Lord Varāha and the Pastime of Viṣṇu Killing Hiraṇyākṣa
The cosmic manifestations and their subsequent protection are overseen by the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His innumerable incarnations. As wonderfully narrated by Śrīla Prabhupāda, the dramatic encounter between the original Boar incarnation and a formidable demon highlights the absolute supremacy of the Lord. This historical event not only protects the demigods but also bestows profound spiritual purification upon anyone who hears it.
The Descent of the Eternal Associates
The intense conflicts between the Supreme Lord and the great demons of the universe are rarely what they seem on the surface. These battles are often divine plays staged for the Lord's own transcendental pleasure. As Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals, Kṛṣṇa sometimes desires to experience the fighting spirit, and to accommodate this, His own pure devotees agree to descend into the material world as His enemies. Thus, Hiraṇyākṣa was not an ordinary soul, but a beloved associate acting under the Lord's supreme direction.
- Because Krsna wants to fight, some of His devotees come down to this material world to become His enemies and fight with Him. For example, the Lord descended to kill Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa.
- In each of their (Jaya and Vijaya) three births - first as Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, second as Ravana and Kumbhakarna, and third as Sisupala and Dantavakra - the Lord personally killed them.
- Here (in SB 7.10.35) Narada Muni is relating how in three different births the associates of Lord Visnu were killed by Lord Visnu Himself. First they were the demons Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu.
- Thus the two associates of Lord Visnu who had become Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, the sons of Diti, were both killed. By illusion they had thought that the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart, was their enemy.
The Appearance of the Boar Incarnation
When the earth fell into the depths of the Garbhodaka Ocean, the situation appeared dire for the cosmic administration. However, the Supreme Lord swiftly intervened by assuming a form uniquely suited for the task. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the magnificent appearance of Lord Varāha, who plunged into the universal waters to rescue the planet. While executing this immense cosmic duty, He was directly challenged by the aggressive demon, setting the stage for an epic confrontation.
- The Lord assumed the shape of a boar to kill the demon Hiranyaksa and pick up the earth from the Garbha Ocean. Thus He became adi-sukara, the original boar.
- When the Lord appeared to pick up the earth, the demon of the name Hiranyaksa tried to create a disturbance in the methodical functions of the Lord, and therefore he was killed by being pierced by the Lord's tusk.
- My Lord, as the original boar within this universe, You fought and killed the great demon Hiranyaksa. Then You lifted me (the earth) from the Garbhodaka Ocean on the end of Your tusk, exactly as a sporting elephant plucks a lotus flower from the water.
- In both millenniums there was a boar incarnation of the Lord, but in the Svayambhuva millennium He lifted the earth from within the water of the universe, whereas in the Caksusa millennium He killed the first demon, Hiranyaksa.
The Supreme Power of the Lord's Slap
Despite their formidable physical strength and mastery of mystic illusions, demons are ultimately powerless before the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Hiraṇyākṣa unleashed a barrage of weapons and magical tricks, yet the Lord remained entirely unfazed. As Śrīla Prabhupāda dramatically explains, the Lord allowed the demon to show off his abilities before effortlessly ending the battle with a single, devastating slap. This demonstrates that no amount of material prowess can match the will of the Supreme.
- It does not take even a moment for the Lord to kill any powerful demon, including Hiranyaksa. The Lord could have killed him long before, but He allowed the demon to display the full extent of his magical feats.
- His (God's) one signal is sufficient to destroy all our attempts. His inconceivable power, as displayed here (SB 3.19.26), is so strong that the demon (Hiranyaksa), despite all his demoniac maneuvers, was killed by God when God desired, simply by one slap.
- Lord Boar very easily took the earth on His tusks and got it out of the water. Thus He appeared very splendid. Then, His anger glowing like the Sudarsana wheel, He immediately killed the demon (Hiranyaksa), although he tried to fight with the Lord.
- According to Srila Jiva Gosvami, the demon Hiranyaksa was killed by the hand of the Lord. Therefore his version is that after being killed by the hand of God, the demon was pierced by the tusk. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura confirms this version.
Liberation Through the Lord's Touch
In the material world, death is a moment of extreme fear and suffering, but death at the hands of the Supreme Lord is the highest benediction. Even though Hiraṇyākṣa acted as a ferocious enemy, the purifying glance and physical touch of Lord Varāha completely absolved him of all material contamination. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that Diti, the mother of the demons, took solace in knowing her sons would achieve ultimate liberation by being directly killed by the Personality of Godhead.
- At Hiranyaksa's last moment, his mother, Diti, remembered what her husband had said. Although her sons would be demons, they would have the advantage of being killed by the Personality of Godhead Himself.
- The sage Maitreya said: Hearing that her grandson (Prahlada) would be a great devotee and that her sons (Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu) would be killed by Krsna, Diti was highly pleased in mind.
- I know that my father, at the time of his death, had already been purified by Your glance upon him, but because of his ignorance of Your power and supremacy, he was unnecessarily angry at You, falsely thinking that You were the killer of his brother.
- By killing the demon Hiranyaksa He (God) fulfilled His promise to kill the demons and always protect the demigods headed by Brahma. The statement that the Lord returned to His own abode indicates that He has His own particular transcendental residence.
The Spiritual Benefit of Hearing the Pastime
The narrations of the Supreme Lord's activities are non-different from the Lord Himself, possessing the exact same spiritual potency. The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya eagerly absorbed these histories because they recognized their immense purifying power. As Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms, simply by attentively hearing or chanting the story of Lord Varāha killing the great demon, an individual is immediately relieved from the heaviest sinful reactions and is guaranteed transfer to the spiritual sky.
- Anyone who hears, chants or takes pleasure in the narration of the killing of the Hiranyaksa by the Lord who appeared as the first boar in order to deliver the world, is at once relieved of the results of sinful activities, even the killing of a brahmana.
- One who listens to it (the narration of Lord Varaha killing Hiranaksya) at the last moment of his life is transferred to the supreme abode of the Lord, O dear Saunaka.
- In this narration about Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, various expansions or incarnations of the Lord have been described, and the killing of the two demons Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu has also been described.
- After thus killing the most formidable demon Hiranyaksa, the Supreme Lord Hari, the origin of the boar species, returned to His own abode, where there is always an uninterrupted festival. The Lord was praised by all the demigods, headed by Brahma.
Conclusion
The history of Lord Viṣṇu's boar incarnation stands as a profound testament to the Lord's absolute power and His unwavering commitment to protecting the universe. Through the defeat of Hiraṇyākṣa, as illuminated by Śrīla Prabhupāda, we understand that no demonic force can ever disrupt the cosmic order when Kṛṣṇa chooses to intervene. By constantly remembering and honoring these divine pastimes, devotees build an impenetrable fortress around their own spiritual lives, ensuring their eventual return to the spiritual world.
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