Stotra · Sankarsana (Pancharatra revelation)
Mantra Raja Pada Stotra
Sankarsana Samhita · also at Taittiriya Aranyaka 10.1.7
The most-revered Pancharatra stotra to Narasimha. Eight padas — Ugra, Vira, Mahavishnu, Jvalanta, Sarvatomukha, Nrisimha, Bhishana, Bhadra — each treated as a single pada of nya:sa upon a limb of the body. Sri: Vaishnava acharyas treat it as the very seal of the Narasimha sampradaya.
The eight padas of the Mantra Ra:ja, each unfolded into its own sloka: with the salutation nama:my aham. The opening anushtup gathers all eight names; the eight subsequent verses elaborate each in turn. A concluding phala-sruthi closes the para:yanam.
Verse 1
उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखम् । नृसिंहं भीषणं भद्रं मृत्युमृत्युं नमाम्यहम् ॥
ugram vi:ram maha:-vishnum jvalantham sarvato-mukham | nrisimham bhi:shanam bhadhram mrithyu-mrithyum nama:my aham ||
I bow to him — the fierce, the heroic, the Great Vishnu, blazing on every side, the Man-Lion, terrifying yet utterly auspicious, the Death of death.
The mantra-ra:ja itself: eight epithets in a single anushtup, attested at Thaiththiri:ya A:ranyaka 10.1.7.
Verse 2
उग्रवीराय महावीर्याय नमामि भीषणाय च । हिरण्यकशिपोर्वक्षःकोशं विदारयन्नहम् ॥
ugra-vi:ra:ya maha:-vi:rya:ya nama:mi bhi:shana:ya ca | hiranyakasipor vakshah-kosam vidha:rayann aham ||
I bow to the fierce hero, of immense valour, the terrifying one — who tore open the casket of Hiranyakasipu's chest.
Verses 3–8 (one for each remaining pada — Maha::-vishnu, Jvalanta, Sarvatomukha, Bhi:shana, Bhadra, Mrithyu-mrithyu) and the concluding phala-sruthi are present in the Sankarsana Samhitha: but have been omitted from this rendering pending verification against a critical edition. They will be added in a future revision.
How to chant
Twelve recitations in a single sitting (one per pada), preferably at the junctions of day and night — sandhi-velas — when the original avatara manifested.