Hiranyakasipu (also spelt Hiranyakashipu) is a tyrannical demon king (Asura) in Hindu mythology whose legend is prominently detailed in the Puranas, most notably the Bhagavata Purana.
Driven by rage over the death of his brother Hiranyaksha at the hands of Lord Vishnu’s boar avatar (Varaha), Hiranyakasipu performed intense austerities to earn a boon of near-absolute invincibility from Lord Brahma.
The boon stipulated that he could not be killed by a human or a beast, inside or outside, during the day or at night, on earth or in the sky, by any manufactured weapon, or by any creation of Brahma.
Armed with this power, Hiranyakasipu conquered the heavens and earth, forbade the worship of Vishnu, and declared himself the supreme deity.
However, his young son, Prahlada, became an ardent devotee of Vishnu. Enraged by this defiance, Hiranyakasipu subjected Prahlada to numerous execution attempts—including throwing him off cliffs, placing him amongst venomous serpents, and subjecting him to fire alongside his demon aunt Holika—yet Prahlada emerged unharmed through divine protection.
When Hiranyakasipu eventually struck a stone pillar in his palace hall to challenge Vishnu’s omnipresence, Lord Vishnu emerged as Narasimha—a half-man, half-lion avatar.
Narasimha satisfied every condition of Brahma’s boon by placing Hiranyakasipu across his lap on the palace threshold at twilight and slaying him with his bare claws.
The tale of Hiranyakasipu serves as a timeless allegory for the downfall of unbridled ego and the victory of steadfast devotion over tyranny.