Hiranyakashipu

Birth and Daitya Origins

Hiranyakashipu and twin brother Hiranyaksha were born to sage Kashyapa and Diti (Daksha's daughter) during dusk—an inauspicious time yielding asuras—in Satya Yuga, as cursed Vishnu gatekeepers Jaya-Vijaya for barring Four Kumaras from Vaikuntha, dooming three births before return. As eldest daitya after Hiranyaksha's slaying by Varaha (Vishnu's boar avatar rescuing Earth), Hiranyakashipu vowed vengeance against Vishnu, embodying adharma's arrogance.​

Austerities and Boons from Brahma

Enraged, Hiranyakashipu performed severe tapasya, subjugating senses for millennia; pleased Brahma appeared, denying full immortality but granting: no death by man, beast, deva, danava, day, night, inside, outside, earth, sky, or weapon. Mahabharata's Anushasana Parva notes additional Shiva tapas yielding unrivaled archery, godly powers (Indra, Yama et al.), shaking Himalayas; Ravana couldn't lift his earrings. Invincible, he usurped Indra's throne, ruling 107 million years per Skanda Purana.​

Conquest and Tyranny

Hiranyakashipu conquered three worlds, tormenting devas, sages, forcing worship as supreme god, banning Vishnu bhakti under pain of death. His opulence blinded him to dharma; ironically, prior tapas honored higher powers, yet post-boon he rejected divinity.​

Conflict with Son Prahlada

Devotee son Prahlada, miraculously Vishnu-protected from infancy (poison, fire, elephant, snake failed), proclaimed omnipresent Hari over father. Enraged Hiranyakashipu tortured him: cliff-throw, venom, blaze—Prahlada emerged unscathed via bhakti. Challenged—"Is your Vishnu in this pillar?"—Prahlada affirmed; smashing it unleashed Narasimha.​

Demise by Narasimha Avatar

Twilight (neither day-night), threshold (neither in-out), lap (neither earth-sky), claws (neither weapon-living), man-lion Narasimha (neither man-beast) disemboweled Hiranyakashipu, upholding boon precisely. Gods couldn't calm fury till Prahlada's prayers; Vishnu granted moksha despite hatred's "reverse bhakti" consuming him.​

Legacy in Epics and Worship

Hiranyakashipu symbolizes ego's downfall, boons' limits, bhakti's supremacy; Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana detail saga, Mahabharata references (Upamanyu to Krishna), Ramayana allusions. Narasimha temples (Ahobilam), Prahlada stories inspire; Veergatha platforms curate Puranic warriors' moral tales.