ॐ Hindu Of Universe ॐ
“God’s light is within you, It never leaves you.”
Lord Sharabha
Sharabha Avatar of Lord Shiva
Lord Shiva took Sharabha Avatar in the form of part lion and part bird. In fact, Sharabha is an eight-legged beast that is mightier than a lion and elephant. It can kill the lion.
According to Shiva Purana, Lord Shiva assumed Sharabha Avatar to tame Narasimha – the fierce man-lion avatar of Lord Vishnu. The Sharabha Avatar is popularly known as Sarabeshwara or Sharabeshwaramurti.
The Sharabha Avatar has been described in the form of a bird with the golden color that has two uplifted wings. Two red eyes, and four legs in the form of a lion that touches the ground, claws upwards, with an animal tail. Its two-part body is shown as a human with the face of a lion and an ornamented crown. It also has side tusks that give an overall frightening sight.
The Sharabha Avatar is depicted as having thirty arms. Each arm holding thunderbolt, chakra, mushti, Sakti, sword, musala, fire, mace, Varada, arrow, flag, a skull cup, plough, a lotus flower, a snake and with one hand that encircles Durga in a hug.
This form of Lord Shiva ushers good luck, cure all diseases and destroys all enemies.
Sharabha Avatar
According to the Shiva Purana, this Lord Shiva Avatar in the form of part bird part lion was born to subdue Narasimha- the dangerous man-lion avatar of Lord Vishnu after it slew the demon Hiranyakashipu. This among all the avatars of Lord Shiva is revered as Sarabeshwara (Lord Sarabha) or Sharabeshwaramurti.Sharabha Avatar of Shiva
Shiva Purana narrates that god Shiva assumed the Avatar of Sharabha (part bird part lion) to tame Narasimha – the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu. This form is popularly known as Sarabeshwara (Lord Sarabha) or Sharabeshwaramurti.
First, Vishnu assumed the form of Narasimha to slay Hiranyakashipu, an asura king, who was terrorizing the universe and devotee of Shiva. The Shiva Purana mentions: After slaying Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha’s wrath was not appeased. The Devas (the gods) requested Shiva to tackle Narasimha. Initially, Shiva brings forth Virabhadra, one of his terrifying forms, in order to calm Narasimha.
Lord Sarabha
Shiva took this avatar in form of a strange creature (half-bird & half-animal) to calm down Lord Nrusingha. (Somewhere it is mentioned that Sharabha defeated Nrusingha in a duel. Veerbhadra was sent by Shiva to calm down Lord Nrusingha. When Veerbhadra politely requested him to calm down, Nrusingha became even more furious. So to teach him a lesson, Veerbhadra took Sharabha avatar as per instructions of Shiva and tamed him.)
Introduction to Lord Sarabeshwara
Lord Sarabeshwara
Lord Sarabeshwara is a significant incarnation of Lord Shiva, who incarnated to calm down the wrath of the ferocious Lord Narasimha after slaying down the demon Hiranyakashipu.
Significance of Lord Sarabeshwara
Sarabha is a mythological animal, or a beast or simply, a mythical being, which is considered to be a combination of a lion and a bird, in appearance. Sarabeshwara is Sarabha-Eshwara and denotes Lord Shiva, who took the form of this peculiar being, Sarabha. It is generally believed that he took this ferocious form to pacify the Narasimha Avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Depiction of Lord Sarabeshwara
Various mythological accounts present different pictures of Sarabha, but all seem to be unanimous about him being unique in form and features. Shiva Purana describes him as having a thousand arms, lion-headed with matted hair, and having wings like a bird and eight feet. Other Puranas portray the being variously, as dark in complexion, having a huge body, two heads, long faces, two wings, eight legs with sharp claws, and a loud, shrill voice. He is said to be mightier than an elephant and a lion and is capable of jumping so far that he can even clear a wide valley in a single leap. Subsequent texts too have continued their portrayal of Sarabha, some terming him as an eight-legged deer. Whatever be the appearance, Sarabha is regarded very mighty and extremely ferocious.
Mythology behind Lord Sarabeshwara
There are plenty of legends associated with Sarabeshwara. While there is an agreement among many of these that it is Lord Shiva who incarnated as Sarabeshwara, many give differing versions about the exploits of Sarabha. As per a popular legend, Lord Shiva’s incarnation as Sarabeshwara is linked to Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as Narasimha. According to this version, Narasimha, the man-lion killed the demon Hiranyakashipu and ended his atrocities; but even after the completion of his mission, his anger did not subside. Narasimha’s ferocity continued unabated, and even the Gods began fearing his fury. Ultimately, they pleaded with Shiva to handle the difficult situation. Shiva first tried to calm the Vishnu Avatar through his own terrifying form Veerabhadra, but it was of no avail. Then Shiva himself took the aggressive form of Sarabha, the beast, which appeared to be a deadly mix of a lion, a bird, and a human, attacked Narasimha with all his might, bound him ultimately and thus quelled his rage. Continuing with his assault, Shiva also dismembered the various limbs of Narasimha and distributed many of them. While the torso became the Kapalika form, Shiva adorned himself with the lion head and the skin. With his Avatar thus brought to an end, Lord Vishnu prayed and thanked Lord Shiva, assumed his original form and returned to his heavenly abode.
However, the portrayal of Sarabeshwara as above is essentially Shaivite in nature. However, Sarabha saga seems to go much wider.
Sarabha also finds mention in Buddhist texts, as he appears in the Jataka Tales, the Buddhist mythological stories, where he is portrayed as an earlier incarnation of Lord Buddha.
