360
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 2, Ch. 7]
any kind of known weapon, nor would he die in day or night. The Lord, however, assumed the incarnation of half-man and half-lion, which was beyond the imagination of a materialistic demon like Hiraṇyakaśipu, and thus, keeping pace with the benediction of Brahmājī, the Lord killed him. He killed him on His lap, so that he was killed neither on the land nor on the water nor in the sky. He was pierced by Narasimha's nails, which were beyond the human weapons imaginable by Hiraṇyakaśipu. The literal meaning of Hiraṇyakaśipu is one who is after gold and soft bedding, the ultimate aim of all materialistic men. Such demonic men, who have no relationship with God, gradually become puffed up by material acquisitions and begin to challenge the authority of the Supreme Lord and torture those who are devotees of the Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja happened to be the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, and because he was a great devotee, his father tortured him to the best of his ability. In this extreme situation, the Lord assumed the incarnation of Narasimhadeva, and just to finish the enemy of the demigods, the Lord killed Hiraṇyakaśipu in a manner which was beyond the demon's imagination. Materialistic plans of godless demons are always frustrated by the all-powerful Lord.
TEXT 15
अन्तःसरस्युरुत्वलेन पदे गृहीतो
ग्राहेण यूथपतिरम्बुजहस्त आर्तः ।
आहेदमादिपुरुषाखिललोकनाथ
तीर्थश्रवः श्रवणमङ्गलनामधेय ॥१५॥
antaḥ-sarasy uru-balena pade grhīto
grāheṇa yūtha-patir ambuja-hasta ārtaḥ
āhedam ādi-puruṣākhila-loka-nātha
tīrtha-śravaḥ śravaṇa-mangala-nāmadheya
antaḥ-sarasi—within the river; uru-balena—by superior strength; pade—leg; grhītaḥ—being taken up; grāheṇa—by the crocodile; yūtha-patiḥ—of the leader of the elephants; ambuja-hastaḥ—with a lotus flower in the hand; ārtaḥ—greatly aggrieved; āha—addressed; idam—like this; ādi-puruṣa—the original enjoyer; akhila-loka-nātha—the Lord of the universe; tīrtha-śravaḥ—