Before knowing about Jai Prathyankara
it is necessary to know about
Narasimha. Because it was Jai Prathyankara devi who came to appease the anger
of Narasimhamurthy, the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
A deadly demon named
Hiranyakashipu did penance towards Lord Shiva in the Treta Yuga. Then he got a
boon from Lord Shiva who appeared before him that he should not be killed by
gods, humans, weapons, animals, night or day.
Due to the boon he received from
Lord Shiva, he arrogantly conquered the three worlds and made them his slaves
and asked to be worshiped as God. Hiranyakashipu son Pragalathan was chanting
the name of Narayana for ever. This did not please his father Hiranyakashipu.
One day, Hiranyakashipu went to
the peak of anger and asked, Where is your Narayana?, to which Pragladhan
replied, Narayana is everywhere. He replied that he will be in the pillar and
also in the trunk. Enraged Hiranyakashipu, is this pillar, your Narayana?
Hearing that, he hit the nearby pillar with his weapon. Then Narasimhamurthy
appeared from that pillar in a fierce form with the head of a lion and the body
of a man, and in a fit of rage, laid Hiranyakashipu on his lap, split open his
chest, drew out his intestines and wore it as a garland, drank his blood and
killed him.
After drinking the blood of
Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha made the three worlds afraid of Rajo Gunam,
unrelenting anger. Devas and sages went to Brahma and prayed to pacify
Narasimhamurthy anger.
But he said that he could not even
come close to Narasimhamurthy with such a figure. Distraught devas and sages
came forward to praise Vinayaka, and Vinayaka accepted their request and went
to Narasimhamurthy and performed many miracles. But Narasimhamurthy fury did
not subside.
The frightened gods and sages
went to Lord Shiva to plead, and he sent Veerabhadra to appease
Narasimhamurthy anger.
Veerabhadra went to
Narasimhamurthy following Lord Shiva orders and prayed to him to change his
form. But Narasimhamurthy, who was not abated, stabbed Veerabhadra with his
sharp claws.
Lord Shiva appeared as
Veerasarabeswarar in the form of one-half form of dangerous yali and the other
half form of dangerous bird with the sound of Heeringara Hungara so that the
whole world trembled as the mournful Veerabhadras sang praises to Lord Shiva.
Veerasarabeswarar gave a war
call to Narasimhamurthy, who did not let his anger subside.
Narasimha was furious and gave
birth to the bird Kanda Barundam from his mane. It flew up and fought with Veerabhadreshwara.
This war lasted for 18 days.
Not wanting the war to continue,
Veerasarabeswarar prayed to stop the war. From his forehead, Goddess Jai Prathyankara appeared as jewels, shining with
the light of a thousand million suns. Jai Prathyankara, the goddess of the universe,
swallowed and digested the world. Jai Prathyankara absorbed Narasimhamurthy fury and fierce, and he saw
Ambal and Veerasarabar as his anger subsided.
Realizing that even Rama Lakshmana
would not be able to defeat him if he prayed to Mother Jai Prathyankara and obtained her grace, Indrajit
performed the most secret Nikumbala Yaga at a place called Nikumbalai.
Mother is not able to observe
whether her worshiper is good or bad. Knowing that no one could defeat Indrajit
once he got the grace of Prathyankara, Anjaneya stopped the yagna.
Andhagan, a demon, tormented
the Devas in his arrogance, which was blessed by Lord Shiva so that he would
not be killed by Brahma, Vishnu and the Devas. Unable to bear this, the gods
prayed that he would do what he said.
Andakan ordered them to pass their
lives in the guise of women. Even after doing this, Andakan tormented them
more. The impatient gods appealed to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva called Bhairava and
asked him to kill Andhagan. Bhairav also killed Andakan with the help of Jai Prathyankara.