However, in Hinduism itself, the Vaishnava sect views Sarabha in a very different light. Here the term Sarabha is said to mean ‘the lion-killing animal’ and is referred to in the famous Vishnu Sahasranama, which sings the praise of the thousand names of Lord Vishnu. Hence, Sarabha is taken to be a term in praise of Lord Vishnu. The Vaishnava version also disputes the claim of Sarabeshwara getting the better of Narasimha. There is also another story of Vishnu assuming the massive form of Gandaberunda, the bird-animal and subduing Sarabeshwara Shiva.
Blessings of Worshipping Lord Sarabeshwara
Sarabeshwara is a ruthless vanquisher of evil, and a great protector and motivator. He would bestow the devotees with fearlessness and strength to face the battles of life. His worship can remove all the negative forces and ensure success for the deserving. The Lord has control over nature too and can protect the land and its people from natural calamities. Praying to him can also eliminate obstacles in marriage, bestow progeny, clear debts and neutralize the evil effects of black magic. Sarabeshwara can be worshipped in many temples, the Kampaheswarar temple at Thirubhuvanam, near Kumbakonam being the most famous of them.
Events Related to Lord Sarabeshwara
It is believed that Sarabeshwara Avatar was taken on Vaishaka Purnima, the Full Moon day in the month of Vaishak (April-May), which is observed as Sarabha Jayanthi, the birth anniversary of the Lord. This day is dedicated to the worship of Sarabeshwara when special Poojas are conducted for the Lord in the temples.
Connect With The Divine
The sacred scriptures prescribe fire ceremony, Abishekam (hydration ceremony), Pooja/Archana (Light and Sound ceremony), Yantra and Mantra (special sounds) as the ways to offer your prayer to the divine. Out of these, fire ceremony is the most evolved spiritual technology on earth to connect with the divine beings. Participate in the remedial services to clear your karma and receive the blessings.
Sharaba Homa
Sharaba Fire Lab- This Fire Lab is very powerful to destroy negativity of all forms- whether negative energies, health problems, people or situations impacting your life. Sharaba is the most ferocious Archetype who can guard you as your protector.Sharaba Homa
Sharaba Fire Lab- This Fire Lab is very powerful to destroy negativity of all forms- whether negative energies, health problems, people or situations impacting your life. Sharaba is the most ferocious Archetype who can guard you as your protector.Sharaba Homa (Fire Lab)
(Fire Lab to Destroy Negative Forces and End Misfortune)
Introduction to the Sharaba Fire Lab
Sharaba Homa
The Sharaba Homa (Fire Lab) invokes Sharaba as the chief archetype. He is a fierce incarnation of Shiva and is invested with immense powers to protect all those who seek succor from worldly problems. The powerful spiritual energy generated from this Fire Lab envelops our surroundings and cleanses our auras of the negative energies bogging us down. Seek the blessings of this powerful deity and enjoy good health, get rid of misfortunes and neutralize curses that haunt your day-to-day life.
Reap the benefits of this Fire Lab and inculcate in yourself a sense of wellbeing for a more meaningful existence.
Unique Traits of the Sharaba Fire Lab
Specialty of the Sharaba Homa
The Fire Lab dedicated to Sharaba is unique and establishes an oneness with the deity, infusing you with the courage to combat negativity and revel in good fortune and success. Make the best use of this opportunity to attain the Lord’s grace and witness remarkable changes in your psyche
Description of the Sharaba Fire Lab
Recommended Timings for the Sharaba Homa
This Fire Lab is performed by Vedic specialists who possess immense knowledge and spiritual power to conduct the proceedings. The mantras and chants are recited with deep devotion and humility to achieve optimal results. Panchami and Trayodashi Tithis that fall on Mondays, especially during the Rahu Kalams, are considered perfectly suitable to perform the Sharaba Homa.
What will I receive?
You will receive the sacred grey ash powder from the homa which will be blessed in the ritual. You can keep it in the meditation altar and duly apply it on the forehead as and when required to invoke the divine blessings of the deity.
Prasad will be shipped from Chennai, Tamil Nadu within a week after the entire set of rituals is performed. Please allow 2 – 4 weeks for international delivery.
Benefits
Benefits of the Sharaba Fire Lab
According to sacred texts, invoking the blessings of Sharaba in the fire lab can bestow you with the following benefits:
Eliminate the impact of negative forces
Enjoy success in your endeavors
Experience mental peace, happiness and harmony in your family
Favorable for businessmen, politicians and administrators
Protection from malevolent glare of evil-eye casting
Enjoy a hitch-free life
Mantra for the Sharaba Homa
Om Haam Sarabeeshaaya Namah
Sarabeshwara Yantra
When negative spirits invade your success and you struggle amidst problems, Sarabeshwara Yantra will come to your rescue. It will draw its positive circle around you and safeguard you against all the evil spirits and curses in life.
Sarabeshwara Yantra
Sarabeshwara Yantra – A Positive Touch to all Sides of your Life! Why Sarabeshwara Yantra? Lord Sarabeshwara is an incarnation of Lord Shiva; he will save you from negative forces that hold you back from victory. Misfortunes and evil spirits will no longer be at your side when you are under the watchful vigilance of Sarabeshwara. Sarabeshwara Yantra will nullify the negative vibrations that spin around you and rejuvenate you with positive energy.
Speciality of Sarabeshwara Yantra
When negative spirits invade your success and you struggle amidst problems, Sarabeshwara Yantra will come to your rescue. It will draw its positive circle around you and safeguard you against all the evil spirits and curses in life.
