Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 19
Dakṣa’s Progeny, Nṛsiṃha–Varāha Avatāras, and Andhaka’s Defeat
Hari–Hara–Śakti Synthesis
हिरण्यकशिपुर्दैत्यो महाबलपराक्रमः / आराध्य तपसा देवं ब्रह्माणं परमेष्ठिनम् / दृष्ट्वालेभेवरान् दिव्यान् स्तुत्वासौ विविधैः स्तवै
hiraṇyakaśipurdaityo mahābalaparākramaḥ / ārādhya tapasā devaṃ brahmāṇaṃ parameṣṭhinam / dṛṣṭvālebhevarān divyān stutvāsau vividhaiḥ stavai
Hiraṇyakaśipu, der Daitya von gewaltiger Kraft und Tapferkeit, verehrte durch strenge Askese den Gott Brahmā, den höchsten Herrn der Geschöpfe. Als er ihn schaute, pries er ihn mit mancherlei Hymnen und erlangte göttliche Gaben.
Purāṇic narrator (Sūta/authorial narration) describing Hiraṇyakaśipu’s austerities and reward
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
Indirectly: it shows that concentrated tapas and devotion can yield extraordinary results within saṃsāra, but the verse itself focuses on boon-bestowal by Brahmā rather than direct ātma-jñāna; it sets up the Purāṇic contrast between worldly powers and ultimate liberation taught elsewhere (e.g., Ishvara Gītā themes).
Tapas (austerity) and ārādhana (sustained propitiation) are emphasized—disciplines akin to yogic self-restraint and one-pointed practice that generate spiritual potency (tejas), even when pursued for worldly aims.
This verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it illustrates a broader Purāṇic framework where deities respond to tapas, while the Kurma Purana’s later synthesis (not stated here) interprets such divine functions within a unified, higher theistic vision.