The incarnation of Sri Vishnu as Sri Narasimha in Vaishnava tradition represents the swift justice of the blue-skinned preserver Lord, who ferociously protects his devotees from the clutches of evil. The legend of the Narasimha avatar and the Vadha of Hiranyakashyapu is a popular story in Hinduism, which is narrated dramatically in this painting.
In the palace of Hiranyakashyapu, Lord Narasimha sits on the edge of the palace door, carrying the lifeless body of Hiranyakashyapu on his lap, with blood flowing from his belly, torn apart by the nails of the lion-faced deity. Tinges of red in Narasimha's ornamentation and on the floor bring vigor and stunning visual drama to the canvas.
The violence of the scene is contrasted by the figure of Prahalad, who stands unafraid near Narasimha, with his hand blessing the boy-devotee, lovingly. This paradox in the mood of Narasimha- violent to evil, protective to the good, represents his ability to perform his twin functions of annihilating the negativity and preserving the virtue.
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