The energy radiations of the Yantra will bring about mental peace and unity in your family. It will overpower the negative spirits and immunize you with positive energy. Your life will blossom with good fortune and happiness; seeds of confidence will be deeply sown in your mind if you own this Yantra!
Mantra for Sarabeshwara Yantra
Saluveyshaya Vidh Mahe
Pakshirajaya Dhi Mahi
Tanna Sharaba Prachodayat
(The specified Mantra is to be recited for 108 times as a standard rule; however, changes if any will be mentioned at the time of buying.)
How to Use the Sarabeshwara Yantra ?
Yantras are great cosmic conductors of energy, an antenna of Nature, a powerful tool for harmony, prosperity, success, good health, yoga and meditation! Yantras consist of a series of geometric patterns. The eyes and mind concentrate at the center of the yantra to achieve higher levels of consciousness. Yantras are usually made out of copper.
Place the Yantra facing the East or the North in a clean and sacred altar.
Do not let other people touch the Yantra.
Periodically wash the Yantra with rose water or milk. Then, rinse it with water and wipe it to dry. The Yantra’s color may change over a period of time; however this does not dilute the power of the Yantra.
Place rounded dots of sandalwood paste on the 4 corners and in the center of the Yantra.
Light a candle or ghee lamp and an incense stick in front of the Yantra. You can offer fresh or dry fruits as Prasad, as well.
Chant the Mantra above in front of the Yantra, preferably after showering.
Sarabeshwara Yantra rebuilds the lives of:
Business persons, politicians and administrators who struggle for success in their fields
Sufferers of evil eye casting
People who long for a hitch free life
People who need immediate relief from negativity
People who desire an end to problematic interference
People who seek protection from curses
People who know they need help to destroy bad karma generated by themselves or their family
Sharabha is an avatar of Lord Shiva which is not commonly known. This is considered as the most powerful appearance taken by Shiva to protect the universe. His manifestation as Sharabeshwara was to dominate over the fierce embodiment of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha which was the combination of half human and half lion. The objective of Vishnu’s incarnation was to save his favorite devotee prince Prahalada from the demon king Hiranyakashipu who was his father too. After killing him, Narasimha seemed to be very furious in nature. He created an awful situation in the Universe by roaring dreadfully and continuously. By foreseeing the negative outcome of this, other Gods and sub-gods sought help from Mahadeva who then decided to take the Sharaba form to pacify the angry Narasimha and convert him to normal Vishnu.
The Sharaba form of Shiva was the structural blend of human, animal and bird with gigantic as well as blistering look. It had so many hands, claws and legs, and almost resembled a huge dragon. The entangled tresses in the body highlighted the ferocity of the structure to a greater extend. In the head there was a massive crest which looked like a dome. There were well spread wings on the back side of the body with a long tail. The extremely sharp incisors in the mouth and inflexible claws were its main weapons. Its thunder like voice created echo in the environments and was horrible to hear. It had three eyes which were glowing like fire balls. Its teeth and lips were well formed and can be seen properly. It produced awful hissing sounds throughout.
Narasimha is often visualized as having a human torso and lower body, with a lion face and claws. This image is widely worshiped in deity form by a significant number of Vaishnava groups. Vishnu assumed this form on top of Himvat Mountain (Harivamsa). He is known primarily as the ‘Great Protector’ who specifically defends and protects his devotees in times of need. Vishnu is believed to have taken the avatar to destroy the demon king Hiranyakashipu.
The Puranas describe Lord Narasimha deva’s pastime of killing the demon, saying that the Lord consumed every drop of Hiranyakasipu’s blood, then wore the demon’s mangled body as a garland to make sure that none of the demon’s physical remains made contact with the universe.
How Did Lord Narasimha Die?
Sharabha – Shiva Avtar Who Liberated Lord Narasimha
Sharabha Avatar of Lord Shiva
After the destruction, Prahlada, Laksmi and various demigods attempted to soothe the Lord’s anger, but without success. At first Lord Shiva took the form of Veerabhadra and asked Narasimha to cool down. But Narasimha ignored this appeal. So he himself transformed to colossal Sharabha which outclassed Narasimha both in structure and power. Then Sharabha lifted Narasimha with its long tail and was about to throw him. Narasimha realized this and prayed Sharabha to forgive him with beautiful epithets, which later became the Ashtothra (108 Names) of the victorious Lord.
Lord Shiva then revealed to all the Devas that: “To annihilate the Asura, Lord Narasimha came, and to appease Lord Narasimha, I have come as Sarabeswara. Be aware that we are both one and the same like water and water, milk and milk, ghee and ghee, both inseparable and to be worshipped as one”.
Yatha Jaley Jalam, Kshiptham, Ksheeram, Ksheeray Kruthang Kruthey Yekayeva Thatha Vishnu: Shiva Leetho Nachanyatha
Lord Shiva ensured the recovery of Lord Vishnu from his ferocious nature and hence did not hurt him. As a mark of respect to Lord Shiva, Narasimha removed the skin of lion from his body and presented to Sharabeshwaramurti. Thus the incarnation as Sharabha by Lord Shiva pacified the Narasimha manifestation of Lord Vishnu. This embodiment of Shiva is referred as Sarabeswara. In Shiva temples idols of two Sharabheswara are found at the entrance of sanctum sanctorum. He embraced Sri Narasimha, cooled Him down and made Him accessible to all beings. This Sri Sharabhesvara is Lord Shiva’s universal Omkara form.
