Lakshmi Narasimha Maha: Mantra

Notes · scriptural context, prerequisites, phalas

The combined mantra of Lakshmi-Narasimha unites three seed-syllables — hri:m (the Ma:ya: beeja, the veiling and protective power), kshraum (the Narasimha beeja, the avatha:ra's flame), and sri:m (the Lakshmi: beeja, the wealth and grace) — sealed by the dative form lakshmi:-nrisimha:ya namah. It is the central japa-mantra of household Sri: Vaishnava worship, especially in homes that keep a Lakshmi-Narasimha vigraha or salagrama. The Pancharatra Agama prescribes it for grihastha sadhakas seeking the joint phalas of the two devatas: sri: (auspiciousness, livelihood, marital harmony) from Lakshmi, and raksha: (protection of children, removal of bhaya) from Narasimha. Chanting discipline: 108 repetitions in the morning before the household pu:ja:, with the family seated together; women may lead. Recommended on Fridays (Lakshmi day) and Saturdays (a traditional Narasimha day in many lineages). Where domestic trouble is acute — illness in the home, financial stress, fear after a calamity — the count is raised to 1008 daily for forty days (ma:nsika anushtha:na). The mantra is also used during griha-pravesa (housewarming) and at the laying of a foundation stone. Formal initiation is preferred; in its absence, devotional recitation as part of a published stotra-patha is universally accepted. Fasting is not required; ritual purity, a clean lamp, and a flower offered to the vigraha suffice.