Śarabha and Nṛsiṃha

The Śata Rudra Saṃhitā of the Śiva Purāṇa tells of the Śarabha avatāra. This is the fierce bird-like form that Parameśvara Śiva took to humble Bhagavān Nṛsiṃha, the man-lion form of Bhagavān Vishṇu. The narrative is in Chapters 10, 11 and 12. It has three stages. First, Nṛsiṃha’s fury does not end after Hiraṇyakaśipu is killed (Chapter 10). Second, Vīrabhadra goes to calm Nṛsiṃha with counsel and argument, and Nṛsiṃha proudly refuses (Chapter 11). Third, the Śarabha form appears, Nṛsiṃha is fully overcome, and Bhagavān Śiva is shown to be the one supreme Parameśvara (Chapter 12).

Background: Hiraṇyakaśipu and Prahlāda

The Śata Rudra Saṃhitā recalls how Jaya and Vijaya, the divine doorkeepers of Bhagavān Vishṇu, were cursed by the great ṛshis. They were born as the sons of Diti and Kaśyapa: the elder was Hiraṇyakaśipu and the powerful one was Hiraṇyāksha. Bhagavān Vishṇu in the Varāha avatāra had already killed Hiraṇyāksha.

Hiraṇyakaśipu was filled with grief and anger for his dead brother. He did tapas (austerity) for ten thousand years and won from Brahmā a vara (boon): no created being could kill him. With this vara he conquered all three worlds, put an end to all dharma, troubled the brāhmaṇas and made war on the devas. His own son Prahlāda was a devoted bhakta of Bhagavān Vishṇu, and Hiraṇyakaśipu turned against his own son out of hatred of Hari. This is told in Chapter 10.

The Nṛsiṃha avatāra and the fury that would not end

At the chosen moment Bhagavān Vishṇu appeared in the fearful Nṛsiṃha (man-lion) form from inside a pillar of the assembly hall. He was half man and half lion. It was twilight, and he stood at the threshold of the doorway. He laid Hiraṇyakaśipu across his lap and tore open his belly with his nails, and so killed the asura king.

Every condition of the vara was kept. It was neither day nor night. It was neither inside nor outside. It was neither a man nor a beast who killed him, and he died neither by a weapon nor by a bare hand. The worlds breathed again. But the relief was not complete, because Nṛsiṃha’s fury did not calm even after Hiraṇyakaśipu died. This is told in Chapter 10.

The fires of his anger began to burn all the worlds. The devas and Brahmā were afraid and could not go near the blazing form. They fled far away. They sent Prahlāda to calm their beloved Bhagavān Nṛsiṃha. Nṛsiṃha held Prahlāda with deep love, and his heart cooled. Yet the fires of his anger still did not stop. The worlds shook. In despair the devas went together to Parameśvara Śiva and begged him for help.

In their prayer the devas reminded Śiva of his earlier acts of rescue. He drank the poison at the churning of the ocean (Samudra-manthana) to save the worlds. When his name is remembered, all grief ends. Now they said that the fire of Nṛsiṃha’s anger could be calmed by none but Śiva. Bhagavān Śiva was moved with compassion. He told the devas to go back to their homes without fear, and promised to calm the anger. This is told in Chapter 10.

Vīrabhadra’s mission: counsel and refusal

Parameśvara Śiva called Vīrabhadra. Vīrabhadra is the supreme leader of the gaṇas, born from Śiva’s own wrath. He blazes with the fire of the great dissolution. He has three eyes and carries a triśūla. He appeared with crores of gaṇa heroes in Nṛsiṃha form around him, dancing with joy.

Bhagavān Śiva ordered him: “Go first with gentle words. If Nṛsiṃha will not listen, show my most terrible form and subdue him. Bring back his head and his skin.” This is told in Chapter 11.

Vīrabhadra went to Nṛsiṃha and spoke with deep respect. He praised Nṛsiṃha as the protector of the worlds. He reminded him that he had already done what the avatāra was for: Hiraṇyakaśipu was dead and Prahlāda was safe. Gently he asked Nṛsiṃha to put away the fearful form and bring peace back to the worlds.

But Nṛsiṃha was still held by the fury of his form, and he refused with great pride. He said there was nothing higher than himself. He said he was the creator, the destroyer and the master of all. Brahmā had been born from the lotus in his own navel. His was the highest rule over all the worlds, and even Vīrabhadra should take shelter in him.

