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Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram

The Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram - Adi Shankaracharya's hymn imploring Lord Narasimha to extend his supporting hand (karavalamba).

श्रीमत्पयोनिधिनिकेतन चक्रपाणे
भोगीन्द्रभोगमणिराजितपुण्यमूर्ते।
योगीश शाश्वत शरण्य भवाब्धिपोत
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥१॥

ब्रह्मेन्द्ररुद्रमरुदर्ककिरीटकोटि
सङ्घट्टिताङ्घ्रिकमलामलकान्तिकान्त।
लक्ष्मीलसत्कुचसरोरुहराजहंस
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥२॥

संसारदावदहनाकरभीकरोरु
ज्वालावलीभिरतिदग्धतनूरुहस्य।
त्वत्पादपद्मसरसीरुहमागतस्य
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥३॥

संसारजालपतितस्य जगन्निवास
सर्वेन्द्रियार्थबडिशाग्रझषोपमस्य।
प्रोत्कम्पितप्रचुरतालुकमस्तकस्य
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥४॥

संसारकूपमतिघोरमगाधमूलं
सम्प्राप्य दुःखशतसर्पसमाकुलस्य।
दीनस्य देव कृपया पदमागतस्य
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥५॥

संसारभीकरकरीन्द्रकराभिघात
निष्पीड्यमानवपुषः सकलार्तिनाश।
प्राणप्रयाणभवभीतिसमाकुलस्य
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥६॥

संसारसर्पविषदिग्धमहोग्रतीव्र
दंष्ट्राग्रकोटिपरिदष्टविनष्टमूर्तेः।
नागारिवाहन सुधाब्धिनिवास शौरे
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥७॥

संसारवृक्षबीजमनन्तकर्म
शाखायुतं करणपत्रमनङ्गपुष्पम्।
आरुह्य दुःखफलितं चकितं दयालो
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥८॥

संसारसागरविशालकरालकाल
नक्रग्रहग्रसितनिग्रहविग्रहस्य।
व्यग्रस्य रागनिचयोर्मिनिपीडितस्य
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥९॥

संसारसागरनिमज्जनमुह्यमानं
दीनं विलोकय विभो करुणानिधे माम्।
प्रह्लादखेदपरिहारपरावतार
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥१०॥

संसारघोरगहने चरतो मुरारे
मारोग्रभीकरमृगप्रचुरार्दितस्य।
आर्तस्य मत्सरनिदाघसुदुःखितस्य
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥११॥

बद्ध्वा गले यमभटा बहु तर्जयन्तः
कर्षन्ति यत्र भवपाशशतैर्युतं माम्।
एकाकिनं परवशं चकितं दयालो
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥१२॥

लक्ष्मीपते कमलनाभ सुरेश विष्णो
यज्ञेश यज्ञ मधुसूदन विश्वरूप।
ब्रह्मण्य केशव जनार्दन वासुदेव
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥१३॥

एकेन चक्रमपरेण करेण शङ्खम्
अन्येन सिन्धुतनयामवलम्ब्य तिष्ठन्।
वामेतरेण वरदाभयपद्मचिह्नं
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥१४॥

अन्धस्य मे हृतविवेकमहाधनस्य
चोरैर्महाबलिभिरिन्द्रियनामधेयैः।
मोहान्धकारकुहरे विनिपातितस्य
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥१५॥

प्रह्लादनारदपराशरपुण्डरीक
व्यासादिभागवतपुङ्गवहृन्निवास।
भक्तानुरक्तपरिपालनपारिजात
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम्॥१६॥

लक्ष्मीनृसिंहचरणाब्जमधुव्रतेन
स्तोत्रं कृतं शुभकरं भुवि शङ्करेण।
ये तत्पठन्ति मनुजा हरिभक्तियुक्ता
स्ते यान्ति तत्पदसरोजमखण्डरूपम्॥१७॥

shrimatpayonidhiniketana chakrapane
bhogindrabhogamanirajitapunyamurte।
yogisha shashvata sharanya bhavabdhipota
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥1॥

brahmendrarudramarudarkakiritakoti
sanghattitanghrikamalamalakantikanta।
lakshmilasatkuchasaroruharajahamsa
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥2॥

