Category:Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by Hiranyakasipu - Vaniquotes
- Hiraṇyakaśipu is the 20th top speaker of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with 64 verses at Vanisource. He speaks only in the 7th (63 verses) and 8th canto (1 verse).
Theme Analysis
Hiraṇyakaśipu represents the archetype of the atheistic materialist who seeks to conquer death and nature through personal strength and austerity. His narrative arc in the Seventh Canto is complex: it begins with deep familial affection and high philosophy as he consoles his mother and sister-in-law after the death of his brother, Hiraṇyākṣa. In this section, Hiraṇyakaśipu speaks like a self-realized soul, distinguishing the eternal self from the temporary body. However, his knowledge is theoretical; his actions are driven by intense hatred for Lord Viṣṇu. He performs severe penances to please Lord Brahmā, obtaining benedictions that make him invincible to all known living beings and weapons. His conflict with his saintly son, Prahlāda, exposes the limits of his philosophy—he cannot tolerate devotion to the very God he hates. Ultimately, his quest for immortality is thwarted by the appearance of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, proving that no material arrangement can surpass the Supreme Lord's will.
- Theoretical Philosophy: Hiraṇyakaśipu narrates the story of King Suyajña and Yamarāja to console his grieving relatives, eloquently explaining that the soul is distinct from the body and that lamentation is born of ignorance.
- The Vow of Vengeance: Driven by grief for his brother, he vows to kill Viṣṇu and overturn the cosmic order. He believes Viṣṇu is merely a partisan demigod who supports the devas.
- Prayers to Brahmā: His prayers to the creator are technically profound, acknowledging Brahmā as the soul of the universe. However, his motivation is purely selfish—to gain immortality and supreme power.
- The Logic of Enmity: Hiraṇyakaśipu employs a ruthless political philosophy (amputation logic), arguing that a son who acts like an enemy (by worshipping Viṣṇu) must be cut off like a diseased limb to save the body.
- The Challenge to God: His skepticism culminates in the famous challenge to Prahlāda: "Where is this God of yours?" leading to the shattering of the pillar and his own demise.
- Explore the synthesized essence of the category in this Vanipedia article: Hiraṇyakaśipu - The King of Demons and His Vow of Immortality.
Pages in category "Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by Hiranyakasipu - Vaniquotes"
The following 66 pages are in this category, out of 66 total.
A
- Afflicted by a poor fund of knowledge, you do not know that even if you lament for your dead husband for hundreds of years, you will never get him back alive, and in the meantime your lives will be finished
- After instructing all the foolish relatives of Suyajna, Yamaraja, in the form of a boy, disappeared from their vision. Then the relatives of King Suyajna performed the ritualistic funeral ceremonies
- Although a medicinal herb, being born in the forest, does not belong to the same category as a man, if beneficial it is kept very carefully. Similarly, if someone outside one's family is favorable, he should be given protection like a son
- Although he is very near to me and is merely a child, he is situated in complete fearlessness. He resembles a dog's curved tail, which can never be straightened, because he never forgets my misbehavior and his connection with his master, Lord Visnu
- Although Prahlada is only five years old, even at this young age he has given up his affectionate relationship with his father and mother. Therefore, he is certainly untrustworthy. Indeed, it is not at all believable that he will behave well toward Visnu
- Although the Supreme Lord, Visnu, is always equal to both of us - namely, the demigods and the demons - this time, being devoutly worshiped by the demigods, He has taken their side and helped them kill Hiranyaksa
- As the queens loudly cried, their tears glided down their breasts, becoming reddened by kunkuma powder, and fell upon the lotus feet of their husband
G
- Give me sole lordship over all the living entities and presiding deities, and give me all the glories obtained by that position. Furthermore, give me all the mystic powers attained by long austerities and the practice of yoga
- Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought about by any being other than those created by you, nor by any weapon
- Grant me that I not meet death from any entity, living or nonliving. Grant me, further, that I not be killed by any demigod or demon or by any great snake from the lower planets
H
- He is fully aware and completely different from the material body, but because of being misled by misuse of his slight independence, he is obliged to accept subtle and gross bodies created by the material energy
