Shloka 2
Matsya Purana — Hiranyakashipu’s Boons
*सूत उवाच पुरा कृतयुगे विप्रा हिरण्यकशिपुः प्रभुः दैत्यानामादिपुरुषश् चकार स महत्तपः //
*sūta uvāca purā kṛtayuge viprā hiraṇyakaśipuḥ prabhuḥ daityānāmādipuruṣaś cakāra sa mahattapaḥ //
Sūta said: In ancient times, in the Kṛta Yuga, O brāhmaṇas, Hiraṇyakaśipu—the mighty lord, the prime leader among the Daityas—undertook a great austerity.
FAQs
This verse does not describe Pralaya; it sets a historical frame (Kṛta Yuga) and introduces Hiraṇyakaśipu’s great tapas, a common Purāṇic motif that precedes boons and cosmic imbalance.
Indirectly, it highlights tapas (austerity/discipline) as a source of power and legitimacy in Purāṇic ethics—implying that rulers and householders should cultivate disciplined self-control, though the verse itself narrates an Asura’s penance rather than prescribing rājadharma.
No Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated here; the only ritual-ethical theme is “mahattapaḥ” (great austerity), a general religious practice rather than a specific rite or architectural prescription.