Jaya-Vijaya Series - Story 02: Jaya As Hiranyakashipu

In this story, we will see how Jaya takes his first mortal birth as Hiranyakashipu and how Narsimha, the Vishnu avatar eventually kills him.

Narsimha killing Hiranyakashipu

In the Satya yuga, Jaya and Vijaya took their first ever birth on earth as mortals.

Jaya was born as Hiranyakashyap (or Hiranyakashipu), a power asura and tyrant. He had a young son named Prahalad, an ardent devotee of Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu was jealous about his own son's devotion to someone else and did not like it at all. He even tried to kill his son many times, only never managing to be successful!

Once, he pointed at a pillar in the palace and asked his son if his god would be in it, as god is supposed to be 'omnipresent'. Prahalad replied in the affirmative.

Enraged by the answer, he broke open the pillar with his mace, only to have Narasimha avatar of Vishnu (half lion, half human) pounce out of it and kill him at twilight with his nails, by laying him on his own thigh at the entrance door of the demon's house, thereby shrewdly bypassing the boon that he had earned from Brahma which stated that no man, god or animal could kill him, neither at day nor at night, not on land, water or sky, definitely not inside his house or even outside of it irrespective of whether it is on earth, heaven or the underworld and nor with any weapons as well!

This story is in association with The Eternal Epics™. You can check out more such hindu mythological stories on their Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and website.