Narasimha Chalisa

Lord Narasimha, I hold you in my heart and call on you; grant me wealth, strength and the gift of knowledge.

Victory to you, compassionate Narasimha; always watch over and sustain those who are devoted to you.

You are the merciful descent of Vishnu, the great ender of time, death even to death itself.

Your names are countless and beyond praise; with my small understanding I can grasp almost none of them.

The king Hiranyakashipu grew swollen with arrogance, and under his weight the very earth grew distressed.

To Hiranyakashipu and Kayadhu a son was born, and that child was known as the devotee Prahlad.

The boy became a true servant of Vishnu, and for this his own father tried every way to have him killed.

Weapons, blades and mighty arms were turned on him, and he was even thrown into a raging fire.

For the sake of your devotee you took this form, crushing the wicked and lifting the burden of the earth.

You belong to your devotees and they belong to you; to Prahlad you were dearer than his own life.

You burst forth by splitting open the pillar, and seeing this the band of evildoers was struck with terror.

Your tongue was like a sword and your form fearsome yet splendid, your hair standing on end and great fangs blazing.

Your body shone like molten gold; who could ever fully describe your vast and dazzling appearance?

Four-armed and broad of face you appeared, your claws and tongue terrifying to behold.

A heavy golden crown rested on your head, and the rings in your ears made a beautiful, gentle sight.

You rescued the devotee Prahlad, and the cruel Hiranyakashipu you destroyed in a single moment.

Brahma and Vishnu meditate on you daily, and Indra and Lord Shiva keep their minds fixed on you.

The Vedas and Puranas sing your glory, yet even Shesha and Saraswati cannot reach its limit.

Whoever holds you in steady meditation finds well-being and good fortune always at hand.

Save me, save me, take away my sorrow; Lord, it is you alone who can release me from the bonds of worldly life.

Whoever chants your name each day is carried safely past sorrow and disease.

Even one who has lost his place and standing, by reciting this, gains the happiness his heart longs for.

The childless woman is blessed with good children, and the poor man is turned into one who prospers.

For one who recites the name of Narasimha, misfortune will not approach, not even in a dream.

Whatever wish such a person holds in the mind will surely come to fulfilment.

When any crisis arises in life, one should firmly turn the mind to Narasimha and remember him.

If one weighed down by illness meditates on him, the body is restored and made whole as gold.

Witches and spirits, ghosts and goblins, planetary affliction and the dread power of death itself,

all such ghosts and demons are themselves seized with fear, and the messengers of death do not come near.

At the remembrance of your name every disease flees, and sickness and grief never take hold.

Whoever has fallen under the harm of an evil eye should sing this Narasimha Chalisa.

The evil eye is lifted and good fortune follows; this word is true, with the Lord himself as witness.

The person who fixes meditation on you receives the very fruit his heart has wished for.

The wise one who has a temple built in your honour becomes honoured and respected throughout the world.

Whoever reads this hymn once every day remains forever dear to you.

For anyone who sings the Narasimha Chalisa, sorrow and poverty do not come near.

The person who recites this chalisa and teaches it to others gains everything worth having in this world.

By reading this Shri Narasimha Chalisa, even a pauper can rise to become a lord of the land.

Whoever meditates on you finds happiness, while one who turns away from you bears much suffering.

You are one with Shiva himself, and I take refuge in you; Lord, take away all our troubles.