NARASIMHA CHATURDASHI

Living entity looks at all objects in the material world with a vision of what is in it for me. This is called the enjoyer mentality. But the moment it sees Krsna, it wants to sacrifice everything for Him, be the insignificant dust that may be kicked away by His entourage and suffer endlessly for Him. This is the kind of quality Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna possesses. atmaramas ca munayo, nirgrantha apy urukrame kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim, ittam-bhuta-guno harih. This is the meaning of Mukunda, as H.G. Nitai Chand Prabhu explained, one who makes even liberation (mukti) look insignificant.

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That is why when living entities become conscious of Krishna, the world will automatically become spotlessly perfect, just as when sun rises darkness is automatically dispelled. But this response cannot awaken in a person who is attached to anything else of this world, just as one cannot even touch the ocean when one chooses to remain on the shore. Krishna is not an option but He is like the ocean. To know this one must read Srimad Bhagavatam and its higher study Chaitanya Charitamrita. How can one even begin to swim if one leg is still on the shore? brahma-bhutah prasanatma, na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu, mad-bhaktim labhate param. Of all attachments of this world, deep rooted consciousness of the opposite gender is the foremost, which cannot leave a person even at old age or death. That is why Srimad Bhagavatam, which describes the science of God, is not meant for the materialists. Unless such a materialist surrenders unto a perfected soul considering himself to be a fool helplessly bound in this material world, lives with such a perfected soul only to serve him leaving this artificial world for good and hears submissively from such a perfected soul, there is no escape. That is also the reason why the foremost devotee Prahlad heard Bhagavatam from ever liberated Narada Muni right while he was in the womb of his mother, where no material attachments can touch him. Thus he perfected his life by finally meeting the Supreme Lord face to face on the day of Narasimha Chaturdashi.

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Narasimha Chaturdashi has infinite significance in the life of an aspiring devotee. VVNagar temple celebrated this auspicious day by holding a three day special lecture series morning and evening by various senior devotees. H.G.Kadamba Krishna Prabhu started the series on the day of Narasimha Chaturdashi and discussed from Srimad Bhagavatam. He being greatly inspired by H.H.Radha Govind Maharaj, gave various deep technical insights into the pastime. Evening, after the Abhishek ceremony of Lord Narasimhadev, feast lecture was given by H.G.Sundershyam Prabhu who very graphically described the entire pastime of Prahlad and Hiranyakshyapu until appearance of Lord Narsimha Dev and Prahlad’s prayers thereafter.

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The highlight of this lecture was the various practical lessons from each episode, for eg, how people in various modes react to a devotee, how a child can hear while in the womb, how the most humble is the first to get mercy of the Lord and how Absolute truth is that which does not change with time and place and many others. Next day morning’s Bhagavatam lecture was given by H.G.BalGovind Prabhu who compared the pastime of Prahlad and Hiranyakashyapu to the good and bad tendencies within us and how to overcome them by taking shelter of ferociously beautiful Lord Narasimhadev. Evening H.G.Shri Keshav Prabhu emphasized how one can get mercy of Lord only through mercy of his devotee. H.G.Nitai Chand Prabhu, our temple president, gave a powerful feast lecture on Sunday morning. He has been emphasizing in all his lectures throughout the week about the fact that Srila Prabhupad, our founder acharya followed the example of Prahlad Maharaj and therefore we must also do so. He also emphasized how Prahlad Maharaj perfectly epitomized the mood of a servant of Lord and although this mood is the common underlying foundation of all other rasas, it is most evident in behavior of Sri Prahlad, which is why it is of topmost significance to an aspiring devotee. He then went on to explain some of the teachings of Prahlad Maharaj, especially the fact that one need not work hard for one’s bodily maintenance as with little effort this is easily attained, but people work hard in this world to satisfy their greed.

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One must start devotional service unto Supreme Lord right in the childhood. He also explained based on Sri Prahlad’s instructions who is the person who is considered to be old. He described two categories of disciples- the shoukra (seminal succession) and shroutra (one who comes by hearing submissively from a guru). He ended the feast lecture by a powerful one hour kirtan before the deities. Evening Lord’s Salila Vihar (water sport) pastime was celebrated where Their Lordships were seated on an ornamented throne in a kunj surrounded with water, mild drizzle and waterfall. H.G. Varadraj Prabhu concluded the lecture series on the same day evening in the midst of thousands of devotees who had assembled to take darshan on a Sunday evening, thus inspiring all to take up pure devotion like Sri Prahlad.

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One can pray to Lord Narasimha Dev on this auspicious day to guide all of us just like he guided Sri Prahlad to give us association of His pure devotee in whose shelter we may be masterfully guided to finally attain His Divine Lotus Feet.