Overview
Narasimha (Sanskrit: नरसिंह, "man-lion"; also Nṛsiṃha) is a deity in Hinduism, revered as the fourth of the ten principal avatars (Dashavatara) of the god Vishnu. He is depicted with a human torso and the head and claws of a lion, and is venerated as a fierce protector who destroys evil and safeguards his devotees.
According to Hindu texts, Narasimha appeared to slay the demon king Hiranyakashipu, the elder brother of Hiranyaksha, who had earlier been killed by Vishnu's Varaha avatar. Hiranyakashipu had received a boon from Brahma that made him nearly invulnerable: he could not be killed by man or beast, indoors or outdoors, during day or night, on the earth or in the sky, or by any weapon. Empowered by this boon, he persecuted devotees of Vishnu, including his own son Prahlada. To circumvent the boon's conditions, Vishnu incarnated as Narasimha—neither fully man nor fully animal—and slew Hiranyakashipu at twilight on a palace threshold, placing the demon on his lap and tearing him apart with his claws.
Narasimha holds a central place in Vaishnava theology, iconography, and devotional traditions, particularly within the Vaikhanasa, Sri Vaishnava and Sadha sects. He is represented in a range of forms, from the fierce (ugra) to the serene (saumya). In certain Vaishnava interpretations, he is also worshipped as Yoga-Narasimha, associated with yoga, and as a god of cosmic dissolution who destroys the universe at the time of Pralaya. Early representations of Narasimha have been identified at archaeological sites in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, including Mathura, dated between the 2nd and 4th centuries CE.
Important pilgrimage centres dedicated to Narasimha include Ahobilam in Andhra Pradesh, where the Nava Narasimha—nine forms of the deity—are venerated. He is honoured in numerous temples, scriptures, performance traditions, and fest