Srimad Bhagavatam – day 386
Govindāya namah
Hearing the valuable advice given by Hiraṇyakaśipu, his mother Diti and his sister-in-law Ruṣabhānu instantly stopped grieving. Diti focussed her mind upon the Self-knowledge.
This is the greatness of Self-knowledge. Even when it is taught by a terrible demon like Hiraṇyakaśipu it is still sweet and pleasing.
With this the second chapter of the Seventh Canto comes to an end.
Seventh Canto Chapter three
In this chapter, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s rigorous penance and the boons obtained by him are detailed.
Maharishi Nārada continued to explain to Emperor Yudhisthira, “O Emperor! Hiraṇyakaśipu desired to become the unsurpassed, undefeatable sole emperor of this creation, without any opponent. He sought immortality in which old-age and death could never attack him”.
Swamiji explains: Even after giving valuable advice to his mother and sister-in-law this demon again strived for immortality.
“Selecting a suitable spot in the deep valleys of Mountain Mandara, resting his toes on the ground, raising his arms upwards and with his gaze fixed upward, Hiranyakaśipu began intense austerities”.
‘I have to become undefeatable and immortal. To achieve this, I will keep this body away from every comfort. I will give up hunger and sleep. Until my penance fructifies I should endlessly continue this penance’. With such desire he unrelentingly continued violent demonic austerities. Standing only on one toe, raising hands upwards, fixing gaze upwards is bodily torture. It is classified as ghora tapas.
“Due to the intensity of his austerities, his locks of hair began to glow like the blazing sun at the time of dissolution”.
Swamiji explains: Tapas (penance) means single-pointed absolute concentration. When we perform Asṭotthara, Sahasranama, Anagha vrata or Satyanarayana vrata, our mind is preoccupied with other thoughts. This is nothing but bodily stress. That’s all. It is a waste. Penance means the concentration is willfully fixed at a place. There is a determined intent. It is filled with devotion.
“When Hiraṇyakaśipu was engrossed in penance, all the Devatas happily resumed their respective places in heaven. Meanwhile, flames together with smoke that began to surge out of his head due to his austerities. engulfed all the planes of existence including earth and nether regions (patala). So powerful was his penance! Such was his concentration!
Living entities were tormented by the smoke and heat generated from this penance. Rivers and oceans were agitated. Mountains, islands and entire earth began to tremble. This fire began to melt everything. Planets and stars fell down. The 10 directions began to burn. Devatas, who were tortured by these flames, left heaven and reaching Brahma-loka, the residence of Brahma, prayed,
“O deva deva! O Jagannatha! We are unable to withstand the heat generated due to Hiraṇyakaśipu’s austerities. Fire is enveloping everything. Please protect this earth before the living entities who offer worship to you, perish. You are already aware of the intent with which he has undertaken these intense austerities”.
Mādhavāya namah