Nrisimha avatar is granted pre-eminent position among all avatars by Azhwars, Acharyas and sacred literature. Even in Vishnu Sahasranamam, Nrisimha avatar is mentioned first. Aandal asks Him to grace them from his seeriya simhasanam. Rukmini sends seven slokas to Krishna, where she addresses him as Kale Nrisimha (the one who came on time for His devotee). Nrisimha avatar epitomises God’s commitment to aid His devotees in time, said Damal Perundevi in a discourse.
Prahlada is the epitome of bhakti. What sets Prahlada apart is that he followed the teachings in their entirety. He never wavered from his faith in Narayana.
Seeing him emerge unscathed from every punishment, his father Hiranyakasipu, who had received a boon from Brahma whereby he cannot be killed by human or animal, at day nor night, or by any existing weapon, inside his residence or outside in the open, demanded to know where the boy got his strength from. Citing Narayana as his strength, Prahlada discoursed on the seven types of bhakti to his father. He advised him to forsake everything and withdraw to the forest and pray to Lord Hari, lest Hari (another name for lion) find and destroy him.
When an enraged Hiranyakasipu shattered a pillar built by him, the roar of a lion was so vociferous that it is said Brahma himself fell off his seat. Narayana, who took avatar as a half lion and half man, manifested across the universe (avir bhavam), even as the argument between father and son was raging. Emerging from the pillar, he dragged Hiranyakasipu to the threshold and laid bare his chest with His finger nails. Nrisimha is Satyamurthy; one who keeps His word to his bhakta while ensuring that the boon granted by Brahma was not violated.
