Narasimha

Narasimha is one of the ten avatars (incarnations) of the Hindu god Vishnu. The demon Hiranyakashipu, the twin brother of Hiranyaksha—who was previously defeated by Vishnu in his Varaha incarnation—received a boon from the god Brahma granting him near invincibility. According to the boon, he could not be killed by a human or an animal, inside or outside, during the day or night, and no weapon could harm him. Feeling invulnerable, Hiranyakashipu began tormenting both heaven and earth.

Despite his father’s hostility, his son Prahlada remained a devoted follower of Vishnu. Enraged by Prahlada's devotion, Hiranyakashipu challenged him one day, striking a stone pillar and mockingly asking, “If your god is everywhere, is he in this pillar too?” In response, Vishnu emerged from the pillar in the form of Narasimha—a being who was part man and part lion—and killed the demon at dusk on a threshold, thereby bypassing the conditions of the boon.