Hiraṇyakaśipu, Prahlāda and Narasiṃha Avatāra

The Brahmāṇḍa Mahā Purāṇa tells, in the Madhyama Bhāga, Chapter 5, how the asura king Hiraṇyakaśipu was born at Pushkara, how he took over the three worlds, how his son Prahlāda held to Bhagavān Vishṇu in spite of every torment, and how Bhagavān Narasiṃha came out of a pillar to slay him and bring back dharma.

The birth of Hiraṇyakaśipu

Hiraṇyakaśipu was the elder son of Kaśyapa and Diti. He was born at Pushkara, the great tīrtha (holy place), during the Aśvamedha yajña that his father Kaśyapa performed. Pushkara would later also be the place of Paraśurāma’s long sādhana (spiritual practice).

Hiraṇyakaśipu grew to be a being of huge strength and pride. He did fierce tapas (austerity) and received from Brahmā a vara (a boon) that made him almost impossible to kill. He could not be killed by man or beast, by day or by night, inside or outside, on earth or in the sky, or by any weapon, whether alive or not.

Bold with this vara, he conquered the three worlds and drove the devas out of svarga (heaven). He named himself the only master of all that exists and forbade all worship of Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Prahlāda’s steady bhakti

Prahlāda was born in this house of adharma, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu and his queen. From birth he was filled with bhakti (devotion) for Bhagavān Vishṇu. This love was so natural, deep and steady that no fear, no punishment and no argument could move it.

The Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa shows Prahlāda as the best example of uttama-bhakti (the highest devotion). His devotion was not won by ritual or by teaching. It came by itself from an ātmā (soul) that was, in its very nature, given up to Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Even as a child in the asura kingdom, Prahlāda sat in his father’s court and said openly that Vishṇu is the highest reality, the one who holds up all the worlds and is present in every atom of creation. He boldly said that Vishṇu is even in the pillar before his father’s throne.

The attempts on Prahlāda’s life

Hiraṇyakaśipu was enraged that his son loved his great enemy. He put Prahlāda through one worse torment after another.

Poisonous snakes were set on him, and they drew back without harming him.
He was thrown from the tops of cliffs, and he landed unhurt.
Fire was set around him, and it did not burn him.
He was thrown into the ocean, and he floated safely.
He was set before maddened elephants, and they turned away.

Each attempt failed, because the protection of Bhagavān Vishṇu filled the body and life of his devotee. Through all of it Prahlāda stayed calm. He kept chanting the names of Vishṇu, and his heart held no fear and no anger toward his father.

Narasiṃha comes out of the pillar

When every attempt had failed, Hiraṇyakaśipu called Prahlāda before his throne and asked, “Where is this Vishṇu of yours? Is he in this pillar?”

Prahlāda answered with full calm and certainty: “Bhagavān Vishṇu is in all things. He is in this pillar as in every particle of creation.”

At that moment Hiraṇyakaśipu struck the pillar with his fist. The column burst apart with a thunderous roar, and out of it came Bhagavān Narasiṃha. He was neither man nor beast. He had the body of a man and the head and claws of a lion. He blazed with a terrible splendour that filled the whole universe.

Every part of the vara was met:

It was neither day nor night, but twilight.
The place was neither earth nor sky, but the threshold of the palace hall.
Bhagavān Narasiṃha was neither armed nor unarmed. He tore Hiraṇyakaśipu open with his own claws.
The asura lay neither inside nor outside, but across the thighs of Bhagavān Narasiṃha.

In this way each condition of the vara was met by the wisdom of Bhagavān Vishṇu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was slain, and dharma was brought back.

Prahlāda is made king

After Hiraṇyakaśipu was slain, the terrible form of Bhagavān Narasiṃha slowly grew calm in the presence of his dear devotee. He accepted Prahlāda, laid his hand on him in blessing, and made him king of the asuras. Prahlāda ruled justly. Through his long reign he kept dharma and bhakti.

Connection to Rāvaṇa

The Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa says that Rāvaṇa, the great king of the rākshasas, was in one of his earlier births this same Hiraṇyakaśipu. The Madhyama Bhāga says so openly. After Bhagavān Narasiṃha slew him, the same ātmā passed through the cycle of births. It was born in the Tretāyuga of the twenty-fourth caturyuga as Rāvaṇa, son of Viśravā and Kaikasī, and was at last freed by Bhagavān Rāma.

The text says that this freeing through being slain is the highest form of divine mercy. To be slain by the hand of Bhagavān Vishṇu is itself moksha (liberation).

In this way the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa joins the Narasiṃha avatāra to the Rāma avatāra across the span of the manvantaras.

Sources

Brahmāṇḍa Mahā Purāṇa, Madhyama Bhāga, Chapter 5