Editing Narasimha (section)

==Texts==
[[File:0101821 Kevala Narasimha Temple, Ramtek Maharashtra 149.jpg|thumb|Narasimha, 5th century, [[Ramtek Kevala Narasimha temple inscription|Ramtek Kevala Narasimha temple.]]]]
===Vedas===
The Vishnu hymn 1.154 of the ''[[Rigveda]]'' (1700-1200 BCE) contains a verse which shows Vishnu as Narasimha as a "wild lion, powerful, prowling, mountain-roaming",<ref>[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rig_Veda/Mandala_1/Hymn_154 The Rigveda Mandala 1 Hymn 154], Ralph T.H. Griffith, Wikisource</ref> which is Vishnu as  Narasimha. Another hymn 8.14 says the story of Indra killing Namuci, that with "water foam you tore off, Indra, the head of Namuci and killed him, killing all demons",.{{sfn|Soifer|1991|pp=37–39}}

The full story of Indra killing Namuci is found in ''[[Shatapatha Brahmana]]'' (7th - 6th century BCE) of the ''[[Yajurveda]]'' in chapter 12.7.3.v Other references to Narasimha are found in the Vedic texts Vajaseneyi Samhita 10.34, Pancavimsa Brahmana 12.6.8 and Taittiriya Brahmana 1.7.1.6.{{sfn|Soifer|1991|pp=37–39}}

====The story of Indra killing Namuci ====
Narasimha has the same story as Indra killing Namuci in the Vedas.{{sfn|Soifer|1991|pp=37–39}}<ref>{{cite journal | last=Bloomfield | first=Maurice | title=Contributions to the Interpretation of the Veda | journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society | publisher=American Oriental Society | volume=15 | year=1893 | doi=10.2307/592353 | pages=143–156| jstor=592353 }}</ref> [[Indra]] is the [[dharma|dharmic]] King of Heaven of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]] and [[Devi|Devis]] who commands lightning, thunder, rain and rivers, while Namuci is a deceptive demon [[Asura]] in competition for power. Namuci tells peace to Indra, which Indra accepts. He demands Indra to promise that he will neither try to kill him with his "palm of the hand nor with the fist", neither in day nor in night, neither with "anything that is dry" nor with "anything that is wet". Indra agrees.{{sfn|Soifer|1991|pp=37–39}}<ref>{{cite journal | last=Fowler | first=Murray | title=The Role of Surā in the Myth of Namuci | journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society | publisher=American Oriental Society | volume=62 | issue=1 | year=1942 | doi=10.2307/594098 | pages=36–40| jstor=594098 }}</ref>

After the deal is done, Namuci carries away all that nourishes the gods and goddesses: the Soma drink, the essence of food and the strength of Indra. The leader of the gods and goddesses finds himself conflicted and feels bound by his promise. Indra then meets [[Saraswati|Sarasvati]] (goddess of knowledge) and the [[Ashvins|Ashvinas]].{{sfn|Soifer|1991|pp=37–39}} They reply they will deal with Namuci, get it all back, if Indra agrees to share his powers, the essence of food and the Soma drink with them. Indra agrees. The gods and the goddess then come up with a creative plan. They pour out a foam of water with a thunderbolt, and Indra takes a thunderbolt in his hand and Indra kills Namuci in evening.{{sfn|Soifer|1991|pp=37–39}}

After Namuci is killed, the gods and goddesses get all the powers back, but discover that Namuci had drunk the Soma already. The good was thus now mixed with his evil of his blood, which they did not want to drink. So, they extract the good out from the evil. Thus, good returns to the gods and goddesses, the evil is destroyed.{{sfn|Soifer|1991|pp=37–39}}

According to Deborah Soifer, this story is the same as the story of Narasimha, it has the same plot, the same "neither-nor" constraints, and the same creative powers of the good kills and destroys the evil. Further, the [[Sanskrit]] words and phrasing such as "neither palm nor fist" and "neither day nor night" in the later Hindu texts is the same as in the [[Vedas|Vedic]] texts. This suggests a link and continuity between the Vedic story of Indra killing Namuci and the story of Narasimha killing Hiranyakashipu in the Puranas.{{sfn|Soifer|1991|pp=37–39}} According to Walter Ruben, both stories along with several other stories in ancient and medieval texts reflect the Indian Subcontinental tradition of killing and destroying despots and tyrants who abuse power.<ref>Walter Ruben (1968), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/41694231 Fighting against despotes in old Indian literature], Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 48/49, Golden Jubilee, Volume 1917-1967 (1968), pp. 111-118</ref>

===Puranas===
Vishnu as Narasimha is mentioned in a variety of [[Puranas]], in 17 Puranas, Vishnu as Narasimha mentioned.<ref>Steven J. Rosen, ''Narasimha, The Half-Man - Half-Lion Incarnation of Vishnu'', p1</ref> The Valmiki Ramayana (7.24), [[Harivamsa]] (41 & 3.41-47), [[Vishnu Purana]] (1.16-20), [[Bhagavata Purana]] (Canto 7),<ref>{{cite book|author1=Ravi M. Gupta|author2=Kenneth R. Valpey|title=The Bhagavata Purana: Sacred Text and Living Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eEPfrzAwO0sC |year=2013|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-53147-4|pages=21–23, 32–35}}</ref> [[Agni Purana]] (4.2-3), [[Brahmanda Purana]] (2.5.3-29), [[Vayu Purana]] (67.61-66), [[Brahma Purana]]  (213.44-79), [[Vishnudharmottara Purana]] (1.54), [[Kurma Purana]] (1.15.18-72), [[Matsya Purana]] (161-163), [[Padma Purana]] (5.42), [[Shiva Purana]] (2.5.43 & 3.10-12), [[Linga Purana]] (1.95-96) and [[Skanda Purana]] (2.18.60-130) all mention Vishnu as Narasimha.<ref>{{cite book|author=David Leeming|title=A Dictionary of Asian Mythology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QRwgAQAAQBAJ |year=2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-512053-0|pages=125–126}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=S. M. Srinivasa Chari|title=Vaiṣṇavism: Its Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Discipline |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=evmiLInyxBMC |year=1994|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-1098-3|pages=35–38}}</ref> In all these Puranas, Narasimha is described as the God of Destruction, who does destruction at the time of [[Pralaya]] and described as [[Kāla|Kala]].{{Sfn|Soifer|1991|p=102}} Narasimha is also described as having three eyes just like [[Shiva]] and does destruction with fire coming from his third eye.{{Sfn|Soifer|1991|p=92}}