Every morning is most Hare Krishna temples, we sing the Nrsmha Prayers (Nri-sim-ha). The bhajan is pretty mellow usually, but I came across a wonderful version of it awhile back. It’s done by Visnujana Swami and was recorded in the mid 70′s.
Here are the lyrics and the translation:
namas te narasimhaya
prahladahlada-dayine
hiranyakasipor vaksah-
sila-tanka-nakhalaye
I offer my obeisances to Lord Narasimha who gives joy to Prahlada Maharaja
and whose nails are like chisels on the stonelike chest of the demon Hiranyakasipu.
ito nrsimhah parato nrsimho
yato yato yami tato nrsimhah
bahir nrsimho hrdaye nrsimho
nrsimham adim saranam prapadye
Lord Nrsimha is here and also there. Wherever I go Lord Nrsimha is there.
He is in the heart and is outside as well. I surrender to Lord Nrsimha,
the origin of all things and the supreme refuge.
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-srngam
dalita-hiranyakasipu-tanu-bhrngam
kesava dhrta-narahari-rupa jaya jagadisa hare
O Kesava! O Lord of the universe!
O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion!
All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one’s fingernails,
so in the same way the body of the wasplike demon Hiranyakasipu has been ripped apart
by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands.
And here is the song:
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thank you! thank you! thank you!
yay! welcome!
Dear Bhakta Eric,
Do You know if there is a word for word available for this daily song?
Vamsi
As far as I know, nope. But I’ve not really looked around for one.
I love the harmony. I’m cuckoo for African-American mass gospel choir, a la Hezekiah Walker and The Love Fellowship Crusade. I’d love to hear some bhajans done in that style.
Wow. That’s powerful stuff. Very fun!
I’m sure you are aware that the singer is Bhavananda Dasa and I think it was in New York.
It aint Visnujana – it’s Bhavananda!
Bhavananda would have gone down in history as a great Prabhupada man (appointed, of course, by Prabhupada himself to be a ritvik acarya) had he not sat on Prabhupada’s Vyasasana. A Vyasasana in an ISKCON temple can only be Prabhupada’s Vyasasana, and if anyone else DARES to sit on it (and many have) they commit the topmost trvesty.
New York 1971 when he was TP there. At the beginning of an istagosthi.