Śrī Nakha-stuti of Śrī Madhvācārya
Prayer to the nails of Lord Nṛsiṃha
It is a custom in the Vaiṣṇava tradition to worship every aspect of Lord Viṣṇu, as well as each part of His transcendental body, including His ornaments, dress, sandals, etc., for everything utilized by Him is an expansion of His internal energy. There are innumerable poems glorifying the feet or the eyes of the Supreme Lord, while some verses focus on other parts of His body, depending on the incarnation. In the case of Lord Nṛsiṃha, His lotus nails play an important role in His pastime, and therefore they are also glorified by His devotees. Glorifying Lord Viṣṇu’s disc in his “Sudarśana-śatakam”, verse 76, Śrī Kūranārāyaṇa – a direct disciple of Śrī Rāmānujācārya – remarks that the tusks of Lord Varāha, the nails of Lord Nṛsiṃha, the axe of Lord Paraśurāma and other weapons utilized by the divine incarnations are pervaded by the power of the sudarśana-cakra. What follows is a prayer written by Śrī Madhvācārya (1238-1317) to glorify the nails of Lord Nṛsiṃha.
पान्त्वस्मान् पुरुहूतवैरिबलवन्मातङ्गमाद्यद्घटा-
कुम्भोच्चाद्रिविपाटनाधिकपटुप्रत्येकवज्रायिताः ।
श्रीमत्कण्ठीरवास्यप्रततसुनखरा दारितारातिदूर-
प्रध्वस्तध्वान्तशान्तप्रविततमनसा भाविता भूरिभागैः ॥ १ ॥
pāntv asmān puruhūta-vairi-balavan-mātaṅga-mādyad-ghaṭā-
kumbhoccādri-vipāṭanādhika-paṭu-pratyeka-vajrāyitāḥ |
śrīmat-kaṇṭhīravāsya-pratata-sunakharā dāritārāti-dūra-
pradhvasta-dhvānta-śānta-pravitata-manasā bhāvitā bhūri-bhāgaiḥ || 1 ||
“Each of the nails of Lord Nṛsiṃha is like a thunderbolt highly able to destroy the mighty enemies of Indra, who are like huge mountains. His nails tear apart the heads of demons as if they were the heads of herds of powerful elephants in rut. With their minds expanded by the total annihilation of darkness and peaceful due to the destruction of their enemies, the fortunate hosts of demigods meditate on the beautiful and long nails of Lord Nṛsiṃha, Whose face is like that of a lion and Who is always accompanied by the Goddess of Fortune. May His nails protect us.”
लक्ष्मीकान्त समन्ततोऽपिकलयन्नैवेशितुस्ते समं
पश्याम्युत्तमवस्तु दूरतरतोऽपास्तं रसो योऽष्टमः ।
यद्रोषोत्करदक्षनेत्रकुटिलप्रान्तोत्थिताग्निस्फुरत्-
खद्योतोपमविस्फुलिङ्गभसिता ब्रह्मेशशक्रोत्कराः ॥ २ ॥
lakṣmī-kānta samantato’pi kalayan naiveśitus te samaṃ
paśyāmy uttama-vastu dūratarato’pāstaṃ raso yo’ṣṭamaḥ |
yad-roṣotkara-dakṣa-netra-kuṭila-prāntotthitāgni-sphurat-
khadyotopama-visphuliṅga-bhasitā brahmeśa-śakrotkarāḥ || 2 ||
“O beloved of Lakṣmī! Analysing the whole universe, I do not see anything compared to You, let alone something superior, for You are the Supreme Controller, the syllable Om described in the Upaniṣads as the eighth essence. At the time of the universal devastation, innumerable Brahmās, Rudras, Indras and all other demigods are reduced to ashes by sparks blazing like the sun, which emanate from the curved corner of your powerful lotus eyes filled with wrath.”
Translated from the original in Sanskrit by Dr. Baladeva Dasa
