Shloka 15
Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Austerities and Brahmā’s Boons
The Architecture of ‘Conditional Immortality’
न ददर्श प्रतिच्छन्नं वल्मीकतृणकीचकै: । पिपीलिकाभिराचीर्णं मेदस्त्वङ्मांसशोणितम् ॥ १५ ॥ तपन्तं तपसा लोकान् यथाभ्रापिहितं रविम् । विलक्ष्य विस्मित: प्राह हसंस्तं हंसवाहन: ॥ १६ ॥
na dadarśa praticchannaṁ valmīka-tṛṇa-kīcakaiḥ pipīlikābhir ācīrṇaṁ medas-tvaṅ-māṁsa-śoṇitam
அன்னவாகனனான ஸ்ரீபிரம்மா தேவர்களுடன் முதலில் ஹிரண்யகசிபுவை காணவில்லை; அவன் உடல் எறும்புப் புற்று, புல், மூங்கில் குச்சிகளால் மறைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது; நீண்ட காலத் தவத்தால் எறும்புகள் அவன் தோல், கொழுப்பு, மாமிசம், இரத்தம் வரை உண்டிருந்தன. பின்னர் மேகமூடிய சூரியனைப் போலத் தவத்தால் உலகங்களைச் சுட்டெரிக்கும் அவனைப் பார்த்து பிரம்மா வியந்து புன்னகையுடன் அவனை நோக்கி உரைத்தார்।
The living entity can live merely by his own power, without the help of skin, marrow, bone, blood and so on, because it is said, asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ — the living entity has nothing to do with the material covering. Hiraṇyakaśipu performed a severe type of tapasya, austerity, for many long years. Indeed, it is said that he performed the tapasya for one hundred heavenly years. Since one day of the demigods equals six of our months, certainly this was a very long time. By nature’s own way, his body had been almost consumed by earthworms, ants and other parasites, and therefore even Brahmā was at first unable to see him. Later, however, Brahmā could ascertain where Hiraṇyakaśipu was, and Brahmā was struck with wonder to see Hiraṇyakaśipu’s extraordinary power to execute tapasya. Anyone would conclude that Hiraṇyakaśipu was dead because his body was covered in so many ways, but Lord Brahmā, the supreme living being in this universe, could understand that Hiraṇyakaśipu was alive but covered by material elements.
FAQs
This verse shows that austerity can be so intense that the body becomes neglected and even covered by nature—yet such tapasya can still draw the attention of powerful devas like Brahmā.
In this chapter, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s prolonged, fearsome penance disturbed the worlds; Brahmā comes to observe him and later grant boons, even though the austerity is performed with demoniac intent.
Practice disciplined self-control without harming health or compassion—channel determination toward sattvic habits and devotion rather than ego-driven goals.