Chapter Eight
Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva Slays the King of the Demons
TEXTS 3–4
kopāveśa-calad-gātraḥ
putraṁ hantuṁ mano dadhe
kṣiptvā paruṣayā vācā
prahrādam atad-arhaṇam
āhekṣamāṇaḥ pāpena
tiraścīnena cakṣuṣā
praśrayāvanataṁ dāntaṁ
baddhāñjalim avasthitam
sarpaḥ padāhata iva
śvasan prakṛti-dāruṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
kopa-āveśa—by a very angry mood; calat—trembling; gātraḥ—the whole body; putram—his son; hantum—to kill; manaḥ—mind; dadhe—fixed; kṣiptvā—rebuking; paruṣayā—with very harsh; vācā—words; prahrādam—Prahlāda Mahārāja; a-tat-arhaṇam—not fit to be chastised (due to his noble character and tender age); āha—said; īkṣamāṇaḥ—looking at him in anger; pāpena—because of his sinful activities; tiraścīnena—crooked; cakṣuṣā—with eyes; praśraya-avanatam—very gentle and mild; dāntam—very restrained; baddha-añjalim—having folded hands; avasthitam—situated; sarpaḥ—a snake; pada-āhataḥ—being trampled by the foot; iva—like; śvasan—hissing; prakṛti—by nature; dāruṇaḥ—very evil.
TRANSLATION
When Hiraṇyakaśipu understood the entire situation, he was extremely angry, so much so that his body trembled. Thus he finally decided to kill his son Prahlāda. Hiraṇyakaśipu was by nature very cruel, and feeling insulted, he began hissing like a snake trampled upon by someone’s foot. His son Prahlāda was peaceful, mild and gentle, his senses were under control, and he stood before Hiraṇyakaśipu with folded hands. According to Prahlāda’s age and behavior, he was not to be chastised. Yet with staring, crooked eyes, Hiraṇyakaśipu rebuked him with the following harsh words.
PURPORT
When one is impudent toward a highly authorized devotee, one is punished by the laws of nature. The duration of his life is diminished, and he loses the blessings of superior persons and the results of pious activities. Hiraṇyakaśipu, for example, had achieved such great power in the material world that he could subdue practically all the planetary systems in the universe, including the heavenly planets (Svargaloka). Yet now, because of his mistreatment of such a Vaiṣṇava as Prahlāda Mahārāja, all the results of his tapasya diminished. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.4.46):
āyuḥ śriyaṁ yaśo dharmaṁ
lokān āśiṣa eva ca
hanti śreyāṁsi sarvāṇi
puṁso mahad-atikramaḥ
“When one mistreats great souls, his life span, opulence, reputation, religion, possessions and good fortune are all destroyed.”
TEXT 5
śrī-hiraṇyakaśipur uvāca
he durvinīta mandātman
kula-bheda-karādhama
stabdhaṁ mac-chāsanodvṛttaṁ
neṣye tvādya yama-kṣayam
SYNONYMS
śrī-hiraṇyakaśipuḥ uvāca—the blessed Hiraṇyakaśipu said; he—O; durvinīta—most impudent; manda-ātman—O stupid fool; kula-bheda-kara—who are bringing about a disruption in the family; adhama—O lowest of mankind; stabdham—most obstinate; mat-śāsana—from my ruling; udvṛttam—going astray; neṣye—I shall bring; tvā—you; adya—today; yama-kṣayam—to the place of Yamarāja, the superintendent of death.
TRANSLATION
Hiraṇyakaśipu said: O most impudent, most unintelligent disruptor of the family, O lowest of mankind, you have violated my power to rule you, and therefore you are an obstinate fool. Today I shall send you to the place of Yamarāja.
PURPORT
Hiraṇyakaśipu condemned his Vaiṣṇava son Prahlāda for being durvinīta—ungentle, uncivilized, or impudent. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, however, has derived a meaning from this word durvinīta by the mercy of the goddess of learning, Sarasvatī. He says that duḥ refers to this material world. This is confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in His instruction in Bhagavad-gītā that this material world is duḥkhālayam, full of material conditions. Vi means viśeṣa, “specifically,” and nīta means “brought in.” By the mercy of the Supreme Lord, Prahlāda Mahārāja was especially brought to this material world to teach people how to get out of the material condition. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. When the entire population, or part of it, becomes forgetful of its own duty, Kṛṣṇa comes. When Kṛṣṇa is not present the devotee is present, but the mission is the same: to free the poor conditioned souls from the clutches of the māyā that chastises them.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura further explains that the word mandātman means manda—very bad or very slow in spiritual realization. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.10), mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā. Prahlāda Mahārāja is the guide of all the mandas, or bad living entities who are under the influence of māyā. He is the benefactor even of the slow and bad living entities in this material world. Kula-bheda-karādhama: by his actions, Prahlāda Mahārāja made great personalities who established big, big families seem insignificant. Everyone is interested in his own family and in making his dynasty famous, but Prahlāda Mahārāja was so liberal that he made no distinction between one living entity and another. Therefore he was greater than the great prajāpatis who established their dynasties. The word stabdham means obstinate. A devotee does not care for the instructions of the asuras. When they give instructions, he remains silent. A devotee cares about the instructions of Kṛṣṇa, not those of demons or nondevotees. He does not give any respect to a demon, even though the demon be his father. Mac-chāsanodvṛttam: Prahlāda Mahārāja was disobedient to the orders of his demoniac father. Yama-kṣayam: every conditioned soul is under the control of Yamarāja, but Hiraṇyakaśipu said that he considered Prahlāda Mahārāja his deliverer, for Prahlāda would stop Hiraṇyakaśipu’s repetition of birth and death. Because Prahlāda Mahārāja, being a great devotee, was better than any yogī, Hiraṇyakaśipu was to be brought among the society of bhakti-yogīs. Thus Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has explained these words in a very interesting way as they can be interpreted from the side of Sarasvatī, the mother of learning.
