50 verses
Nārada said: After hearing what Prahlāda spoke, all the children did not accept what was taught by their teachers, since Prahlādas teachings were faultless.
When the son of Śukrācārya saw that the students had fixed their intelligence on bhakti-yoga, he became frightened and reported the situation to the King.
Ekānta-saṁsthitām can mean their intelligence was fixed first on bhakti, and then last on everything else, or it can mean fixed on bhakti-yoga.
āhekṣamāṇaḥ pāpena tiraścīnena cakṣuṣā praśrayāvanataṁ dāntaṁ baddhāñjalim avasthitam sarpaḥ padāhata iva śvasan prakṛti-dāruṇaḥ
His body trembling in rage, rebuking him with harsh words, the King fixed his mind on killing his son, who did not deserve that punishment. Looking with his crooked, sinful eyes, at his gentle and obedient son who was standing peacefully with folded hands, the father, evil by nature, hissing like a trampled snake, then spoke.
Hiraṇyakaśipu said: O most impudent fool! Outcaste! Disruptor of the family! You have stubbornly violated my orders. I will send you today to the abode of Yamarāja.
Durvinīta means impudent but it also has another meaning: especially well-behaved, or merciful towards the rascals. Mandātman means a fool but also means a person who is attentive to the unfortunate, since he cannot tolerate their suffering. Kula-bheda-kara means a breaker of a family but also means a person who brings distinction to the family. He considers Prahlāda to be low (adhama) because he has great power, like the Prajāpatis who are also low. He is considered arrogant because he does not consider the demons worthy of worship. You have violated my orders. I will take you the Yamas abode. The other meaning of yama-kṣayam is the abode for yoga which enables Prahlāda to survive.
Fool! When I am angry all the three worlds tremble, along with their rulers. By whose strength, without fear, have you violated my order?
Balaḥ means whose strength.
Prahlāda said: The Lord is my strength and your strength and the strength of others who are strong. By him, all creatures high and low, moving and non-moving, headed by Brahmā, are controlled.
He is the Supreme Lord. He is time and performer of great deeds. He is the strength of the senses, mind and body. He is the mind, senses and body. The Supreme Lord creates, maintains and destroys the universe by his śaktis. He is master of the three guṇas.
Give up your demonic nature. Make your mind equal to all beings. There are no enemies except the mind which is uncontrolled and deviant. Worship the unlimited Lord.
Give up your demonic nature and make your mind think yourself and others to be equal. How can I make my mind equal to enemies? There are no enemies, except for the mind (ātmanaḥ), which is uncontrolled. When you control the mind and see everyone equal to yourself, you will not see any enemies. That is being equal everywhere. Smarahaṇam means worship.
Foolish persons like you, not conquering the six plunderers, think that they have conquered the ten directions. Where are the enemies for the person who has conquered the mind, who has conquered the six plunderers, who is wise and equal to all? These enemies are all created by illusion.
Foolish persons like you (eke), not conquering the six plunderers who steal everything, and are situated with you, think that they have conquered the ten directions by themselves. Where are the enemies (pare) for the wise person who has conquered the mind and thus conquered the six plunderers? Why would he have enemies? He has none, because enemies are created by ones illusions.
Hiraṇyakaśipu said: O fool! By boasting so excessively, you clearly show that you desire to die. Dying persons speak incoherent words.
Viklavā means incoherent. You are praising yourself saying I have conquered the six friends, but not my father.
O most unfortunate Prahlāda! You have always described a controller of the universe other than me. But where is he? If he is everywhere, then why is he not present before me in this pillar?
You are most unfortunate because you have given up the wealth of the universe which is mine. Because you are my son you are the heir. If the Lord exists, where is he? Prahlāda says, He is everywhere. Why is he not in the pillar? Prahlāda, seeing the proof, speaks. I see him in the pillar.
Because you are speaking so much nonsense, I shall now sever your head from your body. Now let your Lord who is your preferred shelter save you!
Hiraṇyakaśipu does not see the Lord. He then speaks this verse.
Obsessed with anger, mighty Hiraṇyakaśipu, continuously abusing his exalted devotee-son with harsh words, took up his sword, rose from his exalted throne, and struck his fist against the column.
At that time, from within the pillar came a fearful sound, as if the covering of the universe was cracking. O Yudhiṣṭhira, when the sound reached the abodes of the devatās like Lord Brahmā, the devatās, hearing it, thought that their abodes would be destroyed.
