बीज मन्त्र
ॐ क्ष्रौं नरसिंहाय नमः ॥
उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं
उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखम् ।
नृसिंहं भीषणं भद्रं मृत्युमृत्युं नमाम्यहम् ॥
Narasimha Maha Mantra
The Narasimha Maha Mantra - "Ugram Viram Maha Vishnum", the powerful protective mantra of Lord Narasimha, the man-lion avatar.
bija mantra
om kshraum narasimhaya namah ॥
ugram viram mahavishnum
ugram viram mahavishnum jvalantam sarvatomukham ।
nrisimham bhishanam bhadram mrityumrityum namamyaham ॥
Frequently asked questions about Narasimha Maha Mantra
Who is Narasimha?
The man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who appeared at twilight in a doorway to end Hiranyakashipu and protect the child Prahlada. Every detail of that account is about a protection that gets through where nothing else can, which is why his mantra is the classic prayer for shelter.
What is the mantra for?
Protection - from fear, hostility, obstruction and harm. Devotees chant it before a difficult confrontation, on a journey, in litigation or illness, and for the safety of children, following Prahlada's example.
When is it chanted?
At Narasimha Jayanti on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi, at twilight, which is his hour; on Saturdays in some traditions; and daily by those keeping a protective japa. A mala of a hundred and eight is the usual count.
Is the fierce form dangerous to worship?
No. The tradition is emphatic that his ferocity is directed outward, at what threatens the devotee - he is called the most affectionate of the avatars precisely because of it. Elaborate tantric forms of his upasana have their own rules; the mantra itself is household devotion.
What is offered with it?
Panchamrit, tulsi, yellow flowers and a ghee lamp, as for any Vishnu worship. Many keep the Narasimha kavacham or a picture at the doorway, following the account of his appearing in one. This page is the japa formula; forty-verse hymns are on the Chalisa index, and you can count repetitions with the japa mala counter.
About the Narasimha Maha Mantra
The Narasimha Maha Mantra - "Ugram Viram Maha Vishnum", the powerful protective mantra of Lord Narasimha, the man-lion avatar.
Meaning
The mantra meditates on Narasimha as the fierce, valorous, blazing Great Vishnu, facing in all directions, terrible yet auspicious - the death of death and protector of devotees.
Benefits
Chanted for powerful protection from enemies, fear, black magic, accidents and negativity; invoked as a shield for the home, body and mind through Narasimha's ferocious grace.
Word by Word Meaning
The seed salutation Om Kshraum Narasimhaya Namah bows to Narasimha through his beej Kshraum - a single compacted syllable containing ksha (the man-lion's roar and the cutting away of evil), ra (fire) and the closing nasal that seals the seed. The dhyana verse then meditates on him: Ugram - fierce; viram - heroic; maha-vishnum - the great Vishnu; jvalantam - blazing; sarvato-mukham - facing all directions at once, so no danger approaches unseen; nrisimham - the man-lion; bhishanam - terrifying; bhadram - yet auspicious and kind; mrityu-mrityum - the death of death itself; namamy aham - I bow to him.
The paradox is the point: to his devotee (as to the child Prahlada) Narasimha is bhadra, gentle protection; to what threatens the devotee he is bhishana, terror.
How to Chant
Chant 108 repetitions at dusk - the Lord appeared at twilight, neither day nor night - or in the early morning. Saturdays, and above all Narasimha Jayanti (Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi), are the high days. Face east, light a lamp, and keep the recitation firm and unhurried. Because the mantra is fierce, tradition advises chanting it for protection and the removal of real fear, not casually; the dhyana verse alone is fully open to all, while intensive practice of the Kshraum beej is best taken from a guru.
Who Chants It, and When
Families chant it when the home feels afflicted - prolonged fear, hostility, black-magic anxieties, danger to children - and travellers and soldiers have long kept it as a shield. It is also chanted over children at night, as Prahlada's Lord is held especially near to the young. For persistent fear patterns shown in the birth chart, many pair the practice with a look at the chart itself - the Kaal Sarp Dosha checker covers the classical affliction most associated with chronic anxiety.
The Narasimha Maha Mantra above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.
A mantra is a compact formula for japa, not a long hymn. Forty-verse hymns live under Chalisa; lamp-songs under Aarti; longer stotras under Stotram. Browse every formula on the Mantra index. Count repetitions with the online japa mala counter.
