Shloka 2

Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Austerities and Brahmā’s Boons

The Architecture of ‘Conditional Immortality’

Devanagari script

स तेपे मन्दरद्रोण्यां तप: परमदारुणम् । ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्नभोद‍ृष्टि: पादाङ्गुष्ठाश्रितावनि: ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

sa tepe mandara-droṇyāṁ tapaḥ parama-dāruṇam ūrdhva-bāhur nabho-dṛṣṭiḥ pādāṅguṣṭhāśritāvaniḥ

Translation

Dans la vallée du mont Mandara, il pratiqua une austérité extrêmement dure : debout sur la pointe des orteils, les bras levés et le regard fixé vers le ciel.

Synonyms

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तेपे: performed austerity
• तेपे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मन्दर-द्रोण्याम्: in the valley of Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दर-द्रोण्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मन्दरस्य द्रोणी)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (रूपं प्रथमा/द्वितीया समानम्)

• परम-दारुणम्: extremely severe
• परम-दारुणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• ऊर्ध्व-बाहुः: with arms raised upward
• ऊर्ध्व-बाहुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (ऊर्ध्वौ बाहू यस्य सः)

• नभः-दृष्टिः: gazing at the sky
• नभः-दृष्टिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नभस्/नभः (प्रातिपदिक) + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (नभसि दृष्टिः यस्य सः)

• पाद-अङ्गुष्ठ-आश्रित-अवनिः: standing with the earth supported by (only) his big toes
• पाद-अङ्गुष्ठ-आश्रित-अवनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रित (कृदन्त; आ+श्रि धातु) + अवनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (पादाङ्गुष्ठेन आश्रिता अवनिः यस्य सः)

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Mandara (Mountain)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Hiraṇyakaśipu’s tapasya?

This verse describes his extremely severe penance at Mandara Mountain—arms raised, gaze upward, standing supported only on his toes—showing the intensity of his austerities.

Why is Hiraṇyakaśipu performing such terrible austerities in Canto 7 Chapter 3?

In this narrative section, he undertakes fierce tapasya to gain extraordinary power and boons, setting the stage for the later conflict surrounding Prahlāda and devotion to Viṣṇu.

What is a practical lesson from this verse for modern life?

Discipline can be powerful, but the Bhagavatam later contrasts mere severity with spiritual purity—encouraging seekers to align effort with devotion and right intention, not ego or harm.