Narasimha Jayanti (May 16th): Jai Narsingh Narayan

During the  Gaura Purnima festival in Mayapur, I called over a devotee in the crowd and asked her to distribute the Lord's charanamrta to the ladies, which she did. Later, when she brought the charanamrta pot back, she remarked that Lord Nrsimhadeva was very merciful to reciprocate so quickly.

"I was praying this morning that I might be able to offer some direct service to Him, and now you have given me this service."

"Yes," I said, "desires are quickly fulfilled in the dham. Just see, the same day you desire, it happened."

"No, not the same day--the same moment," she replied. "The very instant I expressed that desire to serve Him, you called me over."

"Wow! that is amazing," I acknowledged. "Did you hear about how one devotee's eye problem was cured at the same time that Lord Nrsimhadeva's original eyes were placed back, after one donor had bought Him new eyes?"

"Oh, yes," she told me. "As a matter of fact, I was staying in the same building when Lord Nrsimhadeva spoke to her." She added, "You know, there was so much energy around that night that nobody could get any sleep."

Pankajanghri das

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When Lord Nrsimhadeva first came to Mayapur, all the pujaris were reluctant to worship His awesome form. Bhava Siddhi das was particularly frightened and always very nervous worshiping Him. One night, after putting the Lord to rest, he was leaving the altar, when he heard such a tremendous sound that it made his hairs stand on end. Looking back fearfully, he saw that everything was in place. So he quickly left, locked the door and paid his obeisances, praying for forgiveness for any offense he might inadvertently have committed. At the end of that night he was awakened by the shaking of his bed. Bhava Siddhi was sleeping on the top of a bunk bed. So he thought it must be the pujari below him getting up for mangala-arati (morning worship).

However, when he opened his eyes, he saw Lord Nrsimhadeva sitting on his bed. That fortunate pujari became very fearful, practically to the point of panic. As he tried to get up, Lord Nrsimhadeva place His two hands, which felt like the weight of the universe, on his shoulders. "Be peaceful, be calm," the Lord consoled him. "I have just come to tell you that when you worship Me in the temple, there is no need to fear Me. Please, give up this fear."

The Lord then disappeared, but Bhava Siddhi began to run up and down the veranda of the Long Building, where he slept.

"What happened?" asked some concerned devotees. But they received only incoherent replies. They started to think maybe he had gone mad or become haunted by a ghost. Finally Bhava Siddhi ran over the the temple and prostrated himself before the door where Lord Nrsimhadeva is worshiped and offered heartfelt prayers. After some time he became a little pacified, and began walking back to his room. "I wonder why everyone is staring at me," he thought. When he looked down, the answer was obvious: He had gone to the temple in his night dress.

I saw Bhava Siddhi at last year's Gaura Purnima festival--he is living in America now--and asked him about that incident. "Yes," he said. "I still have those two marks from Lord Nrsimhadeva on my shoulders. They are almost gone now, but they are still visible."

Pankajanghri das

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The frantic parents of a runaway boy, after searching all over the country, finally heard that their son was at our Mayapur center. They immediately came and spent the whole day looking for him, inquiring at the reception desk and from individual devotees, but they were not at all lucky in tracing him.

At the end of the day, during the sandhya arati (evening worship) of Lord Nrsimhadeva, his mother was praying with folded hands,"My dear Lord, the last time I came here, I happily participated in the chanting and dancing, but now my heart is broken because of my lost son, and I find no pleasure in life anymore. My Lord, if only my son could be returned to me, then I would also raise my hands and chant 'Haribol, Hare Krishna.'"

As these words left her mouth, a figure passed and stepped before her and Lord Nrsimhadeva: it was her lost son

Pankajanghri das