TEXT 6
kruddhasya yasya kampante
trayo lokāḥ saheśvarāḥ
tasya me ’bhītavan mūḍha
śāsanaṁ kiṁ balo ’tyagāḥ
SYNONYMS
kruddhasya—when angered; yasya—he who; kampante—tremble; trayaḥ lokāḥ—the three worlds; saha-īśvarāḥ—with their leaders; tasya—of that; me—of me (Hiraṇyakaśipu); abhīta-vat—without fear; mūḍha—rascal; śāsanam—ruling order; kim—what; balaḥ—strength; atyagāḥ—have overstepped.
TRANSLATION
My son Prahlāda, you rascal, you know that when I am angry all the planets of the three worlds tremble, along with their chief rulers. By whose power has a rascal like you become so impudent that you appear fearless and overstep my power to rule you?
PURPORT
The relationship between a pure devotee and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is extremely relishable. A devotee never claims to be very powerful himself; instead, he fully surrenders to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, being confident that in all dangerous conditions Kṛṣṇa will protect His devotee. Kṛṣṇa Himself says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.31), kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: “O son of Kuntī, declare boldly that My devotee never perishes.” The Lord requested Arjuna to declare this instead of declaring it Himself because sometimes Kṛṣṇa changes His view and therefore people might not believe Him. Thus Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna to declare that a devotee of the Lord is never vanquished.
Hiraṇyakaśipu was perplexed about how his five-year-old boy could be so fearless that he did not care for the order of his very great and powerful father. A devotee cannot execute the order of anyone except the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the position of a devotee. Hiraṇyakaśipu could understand that this boy must have been very powerful, since the boy did not heed his orders. Hiraṇyakaśipu asked his son, kiṁ balaḥ: “How have you overcome my order? By whose strength have you done this?”
TEXT 7
śrī-prahrāda uvāca
na kevalaṁ me bhavataś ca rājan
sa vai balaṁ balināṁ cāpareṣām
pare ’vare ’mī sthira-jaṅgamā ye
brahmādayo yena vaśaṁ praṇītāḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī-prahrādaḥ uvāca—Prahlāda Mahārāja replied; na—not; kevalam—only; me—of me; bhavataḥ—of yourself; ca—and; rājan—O great King; saḥ—he; vai—indeed; balam—strength; balinām—of the strong; ca—and; apareṣām—of others; pare—exalted; avare—subordinate; amī—those; sthira-jaṅgamāḥ—moving or nonmoving living entities; ye—who; brahma-ādayaḥ—beginning from Lord Brahmā; yena—by whom; vaśam—under control; praṇītāḥ—brought.
TRANSLATION
Prahlāda Mahārāja said: My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahmā, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.41):
yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ
śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ
mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam
“Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.” This is confirmed by Prahlāda Mahārāja. If one sees extraordinary strength or power anywhere, it is derived from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To give an example, there are different grades of fire, but all of them derive heat and light from the sun. Similarly, all living entities, big or small, are dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One’s only duty is to surrender, for one is a servant and cannot independently attain the position of master. One can attain the position of master only by the mercy of the master, not independently. Unless one understands this philosophy, he is still a mūḍha; in other words, he is not very intelligent. The mūḍhas, the asses who do not have this intelligence, cannot surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Understanding the subordinate position of the living entity takes millions of births, but when one is actually wise he surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19):
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” Prahlāda Mahārāja was a great soul, a mahātmā, and therefore he completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. He was confident that Kṛṣṇa would give him protection under all circumstances.
TEXT 8
sa īśvaraḥ kāla urukramo ’sāv
ojaḥ sahaḥ sattva-balendriyātmā
sa eva viśvaṁ paramaḥ sva-śaktibhiḥ
sṛjaty avaty atti guṇa-trayeśaḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); īśvaraḥ—the supreme controller; kālaḥ—the time factor; urukramaḥ—the Lord, whose every action is uncommon; asau—that one; ojaḥ—the strength of the senses; sahaḥ—the strength of the mind; sattva—steadiness; bala—bodily strength; indriya—and of the senses themselves; ātmā—the very self; saḥ—He; eva—indeed; viśvam—the whole universe; paramaḥ—the supreme; sva-śaktibhiḥ—by His multifarious transcendental potencies; sṛjati—creates; avati—maintains; atti—winds up; guṇa-traya-īśaḥ—the master of the material modes.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme controller and time factor, is the power of the senses, the power of the mind, the power of the body, and the vital force of the senses. His influence is unlimited. He is the best of all living entities, the controller of the three modes of material nature. By His own power, He creates this cosmic manifestation, maintains it and annihilates it also.
PURPORT
Since the material world is being moved by the three material modes and since the Lord is their master, the Lord can create, maintain and destroy the material world.
TEXT 9
jahy āsuraṁ bhāvam imaṁ tvam ātmanaḥ
samaṁ mano dhatsva na santi vidviṣaḥ
ṛte ’jitād ātmana utpathe sthitāt
tad dhi hy anantasya mahat samarhaṇam
SYNONYMS
jahi—just give up; āsuram—demoniac; bhāvam—tendency; imam—this; tvam—you (my dear father); ātmanaḥ—of yourself; samam—equal; manaḥ—the mind; dhatsva—make; na—not; santi—are; vidviṣaḥ—enemies; ṛte—except; ajitāt—uncontrolled; ātmanaḥ—the mind; utpathe—on the mistaken path of undesirable tendencies; sthitāt—being situated; tat hi—that (mentality); hi—indeed; anantasya—of the unlimited Lord; mahat—the best; samarhaṇam—method of worship.