While numerous temple deities, painted images and sastric references are found to Lord Shiva’s Sharabha form, the major Puranas like Srimad Bhagavatam do not mention the Sharabha form of Lord Shiva. Likewise, no mention appears to have been made in the Upa Puranas like the Narasimha Purana, or other Upanishads associated with Sri Narasimha dev. Rather, they stop at the point in the lila pastime with the destruction of Hiranyakasipu and the pacification of the Lord’s anger by Bhakta Prahlad and the demigods and goddesses.
Although the post-destruction pastimes are not mentioned in the primary shastra, there are many references found to Shiva Sharabha and to Lord Narasimha deva’s own Sharabha Form – Gandaberunda. Included amongst them are references to Sri Narasimha’s Form as Gandaberunda, a rare two-headed bird incarnation worshipped in South India, as well as to versions of a pastime wherein Shiva Sharabha actually fought with and killed Lord Narasimha dev. Some have concluded that this incarnation of Shiva was simply created by a group of South Indian Shaivites as a means to position Shiva as being greater than Vishnu, and that question seems left to the discussions of academics and pandits.
In the Atharva Veda, the tenth of thirty-one Upanishads is the Sharabha Upanishad, which glorifies Lord Shiva in his fierce Sharabha manifestation. Verse 3 of this Upanishad states that Maheswarah took the form of Sharabha and killed Narasimha.
Sharabha Upanishad
Om! O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious;
May we see with our eyes what is auspicious, O ye worthy of worship!
May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas,
Praising them with our body and limbs steady!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the all-knowing Sun bless us!
May Garuda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us!
May Brihaspati grant us well-being!
Om! Let there be Peace in me!
Let there be Peace in my environment!
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me!
I am saluting that primeval God who is the Lord, who is the best, who is the father of the world, who is the greatest among gods, who has created Brahma, who gave all Vedas to Brahma in the beginning, who is the father of Vishnu and other devas, who merits praise, and who at the time of deluge destroys the world. He is the only one who is greater than everybody, who is the best and who rules over others.
That very strong Maheswarah took the horrifying form of Sharabha and killed Narasimha who was destroying the world. (Sharabha is the avatar of Shiva which is a combination of eagle, lion and man.)
Sharabha – Shiva Avtar Who Liberated Lord NarasimhaThat god with his sharp claws tore, Vishnu who took the form of Narasimha. He who was wearing the hide became Veerabhadra.
For every one desiring to get all occult powers, he is the one who should be meditated. Salutations to that Rudra who tore away the fifth head of Brahma.
Salutations to that Rudra who kicked Kala the God of death and made him fall and also him who drank the burning Halahala poison.
Salutations to that Rudra whose feet were worshipped by the flower of Vishnu’s eyes and who being pleased gave him the holy wheel (Chakra).
The one, who has crossed sorrows, sees that God, who is atom within an atom, gross among the gross, who as Atma hidden in the heart of beings and who is beyond physical action, clearly because of these reasons.
Salutations to that Rudra who is the greatest god, who holds the Soola (spear) in his hand, who has a big swallowing mouth, who is the Maheswarah and whose blessing has good effects.
“Chara”, indicates beings which move and because Brahmam shines in the half of their body as Hari, it is called Sarabham. Hey great sage, that can grant salvation directly.
Any twice born who reads this, which is called “the great Sastra of Paippalada” or makes others read it, would get rid of births and deaths and attain salvation. The Upanishad tells that he will become similar to Brahma.
Om! O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious;
May we see with our eyes what is auspicious, O ye worthy of worship!
May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas,
Praising them with our body and limbs steady!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the all-knowing Sun bless us!
May Garuda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us!
May Brihaspati grant us well-being!
Om! Let there be Peace in me!
Let there be Peace in my environment!
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me!
Here ends the Sarabhopanishad, as contained in the Atharva-Veda.
Sharabha – Avatar of Shiva who Killed Narasimha
Lord Sharabha is a part-lion, part-bird, and part-god incarnation of Lord Shiva that he assumed to pacify Lord Narasimha. This form is popular as Sharabheshwara or Sharabheshwaramurti. The story of Sharabha is in the Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Vamana Purana, Kalika Purana, Skanda Purana, and Sharabha Upanishad.
The Story of Sharabha Incarnation of Lord Shiva:
To kill Hiranyakashipu, Lord Vishnu assumed a very fierce incarnation, i.e., Narasimha Avatar. Narasimha was so fierce and angry that even after killing Hiranyakashipu, his fury did not subside. Gods feared that the universe would annihilate because of it.
Therefore, they sent Prahlada to pacify him. Seeing his favorite devotee, the anger of Narasimha subsided a little bit and he embraced him. Prahlada alone could not pacify him completely. Hence, the gods went to Lord Shiva and requested him to save the universe.
Lord Shiva ordered Virabhadra to calm Narasimha. Then, he went to Narasimha, eulogized him, and requested him to calm down.
This did not affect Narasimha. On the contrary, he became angrier and threatened Virabhadra. He roared and began to seize him with force.
How did Lord Narasimha die?
In the meantime, the splendor of Lord Shiva rose unbearably enveloping the sky all around. It was terrible and cause for imminent fear. Then in a trice, the form of Virabhadra became invisible. The splendor of Lord Shiva was neither golden nor fiery, neither lunar nor solar. It resembled neither the lightning nor the moon. It was beyond comparison.
Thereafter its middle became manifested in the form characteristic of Rudra of deformed shape. Even as all the gods stood watching with the auspicious shouts of victory, Lord Shiva became manifest in the form of the Annihilator.
He had a thousand hands and wore matted hair. His head was adorned by the crescent moon. He appeared like a bird with wings and beak. His body was fierce and fully developed. His fangs were very sharp. Adamantine daws were his weapons. His neck was black. He had huge arms and four legs. He was blazing like fire.
