The Sanctum Idol
Four-armed, seated in padmasana with a yogapatta around the legs
The Temple View
An easily reached shrine on a motorable road from Lower Ahobilam
The calm after the storm — once his fury had subsided, Lord Narasimha is said to have sat with young Prahlada here and taught him the art of yoga. "Yogananda" means bliss through yoga, and it is one of the most peaceful shrines in all of Ahobilam.
Yogananda Narasimha is shown seated on a raised pedestal in padmasana, legs crossed and bound with a yogapatta, upper hands holding the chakra and conch while the lower hands rest gently on his knees. After the terrifying fury of Jwala Narasimha, this shrine offers a very different mood — calm, composed, and turned inward.
The temple lies a short distance southeast of Lower Ahobilam, reached comfortably by road, making it one of the more accessible of the nine shrines and a peaceful stop on the yatra.
Where Jwala Narasimha captures the height of divine fury, this shrine tells the story of what came after — a Lord turning teacher for his most devoted follower.
With Hiranyakashipu defeated and the cosmic order restored, Narasimha's terrifying rage finally began to settle, and the Lord turned his attention to the devotion that had inspired his descent in the first place.
Tradition holds that the Lord sat here with young Prahlada, the devotee whose unwavering faith had brought him forth from the pillar, and began to teach.
Narasimha instructed Prahlada in yogic postures and meditation techniques — a teaching in inner stillness delivered by the very form that had, moments earlier, embodied ultimate ferocity.
A separate tradition holds that Lord Brahma, troubled and agitated, visited this shrine and found peace of mind through devoted worship of Narasimha here.
Yogananda Narasimha is widely regarded as one of the most tranquil shrines in the Ahobilam kshetram, sought out by devotees seeking calm, clarity, and relief from mental unrest — much as Brahma is said to have found here. Nearby, a shrine housing all nine Narasimha forms alongside the nine navagrahas draws pilgrims looking to balance planetary influences through worship.
Visit the smiling Chatravata Narasimha nearby, or return to the full Nava Narasimha overview.