Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram — Word-by-Word Meaning

O Lord who dwells in the glorious ocean of milk, holder of the discus; whose holy form is reddened by the gems on the hoods of Shesha, lord of serpents; O Lord of yogis, eternal, refuge of all, the boat that carries us across the ocean of worldly existence — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. O Lord, the spotless radiance of whose lotus-feet is rendered beautiful by the touch of the millions of crowns of Brahma, Indra, Rudra, the Maruts and the Sun as they bow; O royal swan playing at the lotus-breast of Lakshmi — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. O Murari! As I wander in the terrible dense forest of worldly existence, tormented by the fierce dreadful beast of lust, afflicted and scorched by the summer-heat of envy — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. Having fallen into the well of worldly existence — most terrible and bottomless — swarming with a hundred serpents of sorrow; wretched, O God, and come to pitiable calamity — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. In the vast and fearsome ocean of worldly existence, caught in the grip of the crocodile of Time, distressed and battered by the waves of the restless tongue of craving — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. O Compassionate One! Having climbed the tree of worldly existence — whose seed is sin, whose root is endless karma, whose hundred branches are the deeds, whose leaves are the senses and whose flower is desire — I am falling, for its fruit is sorrow — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. O Shauri, who rides the enemy of serpents (Garuda) and dwells in the ocean of nectar! My very form is destroyed, burnt by the dreadful venom of the cruel, terrible fangs in the dense mouth of the serpent of samsara — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. The very hairs of my body are scorched by the dreadful, vast rows of flames of the forest-fire of worldly existence; distressed, I have taken refuge in the lake of your lotus-feet — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. O Abode of the universe! I have fallen into the net of worldly existence, like a fish caught on the baited hook of the sense-objects, my palate and head torn through — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. O Destroyer of all affliction! My vital frame is crushed by the blow of the trunk of the dreadful elephant of samsara, and I am overwhelmed by the terror of death and rebirth as my life-breath departs — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. O Lord! I am blind, the great wealth of my discrimination stolen by the mighty thieves named the senses, and I am cast down into the dark hollow-pit of delusion — O Lakshmi-Narasimha, give me the support of your hand. O Consort of Lakshmi, lotus-naveled, Lord of the gods, Vishnu; Vaikuntha, Krishna, slayer of Madhu, lotus-eyed; well-wisher of the holy, Keshava, Janardana, Vasudeva — O Lord of gods, give this wretched one the support of your hand. This blissful hymn was composed on earth by Shankara — a honey-bee at the lotus-feet of Lakshmi-Narasimha — as a great supporting hand for the multitude drowning in the abundant flood of births wrought by His maya.