Tiruvalluvar’s Kural says, “Those who find refuge in the great feet of Him who lives in the lotus of the heart (of the devotee) live eternally in heaven.” A few people may be caught in earthly pursuits (of material wealth) but when one fails to identify the presence of Perumal within, it is indeed the end of everything. This is what happened to Hiranyakasipu.

Angered at the death of his brother Hiranyaksha at the hands of Varaha (Vishnu’s avatar) for abducting Bhu Devi, Hiranyakasipu vowed to wage war on Vishnu. To this end, he first harassed cows and bhagavatas (devotees) as he knew they were dear to Vishnu. However, the Supreme Being did not take the bait, which frustrated Hiranyakasipu and he stormed into Vaikunta, but Perumal left from there forthwith, said Damal S. Ramakrishnan.

“Of what avail is learning, if the learned do not adore the good feet of Him who is Immaculate Wisdom?” The moment Hiranyakasipu entered Vaikunta, Perumal entered his heart, but the demon did not realise the god within. Instead, he left Vaikunta and undertook severe penance and sought a boon from Brahma which he thought was armour enough against Perumal. On the other hand, Hiranyakasipu’s unborn son Prahlada was a symbol of devotion even when he was in the womb of his mother Kayadhu. She was under the protection of Narada and the sage discoursed on puranas and the many characteristics of Perumal. When the mother dozed off and Narada decided to stop the discourse, the unborn child made a noise that seemed to say ‘tell me more’. This grounding in spiritual knowledge helped Prahlada remain steadfast in the face of severe test of his devotion, from none other than his own father. Vishnu manifested as Nrisimha, a half-man, half-lion form, and sank his nails into Hiranyakasipu’s heart. Scholars say Nrisimha plucked and searched the demon’s heart for the presence of any godliness or devotion in him: even a modicum of awareness of the Supreme Being within would have saved the demon.

Published - July 13, 2026 05:00 am IST