Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha karuna-rasa-stotra

This was written by Adi Shankaracharya for the mercy of Sri Sri LakshmiNarasimha. It reflects the same devotional mood as his Govindashtakam and
Prabhodashudhakara, and does not hold any of his impersonalistic teachings.

1. Shrimat-pavo-nidhi-niketana chakra-pane
bhogindra-bhoga-mani-rajita punya-murte
yogisha shashvata sharanya bhavabdhi-pota
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

Lord, Your form is all beautiful because you are the master of the goddess of fortune.
You reside in the ocean of milk, and You carry the Sudarshana disc in Your hand. Your
all-auspicious form is made even more resplendent by the jewel-like body of
Anantadeva, the king of serpents upon whom You rest. You are the eternal deliverer
from the ocean of birth and death for all those who seek Your shelter and You are the
master of all mystics. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the touch of Your lotus
hands.

2. Brahmendra rudra-marud arka-kirita-koti

sanghattitangri-kamalamala-kanti-kanta
lakshmi lasat-kucha saroruha-raja-hamsa
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

Lord Brahma, Lord Indra, Lord Shiva, the Maruts and the sun-god all fall down with their
tens and millions of helmets at Your lotus feet, which are most dear to the goddess of
fortune, Lakshmi, who appears as beautiful as a royal swan enjoying the lotus flower of
Your chest. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the touch of Your lotus hands.

3. Samsara-dava dahanakula bhishanoru

jvalavalibhih ati-daghda tanuru-hasya
tvat pada-padmasarasim sharanagatasya
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

The conditioned soul suffers on the path of repeated birth and death exactly like one
caught in a forest fire. Being fearful, his body burnt by the licking flames, he cries most
pitiably. Just as one tormented by a forest fire may take shelter in a pond. Your lotus
feet are just like a pond giving refuge to the surrendered soul from the forest fire of
samsara. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the touch of Your lotus hands.

4. Samsara-jala-patitasya jagan-nivasa
sarvendriyarta-badishagra-jhashopamasya
protkampita-prachurataluka-mastakasya
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

O abode of the universe, I have fallen into the net of repeated birth and death. Just like
an aquatic animal, I eagerly accept the hook baited with the sense objects. And just as
the fish is caught trembling, and his head is cut off, so my real consciousness is lost as I
am punished by the material nature. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the
touch of Your lotus hands.

5. Samsara-kupam ati-ghoram agadha-mulam

samprapya dukha-shata-sarpa-samakulasya
dinasya deva kripaya padam agatasya
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

Having fallen into the horrible and bottomless well of repeated birth and death, I am
tormented by the serpent of hundred fold miseries. In this fallen condition, O Lord, by
Your mercy I am surrendered to Your lotus feet. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me
with the touch of Your lotus hands.

6. Samsara-bhikara-karindra-karabhighata
nishpidyamana-vapushah sakalarti-nasa
prana-prayana bhava-bhiti-samakulasya
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

You slay the king of the demons, Hiranyakashipu, whose body is as strong as an
elephant by squeezing him with your hands. In this way You destroy all miseries by
breaking the fearful cycle of birth and death. You are the ultimate goal of life for those
who are disturbed by fear of material existence. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me
with the touch of Your lotus hands.

7. Samsara-sarpa-visha-digdha mahogra-tivra
damstragra-koti-paridashta vinashta-murte
nagari-vahana sudhabdhi-nivasa shaure
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

I have been bitten by the tens of millions of terrible sharp fangs of the snake of material
existence. Having been injected with its powerful poison, I have lost my consciousness
as the eternal servant of Krishna. The best remedy for snakebite is nectar, therefore O
Lord Shauri, You reside in the ocean of nectar and Your carrier is Garuda the great
enemy of snakes. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the touch of Your lotus
hands.

8. Samsara-vriksha agha-bijam ananta-karma

shakha-yutam karana-patram ananga-pushpam
aruhya dukha-phalinam patitam dayalo
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

The tree of samsara, or material existence, is sprouted from the seed of sinful desire.
The unlimited reactions to fruitive activities are its branches, the senses are its leaves
and its flowers is Cupids attraction of sex desire. O merciful one, I climbed up this tree
but I have only obtained the fruit of misery and am now fallen. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha,
please bless me with the touch of Your lotus hands.

