Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 31
Nṛsiṁhadeva Appears from the Pillar and Slays Hiraṇyakaśipu
नखाङ्कुरोत्पाटितहृत्सरोरुहं विसृज्य तस्यानुचरानुदायुधान् । अहन् समस्तान्नखशस्त्रपाणिभि- र्दोर्दण्डयूथोऽनुपथान् सहस्रश: ॥ ३१ ॥
nakhāṅkurotpāṭita-hṛt-saroruhaṁ visṛjya tasyānucarān udāyudhān ahan samastān nakha-śastra-pāṇibhir dordaṇḍa-yūtho ’nupathān sahasraśaḥ
พระผู้มีพระภาคเจ้าผู้ทรงมีพระกรมากมาย ทรงควักหัวใจของหิรัณยกศิปุแล้วเหวี่ยงทิ้งไป จากนั้นทรงสังหารทหารนับพันที่ถืออาวุธเข้ามา เพียงด้วยปลายพระนขาของพระองค์
Since the creation of the material world, there have been two kinds of men — the devas and the asuras. The devas are always faithful to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the asuras are always atheists who defy the supremacy of the Lord. At the present moment, throughout the entire world, the atheists are extremely numerous. They are trying to prove that there is no God and that everything takes place due to combinations and permutations of material elements. Thus the material world is becoming more and more godless, and consequently everything is in a disturbed condition. If this continues, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will certainly take action, as He did in the case of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Within a second, Hiraṇyakaśipu and his followers were destroyed, and similarly if this godless civilization continues, it will be destroyed in a second, simply by the movement of one finger of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demons should therefore be careful and curtail their godless civilization. They should take advantage of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and become faithful to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; otherwise they are doomed. As Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed in a second, the godless civilization can be destroyed at any moment.
FAQs
This verse shows Nṛsiṁhadeva swiftly removing the threat to Prahlāda by killing Hiraṇyakaśipu and then destroying his armed followers, illustrating decisive divine protection.
Because the demon’s attendants continued the aggression—approaching armed in great numbers—so the Lord neutralized the remaining danger and restored dharma.
Take shelter of the Lord with faith like Prahlāda, and also act decisively against harmful influences—removing the root cause and the supporting forces of wrongdoing.