More Bhagavat-kathamrita - A great demon becomes immortal?

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SB 7.3.1: Narada Muni said to Maharaja Yudhisthira: The demoniac king

Hiranyakasipu wanted to be unconquerable and free from old age and

dwindling of the body. He wanted to gain all the yogic perfections like

anima and laghima, to be deathless, and to be the only king of the

entire universe, including Brahmaloka.

 

SB 7.3.2: In the valley of Mandara Hill, Hiranyakasipu began performing

his austerities by standing with his toes on the ground, keeping his

arms upward and looking toward the sky. This position was extremely

difficult, but he accepted it as a means to attain perfection.

 

SB 7.3.3: From the hair on Hiranyakasipu's head there emanated an

effulgent light as brilliant and intolerable as the rays of the sun at

the time of dissolution. Seeing the performance of such austere

penances, the demigods, who had been wandering throughout the planets,

now returned to their respective homes.

 

SB 7.3.4: Because of Hiranyakasipu's severe austerities, fire came from

his head, and this fire and its smoke spread throughout the sky,

encompassing the upper and lower planets, which all became extremely

hot.

 

SB 7.3.5: Because of the power of his severe austerities, all the

rivers and oceans were agitated, the surface of the globe, with its

mountains and islands, began trembling, and the stars and planets fell.

All directions were ablaze.

 

SB 7.3.6: Scorched and extremely disturbed because of Hiranyakasipu's

severe penances, all the demigods left the planets where they reside

and went to the planet of Lord Brahm?, where they informed the creator

as follows: O lord of the demigods, O master of the universe, because

of the fire emanating from Hiranyakasipu's head as a result of his

severe austerities, we have become so disturbed that we could not stay

in our planets but have come to you.

 

SB 7.3.7: O great person, chief of the universe, if you think it

proper, kindly stop these disturbances, meant to destroy everything,

before all your obedient subjects are annihilated.

 

SB 7.3.8: Hiranyakasipu has undertaken a most severe type of austerity.

Although his plan is not unknown to you, kindly listen as we submit his

intentions.

 

SB 7.3.9-10: " 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. Since I am eternal and time is

eternal, I shall endeavor for such austerity, mystic power and trance

for many, many births, and thus I shall occupy the same post occupied

by Lord Brahma.

 

SB 7.3.11: " By dint of my severe austerities, I shall reverse the

results of pious and impious activities. I shall overturn all the

established practices within this world. Even Dhruvaloka will be

vanquished at the end of the millennium. Therefore, what is the use of

it? I shall prefer to remain in the position of Brahma. "

 

SB 7.3.12: O lord, we have heard from reliable sources that in order to

obtain your post, Hiranyakasipu is now engaged in severe austerity. You

are the master of the three worlds. Please, without delay, take

whatever steps you deem appropriate.

 

SB 7.3.13: O Lord Brahm?, your position within this universe is

certainly most auspicious for everyone, especially the cows and

br?hman?as. Brahminical culture and the protection of cows can be

increasingly glorified, and thus all kinds of material happiness,

opulence and good fortune will automatically increase. But

unfortunately, if Hiranyakasipu occupies your seat, everything will be

lost.

 

SB 7.3.14: O King, being thus informed by the demigods, the most

powerful Lord Brahm?, accompanied by Bhr?gu, Daks?a and other great

sages, immediately started for the place where Hiranyakasipu was

performing his penances and austerities.

 

SB 7.3.15-16: Lord Brahma, who is carried by a swan airplane, at first

could not see where Hiranyakasipu was, for Hiran?yaka?ipu's body was

covered by an anthill and by grass and bamboo sticks. Because

Hiranyakasipu had been there for a long time, the ants had devoured his

skin, fat, flesh and blood. Then Lord Brahm? and the demigods spotted

him, resembling a cloud-covered sun, heating all the world by his

austerity. Struck with wonder, Lord Brahm? began to smile and then

addressed him as follows.

 

SB 7.3.17: Lord Brahma said: O son of Kashyapa Muni, please get up,

please get up. All good fortune unto you. You are now perfect in the

performance of your austerities, and therefore I may give you a

benediction. You may now ask from me whatever you desire, and I shall

try to fulfill your wish.

