॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Monday, 10 October 2022 - III.17 - The birth of Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. They begin to conquer the worlds.
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Maitreya narrates how the gods dispersed after hearing from Brahma the reason for their dullness and listlessness.
While Diti had held in her womb the seed of evil, she could not avert the inevitable. After a hundred years, her twins were born. Sage Kashyapa named the one conceived first as Hiranyakashipu and the one delivered first as Hiranyaksha.
Their birth gave rise to a slew of evil portents in all three worlds. The poet Vyasa paints a graphic picture of nature in her extreme agitation.
सहाचला भवश्चेलुर्दिशः सर्वाः प्रजज्वलुः।सोल्काश्चाशनयः पेतुः केतवश्चार्तिहेतवः॥
T: The earth with her mountains trembled violently. There were conflagrations everywhere. The skies were scary, full of meteors and thunderbolts, and comets appeared signifying universal doom.
Wild storms uprooted huge trees. It looked like the deathly whirlwind roamed like a rampaging army with sheets of dust blowing like war flags. The dark skies covered the sun and moon and were full of macabre streaks of lightning. The ocean did a devilish dance of turmoil. Rivers and lakes dried up, lotuses withering away. There were constant eclipses of the sun and moon. Even cities were raided by foxes and owls shrieking horrifically. Donkeys brayed heart-rendingly and the birds, hearing this, cried out constantly. All farm animals displayed their sense of terror through constant defecation.
The only ones who were not distressed were the Kumaras, as they knew what was afoot. All others thought this was the end of the world.
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Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha grew up into monsters. They were huge enough to overshadow everything. Their ornaments glittered to shame the sun.
Hiranyakashipu was strong and fearless with Brahma’s boon. He conquered the three worlds easily. His younger brother Hiranyaksha received his unstinting love and was very obedient.
Twirling his mace, Hiranyaksha raided heaven. His size, strength and speed struck terror. Vyasa says he was puffed up with the strengths of mind, body and the boon from Brahma. The gods in heaven scattered like serpents slither away in fright at the sight of Garuda.
Hiranyakasha was spoiling for a fight. He plunged into the ocean and reached the lord of the ocean, Varuna, in Vibhavari.
तत्रोपलभ्यासुरलोकपालकं यादोगणानामृषभं प्रचेतसम् ।
स्मयन् प्रलब्धुं प्रणिपत्य नीचवज्जगाद मे देह्यधिराज संयुगम ॥
त्वं लोकपालोऽधिपतिर्बृहच्छ्रवा वीर्यापहो दुर्मदवीरमानिनाम् ।
विजित्य लोकेऽखिलदैत्यदानवान् यद्राजसूयेन पुरायजत्प्रभो ॥
स एवमुत्सिक्तमदेन विद्विषा दृढं प्रलब्धो भगवानपां पति: ।
रोषं समुत्थं शमयन् स्वया धिया व्यवोचदङ्गोपशमं गता वयम् ॥
पश्यामि नान्यं पुरुषात्पुरातनाद् य: संयुगे त्वां रणमार्गकोविदम् ।
आराधयिष्यत्यसुरर्षभेहि तं मनस्विनो यं गृणते भवादृशा: ॥
तं वीरमारादभिपद्य विस्मय: शयिष्यसे वीरशये श्वभिर्वृत: ।
यस्त्वद्विधानामसतां प्रशान्तये रूपाणि धत्ते सदनुग्रहेच्छया ॥
T: Entering Vibhavari, the abode of the demons, lorded by the Lokapala Varuna (himself a god empowered and engaged in protecting the waters), Hiranyaksha mocked Varuna with a bow. “Give me a battle, oh, Lord! I know that you have conquered those self-appointed heroes among daityas and danavas and celebrated your victory with Rajasuya Yajna.”
Varuna was provoked but held his temper in check.
“Oh Hiranyaksha, I have given up warfare and am old. Let me say frankly that you are most powerful and there is none who can face you except Lord Maha Vishnu. He commands respect even from the greatest of warriors. Once you encounter him in battle, your pride will be vanquished and you will die a hero’s death. You will lie dead, surrounded by dogs scavenging the battlefield. Know that just to deal with fellows like you, Vishnu takes many incarnations, through His grace bestowed on the virtuous.”
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
