Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha karuna-rasa-stotra

Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha karuna-rasa-stotra

This was written by Adi Shankaracharya for the mercy of Sri Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha. 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 Cupid’s 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 Lakshmi-Nrisimha. Those who read this prayer with devotion to Lord Krishna attain the shelter of Sri Sri Lakshmi-Nrisimha’s lotus feet and also attain their eternal spiritual form, which is never annihilated.