His voice was resonant and terrible like the rumbling sound of the clouds that gather at the end of a Yuga. He had three eyes as wide and blazing as the fire of the evil spirit of great fury. His fangs and lips were clearly visible. He was producing a hissing sound of Humkara.
At his very vision, Lord Vishnu lost his strength and exploit. He assumed a luster of the flickering glow-worm beneath the sun.
Fluttering with his wings, and tearing the navel and legs, he bound the legs of the Man-lion with his tail and his hands with his own hands. He struck his chest and caught hold of Lord Vishnu. It expanded in the sky along with the gods and the sages.
Like a vulture seizing a serpent, he fearlessly caught hold of Lord Vishnu, lifted him, and fell him to the ground. At the time of flight, he was excessively oppressed, being hit with the wings. Then Lord Shiva took Lord Vishnu and flew up.
Thus, Lord Vishnu was helpless. His face was pallid and sorrowful. With palms joined in reverence, he eulogized Lord Shiva with the 108 names, Narasimha requested Lord Sharabha again.
“O great lord, whenever my ignorant mind becomes defiled by arrogance, it shall be removed by you alone.”
Thus saying with love to Lord Shiva, the Man-lion turned submissive and bowed to him. Lord Vishnu was utterly defeated and came to the end of his life.
Within a trice, Virabhadra made his powerful body powerless and dead.
What happened to Lord Sharabha after the death of Lord Narasimha?
Then Lord Brahma and other gods eulogized Lord Shiva who had assumed the form of a Sharabha. On hearing the praise from the gods, Lord Shiva said, “Just as water poured into water, or milk poured into milk, or ghee poured into ghee becomes one with those things, so also Vishnu is merged into me, not otherwise. It was Vishnu alone in the form of the Man-lion, haughty and strong, engaged in the activity of annihilating the universe. He shall be prayed and bowed by my devotees aspiring achievements. He is the foremost of my devotees and the granter of boons.”
After saying this, the lordly king of birds of great strength, vanished there, itself even as all the gods were watching.
Lord Virabhadra peeled off the hide of the Man-lion and went to the mountain taking it with him. From that time, Lord Shiva began to wear the hide of the Man-lion. His head was the leading bead in his necklace of skulls.
Then the gods freed from their distress began to sing the glory of this story. With their eyes blooming with wonder, they returned the way they came.
In another version of the story, Lord Narasimha took the form of Gandaberunda (a two-headed bird) and fought with Lord Sharabha for 18 days before getting killed.
The Story in the Skanda Purana:
According to the Skanda Purana, Narasimha struck Sharabha with his body but Sharabha was unmoved. Instead, it was Narasimha who groaned in pain. Then he realized that Sharabha was Lord Shiva and bowed and praised him. Lord Shiva then blessed him and gave him a boon to kill demons. After this, Narasimha discarded his form and united with his original divine form.
In this story, Sharabha does not kill Narasimha.
The Story of Lord Sharabha in the Kalika Purana:
According to this Purana, Lord Vishnu requested Lord Shiva to destroy his Varaha form as he and his three sons were causing problems in the world. Lord Shiva took the form of Sharabha. When Sharabha started fighting with Varaha, Narasimha came to his aid. Then Lord Shiva killed both Narasimha and Varaha.
In Buddhism:
In the Jataka tales, Sharabha is Bodhisattva, an eight-legged deer who saves the life of a king who comes to hunt him. The king is overwhelmed by the compassion of deer and declares hunting as an illegal activity.
In Tibetan Buddhism, he is a beast with a goat’s head and horns, a lion’s mane, and a horse’s body and legs.
The Conflict between Shaivites and Vaishnavites:
Vaishnavites don’t believe that Sharabha killed Narasimha. They regard Shaivite Puranas as not authoritative. They believe that Shaivites created the story to denigrate Lord Vishnu.
In the Ramayana, which is Vaishnavite literature, one animal named Sharabha is mentioned.
In the Mahabharata, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna who was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Sharabha is mentioned as an animal. Once a dog, with the help of a sage, assumes different animal forms including Sharabha. Sharabha assumes a fiercer form and wants to devour the sage, but the sage curses him to go back to its original form of a dog. Sharabha in this story is not correlated to Lord Shiva.
The Lord Sharabha form of Lord Shiva is less popular than his other forms.
Lord Sharabha and Narasimha
Sharabha is an avatar of Shiva, part-lion and part-bird, that is usually only found in southern India. It is believed to be the most powerful incarnation of Shiva. In Shaivite Hindu mythology, Shiva takes the form of Sharabha to subdue Narasimha (an avatar of Vishnu). In this sculpture, Vishnu can be seen beneath Sharabha’s claws.
Left: Lord Sharabha on display in the Museum. Below: Lithograph depicting Vishnu as Narasimha.
The story of Vishnu’s incarnation as the half-human half-lion, Narasimha, appears in the Padma Purana. While Shiva’s incarnation as Sharabha is recorded in the Shiva Purana. These holy texts are dedicated to different deities, and the two halves of the story are told from different perspectives.
In the Padma Purana, the demon Hiranyaksha carries the earth to the underworld. To save the planet, Vishnu takes the form of Varaha, the divine boar, and fatally stabs Hiranyaksha with his tusk. But Hiranyaksha had an elder brother, the king Hiranyakashipu. When Hiranyakashipu discovered his brother had been killed, he prayed to Lord Shiva, who was so pleased with this act of penance that he granted Hiranyakashipu immortality.
