Verse 13

Tap any word for its meaning.

Hiranyaksa, and where enmity ends· Verses 5–13

।

।

।

।

।

।

।

।

From it was born Hiranyaksa, who walked this earth alone with his mace and found no rival to match him when he set out to conquer the quarters. Visnu beat him only with hardship, when he came upon him at the lifting up of the earth, and thought himself a victor, going over that strength of his again and again in his mind. Hearing of that killing, long ago, his brother Hiranyakasipu went in anger to the dwelling of Hari, to kill the killer of his brother. Seeing him coming with the trident in his hand like the ender himself, Visnu, who knows time, best of those who work maya, thought this out. Wherever I go, there he is, as death is there for all that carry breath. So I will go into the heart of this man, whose seeing looks outward.

Having settled on this, lord of the demons, he went into the body of his enemy as the man came rushing on, his fine body hidden in the wind of the breath, entering by the passage of that breath, his own mind uneasy. He searched that dwelling of his and found it empty, and seeing nothing there he roared in anger. He looked over earth and sky and the quarters and the air and the caverns and the seas, hunting for Visnu, and the hero did not see him. Not seeing him, he said: I have searched this world through. My brother's killer has surely gone to the place from which a man does not come back. So far and no further does the holding of enmity go for those in bodies here: only up to death. Anger comes out of not knowing, and is swelled by self-regard.