Shloka 20
Brahmā’s Boons, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Cosmic Tyranny, and Prahlāda’s Transcendental Qualities
एवमैश्वर्यमत्तस्य दृप्तस्योच्छास्त्रवर्तिन: । कालो महान् व्यतीयाय ब्रह्मशापमुपेयुष: ॥ २० ॥
evam aiśvarya-mattasya dṛptasyocchāstra-vartinaḥ kālo mahān vyatīyāya brahma-śāpam upeyuṣaḥ
Ainsi, Hiraṇyakaśipu, ivre de puissance, orgueilleux et transgressant les lois des śāstras, laissa s’écouler un long temps. Il fut donc soumis à la malédiction des quatre Kumāras, grands brāhmaṇas.
There have been many instances in which demons, after achieving material opulences, have become extremely proud, so much so that they have transgressed the laws and regulations given in the authoritative śāstras. Hiraṇyakaśipu acted in this way. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (16.23) :
FAQs
This verse states that one who becomes intoxicated by power and defies śāstra must still submit to higher law—time and divine arrangement—suffering the results, such as Brahmā’s curse in Hiraṇyakaśipu’s case.
Śukadeva portrays him as “ucchāstra-vartī” because his pride made him disregard scriptural injunctions and moral order, and the narrative emphasizes that such adharma inevitably meets restraint through kāla and divine justice.
Even when wrongdoing seems successful, time brings consequences; therefore one should remain aligned with dharma and śāstra, avoiding pride and using influence responsibly.