16. Hiranyakashyap

Hiranyakashyap was the elder brother of Hiranyaaksh. He had five sons including Prahlaad. Both were the sons of Kashyap Jee and his wife Diti. He was also very brave and mighty. He did very severe Tap for Brahmaa Jee and got the boon from him to become almost immortal. He said to him - "If you are pleased with me, then bestow me a boon that neither I can die by a human being, nor by an animal; neither I can die in the day time, nor in the night time; neither I can die inside my house nor outside my house; neither I can die on Prithvi nor in the sky; nor I can die with any kind of weapon." Brahmaa Jee said - "So be it." and got disappeared."

After getting this boon of almost immortality, he considered himself the God of the Tri-Lok. He had told everybody to worship him only, not to any other god. Thus all Devtaa became weak. They went to Brahmaa Jee to do something for this, but Brahmaa Jee could not do anything because of the boon he had bestowed on him. So all of them to Vishnu, and Vishnu consoled them and wait for the time.

His tyrannies started increasing day by day. His son Prahlaad was a great devotee of Vishnu. He even asked his fellow children to worship Vishnu. He preached them Dharm and told them His stories. Seeing this Hiranyakashyap filled with rage. He tried to kill him by burning him in fire, by giving him poison, by crushing him under elephants' feet, by rolling down from high hills, by snake bites, by many kinds of weapons, but because of his devotion he could not be killed by any means.

At last when he got tired, he asked him - "Where is your Bhagavaan whose praise you always sing? Let me see Him myself." Prahlaad said - "He is everywhere, wherever you want to see Him." He pointed out at some places and asked him - "Is He here?" "Yes." "Is He here?" "Yes" Then he pointed towards a pillar in his palace and asked him - "Is He here?" He said - "Yes". So he hit it with his Gadaa (mace), and as soon as he hit it, a terrible noise was heard all around. The pillar broke and there appeared Bhagavaan Vishnu in Nrasinh form. His head was of a lion and the lower body was of a human being. His nails were very large.

Both fought for some time, then when the time came, Nrasinh Bhagavaan killed him fulfilling all the conditions of his boon. He killed him on the door, keeping his body on His knees by ripping his stomach apart by His sharp nails at evening time. Thus he was killed by neither a human being, nor any animal; neither in the day time, nor in the night time; neither inside his house nor outside of his house; neither on Prithvi nor in the sky; nor by any kind of weapon.

That is how that Great Raakshas was killed.
[Vishnu Puraan, 1/10]