Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2399

c8.2399

6) *The incarnation of Narasimha.* But as days went by Hiraṇyakaśipu got wild again. He could not bear his son’s increasing devotion to Viṣṇu. He hated to hear Prahlāda’s chantings of Viṣṇu’s name and so one dar while Prahlāda was repeating his chantings of Viṣṇu's name Hiraṇyakaśipu jumped up from his seat with sword in his hand and asked Prahlāda where his Viṣṇu was. Prahlāda very calmly replied that Viṣṇu was present everywhere even in stones, trees or the pillars of the palace. Hiraṇyakaśipu in uncontrollable rage struck the nearest pillar with his sword. Then to the shock-ing surprise of Hiraṇyakaśipu Mahāviṣṇu in the form of a fierce man-lion (Narasimha) jumped out from the pillar. The figure was terrifying to look at. It had fiery eyes, a dagger-like tongue with blood oozing from it, shaggy neck with trembling eyebrows, two teeth on each side curved like the crescent moon, a black face inside a cave-like heap of manes, hairs strong and point-ed like diamond needles, nails white and cup-like and a body as bright and brilliant as a thousand crores of suns. Only Prahlāda could stand before the figure and look at it.