Nara-Simha

We had a great time driving to Ahobilam from Hyderabad. We had splendid darshans of all the nine Narasimha temples, the main temple and an exhilarating journey to the top of the Ugrastambha. The Nallamala forests looked absolutely ravishing and had every attribute to lay a trap for the visiting devotees to fall in love and possibly form notions of settling there.

While everything about our trip to Ahobilam was satisfying, one question remained.

Who or what is Narasimha? Why did the God appear in this strange form of half human and half lion? The story goes that the demon king, Hiranya Kashipa, had the boon of immortality unless killed by someone who doesn't fall into any of regular categories of species and at a time that doesn't qualify as day or night etc. That is if we take the story at its face value. But if one strongly believes that Hindu scriptures are loaded with symbolism, then there is always a window of opportunity to deconstruct and understand the symbolism better.

Our simple looking guide did make some statements during our brief conversations that set me thinking. Not statements but references from Puranas really. So, his point was that the security guards of Sri Maha Vishnu are born as demons during different avatars of the Lord and are killed by him. Jaya and Vijaya are the guards who are variously born as Hiranya Kashipa and Hiranyaksha, Ravana and Kumbhakarna etc., only to be killed by the Lord Himself everytime.

So, the clues are - two guards at the door, the Lord behind it - the guards primary job being preventing access to the Lord. That's actually a fascinating analogy if one remembers that in Hindu philosophy God is inside us. The guards at the door are inherently there for a valid reason but can become a nuisance if one wants to really access the God inside. So, what's the symbolism all about?

Couple of Slokas from the Bhagvad Gita, that talk about the architecture of Human construct, could throw light on this.

3.42 

indriyāṇi parāṇyāhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

3.43

evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam ātmanā

jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam

Read together, the above Slokas say this -

"Senses are superior to the Body. Mind is Superior to the Senses. Intellect is Superior to the Mind. Atma (God inside) is superior to the Intellect. So, Arjuna subdue the lower self (body, senses, mind and intellect - Ego) and Lust/desire to eventually reside in the Atma"

Now for the deconstruction if one can see the metaphors here. Lower  Self/Ego and Lust are the two demons preventing access to the Lord inside. We need to defeat those two to permanently reside in the Lord (or live as a Jivanmukta - Moksha while still alive).

The two enemies/demons are useful upto some level (to survive) but obstructions if one wants to go beyond and find the God inside. So, guards (useful) become demons (dangerous) once we retune our purpose in life.

To defeat these demons, the Lord manifests Himself as a Man-Lion symbolising the characteristics one needs to defeat these frenemies. The Lion symbolises tremendous courage and strength, while the Man symbolises the agency that needs to be controlled using this courage and strength. The courage and strength again are not physical but second level metaphors for the ability to give up lust (or desire at a less intense form) for the sense objects. That again means , in a way, to give up the concern for the body because desire is also needed to ensure survival. Hence the courage. Strength is the strength of discipline. To ensure that we stay the course while employing the courage to overcome senses, we need the strength of discipline. And that discipline involves the subjugation of intellect/ego so it doesn't employ minds vagaries to over analyse and self paralyse.

So, the symbolism made sense after all. Narasimha stands for strength and courage to overcome the lower self and lust to eventually be one with the God inside. The Narasimha is really our own Superior Self manifested externally to help guide us to itself. 

Prahlada, often portrayed as the innocent devotee, can be seen as the spark of divine consciousness within us, yearning for liberation. His unwavering faith in the face of adversity is a testament to the power of inner conviction.

Ahobilam was more than just a pilgrimage; it was a catalyst for self-discovery. The experience would leave one with a profound appreciation for the intricate symbolism woven into our religious texts. Narasimha is not merely a mythical figure, but a representation of the divine within us, struggling to emerge from the barricades setup by our Ego and Desires.

PS: I also believe, quite strongly, that it is impossible to create such an elaborate and coherent narrative around the area of Ahobilam if things didn't really happen as told. Another time, plane or dimension but not impossible. So, deconstruction aside, I also am open to believe the original story as being based on facts.