TRANSLATION
Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: My dear father, please give up your demoniac mentality. Do not discriminate in your heart between enemies and friends; make your mind equipoised toward everyone. Except for the uncontrolled and misguided mind, there is no enemy within this world. When one sees everyone on the platform of equality, one then comes to the position of worshiping the Lord perfectly.
PURPORT
Unless one is able to fix the mind at the lotus feet of the Lord, the mind is impossible to control. As Arjuna says in Bhagavad-gītā (6.34):
cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva suduṣkaram
“For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, it seems to me, is more difficult than controlling the wind.” The only bona fide process for controlling the mind is to fix the mind by service to the Lord. We create enemies and friends according to the dictation of the mind, but actually there are no enemies and friends. paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. To understand this is the preliminary condition for entering into the kingdom of devotional service.
TEXT 10
dasyūn purā ṣaṇ na vijitya lumpato
manyanta eke sva-jitā diśo daśa
jitātmano jñasya samasya dehināṁ
sādhoḥ sva-moha-prabhavāḥ kutaḥ pare
SYNONYMS
dasyūn—plunderers; purā—in the beginning; ṣaṭ—six; na—not; vijitya—conquering; lumpataḥ—stealing all one s possessions; manyante—consider; eke—some; sva-jitāḥ—conquered; diśaḥ daśa—the ten directions; jita-ātmanaḥ—one who has conquered the senses; jñasya—learned; samasya—equipoised; dehinām—to all living entities; sādhoḥ—of such a saintly person; sva-moha-prabhavāḥ—created by one’s own illusion; kutaḥ—where; pare—enemies or opposing elements.
TRANSLATION
In former times there were many fools like you who did not conquer the six enemies that steal away the wealth of the body. These fools were very proud, thinking, “I have conquered all enemies in all the ten directions.” But if a person is victorious over the six enemies and is equipoised toward all living entities, for him there are no enemies. Enemies are merely imagined by one in ignorance.
PURPORT
In this material world, everyone thinks that he has conquered his enemies, not understanding that his enemies are his uncontrolled mind and five senses (manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]). In this material world, everyone has become a servant of the senses. Originally everyone is a servant of Kṛṣṇa, but in ignorance one forgets this, and thus one is engaged in the service of māyā through lusty desires, anger, greed, illusion, madness and jealousy. Everyone is actually dependent on the reactions of material laws, but still one thinks himself independent and thinks that he has conquered all directions. In conclusion, one who thinks that he has many enemies is an ignorant man, whereas one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness knows that there are no enemies but those within oneself—the uncontrolled mind and senses.
TEXT 11
śrī-hiraṇyakaśipur uvāca
vyaktaṁ tvaṁ martu-kāmo ’si
yo ’timātraṁ vikatthase
mumūrṣūṇāṁ hi mandātman
nanu syur viklavā giraḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī-hiraṇyakaśipuḥ uvāca—the blessed Hiraṇyakaśipu said; vyaktam—evidently; tvam—you; martu-kāmaḥ—desirous of death; asi—are; yaḥ—one who; atimātram—without limit; vikatthase—are boasting (as if you had conquered your senses whereas your father could not do so); mumūrṣūṇām—of persons who are about to meet immediate death; hi—indeed; manda-ātman—O unintelligent rascal; nanu—certainly; syuḥ—become; viklavāḥ—confused; giraḥ—the words.
TRANSLATION
Hiraṇyakaśipu replied: You rascal, you are trying to minimize my value, as if you were better than me at controlling the senses. This is over-intelligent. I can therefore understand that you desire to die at my hands, for this kind of nonsensical talk is indulged in by those about to die.
PURPORT
It is said in Hitopadeśa, upadeśo hi mūrkhāṇāṁ prokopāya na śāntaye. If good instructions are given to a foolish person, he does not take advantage of them, but becomes more and more angry. Prahlāda Mahārāja’s authorized instructions to his father were not accepted by Hiraṇyakaśipu as truth; instead Hiraṇyakaśipu became increasingly angry at his great son, who was a pure devotee. This kind of difficulty always exists when a devotee preaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness to persons like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who are interested in money and women. (The word hiraṇya means “gold,” and kaśipu refers to cushions or good bedding.) Moreover, a father does not like to be instructed by his son, especially if the father is a demon. Prahlāda Mahārāja’s Vaiṣṇava preaching to his demoniac father was indirectly effective, for because of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s excessive jealousy of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, he was inviting Nṛsiṁhadeva to kill him very quickly. Thus he was expediting his being killed by the Lord Himself. Although Hiraṇyakaśipu was a demon, he is described here by the added word śrī. Why? The answer is that fortunately he had such a great devotee son as Prahlāda Mahārāja. Thus although he was a demon, he would attain salvation and return home, back to Godhead.
TEXT 12
yas tvayā manda-bhāgyokto
mad-anyo jagad-īśvaraḥ
kvāsau yadi sa sarvatra
kasmāt stambhe na dṛśyate
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—the one who; tvayā—by you; manda-bhāgya—O unfortunate one; uktaḥ—described; mat-anyaḥ—besides me; jagat-īśvaraḥ—the supreme controller of the universe; kva—where; asau—that one; yadi—if; saḥ—He; sarvatra—everywhere (all-pervading); kasmāt—why; stambhe—in the pillar before me; na dṛśyate—not seen.