9. Samsara-sagara-vishala-karala-kala
nakra-graha-grasita-nigraha-vigrahasya
vyadhasya raga-nichayormini piditasya
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

In the broad ocean of material existence I am broken and smashed again and again by
the powerful waves of my accumulated attachments. Grasped in the jaws of the fearful
crocodile of the external time factor, I am pierced, ripped apart, and swallowed. O
Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the touch of Your lotus hands.

10. Samsara-sagara-nimajjana-muhyamanam
dinam vilokaya vibho karuna-nidhe mam
prahlada-kheda-parihara-kritavatara
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

O all-powerful, ocean of mercy, cast Your glance upon me. I am bewildered, helplessly
sinking in the sea of samsara. You descended to remove the distress of your devotee
Prahlada Maharaja. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the touch of Your lotus
hands.

11. Samsara-ghora-gahane charato murare

marogra vbhikara mriga prachurarditasya
artasya matsara-nidagdha-suduhkhitasya
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

O Murari, I have fallen into the pit of material existence and I am wandering just like an
animal greatly tormented by fear of horrible death that awaits him. Distressed and
miserable, I am burnt by envy. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the touch of
Your lotus hands.

12. Baddhva gale yama-bhata bahu taryajantaha

karshanti yatra bhava-pasha-shatair yutam mam
ekakinam para-vasha chakitam dayalo
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

Binding me with ropes, the servants of Yamaraja drag me to his abode, beating me
severely along the path. Bound by material existence in hundreds of ways, I stand alone,

helpless and trembling, under the influence of the superior force of daiva maya. O
Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with the touch of Your lotus hands.

13. Lakshmi-pate kamala-nabha suresha vishno

yajnesha yajna madhusudana vishvarupa
brahmanya keshava janardana vasudeva
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

You are the Lord of Lakshmi and the master of the demigods. O Vishnu, Your navel is
just like a lotus. You are the Lord of sacrifice and the embodiment of sacrificial
performance. O Madhusudana, Vishvarupa, You are always favorably disposed to the
brahmanas. O Keshava, Janardana, Vasudeva, O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me
with the touch of Your lotus hands.

14. Ekena chakram aparena karena shankham

anyena sindhu-tanayam avalambya tishthan
vametarena varadabhaya-padma-chihnam
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

In one of Your four hands You hold the Sudarshana disc and in another a conch. With
another You embrace Lakshmi, who was born from the milk ocean, and with another on
the left You bestow fearlessness. The palm of that hand which is raised to give the
benediction is marked with the lotus symbol. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with
the touch of Your lotus hands.

15. Andhasya me hrita-viveka-maha-dhanasya

corair mahabalibhir indriya-namadheyaiha
mohandhakara-kuhare vinipatitasya
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

Although I was very wealthy, I am blind and without discrimination. I have been robbed
of my great treasure (Krishna consciousness) by the thieves known as the senses.
Despite all my attempts to appease them with different types of offerings, they have

thrown me into the pit of illusion and darkness. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me
with the touch of Your lotus hands.

16. Prahlada-narada-parasara-pundarika
vyasadi-bhagavata-pungava-hrin-nivasa
bhaktanurakta-paripalana-parijata
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

You reside in the hearts of the best devotees such as Prahlada Maharaja, Narada Muni,
Parashara Muni, Pundarika, Vyasadeva and others. You are very fond of Your devotees
and You are their parijata tree of protection. O Lakshmi-Nrisimha, please bless me with
the touch of Your lotus hands.

17. Lakshmi-nrisimha-charanabja-madhu-vratena
stotram kritam shubha-karam bhuvi shankarena
ye tatpathanti manuja hari-bhakti-yuktaha
lakshmi-nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam

This prayer, bestowing auspiciousness in this world, has been composed by

Shankaracharya, who is a honeybee in the lotus flower of the feet of Sri-Sri LakshmiNrisimha. Those who read this prayer with devotion to Lord Krishna attain the shelter of
Sri Sri Lakshmi-Nrisimhas lotus feet and also attain their eternal spiritual form, which is
never annihilated.

Yours Servant

Sri Krishna Hari Das

Dr. Satish Chander Gosain
M.B., B. S., D.N.B.(i) Med
Congregational Preacher, ISKCON Delhi, NCR, Meerut & Panchkula.