Stories From The Bhagavatham - Narasimha Avatar (Part 1)

In the previous chapters of Bhagavatham, we read about how the doorkeepers of Vaikuntha, the abode of Maha Vishnu, had been cursed to take three births as the enemies of the lord. One of their births was as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, two Asuras who wreaked untold damage upon the earth and made life miserable for all the devotees of the Lord.

Hiranyaksha was killed by Maha Vishnu in His form as Varaha. Angered by the killing of his brother, Hiranyakashipu issued a command to his followers. “My brother has been killed by Narayana. I must destroy him. Go to the earth and wherever you see people performing Tapas, Yajna and other spiritual activities, kill them. Narayana is said to be present at the places where people worship him. I do not want him to be worshipped! Destroy anyone who utters his name!”

Eagerly following his orders, the asuras went on a rampage, destroying places of worship, obstructing spiritual activities and harming every one who proclaimed themselves to be a devotee of Narayana. Temples were razed, huts were burned and trees were uprooted on an enormous scale. There was total destruction and chaos everywhere on earth.

Even the Devas weren’t spared. The asuras waged war on them and forced them to abandon their kingdom and move to the earth where they roamed in disguise, so as to avoid capture.

The asuras were still mourning the death of their leader Hiranyaksha. To them, Hiranyakashipu said these words – ‘Do not mourn the death of a hero. Every warrior desires to die in the battlefield. Karma brings two people together and it is Karma again that separates them. You are grieving for someone who is not dead. The Atman is eternal and indestructible. It is not the body; it only assumes a body and the qualities of a human and when the body dies, we think that the human is dead. Only the body dies and the Atman lives forever, pure and indestructible. Abandon your grief and let us consider what is to be done further. I will destroy our arch enemy Narayana and avenge our brother!”

Hiranyakashipu had a desire. He wanted to be immortal. He decided to undertake severe penance and please Lord Brahma so that he could achieve a boon of immortality from Him. He came to the Mandara mountain and with intense focus, he performed his penance.

Taking advantage of his absence from the battlefield, the Devas returned to their abodes.

Hiranyakashipu’s Tapas became intense with the passage of time and the entire world started feeling its effects. He began to emit a glow similar to the sun. His hair started spitting fire. The entire world started feeling the effects of the heat. The rivers and seas became turbulent. The earth quaked and volcanoes started erupting. The Bhagavatham mentions that so intense was his Tapas that it started attracting stars which crashed and burned on earth.

The Devas were troubled and visited Lord Brahma. They pleaded to him, ‘It is time to visit your Bhakta and listen to his prayers. We are unable to bear the effects of his Tapas.’ They however had a warning for Lord Brahma. ‘Although you know what he desires, we would still like to caution you. It was Hiranyakashipu who once said – ‘The Lord Brahma with His intense Tapas was able to create not only the Universe but also the Sathyaloka, his own abode. If I try enough, I will be able to become Brahma. Then I will create my own Sathyaloka, a new world where laws will be changed. What is now considered as sin, will be considered holy. When I become Brahma, the asuras will become Devas and the Devas, the asuras.’ It is only for this purpose that Hiranyakashipu has undertaken this penance. When you grant him boons, please remember this.”

Lord Brahma had no option but to appear before him. Hiranyakashipu was so covered with anthills and weeds that the Lord could not see him at first.

“I am pleased with your Tapas.  Ask me anything and I will grant it to you.” Lord Brahma said.

Hiranyakashipu fell at the Lord’s feet. Brahma sprinkled water on him. The holy water immediately restored the asura’s strength.

“I only want one boon.” Hiranya said, overcome with joy at having seen the Lord. “I want to be immortal.”

Lord Brahma said. “I myself am not immortal. I will not be able to grant this boon to you. I can however grant you immunity from things you wish.”

"None of your creations should be the cause of my death." Hiranyakashipu said. "No weapons should cause my death. I should be killed neither inside the house nor outside; not during the day and neither during the night; neither on the earth nor in the sky, and neither by human nor any animal. Neither the Devas nor the asuras should be able to destroy me. I want to be the sole sovereign of the earth. Please grant me this boon."

Lord Brahma granted these boons to Hiranyakashipu and vanished from the mountains.

Hiranyakashipu returned from his successful quest and set out to conquer the worlds. By the boons conferred upon him, he quickly conquered all the three worlds. The four guardians of the four quarters – Indra, Varuna, Kubera and Yama became his servers. He went to heaven and conquered the palace of Indra. The offerings made to Indra were now devoured by Hiranya. The earth yielded her crop to him and the seas gave up their gems.

The asuras kept committing their atrocities against the devotees of Narayana. These people secretly meditated on the Lord inside caves and outwardly proclaimed themselves to be devotees of Hiranya. Many years passed thus.

The Devas approached Maha Vishnu and requested his help.

“Do not fear.” The Lord comforted them. “I know Hiranya has become unbearable. Soon, he will birth a son who will be the very image of love, friendliness and all qualities which are dear to me but are not favored by the Asura. A time will come when Hiranya will ill-treat his own son. That is when I will come and destroy him despite of all the boons he acquired from Brahma. It is just a matter of time and his own son will become the immediate cause of his death.”

Comforted by this assurance, the Devas returned to their abodes, hope in their hearts, for Hiranya’s end was nearing.