- Hiranyakasipu advised his assistants: My dear demons, give complete protection to this boy at the guru-kula where he is instructed, so that his intelligence will not be further influenced by Vaisnavas who may go there in disguise
- Hiranyakasipu murmured to himself, "Lord Visnu, who possesses great mystic power, has made this plan to kill me, but what is the use of such an attempt? Who can fight with me?" Thinking like this and taking up his club, Hiranyakasipu attacked the Lord
- Hiranyakasipu replied: You rascal, you are trying to minimize my value, as if you were better than me at controlling the senses. This is over-intelligent. I can therefore understand that you desire to die at my hands
- Hiranyakasipu said: My dear mother, sister-in-law and nephews, you should not lament for the death of the great hero, for a hero's death in front of his enemy is glorious and desirable
- Hiranyakasipu said: My dear Prahlada, my dear son, O long - lived one, for so much time you have heard many things from your teachers. Now please repeat to me whatever you think is the best of that knowledge
- Hiranyakasipu said: O most impudent, most unintelligent disruptor of the family, O lowest of mankind, you have violated my power to rule you, and therefore you are an obstinate fool. Today I shall send you to the place of Yamaraja
- Hiranyakasipu said: While Yamaraja, in the form of a small boy, was instructing all the relatives surrounding the dead body of Suyajna, everyone was struck with wonder by his philosophical words
- Hiranyakasipu thought: I have used many ill names in chastising this boy Prahlada and have devised many means of killing him, but despite all my endeavors, he could not be killed. Indeed, he saved himself by his own powers
- His golden, bejeweled armor smashed, his ornaments and garlands fallen from their places, his hair scattered and his eyes lusterless, the slain King lay on the battlefield, his entire body smeared with blood, his heart pierced by the arrows of the enemy
I
- I (Hiranyakasipu) shall now sever your (Prahlada) head from your body because you are speaking so much nonsense. Now let me see your most worshipable God come to protect you. I want to see it
- I can see that this boy's strength is unlimited, for he has not feared any of my punishments. He appears immortal. Therefore, because of my enmity toward him, I shall die. Or maybe this will not take place
- I offer my obeisances to the original personality within this universe, Lord Brahma, who is cognizant and who can apply his mind and realized intelligence in creating this cosmic manifestation
- If a limb of one's body is poisoned by disease, it must be amputated so that the rest of the body may live happily. Similarly, even one's own son, if unfavorable, must be rejected, although born of one's own body
- If a person is victorious over the six enemies and is equipoised toward all living entities, for him there are no enemies. Enemies are merely imagined by one in ignorance
- In due course of time, various types of diseases are manifest in those who are sinful. Similarly, in this world there are many deceptive friends in false garbs, but eventually, because of their false behavior, their actual enmity becomes manifest
- In his bewildered state, the living entity, accepting the body and mind to be the self, considers some people to be his kinsmen and others to be outsiders. Because of this misconception, he suffers
- In the state known as Usinara there was a celebrated King named Suyajna. When the King was killed in battle by his enemies, his kinsmen sat down around the dead body and began to lament the death of their friend
- In this regard, an example is given from an old history. This involves a discourse between Yamaraja and the friends of a dead person. Please hear it attentively
- Indeed, you inspire the yajnic brahmanas to perform the rituals mentioned in the three Vedas. Being the Supreme Soul, the Supersoul of all living entities, you are beginningless, endless and omniscient, beyond the limits of time and space
- Indignant and angry, his reddish eyes like molten copper, Hiranyakasipu said to his servants: O demons, take this boy away from me! He deserves to be killed. Kill him as soon as possible
M
- My dear lord, by your form as the Vedas personified and through knowledge relating to the activities of all the yajnic brahmanas, you spread the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of the seven kinds of sacrifices, headed by agnistoma
- My dear mother, in a restaurant or place for drinking cold water, many travelers are brought together, and after drinking water they continue to their respective destinations
- My insignificant enemies the demigods have combined to kill my very dear and obedient well-wisher, my brother Hiranyaksa
- My son Prahlada, you rascal, you know that when I am angry all the planets of the three worlds tremble, along with their chief rulers. By whose power has a rascal like you become so impudent that you appear fearless and overstep my power to rule you?
