Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.18

caturdaśaṁ nārasiṁhaṁ
bibhrad daityendram ūrjitam
dadāra karajair ūrāv
erakāṁ kaṭa-kṛd yathā

In the fourteenth incarnation, the Lord came in the form of half-man, half-lion and bifurcated the strong body of the the king of atheist with His nails, just as a carpenter pierces cane.

The Rig Veda sloka 1.154.2a it is mention;

“like some wild beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming.” thus giving reference to Lord Nṛsiṁha

Lord Nārāyaṇa incarnated himself as Lord Nṛsiṁha to protect his devotee boy Prahlad Maharaja from his demon father Hiraṇyakaśipu. He also appeared in this half-man/half-lion form to particularly not violate the boon given to the atheist Hiraṇyakaśipu by Lord Brahma himself. Some of the boons given were;

  • Not meet death from any of the living entities created by you ( Lord Brahma )
  • I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought about by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.
  • I not meet death from any entity, living or nonliving created by you. Grant me, further, that I not be killed by any devas or demon or by any great snake from the lower planets.

Thru Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared at noon, he killed that atheist king during dusk which is neither day nor night. He, Lord Nṛsiṁha was not created by Brahma as he is the Supreme Lord himself the parabrahman. He did not use any weapons, as his nails were used to tear apart the atheist king on his lap, neither on the ground or in the sky. This beautiful feature was neither a human being or animal thus Lord Nṛsiṁha became that feature whom the demons feared while the devotees revered with faith and devotion.

Written by Sankarshan Das