Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, 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
希兰尼亚迦湿布因富贵而醉，狂傲逾越圣典之法，漫长岁月就这样过去；因此他遭受四位库玛罗——大婆罗门——的诅咒。
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.