𑍁𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇 𑌸𑌮𑌂 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌦𑍂𑌰𑌤𑌰𑌤𑍋𑌽𑌪𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌰𑌸𑍋 𑌯𑍋𑌽𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌮𑌃 । 𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌷𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌕𑌰𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌨𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌕𑍁𑌟𑌿𑌲𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍁𑌰𑌤𑍍- 𑌖𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌤𑍋𑌪𑌮𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍁𑌲𑌿𑌙𑍍𑌗𑌭𑌸𑌿𑌤𑌾 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑍇𑌶𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌕𑌰𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௨ ॥

Lakshmikanta samantato'pi kalayannaiveshituste samam Pashyamyuttamavastu duratarato'pastam raso yo'shtamah | Yadroshotkaradakshanetrakutilaprantotthitagnisphurat- khadyotopamavisphulingabhasita brahmeshashakrotkarah || 2 ||

Meaning:O beloved of Lakshmi! Though I search in every direction, I behold no excellent thing anywhere equal to you, the Lord — you who are the supreme 'eighth flavour', set far beyond all the rest. By the fire that blazed and leapt from the corner of your wrath-filled eye, the very hosts of Brahma, Shiva and Indra were reduced to mere ashes, like sparks no brighter than fireflies.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌪𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌅𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍🔊Pantu asmanMay they (the nails) protect us

𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌹𑍂𑌤𑌵𑍈𑌰𑌿🔊Puruhuta-vairiThe enemy of Indra (Puruhuta) — i.e. the demon Hiranyakashipu

𑌬𑌲𑌵𑌤𑍍🔊BalavatPowerful, mighty

𑌮𑌾𑌤𑌙𑍍𑌗🔊MatangaElephant

𑌮𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌘𑌟𑌾🔊Madyad-ghataAn intoxicated (rutting) herd

𑌕𑍁𑌮𑍍𑌭𑍋𑌚𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌿🔊Kumbhocca-adriThe mountain-like high temples (kumbha) of the elephant's head

𑌵𑌿𑌪𑌾𑌟𑌨🔊VipatanaTearing apart / ripping open

𑌅𑌧𑌿𑌕𑌪𑌟𑍁🔊Adhika-patuExceedingly sharp and capable

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌕𑌵𑌜𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌃🔊Pratyeka-vajrayitahEach one acting like a thunderbolt (vajra)

𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌮𑌤𑍍𑌕𑌣𑍍𑌠𑍀𑌰𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌯🔊Shrimat-kanthirava-asyaOf the glorious lion-faced one (Narasimha)

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌤𑌸𑍁𑌨𑌖𑌰𑌾𑌃🔊Pratata-sunakharahThe long, beautiful, outstretched nails (claws)

𑌦𑌾𑌰𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌤𑌿🔊Darita-aratiWhich tore apart the enemy (Hiranyakashipu)

𑌧𑍍𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌧𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤🔊Dhvasta-dhvantaDispelling the darkness (of ignorance and danger)

𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌃 𑌭𑍂𑌰𑌿𑌭𑌾𑌗𑍈𑌃🔊Bhavitah bhuri-bhagaihMeditated upon by the most fortunate ones (with peaceful minds)

𑌲𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌮𑍀𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤🔊Lakshmi-kantaO beloved of Lakshmi (Narasimha / Vishnu)

𑌸𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌤𑌃 𑌅𑌪𑌿🔊Samantatah apiEven searching everywhere / in every direction

𑌨 𑌏𑌵 𑌸𑌮𑌂 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌿🔊Na eva samam pashyamiI do not see anything equal (to you, the Lord)

𑌰𑌸𑌃 𑌯𑌃 𑌅𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌮𑌃🔊Rasah yah ashtamahThat which is the eighth rasa (the supreme flavour, set far beyond the seven)

𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌷🔊Yad-roshaBy whose wrath / anger

𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌨𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌰🔊Daksha-netraFrom the corner of the (right/keen) eye

𑌅𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌫𑍁𑌰𑌤𑍍🔊Agni-sphuratThe blazing, leaping fire

𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑍇𑌶𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌕𑌰𑌾𑌃🔊Brahmesha-shakra-utkarahThe hosts of Brahma, Shiva and Indra (reduced to sparks like fireflies)

Benefits of Chanting Narasimha Nakha Stuti

✦

A potent prayer for protection (raksha) invoking the thunderbolt-like claws of Lord Narasimha

✦

Recited as the auspicious invocation before the Vayu Stuti and other Madhva recitations

✦

Believed to remove fear, obstacles and the influence of evil forces

✦

Short enough to memorise yet majestic in its Sragdhara metre, ideal for daily chanting

✦

Strengthens courage and faith by recalling the Lord's destruction of the demon Hiranyakashipu

✦

Carries the special grace of Sri Madhvacharya, the great Dvaita acharya

✦

Traditionally chanted for warding off dangers, disease and negativity

How to Chant Narasimha Nakha Stuti

Repetitions3times

Best TimeEarly morning and at dusk; especially on Narasimha Jayanti and Saturdays

Sit facing east before an image of Lord Narasimha, recite the two verses clearly in the Sragdhara metre, visualising the radiant claws of the Lord dispelling all darkness. It is traditionally chanted first, as the invocation, before reciting the Vayu Stuti. Recite three or more times for protection, especially when beginning a journey or any important undertaking.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Narasimha Nakha Stuti written in the Grantha 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 a famous two-verse Sanskrit hymn composed by Sri Madhvacharya in praise of the nails (nakha) of Lord Narasimha, the claws with which he slew the demon Hiranyakashipu. It is renowned as a powerful prayer for protection and as the invocation to the Vayu Stuti.

It was composed by Sri Madhvacharya (also called Anandatirtha or Purnaprajna, 13th century CE), the founder of the Dvaita (Tattvavada) school of Vedanta. He wrote it as the auspicious opening of the Vayu Stuti by his disciple Trivikrama Panditacharya.

In the Narasimha avatara, Vishnu used his bare claws to tear apart the demon Hiranyakashipu — who could not be killed by any weapon. The hymn therefore extols those very nails as sharper than thunderbolts and prays for their protective power.

It is recited daily for protection, especially in the morning and at dusk, on Narasimha Jayanti, and as the customary invocation before the Vayu Stuti and other recitations in the Madhva tradition.