How Hiranyakashipu Died?
Bhagavata Purana describes that in his previous avatar under the name of Varaha, Sri Visnu killed the asura king Hiranyaksha. Hirnayaksa’s younger brother, Hiranyakashipu, wanted revenge on Sri Maha Visnu and his supporters. He has undertaken many years of severe penance to take revenge on Sri Visnu. Lord Brahma offers a boon and then the demon Hiranyakashipu ask for deathless life. Brahma tells him that it is not possible, but that he could link Hiranyakashipu’s death to the conditions. Hiranyakashipu agreed for the boon. and asks like this:
“Oh my lord, O the best of those who give the blessing, if you kindly grant me the blessing that I desire, do not let me meet the death from any one of the living entities created by you.
Grant me not to die inside any residence or outside any residence, day or night, on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death was not caused by any weapon, nor by any human or animal.
Grant me that I cannot find the death of any entity, living or non-living, created by you. Also, grant me that no demigod or demon kills me, nor any large serpent of the lower planets. Since no one can kill you on the battlefield, you have no competitor. Therefore, grant me a boon that I have no rival either. Give me sole lordship over all living entities and presiding deities, and give me all the glories obtained by this position. Also, give me all the mystical powers obtained through long austerities and the practice of yoga, as they cannot be lost at any time.”
Brahma granted the boon and said Tathastu before vanishing. Hiranyakashipu was happy thinking that he had won over death.
One day, while Hiranyakashipu was performing austerities on the mountain of Mandaracala, Indra and the other devatas attacked his house and abducted Hiranyakshipu’s wife. Sage Narada rescued her as she was pregnant at the time. He took refuge in his house. Narada used to sing and praise Lord Vishnu and the boy Prahlada listened to him from his mother stomach until his childhood. He grew up with devotion to Lord Vishnu.
Hiranyakashipu furious at his son’s devotion to Sri Maha Vishnu, since the god had killed his brother. Finally, he decides to commit filicide. but whenever he tries to kill the child, Prahlada is protected by the mystical power of Vishnu bhagawan. When asked, Prahlada refuses to recognize his father as the supreme lord of the universe and declares that Sri Vishnu is the supreme god of the universe.
Angered Hiranyakashipu points a nearby pillar and asks his son if Visnu is in it.
O most unfortunate Prahlada, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above all, who is the controller of all, and who dominates everything. But where is He? If He is everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar?
Prahlada then answers like this,
He was, He is and He will be in the piller.
In an alternate version of the story, Prahlada answers,
He is in pillars, and he is in the smallest twig.
Hiranyakashipu, unable to control his anger, breaks the pillar with his gada, and after a thundering noise, Sri Vishnu in the form of Narasimha appears and moves to attack Hiranyakashipu. to defend Prahlada. To kill Hiranyakashipu and not to alter the blessing given by Brahma, the form of Narasimha is chosen. Hiranyakashipu cannot be killed by humans, devas or animals. Narasimha is not part of it, because He is a form of Visnu embodied as a part-human, part-animal. He meets Hiranyakashipu at dusk (neither day nor night) on the threshold of a courtyard (neither inside nor outside), and puts the demon on his thighs (neither ground nor space). Using his sharp nails (neither animated nor inanimate) as weapons, he disembowels and kill the demon.
It is said that even after killing Prahlada’s father, none of the present demigods were not able to calm the wrath of Narasimha Swamy, so the demigods asked Prahlada to calm the Lord, and Narasimha, who had taken all-powerful form of Gandaberunda, returned to a more benevolent way. after that. In other stories, all the gods and goddesses call their wives, Laksmi, who takes the form of Pratyangira and pacifies the Lord. According to some scriptures, at the request of Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva took the form of Sharabha and pacified him successfully. Before leaving, Narasimha rewards the sage Prahlada the crowning king.
