Killing of Hiranyakashipu

Vyasa said

Sanatkumara, omniscient one, when that hated asura was killed, what did his elder brother, the great asura, do? I am very curious, Brahma's son. I bow to you; please be kind and let me hear it.

Brahma said

Hearing Vyasa, Sanatkumara, lord among sages, called to mind Shiva's lotus feet and answered.

Sanatkumara said

Vyasa, when Hiranyakashipu heard that Hari in boar form had killed his brother, he was sad and angry together. He loved carnage and wreaked havoc among beings. Fond of his enmity toward Hari, he told the brave asuras to act accordingly. They bowed and accepted their master's order, and loved bloodshed and tormented the subjects who were gods. The evil-minded asuras agitated the world, and the devas were seen leaving heaven to wander on earth. Because of his brother's death Hiranyakashipu was miserable. He performed the water rites and consoled his wife and the others. The daitya lord wanted to make himself invincible and free of old age and death, to rule unchallenged and unobstructed, and so he performed terrible austerities in the valleys of Mandara. He stood on his big toes alone, arms raised and eyes fixed on the sky. While he tormented himself, the gods' forces beat all the daityas and recovered their positions. From his austerities a smoky fire rose from his head and spread through all the worlds, above, below and across, scorching them, and the scorched gods left heaven and went to Brahma's world. With faces drawn by the heat, they told Brahma what had happened. Surrounded by the gods, Bhrigu, Daksha and others, Brahma went to the daitya lord's hermitage. Hiranyakashipu, who had scorched all the worlds, saw the lotus-born one arrive, and Brahma, wishing to grant him a boon, said, "Ask for a boon."

Hearing Brahma's sweet words, the very foolish daitya answered. He asked that he never be afraid of death from shastras, astras, nooses, vajras, anything dry, trees, large mountains, water, fire, blows of enemies, devas, daityas, sages, siddhas or any created being. Not to say more, he asked that he not be killed in heaven or on earth, by night or by day, from above or from below. Hearing the daitya lord, the lotus-born one bowed mentally to Vishnu and, full of compassion, replied that he was pleased and the daitya would have everything. His wishes were met, so enough of austerities, which had gone on ninety-six thousand years. He should rise and rule the danavas' kingdom. The daitya's face brightened, and the grandfather installed him in the kingdom.

But Hiranyakashipu set his mind on destroying the three worlds. Intoxicated, he uprooted every kind of dharma and defeated all the gods in battle, and they fled in fear and suffered from the excellent daitya. With the grandfather's permission they all went to the ocean of milk where Hari lies, worshipped him much and praised Vishnu in many words. When they judged him pleased, they told him all their miseries and the cause of their grief. Rama's lord was content, and hearing all their sorrow he granted them boons. Upendra rose from his bed and comforted the gods and sages with fitting words, and, blazing like fire in his energy, said he would kill the daitya by force and they should go home satisfied. Hearing Rama's lord, Shakra and the other gods were very pleased, and thought the younger brother of Hiranyanetra as good as killed.

The great one took a composite, cruel form with fangs as weapons, sharp nails, an excellent nose, a mane and a wide-gaping mouth, terrible as a crore suns and like the fire at the end of a yuga. Not to say more, he pervaded the universe. As the sun was about to set, the lord went to the asuras' city, fought the terrible daityas and killed them. He seized large numbers of daityas and whirled them around, and Nrisimha, wonderful in valour, crushed many asuras and seemed to toy with them all. Prahlada, the daitya lord's son, saw the lion everywhere and told his father that this lion pervading the universe was Bhagavan Ananta, who had come to his city as Nrisimha, and he could see its cruel form. He urged him to withdraw from the fight and take refuge with him, for no warrior in the three worlds could face him, and to bow to the lion and rule the kingdom. The evil-souled king asked his son why he was afraid. He then told the best and bravest daityas to seize this malformed lion with terrible brows and eyes and bring it to him. The best of the daityas went to seize the lion but, like moths before a fire, were burned at once. When they were burned, the daitya king began to fight the king of beasts with all his shastras and astras, spears, sticks, goads, fire and other things. Weapons in hand, the two brave and experienced fighters fought for the length of one of Brahma's days, roaring angrily at each other with minds full of rage. Suddenly the daitya took many arms, each with weapons, looked at Nrisimha and rushed at him, and the lion fought with great force. The clash was unbearable and every kind of shastra and astra was used. When all were exhausted the great daitya took a spear and rushed at Nrisimha, but the lion seized him with arms that seemed made of the essence of mountains, set him on his knees and tore him apart with the nails at the tips of his arms. The danava's inner organs were pierced, and with his nails as weapons the lion tore out the lotus of his heart and blood flowed. Within a short time he lost his life, and when life left him he was like a log and his limbs were ground to powder.

When the gods' enemy was killed, Vishnu was pleased. He called Prahlada, who bowed to him, installed him in the kingdom, and left by a path that could not be traced. The gods were delighted and bowed in the direction Vishnu had gone, successful now that the lord had done their work, and the grandfather and the others went to their own homes. Sanatkumara summed up: Andhaka's birth through Rudra, Hiranyanetra's death by the boar, his brother's slaying by Nrisimha and Prahlada's gaining the kingdom had been described. Now Vyasa should hear of the power Andhaka obtained from Bhava, his battle with Hara, and the status of ganapati he later obtained from Girisha.