In the Bhagavad Gita (9.31), Lord Krushna instructs Arjuna to declare,
kaunthe:ya! prathija:ni:hi
na me: bhakthah pranasyathi ||
“O Kaunteya, declare that I will always take care of My devotees.”
Although Krushna could have made this declaration Himself, He asked Arjuna to pronounce it. The reason? While the Lord sometimes breaks His word in specific circumstances, He will never allow the words of His devoted followers to go unfulfilled.
The Divine Paradox of the Lord’s Vows
A fascinating example of this principle is seen during the Mahabharata war. Krushna, who had vowed not to raise a weapon in the battle, was compelled to lift a weapon out of intense anger when His beloved Arjuna faced imminent danger. Although this act violated His vow, it was necessary to protect His devotee, showing that Krushna’s promises to His devotees transcend even His own words.
The Narasimha Avatar
A similar instance can be found in the story of the Narasimha avatar, where Prahlada, a devoted follower of Lord Vishnu, faced the wrath of his father, Hiranyakashipu. The demon king arrogantly challenged Prahlada, demanding that he prove the existence of the Lord. When Hiranyakashipu ordered Prahlada to show him the Lord by breaking pillars, the Lord manifested in a form that defied the natural scope of His omnipotent essence.
It is true, as Prahlada proclaimed to Hiranyakashipu, that Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Being, is omnipresent – avyaktha (invisible). However, this omnipresent form is beyond human perception. To fulfill the needs of His devotees, the Lord assumes specific visible forms, known as vibhava. This was clearly evident in His appearance as Narasimha during His encounter with Hiranyakashipu.
Meeting Impossible Conditions: The Unique Form of Narasimha
The demon king had set seemingly impossible conditions for his death: it should not occur during the day or night, not by any human or animal, and not by any divine or demonic being. To meet these conditions, the Lord incarnated in the unique form of Narasimha – half lion, half man – and appeared at twilight, a time neither day nor night, at the entrance of the palace, an unexpected location. This form was a vibhava form, distinct from the invisible avyaktha form.
The Lord’s Miraculous Manifestation: Making a ‘lifeless’ object His ‘mother’
When Hiranyakashipu attempted to ‘see’ the Lord by breaking the pillars, he would not have been able to perceive the avyaktha form, as it is invisible. Thus, the Lord placed His vibhava form of Narasimha precisely where Hiranyakashipu sought to see Him, revealing His divine power to fulfill His devotee’s faith in the most miraculous way, by making a lifeless form, a pillar – His mother
A Timeless Promise
Through these divine avatars and stories, Krushna’s promise remains clear: He will always protect His devotees. Whether through extraordinary acts or unimaginable miraculous ways, the Lord ensures that His followers never face abandonment. The lesson? Stay in the good books of the Lord’s devotees, for His protection transcends all barriers, including His own words.
– From the teachings of HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– 11th Feb 2025, Narasimha Swami Puja
– Day 3 – Samatha Kumbh 2025