Later, King Hiranyakashipu had a son, Prahlad, who chose to worship Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu was incensed. How could his son worship the deity who had killed his brother? Hiranyakashipu set out to stop his son, then, when he saw he could not, he vowed to kill him.
Lord Vishnu vowed to protect Prahlad. But Shiva had given Hiranyakashipu the power of not being killed by a human or animal or by any weapon. So, Vishnu transformed himself into half-lion half-man; not quite human, not quite animal, and he killed Hiranyakashipu, ripping into his stomach with his claws. Prahlad was safe and became ruler of his father’s kingdom.
But Narasimha’s anger could not be sated. In some versions of the story, it is Prahlad who finally calms him. But in the Shiva Purana, even Prahlad could not stop him. The other gods turned to Shiva for help. After two unsuccessful attempts to calm the anger of Narasimha, Shiva turns himself into his most devastating form, Sharabha – a huge and terrifying man-eating bird. He knocked Narasimha down with his giant wings and carried him off. Narasimha became so afraid he passed out, turning back into Vishnu – in the form we can see here in the sculpture, kneeling under Sharabha’s paws. Afterwards, Narasimha praised Shiva. In this version of the story, Shiva took his skull and added it to his necklace of heads.
This large figure of Lord Sharabha and Narasimha is probably from the top of a juggernaut cart that is pulled through the streets during a religious festival.
The Story of Sharabha
Sharabha: An avatar of Shiva:
Sharabha is an incarnation of Shiva. Not many are aware of this avatar, which is the most powerful form ever taken by Shiva to protect the Universe. He took this incarnation to subdue the fierce avatar, Narasimha, taken by Vishnu to protect his devotee, Prahlada, from his evil father, the demon king, Hiranyakashipu. But even after killing him, Narasimha’s fury did not subside. He went on roaring furiously and continued to wreak destruction. It was a dreadful situation that the Universe faced due to his uncontrolled fury. Even his consort Lakshmi could not pacify him. The other gods became alarmed by this and rushed to Shiva and sought his help. Initially, Shiva took the form of Veerabhadra and tried to calm him, but it had no effect. It was then that Shiva decided to take the form of Sharabha as a way of pacifying Narasimha and thereby restoring him to his original form.
The Sharabha avatar of Lord Shiva is a mix of human, bird, and animal. It had many arms, legs, and claws and resembled a fierce and gigantic dragon. The entangled tresses added to the ferocious aspect of the being. On the head was a huge crest that was dome-shaped. On the backside were huge wings that were spread out wide and a long tail. The sharp claws and teeth were like weapons. It had a voice like thunder that made everyone quake in fear and three eyes that glowed like balls of fire. It also kept making hissing sounds like a snake. Both in its structure and might, it was superior to Narasimha, which was half man and half lion.
Sharabha used his long tail to lift Narasimha and throw him to the ground. To prevent this, Narasimha prayed to Sharabha and asked him for forgiveness. He also used beautiful names and epithets, which later came to be called the Ashtothra (108 names) of the victorious deity. Shiva then told all the gods that he had taken the form of Sharabeshwara to pacify Vishnu, who had taken the form of Narasimha to kill the evil demon, Hiranyakashipu. He also added that Vishnu and he were one and the same. They were also inseparable and should be worshipped as one. Shiva, as Sharabeswara, was able to calm Narasimha and restore him to his divine form. To show his respect to Sharaba, Lord Vishnu removed his lion skin and gifted it to Sharaba. Idols of Sharabeswara are often found at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum in Shiva temples.
Other versions of the myth:
The Shiva Purana says that Shiva, after calming Narasimha, Sharabha decapitated and de-skinned Narasimha and wore the lion’s head and skin as a garment.
When Narasimha hit Sharabha with his body, he groaned in pain but not Sharabha, whose body was very strong. Then Vishnu understood that Sharabha was actually Shiva and bowed to him and praised Sharabha. Shiva then blessed Vishnu and granted him a boon to kill demons. In one Purana, the story ends with the gods asking Shiva to abandon his Sharabha form as they were afraid that Sharabha would not be able to control his anger. So Shiva gave up Sharabha’s form. He gave away his limbs, and his torso became a Kapalika. In the Vamana Purana, the tale ends with Narasimha becoming calm and assuming Vishnu’s divine form, and Sharabha turning into a lingam, which is Shiva’s symbol.
Another version says that Sharabha took Narasimha high up into the sky and then dropped him onto the ground. With this, Narasimha becomes calm, acknowledges Shiva’s power, and dies. Following this, Sharabha vanishes, and Veerabhadra appears. The latter tears the skin from Narasimha’s body and wears it. He also removes Narasimha’s head and adds it to the skulls in Shiva’s necklace.
In the Shiva Purana, the story ends when Sharabha vanishes after defeating Narasimha. But in some versions, the story gets a twist, with Vishnu assuming the form of Gandaberunda, another fierce creature, a bird-beast with two heads. This beast was mightier than even Sharaba. The battle lasted many days until Goddess Shoolini pacified them.
Sharabha, The Fourth Avatar of Lord Shiva
A creature who was half-lion and half-bird is known as Sharabha, the fourth avatar of Lord Shiva.
As you’ll continue scrolling you’ll know all about this incarnation of Lord Shiva.
1. Sharabha is known as the fourth avatar of Lord Shiva. He was in the form of half-animal and half-bird.
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2. Shiv Purana narrates that God Shiva takes the Avatar of Sharabha to overcome Narsimha.
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3. Narsimha was an aggressive lion and avatar of Vishnu. It was also the fourth avatar of Vishnu.
