Hiranyaksha

Hiranyaksha
Varaha slaying Hiranyaksha

In Hinduism, Hiranyaksha (Sanskrit: हिरण्‍याक्ष) [golden-eyed] was an Asura of pre-ancient India and the son of Diti and Kashyapa. He was slain by the god Vishnu after he (Hiranyaksha) took the Earth to the bottom of what has been described as the "Cosmic Ocean". His name in Sanskrit literally means "Goldeneye". Vishnu assumed the Avatar of a boar - Varaha and dove into the ocean to lift the Earth, in the process slaying Hiranyaksha who was obstructing Him. The battle lasted one thousand years.

He had an elder brother named Hiranyakashipu, who after having undertaken penances which made him incredibly powerful and invincible unless several conditions were met, was later slain by Narasimha, another avatar of Vishnu.

References



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hiranyaksha —    Hiranyaksha (lit. he with golden eyes) was a demon in the story of VISHNU’s VARAHA AVATA R (incarnation in the form of a boar). Hiranyaksha had in a previous life been doorkeeper at Vishnu’s palace in heaven. Because he had refused admis sion… …   Encyclopedia of Hinduism

  • Hiranyaksha —    In Vedic myth a Daitya who occurs in Narasinha the story of the man lion avatar of Vishnu. He is also the villain of a Deluge legend akin to Haya Griva in that he dragged the earth to the depths of the ocean. Finally he, or his brother Hiranya …   Who’s Who in non-classical mythology

  • Hiranyakashipu — (or Hiranyakasipu) (Sanskrit: हिरण्‍यकश्यप) is an Asura from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. The Purana s describe Hiranyakashipu as a king in Dravida from ancient times. His younger brother, Hiranyaksha was slain by Varaha, one of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Glossary of Hinduism terms — An article related to Hinduism …   Wikipedia

  • Glossary of terms in Hinduism — The following is a glossary of terms and concepts in Hinduism. The list consists of concepts that are derived from both Hinduism and Hindu tradition, which are expressed as words in Sanskrit as well as other languages of India. The main purpose… …   Wikipedia

  • Vishnu — For other uses, see Vishnu (disambiguation). Vishnu Devanagari विष्णु Sanskrit Transliteration …   Wikipedia

  • Varaha — Hdeity infobox| Caption = Incarnation of Vishnu as a Boar Sculpture of Varaha from Khajuraho Name = Varaha Devanagari = वाराह Sanskrit Transliteration = Affiliation = Avatar of Vishnu God of = Abode = Weapon = Chakra and Mace Consort = Prithvi… …   Wikipedia

  • Polyandry — Relationships Types …   Wikipedia

  • Diti — In Hinduism, Diti (Sanskrit: दिति) is an earth goddess and mother of the Maruts with Rudra. She is also the mother of the Daityas with the sage Kashyapa. She wanted to have a son who would be more powerful than Indra (who had killed her previous… …   Wikipedia

  • Narasimha — For other uses, see Narasimha (disambiguation). Narasimha Narasimha killing Hiranyakashipu on his lap, as Prahlada watches at the left. (18th century) Devanagari नरसिंह …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”