Vīrabhadra then gave a strong answer. He said that Śiva is Parameśvara, and that Nṛsiṃha is neither creator nor destroyer but a tool of Śiva’s will. He gave many examples:

• The skull of the Kūrma avatāra still hangs in Śiva’s garland.
• When Bhagavān Vishṇu took the Varāha form, the great Kumāra pulled out his tusks and humbled him.
• Vīrabhadra himself had burned, with his astra, all the Nārāyaṇa forms that Vishṇu had made.
• Vīrabhadra had cut off the fifth head of Brahmā.
• The great Dadhīci had beaten Vishṇu and his hosts of devas in battle.
• Vishṇu is a jīva (living being) who depends on Śiva’s śakti for all his power.

Vīrabhadra ended: Nṛsiṃha had done one deed through a small part of Śiva’s power, and now roared in pride. Unless he stopped of his own will, Śiva’s force would fall on him like a thunderbolt.

Nṛsiṃha was not calmed. He grew even angrier and leapt at Vīrabhadra to seize him. This is told in Chapter 11.

The Śarabha avatāra appears

At that moment Vīrabhadra’s form vanished. In its place appeared the Śarabha form of Parameśvara Śiva, unlike anything seen in all creation. It was larger than the sky. It blazed with a tejas (radiance) greater than fire, sun and moon together. Even lightning could not be compared with it. It carried the auspicious marks of Rudra, yet had a monstrous shape. The devas watching from the sky cried out with joy.

The Śarabha form had a thousand arms, wings like an eagle’s, a strong beak and a dark mark at the throat. It had four feet, four very sharp legs, nails like the vajra, and three eyes blazing like fire. It roared like a thousand clouds at the time of dissolution, and shot fire from its three eyes. When Nṛsiṃha saw this form, all his strength was drained at once. His bala (strength) and parākrama (valour) were gone in that instant.

The Śarabha form seized Nṛsiṃha with its wings and beat him to the ground. It bound his feet with its tail and locked his arms and chest with its own arms. It lifted him again and again and threw him down. Nṛsiṃha was fully helpless. Then Śiva carried him up into the sky, while Brahmā, the devas and the maharshis watched. They all bowed to Śarabheśvara. This is told in Chapter 12.

Nṛsiṃha’s surrender and Śiva’s declaration

Nṛsiṃha was fully beaten and hung at the edge of death. He joined his hands in surrender and praised Śiva in the Śarabha form with 108 names. Then he made one last prayer: “O Parameśvara, whenever my mind is filled with pride or ahaṃkāra (ego), at those times it is you alone who should take that pride away.” This was the prayer of the fully defeated to the supreme, and it was accepted. Nṛsiṃha’s wrath dissolved completely, and he took his Vishṇu form again.

Vīrabhadra then carried out Śiva’s order and separated Nṛsiṃha’s head from the Nṛsiṃha body. Śarabheśvara Śiva appeared once more in his own form before the assembled devas. He declared that Nṛsiṃha, now calm and purified, was his own foremost bhakta and would grant varas to devotees. Then he disappeared. From that day Śiva wore the Nṛsiṃha skin as his garment. He strung Nṛsiṃha’s skull as the first bead of his garland of skulls.

The devas went away happy. The Śata Rudra Saṃhitā says that this narrative is sacred and is drawn from the essence (sāra) of the Vedas. It grants every wish to those who read or hear it. It is to be read at Śiva festivals (utsavas), on Caturdaśī and Ashṭamī, and at the installation of a temple. Reading it removes fear of thieves, wild beasts, earthquakes, storms, drought and floods. Those who read it with no desire of their own reach Rudraloka and in the end Śiva-sāyujya (union with Śiva). This is told in Chapter 12.

Sources

• Śiva Purāṇa, Śata Rudra Saṃhitā, Chapter 10: Hiraṇyakaśipu and Prahlāda, the Nṛsiṃha avatāra, the devas’ prayer to Śiva
• Śiva Purāṇa, Śata Rudra Saṃhitā, Chapter 11: Vīrabhadra’s mission and Nṛsiṃha’s refusal
• Śiva Purāṇa, Śata Rudra Saṃhitā, Chapter 12: the Śarabha avatāra, Nṛsiṃha’s surrender and the benefits of the narrative