kāmasikāṣṭakam

May that wonderful Lion-God, who resides by his own will on the southern bank of the Vegavati river and embodies the essence of the Upanishads (the final portions of the Vedas), be ever victorious.

May Lord Hari, known as Kamasika, who possesses the Sun, the Moon, and Fire as His eyes and represents the ultimate essence of the Upanishadic mysteries, dispel all our sorrows and worldly afflictions.

I meditate upon that Primal Being who, in the form of a Lion, stands with His neck held high, having subdued all His enemies; by staying on the banks of the Vegavati river, He has made even Vaikuntha seem less significant in comparison.

I offer my praises to that Narasimha, the friend of all living beings, who is seated in a charming posture on a bed-like arrangement and sports upon the sandy banks of the Vegavati river, glancing at the world with His unique, piercing eyes.

May that Lord Narasimha of Kamasika, who controls the vital breaths and the senses, who reveals the state of inward-turning meditation through His steady, seated posture, and who effectively teaches the path of Yoga to those who surrender to Him, fulfill all the desires of the entire world.

May the arms of the Lion-faced Lord, which are raised in a competitive display of strength and are reddened by the ocean of blood flowing freely from the chest of Hiranyakashipu—which was torn open by His blossoming, sharp claws—ever protect me.

Even when Your face appears terrifying with a mane spread wide, a thundering laugh, and eyebrows knit in intense fury, Your lotus-like eyes reveal a hidden, deceptive tenderness, as if You are offering the breast to the demon child (Hiranyakashipu) in a gesture of strange compassion.

Having reached the firm conclusion that if You protect me, what need is there for other protectors, and if You do not protect me, who else can provide protection, I take refuge daily in You, O Man-Lion, who resides on the banks of the Vegavati.

May this Lord Narasimha of Kamasika, who is worshipped by the king of the gods and who destroys the great elephants of formidable sins, fulfill all the desires of those who recite these eight verses composed by Sri Venkatesa.