TRANSLATION
O most unfortunate Prahlāda, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above everything, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all-pervading. But where is He? If He is everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar?
PURPORT
Demons sometimes declare to a devotee that they cannot accept the existence of God because they cannot see Him. But what the demon does not know is stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (7.25): nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. “I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by yogamāyā.” The Lord is open to being seen by devotees, but nondevotees cannot see Him. The qualification for seeing God is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38): premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. A devotee who has developed a genuine love for Kṛṣṇa can always see Him everywhere, whereas a demon, not having a clear understanding of the Supreme Lord, cannot see Him. When Hiraṇyakaśipu was threatening to kill Prahlāda Mahārāja, Prahlāda certainly saw the column standing before him and his father, and he saw that the Lord was present in the pillar to encourage him not to fear his demoniac father’s words. The Lord was present to protect him. Hiraṇyakaśipu marked Prahlāda’s observation and asked him, “Where is your God?” Prahlāda Mahārāja replied, “He is everywhere.” Then Hiraṇyakaśipu asked, “Why is He not in this pillar before me?” Thus in all circumstances the devotee can always see the Supreme Lord, whereas the nondevotee cannot.
Prahlāda Mahārāja has here been addressed by his father as “the most unfortunate.” Hiraṇyakaśipu thought himself extremely fortunate because he possessed the property of the universe. Prahlāda Mahārāja, his legitimate son, was to have inherited this vast property, but because of his impudence, he was going to die at his father’s hands. Therefore the demoniac father considered Prahlāda the most unfortunate because Prahlāda would not be able to inherit his property. Hiraṇyakaśipu did not know that Prahlāda Mahārāja was the most fortunate person within the three worlds because Prahlāda was protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such are the misunderstandings of demons. They do not know that a devotee is protected by the Lord in all circumstances (kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati).
TEXT 13
so ’haṁ vikatthamānasya
śiraḥ kāyād dharāmi te
gopāyeta haris tvādya
yas te śaraṇam īpsitam
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he; aham—I; vikatthamānasya—who are speaking such nonsense; śiraḥ—the head; kāyāt—from the body; harāmi—I shall take away; te—of you; gopāyeta—let Him protect; hariḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tvā—you; adya—now; yaḥ—He who; te—your; śaraṇam—protector; īpsitam—desired.
TRANSLATION
Because you are speaking so much nonsense, I shall now sever your head from your body. Now let me see your most worshipable God come to protect you. I want to see it.
PURPORT
Demons always think that the God of the devotees is fictitious. They think that there is no God and that the so-called religious feeling of devotion to God is but an opiate, a kind of illusion, like the illusions derived from LSD and opium. Hiraṇyakaśipu did not believe Prahlāda Mahārāja when Prahlāda asserted that his Lord is present everywhere. Because Hiraṇyakaśipu, as a typical demon, was convinced that there is no God and that no one could protect Prahlāda, he felt encouraged to kill his son. He challenged the idea that the devotee is always protected by the Supreme Lord.
TEXT 14
evaṁ duruktair muhur ardayan ruṣā
sutaṁ mahā-bhāgavataṁ mahāsuraḥ
khaḍgaṁ pragṛhyotpatito varāsanāt
stambhaṁ tatāḍātibalaḥ sva-muṣṭinā
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; duruktaiḥ—by harsh words; muhuḥ—constantly; ardayan—chastising; ruṣā—with unnecessary anger; sutam—his son; mahā-bhāgavatam—who was a most exalted devotee; mahā-asuraḥ—Hiraṇyakaśipu, the great demon; khaḍgam—sword; pragṛhya—taking up; utpatitaḥ—having gotten up; vara-āsanāt—from his exalted throne; stambham—the column; tatāḍa—struck; ati-balaḥ—very strong; sva-muṣṭinā—by his fist.
TRANSLATION
Being obsessed with anger, Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was very great in bodily strength, thus chastised his exalted devotee-son Prahlāda with harsh words. Cursing him again and again, Hiraṇyakaśipu took up his sword, got up from his royal throne, and with great anger struck his fist against the column.
TEXT 15
tadaiva tasmin ninado ’tibhīṣaṇo
babhūva yenāṇḍa-kaṭāham asphuṭat
yaṁ vai sva-dhiṣṇyopagataṁ tv ajādayaḥ
śrutvā sva-dhāmātyayam aṅga menire
SYNONYMS
tadā—at that time; eva—just; tasmin—within (the pillar); ninadaḥ—a sound; ati-bhīṣaṇaḥ—very fearful; babhūva—there was; yena—by which; aṇḍa-kaṭāham—the covering of the universe; asphuṭat—appeared to crack; yam—which; vai—indeed; sva-dhiṣṇya-upagatam—reaching their respective abodes; tu—but; aja-ādayaḥ—the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā; śrutvā—hearing; sva-dhāma-atyayam—the destruction of their abodes; aṅga—my dear Yudhiṣṭhira; menire—thought.
TRANSLATION
Then from within the pillar came a fearful sound, which appeared to crack the covering of the universe. O my dear Yudhiṣṭhira, this sound reached even the abodes of the demigods like Lord Brahmā, and when the demigods heard it, they thought, “Oh, now our planets are being destroyed!”
PURPORT
As we sometimes become very much afraid at the sound of a thunderbolt, perhaps thinking that our houses will be destroyed, the great demigods like Lord Brahmā feared the thundering sound that came from the pillar in front of Hiraṇyakaśipu.
