Narasimha Killing the Demon Hiranyakashipu Madhuchista Vidhana Lost-Wax Panchaloha Bronze from Swami

Narasimha, literally man-lion, is one of the Dashavatara (ten incarnations) of the Hindu preserver god- Lord Vishnu, the tutelary deity of dynasties of mighty rulers, the Pancharatras (a Vaishnava Tantric sect), and commoners looking for His protection. The myth around the emergence of the Narasimha Bronze Statue is well-known across India. The demon-king Hiranyakashyapu performed great austerities and pleased Brahma, the creator. When Brahma denied his wish for immortality, Hiranyakashyapu came up with what seemed like a brilliant solution at that time. He told Brahma that neither god nor demons, neither animals nor humans, neither natural nor supernatural creatures should be responsible for his death. He would be indestructible inside and outside his residence, during the day as well as in the night, in front of a weapon, or during hand-to-hand combat. Receiving such an intricately designed boon, Hiranyakashyapu was filled with reassurance and soon, with maddening pride. So much so, that when his devoutly Vaishnava son Prahalad voiced his belief, that Vishnu resided in each and every particle of the universe, even in the pillars of his palace, an enraged father and king Hiranyakashyapu hit the pillar with his Gada (mace). What came roaring out of the pillar was beyond what Hiranyakashyapu or any being, divine or human could ever fathom.