O
- O Danavas and Daityas! O Dvimurdha, Tryaksa, Sambara and Satabahu ! O Hayagriva, Namuci, Paka and Ilvala! O Vipracitti, Puloman, Sakuna and other demons! All of you, kindly hear me attentively and then act according to my words without delay
- O most unfortunate Prahlada, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above everything, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all-pervading. But where is He?
- O my gentle mother, when the mind is agitated by the movements of the modes of material nature, the living entity, although freed from all the different phases of the subtle and gross bodies, thinks that he has changed from one condition to another
- O my lord, being changelessly situated in your own abode, you expand your universal form within this cosmic manifestation, thus appearing to taste the material world. You are Brahman, the Supersoul, the oldest, the Personality of Godhead
- O my lord, O best of the givers of benediction, if you will kindly grant me the benediction I desire, please let me not meet death from any of the living entities created by you
- O my lord, Your Lordship is eternally awake, seeing everything that happens. As eternal time, you reduce the duration of life for all living entities through your different parts, such as moments, seconds, minutes and hours
- O unqualified, most heinous son of a brahmana, you have disobeyed my order and taken shelter of the party of my enemies. You have taught this poor boy about devotional service! What is this nonsense?
T
- The conditioned soul thus situated must take birth in different species and work in various types of consciousness, thus creating new bodies. This continued material life is called samsara
- The spirit soul, the living entity, has no death, for he is eternal and inexhaustible. Being free from material contamination, he can go anywhere in the material or spiritual worlds
- The supreme person within this universe, Lord Brahma, has gotten his exalted post by dint of severe austerities, mystic power and trance. Consequently, after creating the universe, he has become the most worshipable demigod within it
- The time was appropriate for the body to be burned, but the queens, not allowing it to be taken away, continued lamenting for the dead body, which they kept on their laps. In the meantime, the sun completed its movements for setting in the west
- The trees on the bank of a river, when reflected on the water, seem to move because of the movements of the water. Similarly, when the eyes move because of some mental derangement, the land appears to move also
- Their hair became disarrayed, their ornaments fell, and in a way that evoked sympathy from the hearts of others, the queens began lamenting their husband's death
- There is nothing separate from you, whether it be better or lower, stationary or moving. The knowledge derived from the Vedic literatures like the Upanisads, and from all the sub-limbs of the original Vedic knowledge, form your external body
- Therefore none of you should be aggrieved for the loss of the body - whether your own or those of others. Only in ignorance does one make bodily distinctions, thinking "Who am I? Who are the others? What is mine? What is for others?"
- This boy Prahlada is the killer of my brother, for he has given up his family to engage in the devotional service of the enemy, Lord Visnu, like a menial servant
- This continued material life is called samsara. Birth, death, lamentation, foolishness and anxiety are due to such material considerations. Thus we sometimes come to a proper understanding and sometimes fall again to a wrong conception of life
- Thus Yamaraja, in the guise of a small boy, told all the queens: You are all so foolish that you lament but do not see your own death
W
- When he died he had wanted to show his prowess, and thus he had bitten his lips, and his teeth remained in that position. His beautiful lotuslike face was now black and covered with dust from the battlefield
- When Hiranyakasipu received this reply from the teacher, he again addressed his son Prahlada. Hiranyakasipu said: You rascal, most fallen of our family, if you have not received this education from your teachers, where have you gotten it?
- When the queens of the King of Usinara saw their husband lying in that position, they began crying, "O lord, now that you have been killed, we also have been killed." Repeating these words again and again, they fell down, pounding their breasts
- While the queens were lamenting for the dead body of the King, their loud cries were heard even from the abode of Yamaraja. Assuming the body of a boy, Yamaraja personally approached the relatives of the dead body and advised them as follows
Y
- You are Hiranyagarbha, the reservoir of the universe, but nonetheless, being situated as the supreme controller, you are transcendental to the material world, which consists of the three modes of material nature
- You maintain the mind and the acting and knowledge-acquiring senses, and therefore you are the great controller of all the material elements and their qualities, and you are the controller of all desires
- Your Lordship, being the origin of the life of this material world, is the master and controller of the living entities, both moving and stationary, and you inspire their consciousness