Chapter 3: Hiranyakas'ipu's Plan to Become Immortal

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'Hiranyakas'ipu, oh King, desired to become unconquerable, free from old age and immortal, the one and only king with no rivals or opponents. (2) In a valley near Mandara Hill he performed a most difficult austerity in which he staring into the sky raised his arms upwards and with the big toes of his feet stood on the ground. (3) Emanating from the hair on his head there was a light as bright as a supernova that by its beams made all the gods doing penance turn back to their home bases. (4) The fire that generated by his severe penance together with smoke spread sidewards, upwards and downwards, heated all the worlds. (5) The rivers and oceans were in turmoil, the islands, the mountains and the earth shook and the stars with their planets fell, while all the ten directions were ablaze. (6) Scorched by it the demigods gave up their residences and went to Lord Brahmâ's place to tell their leader: 'Oh Master of the Universe, because of the penance of the daitya king we are all afflicted and no longer capable of keeping our positions in heaven. (7) Please, could you mind to do something and put an end to this oh Lord of the whole world, before everyone who offers you worship oh chief of all is lost. (8) Just consider what he [Hiranyakas'ipu] has in mind performing that most difficult penance. You of course know everything about it - but nevertheless we would like to submit it to you. (9-10) [This is what he thinks:] 'Lord Brahmâ, who by his austerity absorbed in yoga created the moving and unmoving living beings [see 3.8], has his throne in all the worlds high and low. I, by dint of an even more severe penance [than his] being absorbed in yoga, will from the eternality of time and the soul, achieve the same for myself. (11) By my strength I will turn this world upside down and tackle everything that must change in a different way than before. What is the use of all other practices? At the end of a day of creation all the worlds of Vishnu will be vanquished by time anyway!' (12) We discovered that he in his severe penance is of this resolve. Can you please according to your own judgement take the necessary measures oh master of the three worlds? (13) It belongs to your position as the supreme master in the universe to improve the welfare, happiness, opulence and victory of the twice-born ones and the cows.'

(14) Thus  being informed by the godly ones, the most powerful person, he who was born on the lotus oh King, accompanied by Bhrigu, Daksha and others went to the place of penance of the daitya lord. (15-16) Covered by an anthill, grass and bamboo and with his fat, skin, flesh and blood eaten away by the ants, he could not be spotted any longer, but he who rides the swan smiled with wonder when he saw how he, like a sun covered by clouds, heated all the worlds by his penance. (17) S'rî Brahmâ said: 'Please appear, show yourself oh son of Kas'yapa! All good fortune to you who are so perfectly of penance. I, the granter of boons have arrived. Let your wish be my blessing for you. (18) I have personally witnessed the great power you are carrying and how wonderful it is that someone whose body is eaten away by worms and ants can manage to keep his life air confined to his bones. (19) Nothing like it was performed by the sages before you, nor will anyone else do so hereafter. Who can sustain his life-air for a hundred celestial years [36.000 years] without taking a drop of water? (20) Oh son of Diti, by your resolve to be of this penance that even for the greatest saints is very hard to perform, you have conquered me. (21) Therefore I will grant all your wishes oh best of the Asuras. When someone who is destined to die meets an immortal person like me, that will certainly not be fruitless.'

(22) S'rî Nârada said: 'Having said this, the original godhead and first living being of the universe sprinkled divine, all-potent effective water from his kamandalu [waterpot] over the body that was eaten by the ants. (23) From his anthill with its bamboos he thereby was fully restored to the full capacity of his mind, senses and strength. Like fire springing from fire wood, he arose with a fully endowed young body as strong as a thunderbolt that had a luster of molten gold. (24) When he saw the god right in front of him in the sky upon his swan carrier he, very pleased by that encounter, with his head bending over offered his obeisances [compare B.G. 9: 23-24 and 2.3: 10 ]. (25) Rising to his feet before his own eyes seeing the Almighty One he, overwhelmed by jubilation, with tears in his eyes and his hair standing on end, with folded hands and a faltering voice, humbly began to pray. (26-27) S'rî Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'At the end of a day of creation when he [Lord Brahmâ] under the influence of time is covered by the dense darkness of ignorance, this cosmic creation manifests [again] by the light of the rays emanating from his body. This world endowed with the three modes of rajas, sattva and tamas [passion, goodness and ignorance], is by him created, maintained and annihilated. That transcendental and supreme Lord I offer my respectful obeisances. (28) The original living being, the seed of creation, knowledge and wisdom, him, the deity of the life force, the senses, the mind and the intelligence who by his passion realized this manifestation, I offer my reverential homage. (29) You, operating through the life force, constitute the factual control of the moving and immobile creatures. You are the origin of all activities and the mastermind and source of insight of all living beings. You are the great Lord of the knowing and acting senses, the controller of the material elements, their qualities and the mind thereabout [compare B.G. 7: 7]. (30) By means of your body in the form of the three Vedas you promote the seven kinds of rituals [beginning from the agnishthoma-yajña] of the four kinds of priests [known as hotâ, adhvaryu, brahma and udgâtâ] and the knowledge required. You are the one soul without a beginning and an end of all living entities, the supreme inspirator and the True Self within. (31) You not affected by anything are [the personification of] the ever vigilant Time that by each of its segments reduces the duration of life of all beings. You are of this material world the essential cause of life, the Great Self and Supreme Controller who was never born. (32) Nothing exists separate from you, whether it is higher evolved or just lower, moves around or does not move. [Vedic] knowledge in all its divisions makes up the diversity of your body. You are the one golden principle of life [called hiranya-garbha] who transcendental to the three modes are greater than the greatest. (33) Oh Almighty One, invisibly situated in your supreme abode you as the one soul and oldest person manifested the externality of this cosmic manifestation by which you enjoy the senses, life air, mind and qualities [you endowed us with]. (34) I offer my obeisances to you, that Supreme Lord who endowed with spiritual ànd material potency expanded to the unlimited, unimaginable form of this totality.

(35) If you are willing to grant the boon that I desire oh my Lord, oh best of all benefactors, then make it so that I will not die because of any of the living beings created by you. (36) Neither at home nor outside, neither during the day nor at night, neither from any known weapon nor by any other thing, neither on the ground or in the sky nor by any human being or animal I may die. (37-38) Neither lifeless things nor living entities, neither demigod or demon nor the great serpents may kill me. I must have no rivals, have the supremacy in battle and the rule over all embodied souls including the deities of all planets. My glory must equal yours and never may the powers I acquired by yogic penance be defeated.'