LAKSHMI NARASIMHA

One of the ten celebrated incarnation of Vishnu. Narasimha is widely worshipped deity in the northern as well as southern parts of India. However the ritual of worship in the celebrated temple at Jaganath Puri (Orisa) identifies the god here as Narasimha. The reason for this incarnation given in puranas is to save the world form the disastrous hold of the demon Hiranya Kasipu, son of Kasayapa – Prajapati and Atiti and more especially to protect Prehalada the deviote of this demon. Hiranya- Kasipas brother Hiranyakasha was killed by Vishnu in this Varaha incarnation and Hiranya kasipu had therefore nurtured hatred for Vishnu. When his son Prahalada grew up as a devotee of Vishnu. The demon naturally threatened his son and subjected him to all kind of trouble punishments. Hiranya Kasipa had preformed penance and obtained from Brahma the boon that he could not be killed by god, man or beast by any weapon known to man. During day or night in side the palace or out side it. So Vishnu had to appear as a man beast (Man – Lion means Narasimha) tears the demons entrails with his clans (which were not weapons) during dusk (which was not day or night) and seated upon the threshold of the palace (which was not in side or out side the palace). The legend further narrate that when Hiranya kasipa challenged his son Prahalad to show Vishnu, when the boy claimed to be every where in one of the pillars of the palace Vishnu revealed himself as the ferocious Man-Lion bursting out of that pillar
When Lakshmi is on the lap of Narasimha is known as Saumya Narasimha or Lakshmi Narasimha.