Shloka 42
हिरण्यकशिपोः क्रोधः तथा देवप्रजाकदनम् — Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath and the Affliction of Devas and Beings
प्रवर्णितं त्वंधकजन्म रुद्राद्धिरण्यनेत्रस्य मृतिर्वराहात् । नृसिंहतस्तत्सहजस्य नाशः प्रह्लादराज्याप्तिरिति प्रसंगात्
pravarṇitaṃ tvaṃdhakajanma rudrāddhiraṇyanetrasya mṛtirvarāhāt | nṛsiṃhatastatsahajasya nāśaḥ prahlādarājyāptiriti prasaṃgāt
In this connection it has been recounted: Andhaka was born from Rudra; Hiraṇyākṣa met his death at the hands of Varāha; by Nṛsiṃha, Hiraṇyakaśipu—his own brother—was destroyed; and thus Prahlāda attained the kingdom.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Rudra
Sthala Purana: Genealogical-episodic summary linking Rudra’s emanation (Andhaka’s birth) and Viṣṇu’s avatāra slayings (Varāha, Nṛsiṃha) culminating in Prahlāda’s kingship.
Significance: Frames history as divinely governed: birth, death, and political restoration occur under higher ordinance; encourages devotion and discernment about karma and grace.
FAQs
The verse links cosmic events to dharma: Rudra’s power manifests as Andhaka’s birth, while adharma embodied by the daityas is removed through divine intervention; the devotee Prahlāda is established in rightful rule, showing that grace protects bhakti and restores order.
By naming Rudra as the source of Andhaka, the text reinforces Saguna Shiva as the active Lord (Pati) who governs creation and dissolution; remembering such leelas while worshipping the Linga strengthens devotion and surrender to Shiva’s sovereignty.
A practical takeaway is smaraṇa (devotional recollection) of Rudra’s lordship while chanting the Panchākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a means to cultivate steadiness in bhakti amid conflict and upheaval.