Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram — Benefits & How to Chant
लक्ष्मीनृसिंह करावलम्ब स्तोत्र
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram
A heartfelt prayer of total surrender (sharanagati) to Lord Narasimha, asking for His hand to lift the devotee out of the ocean of worldly suffering.
Traditionally recited for protection from fear, danger, enemies, illness and untimely death
Narasimha is the supreme protector who appears for His devotees.
Said to dissolve the terrors of samsara
lust, anger, envy, delusion and the fear of death — described vividly in its thirteen verses.
Brings courage, refuge and inner steadiness to those overwhelmed by calamity, grief or crippling anxiety.
Composed by Adi Shankaracharya; recited daily, on Saturdays, and especially on Narasimha Jayanti.
Each verse ends with the same surrendered plea
'O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand' — making it a powerful refrain for japa and meditation.
How to Chant Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram
Instructions
After bathing, sit before an image of Bhagavan Narasimha (ideally Lakshmi-Narasimha). Light a lamp, and recite the thirteen verses slowly and with feeling, dwelling on the refrain 'Lakshmi-Narasimha mama dehi karavalambam' as a prayer of complete surrender. It may be read once daily, or its single verses repeated as japa in times of fear or distress.
Spiritual Significance
Narasimha appeared from a stone pillar at twilight — neither man nor beast, neither inside nor outside, neither by day nor night — to fulfil Brahma's boon and yet destroy the demon who had abused it, proving that the Lord will break through anything to protect one who takes refuge in Him. Devotees in fear, illness or calamity recite this Karavalamba Stotram as a direct cry for that same rescuing hand.
Origin & History
Source: Attributed to Adi Shankaracharya
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
Lord Narasimha is the fourth avatar of Vishnu — half-man, half-lion — who burst forth from a pillar to slay the tyrant Hiranyakashipu and save his devotee-son Prahlada, becoming the supreme symbol of God's protection of His devotees. In this hymn the great teacher Adi Shankaracharya pictures the soul drowning in the ocean of samsara — beset by lust, envy, delusion and the fear of death — and in verse after verse stretches out his arms to Lakshmi-Narasimha with the same cry: 'give me the support of your hand.'