samsaradavadahanakarabhikaroru
jvalavalibhiratidagdhatanuruhasya।
tvatpadapadmasarasiruhamagatasya
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥3॥

samsarajalapatitasya jagannivasa
sarvendriyarthabadishagrajhashopamasya।
protkampitaprachuratalukamastakasya
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥4॥

samsarakupamatighoramagadhamulam
samprapya duhkhashatasarpasamakulasya।
dinasya deva kripaya padamagatasya
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥5॥

samsarabhikarakarindrakarabhighata
nishpidyamanavapushah sakalartinasha।
pranaprayanabhavabhitisamakulasya
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥6॥

samsarasarpavishadigdhamahogrativra
damshtragrakotiparidashtavinashtamurteh।
nagarivahana sudhabdhinivasa shaure
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥7॥

samsaravrikshabijamanantakarma
shakhayutam karanapatramanangapushpam।
aruhya duhkhaphalitam chakitam dayalo
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥8॥

samsarasagaravishalakaralakala
nakragrahagrasitanigrahavigrahasya।
vyagrasya raganichayorminipiditasya
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥9॥

samsarasagaranimajjanamuhyamanam
dinam vilokaya vibho karunanidhe mam।
prahladakhedapariharaparavatara
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥10॥

samsaraghoragahane charato murare
marograbhikaramrigaprachurarditasya।
artasya matsaranidaghasuduhkhitasya
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥11॥

baddhva gale yamabhata bahu tarjayantah
karshanti yatra bhavapashashatairyutam mam।
ekakinam paravasham chakitam dayalo
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥12॥

lakshmipate kamalanabha suresha vishno
yajnesha yajna madhusudana vishvarupa।
brahmanya keshava janardana vasudeva
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥13॥

ekena chakramaparena karena shankham
anyena sindhutanayamavalambya tishthan।
vametarena varadabhayapadmachihnam
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥14॥

andhasya me hritavivekamahadhanasya
chorairmahabalibhirindriyanamadheyaih।
mohandhakarakuhare vinipatitasya
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥15॥

prahladanaradaparasharapundarika
vyasadibhagavatapungavahrinnivasa।
bhaktanuraktaparipalanaparijata
lakshminrisimha mama dehi karavalambam॥16॥

lakshminrisimhacharanabjamadhuvratena
stotram kritam shubhakaram bhuvi shankarena।
ye tatpathanti manuja haribhaktiyukta
ste yanti tatpadasarojamakhandarupam॥17॥

Frequently asked questions about Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram

What does karavalamba mean?

The support of a hand. Every verse of Adi Shankaracharya's hymn ends Lakshmi nrisimha mama dehi karavalambam - Lakshmi Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. It is a hymn of someone asking to be pulled out.

What is it recited for?

Rescue from crisis - fear, hostility, illness, entanglement. The verses describe the world as an ocean of samsara in which the reciter is drowning, so it is the hymn devotees turn to when things have gone badly wrong.

When is it recited?

At Narasimha Jayanti on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi, at twilight, which is his hour; and daily during a difficult period as a sankalpa. Seventeen verses take a few minutes.

Is the fierce form dangerous to worship?

No. The tradition holds that his ferocity is directed at what threatens the devotee, and calls him the most affectionate of the avatars for exactly that reason. The Narasimha mantra is the japa form.

Why Lakshmi Narasimha rather than Narasimha alone?

Because the ferocity is addressed together with Lakshmi's grace - the hymn appeals to the pair, which is how the tradition tempers the terrible form and why the shrines are of Lakshmi Narasimha.

About the Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram

The Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram - Adi Shankaracharya's hymn imploring Lord Narasimha to extend his supporting hand (karavalamba).

Meaning

Each verse describes the trials of worldly existence and ends with the refrain "Lakshmi-Nrisimha, give me the support of your hand", seeking rescue from the ocean of samsara.

Benefits

Recited in distress for rescue and protection; believed to remove fear, suffering and obstacles and to grant Narasimha's saving grace.

The Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram 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 stotram is a longer Sanskrit hymn of praise, not a forty-verse chalisa and not the lamp-song of an aarti. Browse every stotra on the Stotram index. For japa of a short formula use a mantra. The steps of worship around the recitation are in Puja Vidhi.