Introduction
Hiranyakashipu, "clothed in gold", is an Asura king, the son of Kashyapa and Diti and the brother of Hiranyaksha. He is one of the best-known villains of the Puranas, remembered for the boon that nearly made him invincible and for his death at the hands of Vishnu as Narasimha, in defence of his own son Prahlada.
This article follows the Puranic tradition. Where a detail differs between texts, the article says so.
Family
- Father: Kashyapa
- Mother: Diti
- Son: Prahlada
- Siblings: Vishnu, Surya, Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhata, Amsha, Pushan, Tvashtri, Savitri, Garuda, Aruna, Hiranyaksha, Vasuki, Karkotaka, Kaliya
The boon
Grieving and enraged after Vishnu killed his brother Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu performed extreme austerities to Brahma. He asked for a boon that he could not be killed by man or animal, indoors or outdoors, by day or by night, on the earth or in the sky, and by no weapon, living or non-living. Believing this made him effectively immortal, he conquered the three worlds and demanded to be worshipped as supreme, forbidding the worship of Vishnu.
Prahlada
His own son Prahlada, however, was a devoted worshipper of Vishnu from birth. Hiranyakashipu tried repeatedly to kill the boy: with poison, by having him trampled by elephants, thrown from a cliff, and by having his sister Holika, who had fire-proof protection, carry him into a blazing fire. Each attempt failed, and Holika herself burned instead.
Death
Finally enraged, Hiranyakashipu demanded to know if Vishnu was present in a palace pillar. When he struck it, Vishnu emerged as Narasimha, half man and half lion, at twilight (neither day nor night), on the threshold (neither inside nor outside), placed him on his lap (neither earth nor sky), and tore him open with his claws (no weapon), satisfying every term of the boon.
Meaning
The story is one of the most frequently retold in Vaishnava tradition, as an illustration that arrogance and even the most carefully worded boon cannot ultimately defeat righteousness and devotion.