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4. So, what’s the story behind Sharabha? Let’s discover! One day Vishnu Avatar, Narsimha, was supposed to save his favourite devotee prince Prahalada from the demon king Hiranyakashipu.
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5. Hiranyakashipu was the father of Prahalad and wanted to kill him as he was the big devotee of Vishnu.
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6. After killing Hiranyakashipu, Narsimha became furious in his temperament and created an awful situation in the universe.
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7. After seeing the negative effect of all this, heavenly deities went in front of Lord Shiva, asking him for the solution.
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8. Lord Shiva then took the form of Sharabha to conciliate the angry Narsimha and convert him back to Vishnu.
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9. In Buddhism, Sharabha appears in Jataka Tales as a previous birth of the Lord Buddha.
Sharabha Avatar of Lord Shiva: Unleashing the Divine Fury
In the vast realm of Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is known for his numerous avatars, each embodying a unique aspect of his divine nature. One such avatar that stands out is the ferocious Sharabha Avatar. This lesser-known manifestation of Lord Shiva is depicted as a mythical creature with a blend of animal and human attributes, symbolizing the unleashing of divine fury to restore cosmic balance. The Sharabha Avatar of Lord Shiva represents a captivating and lesser-known facet of Hindu mythology. Its story unveils the divine intervention required to maintain cosmic equilibrium and offers spiritual teachings on finding inner peace amidst chaos. As we delve into the tales of various avatars of Lord Shiva, the Sharabha Avatar serves as a reminder of the boundless power and wisdom encompassed within the vast realm of Hindu mythology.
The Sharabha Avatar is portrayed as a creature with the body of a lion or a large bird, possessing multiple heads, wings, and immense strength. Some descriptions also mention the avatar having eight or sixteen limbs. This form surpasses conventional boundaries, representing Lord Shiva’s extraordinary power and dominance over all creation. The Sharabha Avatar is believed to have manifested with a specific purpose—to subdue and pacify the formidable Narasimha Avatar, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu had taken the Narasimha Avatar to vanquish the demon king Hiranyakashipu. However, after slaying the demon, Lord Narasimha was overwhelmed with anger and became uncontrollable. To safeguard the universe from the chaos caused by Narasimha’s fury, Lord Shiva intervened by assuming the Sharabha Avatar.
The legend narrates an intense battle between Narasimha and Sharabha. The ferocious Sharabha Avatar pounced on Narasimha, using its immense power and overwhelming presence to calm and restrain him. With its extraordinary strength, the Sharabha Avatar subdued Narasimha, channeling the divine force of Lord Shiva to restore equilibrium. The Sharabha Avatar holds profound symbolic significance. It represents the ultimate form of transcendence, surpassing the boundaries of the physical and metaphysical realms. The fierce attributes of Sharabha denote the unrivaled power of Lord Shiva, capable of taming even the most invincible forces. This avatar embodies the divine intervention necessary to restore harmony and balance when cosmic equilibrium is disrupted. The story of the Sharabha Avatar carries profound spiritual teachings. It reminds us that even the fiercest aspects of the divine are motivated by the ultimate goal of cosmic welfare. It encourages seekers to recognize the importance of balance in life, highlighting that even in the face of chaos and anger, one can find inner peace by channeling divine energies. Although the Sharabha Avatar is not widely worshipped, there are shrines and temples dedicated to this unique manifestation of Lord Shiva. Some devotees consider Sharabha as a guardian deity who offers protection from negative forces and safeguards the path of spiritual seekers.
SHARABHA AVATARA AND NARASIMHA AVATARA
Sharabha is a part-lion and part-bird beast who is eight-legged and more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to cross over a valley in one jump. Lord Shiva assumed the Avatara (incarnation) of Sharabha to pacify Narasimha – the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu worshiped. This form is known as Sharabeshwara (“Lord Sharabha”) or Sharabeshwaramurti.
Sharabha is a part-lion and part-bird beast who is eight-legged and more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to cross over a valley in one jump. Lord Shiva assumed the Avatara (incarnation) of Sharabha to pacify Narasimha – the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu worshiped. This form is known as Sharabeshwara (“Lord Sharabha”) or Sharabeshwaramurti.
The Sharabha form of Shiva was the structural blend of human, animal and bird with gigantic as well as blistering look. It had so many hands, claws and legs, and almost resembled a huge dragon. The entangled tresses in the body highlighted the ferocity of the structure to a greater extend. In the head there was a massive crest which looked like a dome. There were well spread wings on the back side of the body with a long tail. The extremely sharp incisors in the mouth and inflexible claws were its main weapons. Its thunder like voice created echos. It had three eyes which were glowing like fire balls. Its teeth and lips were well formed and can be seen properly. It produced awful hissing sounds throughout.
Lord Vishnu took on the form of Narasimha to slaughter Hiranyakashipu. Vishnu assumed this form on top of Himvat Mountain (Harivamsa). He is known primarily as the ‘Great Protector’. Vishnu is believed to have taken the avatar to destroy the Asura king Hiranyakashipu.
Vishunu’s slaughter of Hiranyakashipu was a subject of great debate between the gods Shiva and Vishnu.
Long ago, Rishi Kashyapa had two mighty sons from Diti, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyaksha had once carried the earth to Rasatala, the Asura world. The Devas asked Lord Vishnu to save the earth from its dire circumstance. Vishnu took the form of Varaha, a boar, and rammed his horn into Hiranyaksha’s chest.