The sound appeared to crack the universe. Hearing that sound (yam), the devatās thought that they abodes were being destroyed (atyayam).
While showing his extraordinary prowess, Hiraṇyakaśipu, who desired to kill his own son, heard that astonishing, tumultuous sound which had never before been heard. Upon hearing the sound, the other leaders of the demons became frightened and could not see the origin of that sound in the assembly.
They could not see the source of that sound (tat-padam).
To prove the words of his servant that he is present in all objects to be true, the Lord showed an astonishing form which was neither animal nor human to the assembly.
Prahlāda had said that the Lord was present in the pillar. To prove those words of his servant true, to make that truth visible, the Lord appeared. And to make true the statement that his form was spread everywhere, in Nṛsiṁha and other forms, he became visible in the pillar where he had been invisible. He took a form in the assembly which was not related to animal forms nor was it a human form. His servant Hiraṇyakaśipu had prayed not to die from created living being, and also prayed not to die inside or outside, and not by man or beast. The Lord appeared in that form to make that prayer true. He was not a being created by Brahmā, he was not an animal, nor a human, nor was he situated within the assembly hall, nor outside in the yard. Some people also say that he appeared in that form to prove the words of his servants like Nārada to be true. The Lord says Kaunteya, my devotee never perishes. (BG 9.31) And Nārada said to Hiraṇyakaśipu, You will not be able to kill this child. (SB 7.7.10) Hiraṇyakaśipu said Perhaps I will die because of my hatred of Prahlāda. (SB 7.5.47) When Hiraṇyakaśipu made his request, Brahmā had said Let it be.
Looking all around as the creature emerging from the pillar, Hiraṇyakaśipu thought, This remarkable being is neither an animal nor a human. What is this man-lion form?
Looking all around the pillar at the being emerging from the pillar, he thought (verb is missing), What is it?
pratapta-cāmīkara-caṇòa-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
The form of Nṛsiṁha appeared in front of Hiraṇyakaśipu, who studied that frightful form having fierce eyes the color of molten gold and dreadful teeth, a face expanded by his brilliant mane, and tongue with sharp tip waving like a sword. His frown was terrifying and his rigid ears pointed up. His nostrils spread open like mountain caves. His open jaw was terrifying. His body, covered by hairs white like the moon, with broad chest and narrow waist and thick, short neck reached the sky. He had his unconquerable nails as weapons on his hundred of arms spread in all directions. By his normal weapons and other excellent weapons he made the demons flee.
Nṛsiṁha appeared before Hiraṇyakaśipu while he was considering that extremely (alam) terrifying form. His fearsome nature is described in three verses. Cāmīkara means gold. Saṭā-keśara means his mane. Karāvala is a knife. He was fierce because of his face with its frown. He was frightening because of the opening of his lower cheeks (jaw). He had a short, thick neck, broad chest and thin waist. His hair was white like moon light. He had hundreds of arms in all directions, with nails similar to weapons. His normal weapons were the cakra and club. He had others as well such a thunderbolt. Because of these weapons the demons fled.
"Lord Viṣṇu, who possesses great mystic power, has made this plan to kill me, but what is the use of such an attempt?" Uttering this and taking up his club while roaring loudly, Hiraṇyakaśipu, elephant among the demons, attacked the Lord.
Seeing that astonishing form, he thought and then spoke as follows. The Lord has thought of killing me by this form. Smṛtaḥ means that the Lord wanted to do this, and now has taken practical steps, by remembering again. What is the use of this attempt by the Lord? It has not use at all, since it cannot overcome my strength.
Just as an insect falls into a fire, Hiraṇyakaśipu disappeared in the Lords effulgence. This is not at all astonishing for the Lord, the light of pure goodness, because he formerly destroyed the darkness by forming mahat-tattva.
Entering the effulgence of the Lord, he disappeared. This is not surprising for the Lord who is the light (dhamani) of śuddha-sattva, in which one can see no darkness, because previously at the time of creation after dissolution of the universe, he destroyed the darkness by forming mahat-tattva (which glows). What then to speak of his direct form at this time?
Thereafter, the great demon angrily approached Nṛsiṁhadeva and struck him with his club using great force. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, who holds a club, captured the great demon along with his club, just as Garuòa captures a great snake.
Then, separating himself from the effulgence, he came before that form and stuck it with his club.
