Hiraṇyakaśipu and Nṛsiṃha in the Padma Purāṇa
The Uttara Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa tells of Hiraṇyakaśipu, his son Prahlāda and the avatāra Nṛsiṃha in Chapter 238. In this account Hiraṇyakaśipu receives his vara (boon) from Bhagavān Śiva. In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa and the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa the vara comes from Brahmā. His wife is named Kalyāṇī.
Jaya and Vijaya, the background
The Padma Purāṇa places this account inside the curse of Jaya and Vijaya. These two door-keepers of Vaikuṇṭha were cursed by Sanaka and the other Kumāras. They had to take three births as asuras before they could return to Vaikuṇṭha.
Their first birth was as the asura brothers Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyāksha, the foe of Bhagavān Varāha. The Varāha avatāra killed Hiraṇyāksha, and the Nṛsiṃha avatāra killed Hiraṇyakaśipu, both in this same lifetime.
Hiraṇyakaśipu’s vara from Śiva
Hiraṇyakaśipu did hard tapas and pleased Bhagavān Śiva. Śiva gave him a vara that made him almost impossible to kill. He could not be killed by a human being, a deva or an animal. He could not be killed by day or by night, inside or outside, or by any weapon.
Proud of this vara from Śiva, he won the three worlds and called himself the highest ruler. He forbade all pūjā of Bhagavān Vishṇu.
Prahlāda’s birth and devotion
His wife Kalyāṇī bore him a son named Prahlāda. From the very start Prahlāda had a firm love for Bhagavān Vishṇu that nothing could shake. He grew up in his father’s court among the asuras, and he said openly that Vishṇu is the highest reality. He taught the other asura children to honour Vishṇu. Fear, beatings, hard teaching and gentle words could not shake his devotion.
The attempts to kill Prahlāda
Hiraṇyakaśipu was angry that his son loved his great enemy, and he tried again and again to kill him.
- Snakes: Poisonous snakes were set on Prahlāda. They turned away and did him no harm.
- Elephants: Mad war elephants were driven at him. They would not hurt him.
- Fire: He was put into a fire. The flames did not burn him.
- Poison: He was given poison. It had no effect.
Every attempt failed, because the presence of Bhagavān Vishṇu filled and guarded his devotee.
Nṛsiṃha comes out of the pillar
At last Hiraṇyakaśipu faced his son and challenged him to show where his Vishṇu was. Prahlāda said that Vishṇu is present everywhere, in the pillar in front of them as in every atom of creation.
Hiraṇyakaśipu struck the pillar. It split with a huge roar, and Bhagavān Nṛsiṃha came out, half man and half lion, blazing with a fearful golden light. It was the hour of twilight. On the threshold of the hall, Nṛsiṃha laid Hiraṇyakaśipu across his thighs. This was neither earth nor sky, neither inside nor outside. With his lion’s claws he tore open the asura’s chest, and so he got round every condition of the vara.
Lakshmī calms Nṛsiṃha
After the killing, Nṛsiṃha stayed in his fearful form and his anger had not gone down. Devī Lakshmī came forward and calmed Bhagavān Nṛsiṃha, and little by little he grew peaceful.
Prahlāda made king
By the grace of Nṛsiṃha, Prahlāda was made king of the asuras. He ruled with justice and with devotion to Bhagavān Vishṇu. The Padma Purāṇa also says that Indra was then put back on his throne in svarga (heaven) after Nṛsiṃha had overcome Hiraṇyakaśipu, and that Indra’s gratitude led to the founding of Indraprastha.
Sources
- Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 238 (the main account)
- Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapters 237–238 (Jaya and Vijaya, the background)
- Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapters 238–239 (Prahlāda made king, Indra and Indraprastha)
- Bhāgavata Purāṇa and Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa (named for the vara from Brahmā)