Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.8.29
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Preserves Brahmā’s Promises
“As a snake captures a mouse or Garuḍa captures a very venomous snake, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva captured Hiraṇyakaśipu, who could not be pierced even by the thunderbolt of King Indra. As Hiraṇyakaśipu moved his limbs here, there and all around, very much afflicted at being captured, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva placed the demon on His lap, supporting him with His thighs, and in the doorway of the assembly hall the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hand.”
What the purport teaches
- To preserve Lord Brahmā’s promise, Nṛsiṁhadeva placed Hiraṇyakaśipu on His lap, which was neither land nor sky.
- The Lord killed the demon in the evening, at the meeting of day and night. Thus the promise that he would die neither during the day nor at night remained intact.
- The Lord used His nails, which were not weapons and could be described as neither living nor dead. In this extraordinary way, He easily killed the demon while preserving Brahmā’s benedictions.
Try this today
Write down the three details—lap, evening, and nails—and recall which promises they preserved.
Ask yourself
How does the Lord’s preserving Brahmā’s promises deepen my appreciation of His power?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.