“Shri Hari, who is the Lord of the demigods, who is worshiped by the people of the world, for benefiting the moving and nonmoving beings of the world took that dreadful form through His own energy and tore apart Hiranyakashipu, who caused suffering to so many, with His nails.” (Narasimha Purana, 44.43)

Download as podcast episode (right click and save)

हरिः सुरेशो नरलोकपूजितो हिताय लोकस्य चराचरस्य
कृत्वा विरूपं च पुरात्ममायया हिरण्यकं दुःखकरं नखैश् छिनत्

hariḥ sureśo naralokapūjito hitāya lokasya carācarasya
kṛtvā virūpaṃ ca purātmamāyayā hiraṇyakaṃ duḥkhakaraṃ nakhaiś chinat

In one sense, it is a natural tendency. It is completely understandable to move in this direction. If you see a deficiency, plug it. If there is a gap, fill it. If something went wrong for someone when choosing a certain way, make sure not to choose that way for yourself. Avoid the trouble. Steer clear of the headache. Prevent the potential damage. At the same time, someone like Hiranyakashipu takes the precautions to the extreme, beyond the realm of possibility. His obstinacy in refusing to accept the fixed laws of the material world aligns with his asura nature, which eventually meets with tragic destruction; the likes of which he was desperate to avoid in the first place.

Hiranyakashipu is a nonfictional character from history. He is a Daitya by birth, as he traces his lineage to the woman known as Diti. He is also a Daitya in spirit, as those born in that line have a specific mark of identification. It is in their behavior, their view of a certain belief system, and the conclusion they reach from that view. This overall tendency is known as asura, which is commonly translated as “demon.”

Hiranyakashipu fills in the picture of the generic asura quite well. We do not have to rely on a textbook definition; we can simply study his own tendencies. The asura has this dreaded fear of death. To them, death is the end. It is total and complete annihilation. There cannot be an afterlife; otherwise the asura would have to accept that there is punishment awaiting them, based on how they have behaved.

As a result, there tends to be this intense paranoia. I am enjoying right now, but how will I maintain this life? How can I avoid death? Hiranyakashipu thought he had hacked the system. He first went about worshiping Lord Brahma, who is the creator. The worship was not easy. To get the attention of such an esteemed individual requires rigorous practice and demonstrable dedication. Hiranyakashipu managed to succeed. He achieved a meeting with Brahma. He immediately wanted immortality, but it was off the table.

नान्तर्बहिर्दिवा नक्तमन्यस्मादपि चायुधै:
न भूमौ नाम्बरे मृत्युर्न नरैर्न मृगैरपि

nāntar bahir divā naktam
anyasmād api cāyudhaiḥ
na bhūmau nāmbare mṛtyur
na narair na mṛgair api

“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 be brought by any being other than those created by you, nor by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.” (Hiranyakashipu praying to Lord Brahma, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.36)

The paranoia will not so easily subside, however. Hiranyakashipu thought of ways to create immortality, through individual components. Basically, take the known vulnerabilities and address them. If the gap analysis, based on recorded history available at the time, highlighted certain issues, conditions, beings, and timings that led to death, ask for immunity. Ask Brahma to grant protection. Help the benefactor along. Guide them on what they need to do. Make their job easier.

The asura word is actually a negation. The root concept is sura. The asura is the demon and the sura the devotee. The irony is that the devotee never really gives much attention to the different vulnerabilities. They realize from the start that this place is miserable and temporary. There is the potential for the worst tragedies to occur, where that potential begins at the time of birth. When there is birth, there must be death. When there is placement, there must be removal. When there is ascension, there must be a fall.

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्
ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्माद् अपरिहार्ये ऽर्थे
न त्वं शोचितुम् अर्हसि

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ‘rthe
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.27)

We have the corresponding devotee in Prahlada Maharaja. As Hiranyakashipu perfectly depicts the asura character, Prahlada is the highest sura. Prahlada is not tainted by contact with the material nature. He is not worried about impending death. Not that he behaves callously or to intentionally invite danger to the scene. Prahlada simply understands the ways of the world and how material living has danger at every step. The one who submits to the will of the Almighty, understanding Him as Mukunda, sees their journey across the ocean of suffering shorten. The vast ocean turns into something like a puddle filling the ground left by the step of a calf.

समाश्रिता ये पदपल्लवप्लवं
महत्पदं पुण्ययशो मुरारे:
भवाम्बुधिर्वत्सपदं परं पदं
पदं पदं यद् विपदां न तेषाम्

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

“For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda or the giver of mukti, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoofprint. Param padam, or the place where there are no material miseries, or Vaikuntha, is his goal, not the place where there is danger in every step of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.14.58)

Hiranyakashipu supposedly thought of everything. He was safe from beasts, humans, the daytime, the night, conventional weapons, the sea, and a host of other conditions. Meanwhile, Prahlada never asked for such protection. He was only five years of age. He never imagined that his own father would institute a systematic plan of torture. Prahlada would never dream of preparing for a fall from high atop a mountain, dealing with venomous snakes, or guarding against weapons hurled in his direction.

Somehow, Prahlada managed to survive. He became a target for the crime of worshiping Vishnu, who is the well-wisher of the suras. Hiranyakashipu could not tolerate worship of Vishnu in his kingdom. Hiranyakashipu was safe from identifiable living beings. This meant that Prahlada could not harm the father. What Hiranyakashipu could not understand was the survival of Prahlada. How was the child not dying from the various attempts made against his life? How was the child so calm throughout the ordeal? Just where was his strength coming from?

The source of that strength eventually revealed itself. Dreaded time, which waits for no one, emerged from a pillar as the amazing Narasimha, who was a half-man/half-lion. The boons of protection were not violated. Narasimha found a way around the rules; He outsmarted Hiranyakashipu. Prahlada was steady as ever, during that otherwise dreadful destruction of the best of the atheist demons.

In Closing:

By Lord Brahma blessed,
That one of asuras the best.

Considering the entire time,
How immortality to find.

Meanwhile the son without a care,
Ways of nature aware.

Surviving worst attempts made,
Then obeisance to Narasimha paid.

Categories: bhagavan

Tags: dailyprompt, narasimha, poem, poems, poetry, worship