Shloka 3

अन्धक-हिरण्याक्ष-प्रसङ्गः, वराहावतारः, दंष्ट्राभूषणं च

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच हिरण्यकशिपोर्भ्राता हिरण्याक्ष इति स्मृतः पुरान्धकासुरेशस्य पिता कालान्तकोपमः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca hiraṇyakaśiporbhrātā hiraṇyākṣa iti smṛtaḥ purāndhakāsureśasya pitā kālāntakopamaḥ

Translation

قال سوتا: إن هيرانيياكشا—كما يُتَذَكَّر—كان أخا هيرانيياكشيبو. وفي الأزمنة الأولى صار أبًا لأندهاكا، سيّد الأسورا، مُرعِبًا كأنه نهاية الزمان نفسها.

Word by Word

• सूत उवाच: Sūta said

• हिरण्यकशिपोः: of Hiraṇyakaśipu

• भ्राता: brother

• हिरण्याक्षः: Hiraṇyākṣa

• इति: thus

• स्मृतः: remembered/known

• पुरा: formerly/in ancient times

• अन्धक-असुर-ईशस्य: of Andhaka, the lord of the Asuras

• पिता: father

• काल-अन्तक-उपमः: comparable to the destroyer at the end of time / like the End-Time

Speaker

Suta

Characters & Entities

• Suta
• Hiranyakashipu
• Hiranyaksha
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It sets the mythic background for Andhaka’s lineage—an adversarial force that later highlights Shiva as Pati (Lord) who subdues tamasic powers; this contrast strengthens the Purana’s emphasis on taking refuge in the Linga as the liberating emblem of Shiva.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Indirectly: by portraying daityas as “end-time-like” in destructive power, the narrative framework prepares for Shiva-tattva as the transcendent regulator of time (kāla) and dissolution—Shiva as the supreme Pati beyond fear and cosmic endings.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is stated in this verse; the implied takeaway is Pāśupata discipline—conquering pasha (bondage) such as violence, pride, and darkness—by orienting the pashu (individual soul) toward Shiva through Linga-upāsanā and inner restraint.