 

SB 7.3.18: I have been very much astonished to see your endurance. In

spite of being eaten and bitten by all kinds of worms and ants, you are

keeping your life air circulating within your bones. Certainly this is

wonderful.

 

SB 7.3.19: Even saintly persons like Bhrigu, born previously, could not

perform such severe austerities, nor will anyone in the future be able

to do so. Who within these three worlds can sustain his life without

even drinking water for one hundred celestial years?

 

SB 7.3.20: My dear son of Diti, with your great determination and

austerity you have done what was impossible even for great saintly

persons, and thus I have certainly been conquered by you.

 

SB 7.3.21: O best of the asuras, for this reason I am now prepared to

give you all benedictions, according to your desire. I belong to the

celestial world of demigods, who do not die like human beings.

Therefore, although you are subject to death, your audience with me

will not go in vain.

 

SB 7.3.22: Sri Narada Muni continued: After speaking these words to

Hiranyakasipu, Lord Brahma, the original being of this universe, who is

extremely powerful, sprinkled transcendental, infallible, spiritual

water from his kamandalu upon Hiranyakasipu's body, which had been

eaten away by ants and moths. Thus he enlivened Hiranyakasipu.

 

SB 7.3.23: As soon as he was sprinkled with the water from Lord

Brahma's waterpot, Hiranyakasipu arose, endowed with a full body with

limbs so strong that they could bear the striking of a thunderbolt.

With physical strength and a bodily luster resembling molten gold, he

emerged from the anthill a completely young man, just as fire springs

from fuel wood.

 

SB 7.3.24: Seeing Lord Brahma present before him in the sky, carried by

his swan airplane, Hiranyakasipu was extremely pleased. He immediately

fell flat with his head on the ground and began to express his

obligation to the lord.

 

SB 7.3.25: Then, getting up from the ground and seeing Lord Brahma

before him, the head of the Daityas was overwhelmed by jubilation. With

tears in his eyes, his whole body shivering, he began praying in a

humble mood, with folded hands and a faltering voice, to satisfy Lord

Brahma.

 

SB 7.3.26-27: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the supreme

lord within this universe. At the end of each day of his life, the

universe is fully covered with dense darkness by the influence of time,

and then again, during his next day, that self-effulgent lord, by his

own effulgence, manifests, maintains and destroys the entire cosmic

manifestation through the material energy, which is invested with the

three modes of material nature. He, Lord Brahma, is the shelter of

those modes of nature — sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna.

 

SB 7.3.28: 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. It is

because of his activities that everything within the universe is

visible. He is therefore the cause of all manifestations.

 

SB 7.3.29: 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. 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.

 

SB 7.3.30: My dear lord, by your form as the Vedas personified and

through knowledge relating to the activities of all the yajnic

br?hman?as, you spread the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of the seven

kinds of sacrifices, headed by agnistoma. Indeed, you inspire the

yajnic br?hmanas 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.

 

SB 7.3.31: 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. Nonetheless, you are unchanged,

resting in one place as the Supersoul, witness and Supreme Lord, the

birthless, all-pervading controller who is the cause of life for all

living entities.

 

SB 7.3.32: There is nothing separate from you, whether it be better or

lower, stationary or moving. The knowledge derived from the Vedic

literatures like the Upanis?ads, and from all the sub-limbs of the

original Vedic knowledge, form your external body. You are

Hiran?yagarbha, 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.

 

SB 7.3.33: 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.

 

SB 7.3.34: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme, who

in his unlimited, unmanifested form has expanded the cosmic

manifestation, the form of the totality of the universe. He possesses

external and internal energies and the mixed energy called the marginal

potency, which consists of all the living entities.

 

SB 7.3.35: 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.

 

SB 7.3.36: 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 by any being other than

those created by you, nor by any weapon, nor by any human being or

animal.

 

SB 7.3.37-38: 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. Since no one can

kill you in the battlefield, you have no competitor. Therefore, grant

me the benediction that I too may have no rival. 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, for these

cannot be lost at any time.

 

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