The Lord has unlimited forms and bodily features (advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (BS 5.33)). These are all situated in Vaikuṇṭha, yet Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune, being inspired by līlā-śakti, could not appreciate this unprecedented form of the Lord. In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya recites the following verses from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:
- adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrvatvād
- anyaiḥ sādhāraṇair janaiḥ
- nṛsiṁhaṁ śaṅkiteva śrīr
- loka-mohāyano yayau
- prahrāde caiva vātsalya-
- darśanāya harer api
- jñātvā manas tathā brahmā
- prahrādaṁ preṣayat tadā
- ekatraikasya vātsalyaṁ
- viśeṣād darśayed dhariḥ
- avarasyāpi mohāya
- krameṇaivāpi vatsalaḥ
In other words, for the common men the form of the Lord as Nṛsiṁhadeva is certainly unseen and wonderful, but for a devotee like Prahlāda Mahārāja such a fearsome form of the Lord is not at all extraordinary. By the grace of the Lord, a devotee can very easily understand how the Lord can appear in any form He likes. Therefore the devotee is never afraid of such a form. Because of special favor bestowed upon Prahlāda Mahārāja, he remained silent and unafraid, even though all the demigods, including even Lakṣmīdevī, were afraid of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). Not only is a pure devotee of Nārāyaṇa like Prahlāda Mahārāja unafraid of any dangerous condition of material life, but also if the Lord appears to mitigate the fear of a devotee, the devotee maintains his status of fearlessness in all circumstances.