O Yudhiṣṭhira! When Nṛsiṁha gave Hiraṇyakaśipu a chance to slip from his hand, just as Garuòa sometimes lets a snake slip from his mouth, the devatās, who had lost their abodes and were hiding behind the clouds, did not consider that incident good fortune.
The demon slipped from his hands. The devatās were hidden by clouds, fearing the anger of the demon who would think, They want to see me die. Without homes, they thought that it was unfortunate that the demon had escaped from the hands of the Lord. He has taken our homes. Now, if he lives, he will take our lives!
Hiraṇyakaśipu, thinking that the Lord was afraid of his prowess because he escaped from the Lords hands, with his fatigue of fighting gone, took up his sword and shield and again attacked the Lord with great force.
Thinking that the Lord was afraid of his prowess because (yat) he got free from the Lords hands, he again attacked.
Laughing loudly with a terrifying sound, the swift Lord captured the demon who was moving up and down with the speed of a hawk and leaving no vulnerable spot by using his shield and sword, but who had closed his eyes out of fear of the laughter.
Śata-candra-vartmabhiḥ means by the use of his shield and sword. The demon had closed his eyes out of fear from the loud laughter.
Just a snake captures a mouse, the Lord caught the demon, who flailed his limbs about when captured, and placed him on his lap at the threshold of the palace. With his nails, he then casually pierced the demon, whose skin could not be pierced with an axe, just as Garuòa pierces a poisonous snake.
He captured the demon just as a snake captures a mouse. Without paying attention (līlayā) he pierced his body, though his skin could not be injured by an axe, just as Garuòa pierces a snake. He pierced him at the door, which was not in the assembly hall, nor outside. He placed him on his lap, a place which was neither on the ground nor in the sky. He pierced him by his nails, which were neither living nor dead. Also he killed him during the twilight, which was neither day nor night.
With fierce eyes difficult to look upon because of their anger, the Lord licked the edges of his gaping mouth with his tongue. His mane and face were red because of stains of drops of blood, and he wore the demons intestines as a garland. He looked like a lion after killing an elephant.
His face was stained with drops of blood. Thus his mane and face were red. He wore his intestines as a garland. The Lord was like a lion on killing an elephant.
Leaving aside the demon whose heart was uprooted by his nails, the Lord, armed with his phalanxes of arms, killed his all followers by the thousands using his nails and weapons.
Hiraṇyakaśipus lotus heart was uprooted by the buds of the Lords nails. I was living happily in his heart, but how did this unfortunate person make anger and hatred live there as well? He pulled out his heart as if to inspect it. He used the buds of his nails in order not to damage the lotus of his heart. The Lord had groups of arms. Anupathān means followers.
The clouds, shaken by his mane, fled away. The planets lost their effulgence by his glance. Attacked by his breathing, the oceans became agitated. The directions cried out in fear of his roaring.
This describes how he afflicted the enemy.
The sky, filled with airplanes dislocated by his flying mane, and the earth as well, afflicted by his feet, slipped from their positions. Mountains sprang up by his vehemence, and the sky and the directions lost their luster because of his effulgence.
With airplanes disturbed by the upward movement of his mane the sky and the earth as well slipped, remaining tilted. Lack of the augment on the past tense and the singular ending is poetic license.
No one could serve the unchallenged, fully shining Lord with terrifying, angry face, seated on the kings throne in the hall.
A king is defined as one whose power is accepted by one he conquers. Thus he sat on the kings throne, as if showing who should be king. Or, though his servant gate keeper had been cursed, the Lord did not see him as giving up that identity. Thus the Lord who did not accept the offering of seat purified by mantras or other gifts offered by the sages accepted the throne already used and not offered to him, because it belonged to his devotee, even though the devotee had been cursed and took on the nature of a demon. By this the Lord showed to all persons the great fortune of his devotee. The Lord showed full light (saṁbhṛta-tejasam). He had no opponents (alakṣita-dvairatham). No devotee served the Lord with fan or other items out of fear.
Seeing that the fever for the three worlds had been killed by the Lord in battle, the wives of the devatās, their faces bursting with intense joy, showered flowers again and again.
Seeing that the demon, intolerable like a fever in the head, was killed by the Lord, they sprinkled flowers.
The sky became crowded with airplanes of the devatās desirous of seeing the Lord. The heavenly drums sounded, the chief Gandharvas danced and the heavenly women sang.
