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14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS
hence the legend has a nation-wide popularity. In South Indian art - sculptures, bronzes and paintings, Vishnu's incarnation as Narsimha is one of the most chosen themes and amongst Avatars perhaps next only to Rama and Krishna in popularity.
"In the legend of the Narasimha Avatara Visnu as Narasimha killed the demon Hiranykasipu even though there was no immediate provovation for this murder. Hiranyakasipu had tormented son Prahalada to renounce his allegiance to Visnu but in vain. Towards the end there was complete reconciliation between the father (Hiranyakasipu) and his son Prahalada, the great devotee of Visnu. The Visnupurana I.XX.29.31.31 alludes to the death of Hiranyakasipu in a very cursory manner after the reconciliation between the father and the son. In Bhagavata VII.8.18 Narasimha kills Hiranyakasipu "to prove the reality of His devotee's words (that Visnu is the controller of all and source of power in all) and also to assert His own omnipresence."
Encyclopaedia of Hinduism By Nagendra Kumar Singh
In this direct story, there is no doubt that we are dealing with a struggle between Vaishanavism and another faith which considered Vaishanvism as a heresy. Further we are told that at least one generation of the Asura faith has passed before this event. Remembering that St. Thomas spent a lot of time in the capital of Gondaphores in Taxila are and that this story is occuring in that area makes us to conclude that the Asura religion was indeed the Way - Christianity. Jains and Buddhists were extreme pacifists in theology and would not persecute a heretic as Hiranyakasipu did to his son Prahalad.
Multan located very close to Harappa, the Indus Valley Civilization site is consideredd to be the place where the activities of both the Varaha and Narasimha took place. If that is true the area located around Taxila must have been the capital of both the brothers Hiranyksha and Hiranykasipu. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multan) This is now in Pakistan. However Ahobilam or Ahobalam in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India also claim to be where Lord Narasimha killed the Hiranyakashipa. (http://www.ahobilamutt.org/temples/ahobil/ahobil.html) It is one of the 108 Divya desam of the Vaishnavites. It is certain that Mahabali family ruled the Andhra Pradesh area. So it is quite possible that all the three activities took place there, if the defeat was just temperory and the Vaishnavites were not able to displace the Asuras. But then it will be difficult to explain the Multan connection.
As the Vaishnavites pushed back the Hiranyakasipu family down to the south, they escaped into the areas near Andhra Pradesh. L We know that Mahabali the great grandson of Hiranyakasipu ruled that area and met the next Avatara of Visnu there.
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