The Story of Brahmand

The story of Hiranyaksh

Initially, the asuras that arose were mighty and knowledgeble. They didn't believe in waging war to achieve their goal. However to quench their thirst for power, they preferred to instead rely on treachery. One such asura was Hiranyaksh. He realised that for gaining control of the Earth and its vast resources, he should marry the earth godess bhudevi. Once he got her in control he would be the most powerful asura and could win over all the lokas and yonis. Acco rdingly he tried to woo her. But the earth goddess who was a form of Sree also called as godess Laxmi rejected his advances. Enraged he decided to kidnap her, and went into the oceans with her. He told her she would only be released if she married him. She declined, but staying in the oceans was causing dlood to arise on earth, killing all lifeforms. This worried her and she prayed to Naarayana to save her. Hiranyaksh was mighty and had a boon that he could only be killed by a single blow at two sites and not by any weapon. So Naarayana assumed the form of Varaha or boar to save Earth. He killed Hiranyaksh by a single blow by his tusks. Then placing the Earth on his tusks he rose back to place her in her usual place. Hiranyaksh's baby brother Hiranyakashyipu angered by this deed vowed revenge on Naarayana. and waited for the correct time. Hiranyaksh and Hiranyakashyipu were said to be avtars of Naarayans gatekeeper of Vaikuntha, Jai and Vijai. They had stopped the sanathkumaras, brahma's sons from meeting Naarayan when he was resting. As aresult of which they were cursed to be born on earth and spend the rest of their lives on it. On their begging, the rishis modified their curse that they would only stay 3 lifetimes on Earth, and each time Naarayan will take a avtar to kill the. Hiranyaksh-Hiranyakashyipu, Raavan-Kumbhakaran and Kansa-Shishupal were the avtars taken by the brothers to be the cause of Naarayans avtars and get killed by him. In between the duration of each avtar they went back to Vaikuntha to serve Naarayan. At the end of this cycle of birth and deaths, they got self realisation or moksha and satyed with Naarayan in Vaikuntha forever.

It is said that Hiranyaksh's placing the earth godess in the ocean combined with man's sins were the cause for the start of floods. So Naarayan to do his duty of preservor of life, 1st took matsya avtar to guide manu out of the floods, then took varaha avtar to save rest of the earth from the floods and finally in his Haigriva avtar returned knowledge to the world.