TEXT 16
sa vikraman putra-vadhepsur ojasā
niśamya nirhrādam apūrvam adbhutam
antaḥ-sabhāyāṁ na dadarśa tat-padaṁ
vitatrasur yena surāri-yūtha-pāḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (Hiraṇyakaśipu); vikraman—exhibiting his prowess; putra-vadha-īpsuḥ—desirous of killing his own son; ojasā—with great strength; niśamya—hearing; nirhrādam—the fierce sound; apūrvam—never heard before; adbhutam—very wonderful; antaḥ-sabhāyām—within the jurisdiction of the great assembly; na—not; dadarśa—saw; tat-padam—the source of that tumultuous sound; vitatrasuḥ—became afraid; yena—by which sound; sura-ari-yūtha-pāḥ—the other leaders of the demons (not only Hiraṇyakaśipu).
TRANSLATION
While showing his extraordinary prowess, Hiraṇyakaśipu, who desired to kill his own son, heard that wonderful, tumultuous sound, which had never before been heard. Upon hearing the sound, the other leaders of the demons were afraid. None of them could find the origin of that sound in the assembly.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (7. 8), Kṛṣṇa explains Himself by saying:
raso ’ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi śaśi sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu
“O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.” Here the Lord exhibited His presence everywhere by the tumultuous sound in the sky (śabdaḥ khe). The tumultuous thundering sound was proof of the Lord’s presence. The demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu could now realize the supreme ruling power of the Lord, and thus Hiraṇyakaśipu became afraid. However powerful a man may be, he always fears the sound of a thunderbolt. Similarly, Hiraṇyakaśipu and all the demons who were his associates were extremely afraid because of the presence of the Supreme Lord in the form of sound, although they could not trace out the source of the sound.
TEXT 17
satyaṁ vidhātuṁ nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitaṁ
vyāptiṁ ca bhūteṣv akhileṣu cātmanaḥ
adṛśyatātyadbhuta-rūpam udvahan
stambhe sabhāyāṁ na mṛgaṁ na mānuṣam
SYNONYMS
satyam—true; vidhātum—to prove; nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitam—the words of His own servant (Prahlāda Mahārāja, who had said that his Lord is present everywhere); vyāptim—the pervasion; ca—and; bhūteṣu—among the living entities and elements; akhileṣu—all; ca—also; ātmanaḥ—of Himself; adṛśyata—was seen; ati—very; adbhuta—wonderful; rūpam—form; udvahan—taking; stambhe—in the pillar; sabhāyām—within the assembly; na—not; mṛgam—an animal; na—nor; mānuṣam—a human being.
TRANSLATION
To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlāda Mahārāja was substantial—in other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hall—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion. Thus the Lord appeared in His wonderful form in the assembly hall.
PURPORT
When Hiraṇyakaśipu asked Prahlāda Mahārāja, “Where is your Lord? Is He present in this pillar?” Prahlāda Mahārāja fearlessly replied, “Yes, my Lord is present everywhere.” Therefore, to convince Hiraṇyakaśipu that the statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja was unmistakably true, the Lord appeared from the pillar. The Lord appeared as half lion and half man so that Hiraṇyakaśipu could not understand whether the great giant was a lion or a human being. To substantiate Prahlāda’s statement, the Lord proved that His devotee, as declared in Bhagavad-gītā, is never vanquished (kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati). Prahlāda Mahārāja’s demoniac father had repeatedly threatened to kill Prahlāda, but Prahlāda was confident that he could not be killed, since he was protected by the Supreme Lord. By appearing from the pillar, the Lord encouraged His devotee, saying in effect, “Don’t worry. I am present here.” By manifesting His form as Nṛsiṁhadeva, the Lord also preserved the truth of Lord Brahmā’s promise that Hiraṇyakaśipu was not to be killed by any animal or any man. The Lord appeared in a form that could not be said to be fully a man or a lion.
TEXT 18
sa sattvam enaṁ parito vipaśyan
stambhasya madhyād anunirjihānam
nāyaṁ mṛgo nāpi naro vicitram
aho kim etan nṛ-mṛgendra-rūpam
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of the Daityas); sattvam—living being; enam—that; paritaḥ—all around; vipaśyan—looking; stambhasya—of the pillar; madhyāt—from the midst; anunirjihānam—having come out; na—not; ayam—this; mṛgaḥ—animal; na—not; api—indeed; naraḥ—human being; vicitram—very wonderful; aho—alas; kim—what; etat—this; nṛ-mṛga-indra-rūpam—the form of both a man and the king of the beasts, the lion.
TRANSLATION
While Hiraṇyakaśipu looked all around to find the source of the sound, that wonderful form of the Lord, which could not be ascertained to be either a man or a lion, emerged from the pillar. In amazement, Hiraṇyakaśipu wondered, “What is this creature that is half man and half lion?”
PURPORT
A demon cannot calculate the unlimited potency of the Supreme Lord. As stated in the Vedas, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca: the different potencies of the Lord are always working as an automatic exhibition of His knowledge. For a demon it is certainly wonderful that the form of a lion and the form of a man can be united, since a demon has no experience of the inconceivable power for which the Supreme Lord is called “all-powerful.” Demons cannot understand the omnipotence of the Lord. They simply compare the Lord to one of them (avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]). Mūḍhas, rascals, think that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary human being who appears for the benefit of other human beings. paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ: fools, rascals and demons cannot realize the supreme potency of the Lord, but He can do anything and everything; indeed, He can do whatever He likes. When Hiraṇyakaśipu received benedictions from Lord Brahmā, he thought that he was safe, since he received the benediction that he would not be killed either by an animal or by a human being. He never thought that an animal and human being would be combined so that demons like him would be puzzled by such a form. This is the meaning of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s omnipotence.
