With a halo around his fierce head and Goddess Lakshmi seated on his left thigh, Lord Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, sits atop an upturned lotus, triumphant and regal. Goddess Lakshmi, being his eternal consort, accompanies him here in the form of Narasimha. She is held by one of his lower arms while the other blooms open in a protective blessing to his devotees. His upper two arms hold a conch and a Sudarshana chakra, a sign of Lord Vishnu’s divine presence. It shows the unique and loving side of a usually ferocious Narasimha. His form is that of an anthropomorphic lion, taken shape when the asura (demon) Hiranyakashipu's scale of sins had tipped over. He had fathered a son named Prahalad, who became an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, praying to the lord whenever he had the chance. Hiranyakashipu was incredibly arrogant as he had been given the boon that no man, woman, animal, or weapon could destroy him, day or night. Thus, he felt as if he should be worshipped and was displeased with his son. After his repeated attempts at killing his progeny, who was saved by the Lord himself, Lord Vishnu took the form of Narasimha, half-man, and half-lion hauled Hiranyakashipu on his lap and ripped into him with his bare hands, destroying him effectively.
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