Phala netranala prabala - ఫాల నేత్రానల ప్రబల
Phala netranala prabala - ఫాల నేత్రానల ప్రబల | Annamayya Lyrics | Sankeertanalu | Songs | Telugu & English
Introduction
"Phālanētrānala Prabala" is one of the rarest keertanams of Sri Annamacharya (1408–1503) — composed largely in Sanskrit rather than his usual Telugu, reserved for describing the cosmic, terrifying splendour of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha, the fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu.Listen Audio by G BALAKRISHNA PRASAD:
ఫాలనేత్రానల ప్రబల విద్యుల్లతా కేళీ విహార లక్ష్మీనారసింహా
ప్రళయమారుత ఘొర భస్త్రీకాపూత్కార లలిత నిశ్వాసడోలా రచనయా
కూలశైలకుంభినీ కుముదహిత రవిగగన- చలన విధినిపుణ నిశ్చల నారసింహా
వివరఘనవదన దుర్విధహసన నిష్ఠ్యూత- లవదివ్య పరుష లాలాఘటనయా
వివిధ జంతు వ్రాతభువన మగ్నౌకరణ నవనవప్రియ గుణార్ణవ నారసింహా
దారుణోజ్జ్వల ధగద్ధగిత దంష్ట్రానల వికార స్ఫులింగ సంగక్రీడయా
వైరిదానవ ఘోరవంశ భస్మీకరణ- కారణ ప్రకట వేంకట నారసింహా
PAlanEtrAnala prabala vidyullatA kELI vihAra lakShmInArasiMhA
praLayamAruta Gora BastrIkApUtkAra lalita niSvAsaDOlA racanayA
kUlaSailakuMBinI kumudahita ravigagana-calana vidhinipuNa niScala
nArasiMhA ||
vivaraGanavadana durvidhahasana niShThyUta- lavadivya paruSha lAlAGaTanayA
vividha jaMtu vrAtaBuvana magnaukaraNa navanavapriya guNArNava nArasiMhA
dAruNOjjvala dhagaddhagita daMShTrAnala vi- kAra sPuliMga saMgakrIDayA
vairidAnava GOravaMSa BasmIkaraNa- | kAraNa prakaTa vEMkaTa nArasiMhA
Detailed Line-by-Line Summary and English Meaning
Pallavi: The Lord of Cosmic Light and Play
ఫాలనేత్రానల ప్రబల విద్యుల్లతా కేళీ విహార లక్ష్మీనారసింహా
Word-by-Word Breakdown: Phala-netra-anala (The fire radiating from the third eye on the forehead), Prabhala (Intensely powerful), Vidyullata (Streaks of lightning), Keli Vihara (Playing delightfully as a sport).
English Meaning: Salutations to Lord Lakshmi Narasimha, who sports delightfully amid intense streaks of divine lightning radiating from the fiery third eye on His forehead. Annamayya sets the stage by identifying the Lord not just as a protector, but as a supreme entity of raw, blinding cosmic light.
Charanam 1: The Master of Cosmic Breath
ప్రళయమారుత ఘొర భస్త్రీకాపూత్కార లలిత నిశ్వాసడోలా రచనయా కూలశైలకుంభినీ కుముదహిత రవిగగన- చలన విధినిపుణ నిశ్చల నారసింహా
English Meaning: Lord Narasimha’s exhalations and inhalations (niswasa) are compared to the powerful blowing of a blacksmith’s bellows (bhastrika), yet they are effortless and gentle (lalita) to Him. This seemingly gentle breath manifests as a terrifying cosmic tempest (pralaya-maruta). His breath acts like a colossal swing (dola), causing the massive primordial mountains (kula-shaila), the Earth (kumbhini), the Moon (kumuda-hita), the Sun (ravi), and the entire sky (gagana) to tremble and shake. Yet, despite orchestrating this colossal cosmic movement, Lord Narasimha remains perfectly calm, detached, and unmoving (Nischala).
Charanam 2: The Source of Creation and Dissolution
వివరఘనవదన దుర్విధహసన నిష్ఠ్యూత- లవదివ్య పరుష లాలాఘటనయా వివిధ జంతు వ్రాతభువన మగ్నౌకరణ నవనవప్రియ గుణార్ణవ నారసింహా
English Meaning: This stanza focuses on His terrifying, expansive jaws (vivara-ghana-vadana). When the Lord laughs fiercely or spits in fury at evil forces, those terrifying, sharp particles of divine saliva are enough to swallow or submerge (magnaukarana) all varieties of living creatures (vividha jantu vrata) and worlds into dissolution. Despite this fierce cosmic authority, He remains an ocean of supreme, beautiful, and ever-fresh virtues (Navanavapriya Gunarnava), deeply cherished by His devotees.
Charanam 3: The Annihilator of Evil at Venkatadri
దారుణోజ్జ్వల ధగద్ధగిత దంష్ట్రానల వికార స్ఫులింగ సంగక్రీడయా వైరిదానవ ఘోరవంశ భస్మీకరణ- కారణ ప్రకట వేంకట నారసింహా
English Meaning: Annamayya brings the imagery to a crescendo by describing the Lord’s fearsome fangs (damstra). His fangs burn with a brilliant, blazing fire (dhagaddhagita anala), throwing off sparks (sphulinga) as if playing a wild game of destruction. This terrifying power serves a singular, righteous purpose: the complete annihilation and reduction to ashes (bhasmeekarana) of the wicked lineages of demonic forces (vairi-danava). The composer concludes by revealing that this supreme protector is none other than Lord Venkateswara Himself, manifested as the glorious Venkata Narasimha.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the central theme of Annamayya's "Phalanetranala Prabhala"?
The song centers around the Ugra Rupa (fierce manifestation) of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha. It describes how cosmic elements like the wind, sun, earth, and stars bow down and shake at His mere breath, establishing Him as the supreme controller of creation, preservation, and destruction.
2. Why is this composition written in Sanskrit rather than Telugu?
While Annamacharya is renowned for his sweet, colloquial Telugu sankeertanas, he was equally proficient in Sanskrit. He used high-register Sanskrit in this particular song to effectively match the gravity, grandeur, and thunderous power of the Narasimha incarnation, creating a rhythmic cadence that evokes a sense of awe.
3. Which specific sacred sites are associated with this keertana?
The song honors Lord Narasimha, whose prime abodes in Andhra Pradesh include Ahobilam (the site of the avatar's manifestation) and Tirumala. Annamayya beautifully synthesizes these forms in the final line by addressing Him as "Venkata Narasimha," showing that Lord Venkateswara and Lord Narasimha are one and the same divine entity.
4. What do terms like "Bhastrika" and "Nischala" indicate in this song?
Bhastrika refers to a blacksmith’s bellows, a metaphor for the tremendous force of the Lord’s breath.
Nischala means perfectly stable or unmoving. It highlights a divine paradox: while His energy throws the entire universe into chaotic motion, the Lord Himself remains eternally still, calm, and serene.