TEXTS 19–22
mīmāṁsamānasya samutthito ’grato
nṛsiṁha-rūpas tad alaṁ bhayānakam
pratapta-cāmīkara-caṇḍa-locanaṁ
sphurat saṭā-keśara-jṛmbhitānanam
karāla-daṁṣṭraṁ karavāla-cañcala-
kṣurānta-jihvaṁ bhrukuṭī-mukholbaṇam
stabdhordhva-karṇaṁ giri-kandarādbhuta-
vyāttāsya-nāsaṁ hanu-bheda-bhīṣaṇam
divi-spṛśat kāyam adīrgha-pīvara-
grīvoru-vakṣaḥ-sthalam alpa-madhyamam
candrāṁśu-gauraiś churitaṁ tanūruhair
viṣvag bhujānīka-śataṁ nakhāyudham
durāsadaṁ sarva-nijetarāyudha-
praveka-vidrāvita-daitya-dānavam
SYNONYMS
mīmāṁsamānasya—of Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was contemplating the wonderful form of the Lord; samutthitaḥ—appeared; agrataḥ—in front; nṛsiṁha-rūpaḥ—the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva (half lion and half man); tat—that; alam—extraordinarily; bhayānakam—very fearful; pratapta—like molten; cāmīkara—gold; caṇḍa-locanam—having fierce eyes; sphurat—flashing; saṭā-keśara—by His mane; jṛmbhita-ānanam—whose face was expanded; karāla—deadly; daṁṣṭram—with a set of teeth; karavāla-cañcala—waving like a sharp sword; kṣura-anta—and as sharp as a razor; jihvam—whose tongue; bhrukuṭī-mukha—due to His frowning face; ulbaṇam—dreadful; stabdha—motionless; ūrdhva—extending upward; karṇam—whose ears; giri-kandara—like the caves of a mountain; adbhuta—very wonderful; vyāttāsya—with a widely opened mouth; nāsam—and nostrils; hanu-bheda-bhīṣaṇam—causing fear due to the separation of the jaws; divi-spṛśat—touching the sky; kāyam—whose body; adīrgha—short; pīvara—fat; grīva—neck; uru—broad; vakṣaḥ-sthalam—chest; alpa—small; madhyamam—middle portion of the body; candra-aṁśu—like the rays of the moon; gauraiḥ—whitish; churitam—covered; tanūruhaiḥ—with hairs; viṣvak—in all directions; bhuja—of arms; anīka-śatam—with a hundred rows; nakha—having nails; āyudham—as fatal weapons; durāsadam—very difficult to conquer; sarva—all; nija—personal; itara—and other; āyudha—of weapons; praveka—by use of the best; vidrāvita—caused to run; daitya—by whom the demons; dānavam—and the rogues (atheists).
TRANSLATION
Hiraṇyakaśipu studied the form of the Lord, trying to decide who the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva standing before him was. The Lord’s form was extremely fearsome because of His angry eyes, which resembled molten gold; His shining mane, which expanded the dimensions of His fearful face; His deadly teeth; and His razor-sharp tongue, which moved about like a dueling sword. His ears were erect and motionless, and His nostrils and gaping mouth appeared like caves of a mountain. His jaws parted fearfully, and His entire body touched the sky. His neck was very short and thick, His chest broad, His waist thin, and the hairs on His body as white as the rays of the moon. His arms, which resembled flanks of soldiers, spread in all directions as He killed the demons, rogues and atheists with His conchshell, disc, club, lotus and other natural weapons.
TEXT 23
prāyeṇa me ’yaṁ hariṇorumāyinā
vadhaḥ smṛto ’nena samudyatena kim
evaṁ bruvaṁs tv abhyapatad gadāyudho
nadan nṛsiṁhaṁ prati daitya-kuñjaraḥ
SYNONYMS
prāyeṇa—probably; me—of me; ayam—this; hariṇā—by the Supreme Lord; uru-māyinā—who possesses the great mystic power; vadhaḥ—the death; smṛtaḥ—planned; anena—with this; samudyatena—endeavor; kim—what use; evam—in this way; bruvan—murmuring; tu—indeed; abhyapatat—attacked; gadā-āyudhaḥ—armed with his weapon, the club; nadan—loudly roaring; nṛ-siṁham—the Lord, appearing in the form of half lion and half man; prati—toward; daitya-kuñjaraḥ—Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was like an elephant.
TRANSLATION
Hiraṇyakaśipu murmured to himself, “Lord Viṣṇu, who possesses great mystic power, has made this plan to kill me, but what is the use of such an attempt? Who can fight with me?” Thinking like this and taking up his club, Hiraṇyakaśipu attacked the Lord like an elephant.
PURPORT
In the jungle there are sometimes fights between lions and elephants. Here the Lord appeared like a lion, and Hiraṇyakaśipu, unafraid of the Lord, attacked Him like an elephant. Generally the elephant is defeated by the lion, and therefore the comparison in this verse is appropriate.
TEXT 24
alakṣito ’gnau patitaḥ pataṅgamo
yathā nṛsiṁhaujasi so ’suras tadā
na tad vicitraṁ khalu sattva-dhāmani
sva-tejasā yo nu purāpibat tamaḥ
SYNONYMS
alakṣitaḥ—invisible; agnau—in the fire; patitaḥ—fallen; pataṅgamaḥ—an insect; yathā—just as; nṛsiṁha—of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva; ojasi—in the effulgence; saḥ—he; asuraḥ—Hiraṇyakaśipu; tadā—at that time; na—not; tat—that; vicitram—wonderful; khalu—indeed; sattva-dhāmani—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in pure goodness; sva-tejasā—by His own effulgence; yaḥ—He who (the Lord); nu—indeed; purā—formerly; apibat—swallowed up; tamaḥ—the darkness within the material creation.
