The mighty Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was deeply agitated, struggled to wriggle out of the Lord’s grip but it was of little use. The Lord’s radiance covered all directions leaving him with no scope for exit. The Lord’s swiftness did not give him a chance to escape.

As swiftly as the eagle Garuda catches a snake, Lord Narasimha caught Hiraṇyakaśipu and took him to the main doorway of the palace. Sitting at the doorway, the Lord placed the demon upon His thighs. Using His nails, He tore apart the mighty demon as playfully as Garuda would rip apart the venomous snake.

Hiraṇyakaśipu had sought that no weapon should destroy him; hence Lord Narasimha used his long nails, which were as powerful as thunderbolt, to tear and kill him. The demon had sought that he should not be killed either indoors out outdoors, hence the Lord killed him exactly at the main entrance. He had asked that he should not meet death either in the morning or at night, hence the Lord appeared in the evening twilight time. He had desired that he should not be killed either on earth or in the skies, hence the Lord seated him upon his thighs. Thus the Lord incarnated in a form which suited the time and place requirements in order to eliminate this demon”.

“Hiraṇyakaśipu had desired that death should not come either in the form of man nor animal. Hence the Lord appeared in a strange man-animal form. Furthermore, the Lord manifested from a pillar to suit the demon’s boons.

At the time when the Lord was ripping apart the demon’s abdomen, His fiery red eyes were unbearable to look at. Opening His mouth wide, the Lord began to lick the ends of His mouth with His tongue. Blood was dripping from His mane. He glowed like a ferocious lion which wears around its neck the garland of intestines of the elephant it has killed. The Lord who had many arms plucked out the heart of the demon which resembled a lotus and flung it away. Noticing the Lord’s ghastly activities, thousands of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s soldiers took up their weapons and rushed to attack the Lord, however Lord Narasimha playfully killed them with the tips of his finger-nails and trampled them with His feet. Thus the Lord killed Hiraṇyakaśipu and his soldiers.

The mane on his head scattered the clouds in the sky. The brightly illumining planets faded in the presence of His radiantly glowing eyes. His hot, forceful breath flung all planets and stars far away. In addition, oceans turned violent and tsunamis wreaked havoc in many places.

Hearing his loud tumultuous roar, mighty elephants began to tremble in agitation. The hair on the Lord’s head caused the celestial airplanes to be scattered in all directions. Heavens trembled. Just as an earthquake and its aftershocks render unimaginable havoc, this Lord’s mighty violent form created havoc not only on earth but in all the directions. Unable to withstand His weight, Mother Earth agonized.

Nārasimhāya namah