The sky became crowded with airplanes of the devatās (nākinām).
manavaḥ prajānāṁ patayo gandharvāpsara-cāraṇāḥ yakṣāḥ kimpuruṣās tāta vetālāḥ saha-kinnarāḥ
te viṣṇu-pārṣadāḥ sarve
sunanda-kumudādayaḥ
mūrdhni baddhāñjali-puṭā
āsīnaṁ tīvra-tejasam
īòire nara-śārdulaṁ
nātidūracarāḥ pṛthak
O Yudhiṣṭhira! The devatās headed by Brahmā, Indra and Śiva, the sages, the Pitṛs, Siddhas, Vidyādharas, the snakes, the Manus, the Prajāpatis, the Gandharvas, the Apsarās, the Cāraṇas, the Yakṣas, the Kimpuruṣas, the Vetālas, the Kinnaras, and the associates of Viṣṇu, such as Sunanda and Kumuda, with hands over their heads, not too far away, each offered respects to the seated man-lion who was shining brilliantly.
The form apsara-cāranāḥ is poetic license.
Brahmā said: I offer respects to the unlimited master of unlimited potencies, of astonishing prowess and pure actions, who carries out creation, maintenance and dissolution of the universe by māyā with ease and remains undiminished.
You made the Kumāras get angry and made your two gate keepers fall. You made me, Brahmā, give blessings to the demon, and you made your devotee appear in the family of demons. Inspiring the demon, you cause harm to the devotee. Then you personally manifest yourself to protect your devotee. No one can understand your plan. Therefore I offer respects to you. I cannot know your limits (anantāya). To please you, I offer respects to your energies but the limits of those powers cannot be understood. You have remarkable prowess, since you killed the unconquerable demon in a moment. You are śuddha-sattva and therefore even if you are angry, your actions are pure. I offer respects to you who perform (sandadhate) creation, maintenance and destruction.
Śiva said: The end of the millennium is the time for your anger. Now you have killed this insignificant demon. O Lord, you are affectionate to your devotee! Therefore protect his son, who is obedient to you.
Everyone is afraid of final destruction on seeing your ferocious form, but I am not. The time of dissolution is the time for your anger. I, as well, your expansion, perform this action. I have shown anger out of affection for my devotee. This demon is insignificant for you. And his son, loyal to you, is here.
Indra said: Your share of sacrifice has been taken back by you, our deliverer. You have illuminated your residence, our lotus hearts, afflicted by the demon. What is this post of Indra devoured by time? O Narasiṁha! Those who engage in your service do not give any regard to liberation. What then is the use of other things?
Until this time I have not been attracted to remembering your lotus feet (since I was disturbed by the demon). O Supreme Lord! You, who protect us, have taken back your share of sacrifice from the demon, since everything that belonging to us, the servants, actually belongs to you, the master. Our hearts are your house because there we constantly meditate upon you. Just as the lotus loses its beauty in the night, and closes up, attacked by darkness, from the birth of the demon till today, thinking of the demon in fear, we have been attacked by the demon. Now that you have appeared like the sun, we have woken up. Touched by your feet, the lotus of our hearts has blossomed. Or, we have understood about (prati) your home Vaikuṇṭha. We have gained intelligence to serve your feet. Since you are a devotee, accept the post of Indra. True, since I have desire and no devotion, I will have to accept that. But the devotees without desire do not care for this post or even liberation, what to speak of things like the powers of yoga.
The sages said: O original person! O protector! O shelter! You have taught us about the supreme austerity, which is your power alone, by which you create this universe which was merged in you. Today again, you have approved of this power of austerity which was covered by the demon, by taking the form of Nṛsiṁha to protect it.
Until today we have not been performing austerities. You have taught us about the supreme austerity, which is meditation on your powerful form. By that power of austerity you created (sasarktha or sasarja) the universe merged in you. It is said sṛjāmi tapasāivedam: I create this universe by austerity. (SB 2.9.24) That austerity, power, was covered (vipraluptam) by the demon, just as Rāhu covers the sun. Now you have approved of austerity as the process we should follow, by taking the form of Nṛsiṁha to protect that austerity.
The Pitṛs said: The demon enjoyed by force the śrāddha offerings which were offered by our sons when visiting holy places. He drank the water with sesame seeds. We offer respects to Nṛhari, protector of all dharma, who obtained those offerings from the stomach of the demon, whose fat was torn by your nails.