TRANSLATION
Just as a small insect falls forcefully into a fire and the insignificant creature becomes invisible, when Hiraṇyakaśipu attacked the Lord, who was full of effulgence, Hiraṇyakaśipu became invisible. This is not at all astonishing, for the Lord is always situated in pure goodness. Formerly, during creation, He entered the dark universe and illuminated it by His spiritual effulgence.
PURPORT
The Lord is situated transcendentally, in pure goodness. The material world is generally controlled by tamo-guṇa, the quality of ignorance, but the spiritual world, because of the presence of the Lord and His effulgence, is free from all contamination by darkness, passion or contaminated goodness. Although there is a tinge of goodness in this material world in terms of the brahminical qualifications, such qualifications sometimes become invisible because of the strong prevalence of the modes of passion and ignorance. But because the Lord is always transcendentally situated, the material modes of passion and ignorance cannot touch Him. Whenever the Lord is present, there cannot be any darkness from the mode of ignorance. It is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.31):
kṛṣṇa——sūrya-sama, māyā haya andhakāra
yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra
“Godhead is light. Nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no nescience.” This material world is full of darkness and ignorance of spiritual life, but by bhakti-yoga this ignorance is dissipated. The Lord appeared because of the bhakti-yoga exhibited by Prahlāda Mahārāja, and as soon as the Lord appeared, the influence of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s passion and ignorance was vanquished as the Lord’s quality of pure goodness, or the Brahman effulgence, became prominent. In that prominent effulgence, Hiraṇyakaśipu became invisible, or his influence became insignificant. An example illustrating how the darkness of the material world is vanquished is given in the śāstra. When Brahmā was created from the lotus stem growing from the abdomen of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Lord Brahmā saw everything to be dark, but when he received knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everything became clear, as everything becomes clear when one comes from night to sunshine. The important point is that as long as we are in the material modes of nature, we are always in darkness. This darkness cannot be dissipated without the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is invoked by the practice of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga creates a transcendental situation with no tinges of material contamination.
TEXT 25
tato ’bhipadyābhyahanan mahāsuro
ruṣā nṛsiṁhaṁ gadayoruvegayā
taṁ vikramantaṁ sagadaṁ gadādharo
mahoragaṁ tārkṣya-suto yathāgrahīt
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter; abhipadya—attacking; abhyahanat—struck; mahā-asuraḥ—the great demon (Hiraṇyakaśipu); ruṣā—with anger; nṛsiṁham—Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva; gadayā—by his club; uru-vegayā—moving with great force; tam—him (Hiraṇyakaśipu); vikramantam—showing his prowess; sa-gadam—with his club; gadā-dharaḥ—Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, who also holds a club in His hand; mahā-uragam—a great snake; tārkṣya-sutaḥ—Garuḍa, the son of Tārkṣya; yathā—just as; agrahīt—captured.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was extremely angry, swiftly attacked Nṛsiṁhadeva with his club and began to beat Him. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, however, captured the great demon, along with his club, just as Garuḍa might capture a great snake.
TEXT 26
sa tasya hastotkalitas tadāsuro
vikrīḍato yadvad ahir garutmataḥ
asādhv amanyanta hṛtaukaso ’marā
ghana-cchadā bhārata sarva-dhiṣṇya-pāḥ
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (Hiraṇyakaśipu); tasya—of Him (Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva); hasta—from the hands; utkalitaḥ—slipped; tadā—at that time; asuraḥ—the King of the demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu; vikrīḍataḥ—playing; yadvat—exactly like; ahiḥ—a snake; garutmataḥ—of Garuḍa; asādhu—not very good; amanyanta—considered; hṛta-okasaḥ—whose abodes were taken by Hiraṇyakaśipu; amarāḥ—the demigods; ghana-cchadāḥ—situated behind a cover of clouds; bhārata—O great son of Bhārata; sarva-dhiṣṇya-pāḥ—the rulers of the heavenly planets.
TRANSLATION
O Yudhiṣṭhira, O great son of Bhārata, when Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva gave Hiraṇyakaśipu a chance to slip from His hand, just as Garuḍa sometimes plays with a snake and lets it slip from his mouth, the demigods, who had lost their abodes and who were hiding behind the clouds for fear of the demon, did not consider that incident very good. Indeed, they were perturbed.
PURPORT
When Hiraṇyakaśipu was in the process of being killed by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the Lord gave the demon a chance to slip from His clutches. This incident was not very much appreciated by the demigods, for they were greatly afraid of Hiraṇyakaśipu. They knew that if somehow or other Hiraṇyakaśipu escaped from Nṛsiṁhadeva’s hands and saw that the demigods were looking forward to his death with great pleasure, he would take great revenge upon them. Therefore they were very much afraid.
TEXT 27
taṁ manyamāno nija-vīrya-śaṅkitaṁ
yad dhasta-mukto nṛhariṁ mahāsuraḥ
punas tam āsajjata khaḍga-carmaṇī
pragṛhya vegena gata-śramo mṛdhe
SYNONYMS
tam—Him (Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva); manyamānaḥ—thinking; nija-vīrya-śaṅkitam—afraid of his prowess; yat—because; hasta-muktaḥ—freed from the clutches of the Lord; nṛ-harim—Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva; mahā-asuraḥ—the great demon; punaḥ—again; tam—Him; āsajjata—attacked; khaḍga-carmaṇī—his sword and shield; pragṛhya—taking up; vegena—with great force; gata-śramaḥ—his fatigue having gone; mṛdhe—in the battle.
