Shloka 21
Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Austerities and Brahmā’s Boons
The Architecture of ‘Conditional Immortality’
ततस्त आशिष: सर्वा ददाम्यसुरपुङ्गव । मर्तस्य ते ह्यमर्तस्य दर्शनं नाफलं मम ॥ २१ ॥
tatas ta āśiṣaḥ sarvā dadāmy asura-puṅgava martasya te hy amartasya darśanaṁ nāphalaṁ mama
Ô meilleur des asuras, pour cette raison je suis prêt à t’accorder toutes les bénédictions selon ton désir. J’appartiens au monde céleste des immortels; bien que tu sois mortel, ton audience avec moi ne sera pas vaine.
It appears that human beings and asuras are subject to death, whereas demigods are not. The demigods who reside with Lord Brahmā in Satyaloka go to Vaikuṇṭhaloka in their present bodily constructions at the time of the dissolution. Therefore although Hiraṇyakaśipu had undergone severe austerities, Lord Brahmā predicted that he had to die; he could not become immortal or even gain equal status with the demigods. The great austerities and penances he had performed for so many years could not give him protection from death. This was foretold by Lord Brahmā.
FAQs
This verse states that Brahmā’s darśana is never fruitless for a mortal; meeting him yields a tangible result—here, the granting of boons.
After Hiraṇyakaśipu’s severe austerities, Brahmā appeared and assured him that such effort would not go unrewarded, then agreed to grant his requested benedictions.
Sincere, sustained discipline (tapasya) brings outcomes; the verse encourages perseverance and reminds us to seek results aligned with dharma rather than ego-driven desires.