Hiranyakasipu And Bhkat Prahlad

The demoniac King Hiranyakasipu wanted to be unconquerable and

Free from old age and dwindling of the body. He wanted to gain all the

Yogic perfections, to be deathless, and to be the only king of the entire Universe, including Brahmaloka. 

In the valley of Mandara Hill, Hiraianyakasipu began performing his austerities by standing with his toes on the ground, keeping his arms upward and looking toward the sky. This position was extremely difficult, but he accepted it as a means to attain perfection. From the hair on Hiranyakasipu's head there emanated an effulgent light as brilliant and intolerable as the rays of the sun at the

time of dissolution. Because of Hiranyakasipu's severe austerities, fire came from his head, and this fire and its smoke spread throughout the sky, encompassing the upper and lower planets, which all became extremely hot. Because of the power of his severe austerities, all the rivers and oceans were agitated, the surfaces of the globe, with its mountains and islands, began trembling, and the stars and planets fell. All directions

were ablaze.

Lord Brahma, who is carried by a swan airplane, at first could not see

where Hiranyakasipu was, for Hiranyakasipu's body was covered by an

anthill and by grass and bamboo sticks. Because Hiranyakasipu had been there for a long time, the ants had devoured his skin, fat, flesh and blood. Then Lord Brahma spotted him,resembling a cloud-covered sun, heating all the world by his austerity. Struck with wonder, Lord Brahma smiled and then addressed him as follows: "0 son of Kasyapa Muni, please get up! I have been very much astonished to see your endurance. In spite of being eaten and bitten by all kinds of worms and ants, you are

keeping your life air circulating within your bones. Certainly this is wonderful.

Who within these three worlds can sustain his life for one hundred celestial years without even drinking water? 0 best of the demons, I am now prepared to give you all benedictions, according to your desire." Lord Brahma, the original being of this universe, who is extremely powerful, then sprinkled transcendental, infallible, spiritual water from his waterpot upon Hiranyakasipu's body, which had been eaten away by ants and moths. Hiranyakasipu arose, endowed with a full body with limbs so strong that they could bear the striking of a thunderbolt. With physical strength and a bodily luster resembling molten gold, he emerged from the anthill a completely young man. He asked Brahma  “Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence,during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not he brought by any being other than those created by you, nor by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.

After receiving benedictions from Lord Brahma, Hiranyakasipu conquered

the rulers of all the planets in the three worlds, seizing their power and influence. He thus began residing in heaven in the most opulent palace of lndra, the celestial King. The palace was as beautifully made as if the goddess of fortune of the entire universe resided there. Being situated on lndra's throne, Hiranyakasipu severely controlled the

inhabitants of all the other planets.

Once Hiranyakasipu affectionately seated his young son Prahlada

Maharaja on his lap and inquired what he had learned from his teachers.

Prahlada replied with exalted Vaisnava philosophy describing how one achieves the perfection of life by dedicating everything to the service of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. After Prahlada Maharaja had spoken in this way, Hiranyakasipu, blinded by anger and hatred for the Supreme Lord, threw the boy off his lap and onto the ground. Indignant and angry, his reddish eyes like molten copper, Hiranyakasipu said to his servants, "0

demons, take this boy away from me! He deserves to be killed. Kill him

as soon as possible!"

After being ordered by Hirainyakasipu to kill Prahlada  Maharaja, his servants, the demon Rakshsas, began striking the tender parts of Prahlada Maharaja's body with their tridents. The demons all had fearful faces, sharp teeth and reddish, coppery beards and hair, and they appeared extremely threatening. Making a tumultuous sound, shouting, "Chop him up! Pierce him!" they began striking Prahlada Maharaja,

who sat silently, meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Prahlada Maharaja was a great devotee, undisturbed by material conditions

and fully engaged in meditating upon and serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus the weapons of the demons had no tangible effects upon him. When the attempts of the demon to kill Prahlada Maharaja were futile, the King of the demons, Hiranyakasipu, being most fearful, began contriving other means to kill him. Hiranyakasipu thought, "Although Prahlada is only five years old, even at this young age he has given up his affectionate relationship with his father and mother. Prahlada is so treacherous that he has become a devotee of Vishnu, who killed his uncle Hiranyaksha. If a limb of one's body is poisoned by disease, it must be amputated so that the rest of the body may live happily. Similarly, even one's own son, if unfavorable, must be rejected, although born of one's own body." Thus Hiranyakasipu planned a campaign to kill Prahlada  Maharaja. He thought he would kill his son by throwing him beneath the feet of big elephants, throwing him among huge, fearful snakes, employing destructive spells, conjuring up illusory tricks, administering poison, starving him, exposing him to severe cold, winds,

fire and water, throwing heavy stones to crush him, or hurling him from the top of a mountain. But Prahlada Maharaja, who was completely sinless, could not be harmed in any way.

The King became extremely angry and decided to kill his son Prahlada. Cursing him again and again, Hiranyakasipu took up his sword and with great anger struck his fist against a nearby column. Then from within the pillar came a fearful sound, which appeared to crack the covering of the universe. At that time the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhibiting the wonderful, fearsome form of Lord Narsimhadeva, emerged from the pillar. Lord Narsimhadeva was half man and half lion. His angry eyes resembled molten gold, His teeth were deadly, His nostrils and gaping mouth appeared like caves of a mountain, His jaws parted fearfully and His entire body touched the sky. His neck was very short and thick, His chest broad, His waist thin, and the hairs on His body as white as the rays of the moon. His arms, spread in all directions, carried His conch shell, disc, club, lotus and other weapons. The demon Hiranyakasipu attacked Narsimhadeva with great force, but the Lord captured him and placed him on His lap, supporting him with His thighs. Then, in the doorway of the assembly hall, the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hand. Lord Narsimhadeva's mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and his fierce eyes, full of anger, were impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narsirmhadeva, decorated with a garland of intestines taken from Hiranyakasipu's abdomen, resembled a lion that has just killed an elephant.

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