Adhyaya 238

Maheśvara tells Umā how Hiraṇyakaśipu, grieving his brother’s death, performs fierce austerities and receives a boon of sweeping invulnerability. Empowered, he subdues the gods and seizes the sacrificial shares. He marries Kalyāṇī and begets Prahlāda, who is naturally devoted to Hari and proclaims Nārāyaṇa as the supreme Brahman. Enraged, Hiraṇyakaśipu repeatedly tries to kill Prahlāda—by weapons, serpents, elephants, fire, and poison—yet the boy remains unharmed through mantra and remembrance of the Lord. When challenged to prove Viṣṇu’s omnipresence, Prahlāda’s faith reaches its climax: Hari bursts forth from a pillar as Narasiṃha, reveals a cosmic form, destroys the demon, and restores order. Lakṣmī and the gods pacify the fierce manifestation; boons are granted, Prahlāda is installed as king, and the chapter ends by praising the merit of hearing this sacred account daily.