Nrsimha Caturdasi - Glories of the most ferocious form of the Lord.
His Holiness Vedavyasapriya Swami Maharaj talks about the glories of Lord Nrsimha in May 2010 in Vrindavan Dhama.
Maharaj discourses from Chapter 3 of the 7th Canto which describes how Hiranyakasipu performed a severe type of austerity for material benefit,
thus causing great distress throughout the universe. Even Lord Brahma, the chief personality within
this universe, became somewhat disturbed and personally Hiranyakasipuwent to see why Hiranyakasipu
was engaged in such a severe austerity.
Hiranyakasipu wanted to become immortal. He wanted not to be conquered by anyone, not to be attacked
by old age and disease, and not to be harassed by any opponent. Thus he wanted to become the absolute
ruler of the entire universe. With this desire, he enHiranyakasipuHiranyakasipuHiranyakasiputered the
valley of Mandara Mountain and began practicing a severe type of austerity and meditation.
Seeing Hiranyakasipu engaged in this austerity, the demigods returned to their respective homes,
but while Hiranyakasipu was thus engaged, a kind of fire began blazing from his head, disturbing
the entire universe and its inhabitants, including the birds, beasts and demigods.
When all the higher
and lower planets became too hot to live on, the demigods, being disturbed, left their abodes in the
higher planets and went to see Lord Brahma, praying to him that he curtail this unnecessary heat.
The demigods disclosed to Lord Brahma Hiranyakasipu's ambition to become immortal, overcoming his
short duration of life, and to be the master of all the planetary systems, even Dhruvaloka.
Upon hearing about the purpose of Hiranyakasipu's austere meditation, Lord Brahma, accompanied by the
great sage Bhrgu and great personalities like Daksa, went to see Hiranyakasipu. He then sprinkled
water from his kamandalu, a type of waterpot, upon Hiranyakasipu's head.
Hiranyakasipu, the King of the Daityas, bowed down before Lord Brahma, the creator of this universe,
offering respectful obeisances again and again and offering prayers. When Lord Brahma agreed to give
him benedictions, he prayed not be killed by any living entity, not to be killed in any place, covered
or uncovered, not to die in the daytime or at night, not to be killed by any weapon, on land or in the
air, and not to be killed by any human being, animal, demigod or any other entity, living or nonliving.
He further prayed for supremacy over the entire universe and requested the eight yogic perfections,
such as anima and laghima.
Maharaj discourses from Chapter 4 and 5 of the 7th Canto which fully describes how Hiranyakasipu obtained power from Lord Brahma and misused it by harassing all the living entities within this universe.
By severe austerities, Hiranyakasipu satisfied Lord Brahma
and obtained the benedictions he desired. After he received these benedictions, his body,
which had been almost entirely consumed, was revived with full beauty and a luster like gold.
Nonetheless, e continued to be envious of Lord Visnu, unable to forget Lord Visnu's having killed his brother.
Hiranyakasipu conquered everyone in the ten directions and the three worlds and brought all living entities, both demigods and asuras,
under his control. Becoming the master of all places, including the residence of Indra, whom he had driven out,
he began enjoying life in great luxury and thus became mad. All the demigods but Lord Visnu, Lord Brahma and Lord
Siva came under his control and began serving him, but despite all his material power he was dissatisfied because he
was always puffed up, proud of transgressing the Vedic regulations.
All the brahmanas were dissatisfied with him,
and they cursed him with determination. Eventually, all the living entities within the universe, represented by the
demigods and sages, prayed to the Supreme Lord for relief from Hiranyakasipu's rule.
Lord Visnu informed the demigods that they and the other living entities would be saved from the fearful conditions
created by Hiranyakasipu. Since Hiranyakasipu was the oppressor of all the demigods, the followers of the Vedas,
the cows, the brahmanas and the religious, saintly persons, and since he was envious of the Supreme Lord, he would
naturally be killed very soon.
Hiranyakasipu's last exploit would be to torment his own son Prahlada, who was
a maha-bhagavata, an exalted Vaisnava. Then his life would end. When the demigods were thus reassured by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, everyone was satisfied, knowing that the miseries inflicted upon them by
Hiranyakasipu would come to an end.
Finally, Narada Muni describes the characteristics of Prahlada Maharaja, the son of Hiranyakasipu, and
describes how his father envied his own qualified son. In this way the chapter ends.
