लक्ष्मीकान्त समन्ततो विकलयन् नैवेशितुस्ते समं
पश्यामुत्तमवस्तु दूरतरतोSपास्तं रसो योsष्टमः |
यद्रोषोत्करदक्षनेत्रकुटिलप्रान्थोत्थिताग्निस्फुर
त्खद्योतोपम विश्फुलिङ्गभसिता ब्रह्मेश शक्रोत्कराः ||
In the previous post we had looked at the first shloka of Srimadacharya’s Nakhastuti. Let us look at the second shloka of the stuti in this post.
Sri Madhwacharya, after having described the dexterity with which Narasimha’s nails rip apart enemies and how they grant relief from ignorance, now describes two great attributes of Sriman-Narayana.
Narayana is the Supreme Being in this entire Universe. He is Sarvottama.
Narayana is also the cause of destruction of all that exists in this Universe. Narasimha form of Vishnu is responsible for the ‘laya’ of the world.
He states the supremacy of Narasimha in a very appealing way:
O Lord of Lakshmi! लक्ष्मीकान्त! even if I thoroughly search विकलयन् everywhere समन्ततः I cannot see न एव पश्यामि anyone even equal समं to you ते who is the Lord of all ईशितुः
An entity that is better उत्तम वस्तु (therefore) is refuted अपास्तं from far itself दूरतरतः (i.e. refuted easily) just like the eighth ‘rasa’ रसः यः अष्टमः.
Srimadacharya addresses Narasimha as Lakshmi-kanta here. He subtly establishes the fact that he is the consort or Lord of even Lakshmi. Therefore it goes without saying that even Lakshmi is dependent and thus subservient to him.
He then says that no matter how hard one looks, one cannot find anyone who is even equal to you (Narasimha). Therefore the question of finding someone who is better than Narasimha is like trying to find the eighth rasa.
It is well known that there are shad-rasas or six-rasas viz Madhura, Amla, Lavana, Katu, Tikta, Kashaya. These are the six types of tastes that any food carries in this world. There is not even a seventh rasa. Therefore, it goes without saying that it is impossible to find the eighth rasa. Similarly, it is impossible to find anyone who is greater than Narasimha since no one is even equal to him!
After this wonderful description of the Sarvottamatva of Vishnu, Sri Madhwacharya next describes the fiery ability of Narasimha to destroy one and all.
He says:
Even the groups उत्कराः of Devatas such as Brahma, Isha (Rudra) ब्रह्मेश and Indra शक्र get burnt to ashes भसितः by the fluttering स्फुरत् sparks of fire विश्फुलिङ्ग that are like Surya खद्योत उपम.
These यत् fiery (sparks) अग्नि are emanating उत्थित from the corner कुटिल प्रान्थ of the sharp eyes दक्ष नेत्र due to the surge उत्कर of rage रोष.
The fiery sparks of fire that emanate from the corner of Narasimha’s sharp eyes when his rage surges are each like a flaming Sun and they burn down even the groups of Devatas including Brahma, Rudra, Indra and others.
When even the greatest of the Devatas are no match for the spark emanating from the corner of Narasimha’s eyes, it is easily established that the rest of the Universe is also destroyed by him when ‘laya’ takes place.
Thus Narasimha is the root-cause of the destruction of the Universe as well!
Through these two shlokas of the Nakha Stuti, we learn that:
- Narasimha is the destroyer of evil in this world.
- Narasimha is the remover of ignorance
- Narasimha grants knowledge
- Narasimha is the lord of even Lakshmi
- Narasimha is Sarvottama. There is none better or even equal to him.
- Narasimha is the controller of the destruction of the Universe (and thus creation and sustenance too)
Sri Krishnarpanamastu.
Pranasutra 
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