The Curse Unfolds: Birth of Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu

The Curse Unfolds: Birth of Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu

In the previous episode of this series, we learned how the Sanakādi sages, who came to Vaikuṇṭha seeking the darśana of Lord Viṣṇu, were obstructed by the divine gatekeepers Jaya and Vijaya. Enraged by this interruption, the sages cursed Jaya and Vijaya to be born as enemies of Hari. In this episode, we shall see how that curse began to take effect and what became of Jaya and Vijaya thereafter.

One evening, during the sacred twilight hour (sandhyā kāla), the great Brahmarṣi Kaśyapa was deeply engaged in worship of the Lord. At that time, his consort Diti approached him with an intense desire for progeny and pleaded with him to grant her a son. Kaśyapa gently reminded her that the twilight hour was meant solely for the worship of the Supreme Being and that indulgence in worldly desire during this sacred time was considered sinful. He urged her to restrain herself.

However, overpowered by passion, Diti refused to relent. Yielding to her insistence and accepting it as the will of destiny, Kaśyapa fulfilled her wish. Thereafter, he purified himself through ritual bathing and resumed his divine duties.

After some time, Diti regained her composure and was overwhelmed with remorse. Realizing the gravity of her transgression, she repented deeply and prayed fervently to the Supreme Lord for forgiveness. She also fell at Kaśyapa’s feet, seeking pardon for her lapse.

Kaśyapa then spoke solemnly:

“Devi, despite my counsel, you persisted in your desire and caused an offense to the divine order. From your womb, united at an inauspicious hour, will be born sons who will become terrors to the three worlds. By their cruel conduct, they will torment gods, sages, humans, animals, and birds alike. Women will suffer indignities, and countless innocents will perish. Ultimately, the enraged Lord Nārāyaṇa Himself will descend upon the earth to destroy them. However, of the two sons you shall bear, one will have four sons, among whom one will be virtuous, noble, and dearly beloved of the Lord.”

Distressed by this revelation and fearing that her children would be slain by the gods, Diti resolved to retain the embryos within her womb for a hundred years. Yet even while the embryos remained unborn, ominous disturbances began to plague the universe. The radiance of the sun and moon diminished, the guardians of the worlds lost their splendor, and darkness spread in all directions. Strange portents appeared, and chaos seemed to grip creation itself.

Alarmed and confused, the gods approached Brahmā seeking an explanation. Brahmā revealed to them the curse pronounced upon Jaya and Vijaya by the Sanakādi sages and explained that those very gatekeepers were now dwelling in Diti’s womb. Reassured by Brahmā’s words, the gods returned to their abodes.

When a hundred years had passed, Diti, still fearful for her offspring, finally gave birth to twin sons. At that moment, the earth shook violently, mountains trembled, fires raged in all directions, meteors fell from the sky, thunder roared, and terrifying comets appeared. Storms uprooted massive trees, dense clouds darkened the heavens, oceans surged violently, rivers and lakes dried up, and repeated eclipses afflicted the sun and moon. Witnessing these dreadful omens, all beings feared that a great dissolution was at hand.

Born under such terrifying signs, the cursed twins immediately revealed their immense strength and grew to colossal proportions, like towering mountains. Sage Kaśyapa named them Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu—thus marking the beginning of a fearsome chapter in cosmic history.