Hiranyakashipu was distressed when he heard of his brother’s death and decided to ask Lord Shiva for help at Merugiri. Shiva was so pleased that he gave Hiranyakashipu immortality. Later, Hiranyakashipu married and had a son named Prahalada, who became a devout follower of Vishnu. This angered Hiranyakashipu. Angered by his son’s devotion to Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashipu made plans to assassinate his son using the best servants and assassins from all over the land . However, being a devout devotee of Vishnu, Prahalada was protected by Vishnu from every assassination attempt.
Finally, Hiranyakashipu decided to take care of the matter himself. Hiranyakashipu exclaimed to Prahalada, ‘You say that Vishnu is omnipresent. Is he present in this pillar?’ as he assaulted the pillar with his sword. Suddenly, Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Narasimha swamy. The Narasimha was half man and half lion. Hiranyakashipu was not scared because he knew Lord Shiva had given him invincibility against both man and beast. However, the Divine Lord Vishnu took incarnation as the Narasimha, neither human nor beast, and thus Hiranyakashipu was not protected. Vishnu tore apart Hiranyakashipu’s belly with sharp nails. Lord Narasimha deva consumed every drop of Hiranyakasipu’s blood, then wore the his mangled body as a garland to make sure that none of the Hiranyakasipu’s physical remains made contact with the universe.
The claw / Nail is a part of the body that is both living and dead. Thus, Lord Narasimha was able to tear apart Hiranyakashipu. Prahalada was crowned Hiranyakashipu’s successor and ruled justly, everybody was happy.
After he killed Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha was still enraged. Brahma sent Prahalada to pray to Vishnu in hope that it would calm him down. Prahalada’s efforts failed. Laksmi and various demigods attempted to soothe the Lord’s anger, but without success. Mahadeva absorbed within himself the collective energy of Brahma and the rest of the celestials, assuming the form of Mahasarabha.
Frightened, all of the gods went to Lord Shiva for help in calming Vishnu. Lord Shiva first sent two of his best earthly Amsha Avataras, Bhairava and Veerbhadra, to calm Narasimha. Narasimha pounced on Veerbhadra when Veerbhadra asked Narasimha to calm down nicely. So he himself transformed to Sharabha which outclassed Narasimha both in structure and power.
To protect Veerbhadra, Shiva appeared in his most devastating form, Sharabha. It is said to be a giant, frightening, form with thousands of hands. His appearance resembled a huge cannibal bird. This great beast entered into a fierce battle with Lord Narasimha, which lasted for a thousand years.
Distraught by this combined attack, Sharabha raised his hand in prayer to Narayana, who immediately granted immense strength to Sharabha, making him more powerful than both of Lord Vishnu’s other incarnations, Varaha and Narasimha. Rejuvenated by this new strength, Sharabha made a loud noise thereby creating millions of terrifying sivaganas. Sharabha clutched Narasimha with his talons and carried him off into the distance.
Together with his ganas, Sharabha subdued Narasimha. Lord Narasimha requested Sharabha to kill him by slicing him into two halves, from which two sages named Nara and Narayana were born. From lord Varaha and Bhumi devi’s three sons who were also killed by Sharabha, three fires (ahavaniya, daksinagni, garhapatya) arose.
Lord Shiva then revealed to all the Devas that, “To annihilate the Asura, Lord Narasimha came, and to appease Lord Narasimha, I have come as Sarabeshwara. Be aware that we are both one and the same like water and water, milk and milk, ghee and ghee, both inseparable and to be worshipped as one”.
Yatha Jaley Jalam, Kshiptham, Ksheeram, Ksheeray Kruthang Kruthey Yekayeva Thatha Vishnu: Shiva Leetho Nachanyatha
Lord Shiva ensured the recovery of Lord Vishnu from his ferocious nature, He thus put an end to Narasimha’s terrifying rage. Sharabha then decapitated and de-skinned Narasimha so lord Shiva could wear the hide and lion-head as a garment / Anga Vasthra.
The Linga Purana and Sharabha Upanishad also mention lord Narasimha removed the skin of lion from his body and presented to Sharabeshwaramurti. Thus the incarnation as Sharabha by Lord Shiva pacified the Narasimha manifestation of Lord Vishnu. This embodiment of Shiva is referred as Sarabheswara.
Sharabheshwara withdrew his appalling form,and all universe seemed sublime again pleasant air filled the atmosphere, Devas offered celestial flowers and sung his stotra. Mahadeva withdrew all his energy from the beast Sharabhavatara. From the eighty feet of Sharabha, astamurtis arose, representing the sky, sun, moon, fire, earth, water, air and Apah. The remaining central limb of Sharabha, holding a kapala, assumed the ferocious form of Kapala Bhairava, whose followers came to be known as the Kapalikas. With eight hands and surrounded by saktis such as Kali and Chandi, this wish-fulfilling form of the Lord appeared on chaitra suddha chaturdasi.
Keeping this very motive as central, Sharaba succeeds in pacifying the Lion avatara, by subduing the energies of Vishnu which at that point of time were manifested as Narasimha and Runda Berunda. The very purpose of Sharabha was to bring a sense of calm and well being to the three worlds which were frightened by lord Narasimha. In a sense, it takes to be even more powerful and superior to calm violent rage and anger.
Throughout Vedic literature there are many stories depicting Shiva resolving situations caused by Vishnu and similarly, instances where Lord Vishnu has taken superior forms to resolve situations of Lord Shiva. Shiva taking the Halahala soon after the great churning of the ocean and Vishnu taking the form of Mohini to end Bhasmasura, are some of them. The Vedas clearly state – Shivaya Vishnu Roopaya Shiva Roopaya Vishnave.