Until today we have been fasting. Śrāddhāni means the offerings of rice balls to the departed. He drank the offering of water and sesame which people offered while bathing in sacred water. You have taken this offering from his stomach, whose fat was torn apart by your nails. Medinī says vapā means a hole or fat.1 You showed us the rice balls and water when you torn him open.
The Siddhas said: O Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva! With your nails, you pierced the sinful demon who showed pride many times, and who stole our mystic powers and austerity by force. We offer respects to you.
Stripped of our yoga powers, we have been starving until now. We have been waiting for this time. Gatim refers to powers like becoming small. You killed the demon, who showed pride many times.
The Vidyādharas said: We eternally offer respects to merciful Nṛsiṁha who in battle killed this animal, this fool, proud of his strength and prowess, who forbade the knowledge attained by various types of meditation.
Till now we have been without knowledge. The knowledge consists of power of being invisible and such things. Rāddhām means accomplished by. Saḍkhye means in battle. Māyā-nṛsiṁham means merciful Nṛsiṁha.
The Nāgas said: O giver of bliss to our wives! We offer respects to you, who give pleasure to our wives by piercing the chest of the sinful demon who stole our jewels and women.
We have been suffering till now because our wealth and women have been stolen. By piercing the chest of the demon you give pleasure to our wives (āsām). O giver of bliss (dattānanda)!
The Manus said: O Lord! We, who carry out your orders, have had our laws of varṇāśrama reversed by the son of Diti. The sinner has been killed by you. O master! What can we do for you? Please instruct your servants.
Suddenly receiving the glance of Nṛsiṁha, the Manus with hands folded on their heads say that they are ready to carry out his commands. The Manus refers to those who had already appeared.2 Setavaḥ means the rules of varṇāśrama.
The Prajāpatis said: O Supreme Lord! We, the Prajāpatis, have been created by you. By piercing his chest you have killed this demon who forbade us to create progeny. O form of pure sattva! Your appearance is auspicious for the world.
O Supreme Lord! The demon gave us the order not to create progeny (niṣiddhāḥ) O form of sattva! Your appearance is auspicious for the world.
The Gandharvas said: O Lord! We are your dancers and singers. You have killed this demon who subjugated us by his prowess, bodily strength and sensual strength. What benefit is such a person?
We were subjugated by him. We had to perform dances and sing for him.
The Cāraṇas said: O Lord! Because you have destroyed the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, who audaciously slept in beds in the hearts of the devotees, we take shelter of your lotus feet, which award liberation from the material world.
He sleeps even in the bed of the heart of the devotees. Not tolerating that, you killed him (samāpitaḥ). From today, you alone should sleep in their hearts.
The Yakṣas said: O controller of the twenty-four elements! We are your chief attendants, rendering pleasing services. The demon forced us to be his palanquin carriers. O Narahari! Knowing the misery he inflicted on us, you killed him.
We are the chief experts in serving you by pleasing actions. Or we are chief among your devotees. We (te) have been forced to carry his palanquin. He has been killed by you, who know his afflictions to the people. O controller of the twenty-four elements (pañca-viṁśa)!
The Kimpuruṣas said: We are insignificant living entities, and you are the Supreme Lord, the supreme controller. When this demon was condemned by devotees, he was then killed by you.
The inhabitants of Vitala-loka said: Dear Lord! Because of chanting your spotless glories in great assemblies and arenas of sacrifice, we gained great respect from everyone. By good fortune you have killed this sinful man, like a disease, who usurped our due respect.
He took that respect offered to us and brought it under his control.
The Kinnaras said: O supreme controller! We are your servants, but we were engaged constantly by this demon in rendering free service to him. O master! This cause of suffering has now been killed by you. O Lord Narasiṁha! Please act for our prosperity!
Viṣtim means service without pay. We are engaged constantly (anu) without pay. Vṛjinaḥ means one who gives suffering.
The associates of Lord Viṣṇu said: O Lord, our supreme giver of shelter! Today we have seen your amazing form as Nṛsiṁhadeva, good fortune for the entire world. O Lord! We can understand that this demon was your servant, who was cursed by the Kumāras and that you killed him as an act of mercy to him.
Hiraṇyakaśipu was your servant (vidhikaraḥ), who was cursed by the Kumāras.
Thus ends the commentary on the Eighth Chapter of the Seventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
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In the Eighth Chapter Hiraṇyakaśipu tries to kill his son and attacks a pillar in anger. Nṛsiṁhadeva appears from the pillar and kills him. The devatās praise the Lord.