1

Worship of Yoga-Nrsimha
Ekangi Radha dd asked:

>I`m looking for bona fide informations about the worship of Yoga Nrsimha;
>standarts of worship, who can do this and stories, pastimes connected with
>Yoga Nrsimhadeva.Could you tell me where can I found any informations about
>Yoga Nrsimhadeva ( puranas-exept Nrsimha Purana, Vedic literature).

Iconically this form of Nrsimha is found is several temples in India. The one that springs to my mind is
Melkote, in Karnataka near Mysore. The is a cave below the temple which is siuated on top of a
mountain inwhichit is said that Bhakta Prahlada slept and it is also said that Lord Nrsimha visited there
on his way back to Vaikuntha (like the story of Nrsimha Pole in Mayapur). According to this Lord
Nrsimha taught yoga to Prahada in this place.

Concerning Yoga forms of deities:

1. They are usualy worshipped by ascetics.

2. They are usually situated in remote forest, or mountain locations.
3. They therefore don't usually get a great deal of worship (unlike Bhoga deities situated in areas of
large populations)

Concerning Yoga Nrsimha:

1. The form of Yoga Nrsimha is sometimes found alone and also occurs on the back side of the deities of
Sudarsana Chakra.
2. Yoga Nrsimha form is sitting with legs crossed. There is a band that goes around the from the knees
around the back. This is a aid that Yogis use for sitting for long periods in meditation. Usually there are
four hands the top two hold the Chakra and Sankha. The lower hands are resting on the knees
palmdown.
3. The form of Yoga Nrsimha that is combined with Sudarsana has four hands each carrying a Prayoga
Chakra (Chakra which is ready to throw ie seen edge on, not displayed flat).

Worship of Nrsimha:

1. All Vaisnavas are elligible for the worship of Lord Nrsimha.

2. The usual form worshipped is Laksmi Nrsimha.
3. Information on Nrsimha and mantras for His worship can be found in Nrsimha Purva and Uttara
Tapani Upanisads, Ahirbudhnya Samhita, and Hari Bhakti Vilasa.
4. Nrsimha Gayatri is found in the Maha Narayana Upanisad (sometimes refered to as the Fourth Valli
of Taittireya Upanisad). This mantra needs to be recited with Svaras as it is Vedic sanskrit.
5. Nrsimha Anustubh mantra can be used as a Dhyana Mantra in the worship and is found in Hari Bhakti
Vilasa. (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati received this mantra from his father Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura)
6. There is also a Nrsimha Mala Mantra (108 syllables).
7. Nrsimha bija mantra is found in Hari Bhakti Vilasa (in the same section as the Anustubh mantra). It
should be used in the mula mantra which is simply the bija followed by Nrsimha in dative singular,
followed by namah. Optionally Om can be prefixed to this mantra, before the bija mantra.
8. If the worship includes Prahlada, Sudarsana, Pancajanya, Laksmi (which it should) then mula mantras,
gayatris and in some cases (Sudarsana) mala mantras for these are available.
 2

9. For daily Nama Arcana use the 12 Upavyuha names of Visnu (same as tilaka mantras), this can be
expanded to the 24 names of Visnu (used in Visesa Acamana in Arcana Paddhati), and for more special
occasions (or if you have more time) there is available the 108 names of Nrsimha and the 1008 names
also.