TRANSLATION
When Hiraṇyakaśipu was freed from the hands of Nṛsiṁhadeva, he falsely thought that the Lord was afraid of his prowess. Therefore, after taking a little rest from the fight, he took up his sword and shield and again attacked the Lord with great force.
PURPORT
When a sinful man enjoys material facilities, foolish people sometimes think, “How is it that this sinful man is enjoying whereas a pious man is suffering?” By the will of the Supreme, a sinful man is sometimes given the chance to enjoy the material world as if he were not under the clutches of material nature, just so that he may be fooled. A sinful man who acts against the laws of nature must be punished, but sometimes he is given a chance to play, exactly like Hiraṇyakaśipu when he was released from the hands of Nṛsiṁhadeva. Hiraṇyakaśipu was destined to be ultimately killed by Nṛsiṁhadeva, but just to see the fun, the Lord gave him a chance to slip from His hands.
TEXT 28
taṁ śyena-vegaṁ śata-candra-vartmabhiś
carantam acchidram upary-adho hariḥ
kṛtvāṭṭa-hāsaṁ kharam utsvanolbaṇaṁ
nimīlitākṣaṁ jagṛhe mahā-javaḥ
SYNONYMS
tam—him (Hiraṇyakaśipu); śyena-vegam—possessing the speed of a hawk; śata-candra-vartmabhiḥ—by the maneuvers of his sword and his shield, which was marked with a hundred moonlike spots; carantam—moving; acchidram—without any weak spot; upari-adhaḥ—up and down; hariḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛtvā—making; aṭṭa-hāsam—loud laughter; kharam—extremely shrill; utsvana-ulbaṇam—very fearful due to its great sound; nimīlita—closed; akṣam—eyes; jagṛhe—captured; mahā-javaḥ—the greatly powerful Lord.
TRANSLATION
Making a loud, shrill sound of laughter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, who is extremely strong and powerful, captured Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was protecting himself with his sword and shield, leaving no gaps open. With the speed of a hawk, Hiraṇyakaśipu moved sometimes in the sky and sometimes on the earth, his eyes closed because of fear of Nṛsiṁhadeva’s laughter.
TEXT 29
viṣvak sphurantaṁ grahaṇāturaṁ harir
vyālo yathākhuṁ kuliśākṣata-tvacam
dvāry ūrum āpatya dadāra līlayā
nakhair yathāhiṁ garuḍo mahā-viṣam
SYNONYMS
viṣvak—all around; sphurantam—moving his limbs; grahaṇa-āturam—afflicted because of being captured; hariḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nṛsiṁhadeva; vyālaḥ—a snake; yathā—just as; ākhum—a mouse; kuliśa-akṣata—not cut even by the thunderbolt thrown by Indra; tvacam—whose skin; dvāri—on the threshold of the door; ūrum—on His thigh; āpatya—placing; dadāra—pierced; līlayā—very easily; nakhaiḥ—with the nails; yathā—just as; ahim—a snake; garuḍaḥ—Garuḍa, the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu; mahā-viṣam—very venomous.
TRANSLATION
As a snake captures a mouse or Garuḍa captures a very venomous snake, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva captured Hiraṇyakaśipu, who could not be pierced even by the thunderbolt of King Indra. As Hiraṇyakaśipu moved his limbs here, there and all around, very much afflicted at being captured, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva placed the demon on His lap, supporting him with His thighs, and in the doorway of the assembly hall the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hand.
PURPORT
Hiraṇyakaśipu had received from Lord Brahmā the benediction that he would not die on the land or in the sky. Therefore, to keep the promise of Lord Brahmā intact, Nṛsiṁhadeva placed Hiraṇyakaśipu’s body on His lap, which was neither land nor sky. Hiraṇyakaśipu had received the benediction that he would not die either during the day or at night. Therefore, to keep this promise of Brahmā, the Lord killed Hiraṇyakaśipu in the evening, which is the end of day and the beginning of night but is neither day nor night. Hiraṇyakaśipu had taken a benediction from Lord Brahmā that he would not die from any weapon or be killed by any person, dead or alive. Therefore, just to keep the word of Lord Brahmā, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva pierced Hiraṇyakaśipu’s body with His nails, which were not weapons and were neither living nor dead. Indeed, the nails can be called dead, but at the same time they can be said to be alive. To keep intact all of Lord Brahmā’s benedictions, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva paradoxically but very easily killed the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu.
TEXT 30
saṁrambha-duṣprekṣya-karāla-locano
vyāttānanāntaṁ vilihan sva-jihvayā
asṛg-lavāktāruṇa-keśarānano
yathāntra-mālī dvipa-hatyayā hariḥ
SYNONYMS
saṁrambha—because of great anger; duṣprekṣya—very difficult to look at; karāla—very fearful; locanaḥ—eyes; vyātta—expanded; ānana-antam—the edge of the mouth; vilihan—licking; sva-jihvayā—with His tongue; asṛk-lava—with spots of blood; ākta—smeared; aruṇa—reddish; keśara—mane; ānanaḥ—and face; yathā—just as; antra-mālī—decorated with a garland of intestines; dvipa-hatyayā—by the killing of an elephant; hariḥ—the lion.
TRANSLATION
Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and His fierce eyes, full of anger, were impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nṛsiṁhadeva, decorated with a garland of intestines taken from Hiraṇyakaśipu’s abdomen, resembled a lion that has just killed an elephant.
PURPORT
The hair on Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s face, being sprinkled with drops of blood, was reddish and looked very beautiful. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva pierced Hiraṇyakaśipu’s abdomen with His nails, pulled out the demon’s intestines and wore them as a garland, which enhanced His beauty. Thus the Lord became very fearsome, like a lion engaged in fighting an elephant.
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