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Hiranyakashipu

Hiranyakashipu
18th century painting depicting Hiranyakashipu seated on a throne, trying to kill his son, Prahlada (left).
AffiliationAsura, Daitya
WeaponMace
Genealogy
Parents
SiblingsHiranyaksha (younger brother), Holika (younger sister)
ConsortSumukhi and Kayadhu/Kamala
Children
  • Son:Prahlada, Saṃhrāda, Anuhlada, Hlada, Shibi, and Bashkala from Kayadhu
  • Daughters: Divyadevi and Paulami (wives of sage Bhrigu) and Simhika from Kayadhu

Hiranyakashipu (Sanskrit: हिरण्यकशिपु, IAST: Hiraṇyakaśipu), also known as Hiranyakashyap, was a daitya king of the asuras in the Puranas.[1]

In Hinduism, Hiranyakashipu's younger brother, Hiranyaksha, was slain by the Varaha (boar) avatar of Vishnu. Angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain a boon of invulnerability by performing tapas to propitiate Brahma. After his subjugation of the three worlds,[2] he was slain by the Narasimha (man-lion) avatar of Vishnu.[3]

  1. ^ Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality: Perspectives from the World's Religious Traditions, p. 20, Karen-Marie Yust, Aostre N. Johnson, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Rowman & Littlefield
  2. ^ Hudson, D. Dennis (25 September 2008). The Body of God: An Emperor's Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century Kanchipuram. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-19-536922-9.
  3. ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 734.

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