VII. THE STORY OF HIRANYAKSHA.

*SKANDHA III., CHAP. 14.* Diti, the daughter of Daksha, approached one evening her husband Kasyapa, son of Marichi. She was overpowered with the passion of love and became importunate. Kasyapa asked her to wait. Rudra was presiding over sunset. His astral attendants, the Bhutas and Pishachas, were roaming over the Universe. With His three eyes representing the Sun, Moon and fire he could see every thing. His hesitation to yield to Diti was of no avail, and the Muni had to yield. There Diti became ashamed of her weakness. She was afraid she had offended Rudra and she helplessly prostrated herself at the feet of Kasyapa praying for his forgiveness. "Thou hast disobeyed me," said Kasyapa, "and hast shown disrespect to the companions of Rudra, thy mind is impure and so is the time of Evening (Sandhya). These four evils will cause the birth of two wicked sons from thee. They will oppress the Triloki and the Lokapalas (Preservers of the three Lokas). When their inequities exceed all bounds, Vishnu will Himself incarnate to kill them." For one hundred years Diti conceived her twin sons. Even from within the womb they shed lustre all round, which even overpowered the Lokapalas. The Devas went to Brahma to ascertain the cause of this disaster. He related to them the following story. "My Manasa-putras, Sanaka and others were once in Vaikuntha, the abode of Bhagavan. Impatient to see Bhagavan the Kumaras hurriedly passed through the six portals (Kaksha). At the seventh portal, they found two doorkeepers of equal age with clubs in their hands, richly adorned with golden crowns and other ornaments. They had four hands and looked beautiful in their blue colour. The Kumaras heeded them not, but opened the gate with their own hands as they had opened the other gates. The door keepers stopped them with their clubs. The Kumaras were put out by this unforeseen obstruction and addressing the doorkeepers gave vent to their feelings thus: -- 'What mean you by making this distinction? In Him the Lord of Vaikuntha, there is no difference whatsoever. The whole of this Universe is in Him. Do you dread any danger to Him, as to a common being, and why will you admit some and not others? But you are His servants. So we do not intend to be very hard on you. But you must descend from this elevated plane and take your birth where passion, anger and greed prevail'." "The door-keepers became terrified at this curse and fell at the feet of the Kumaras. All that they prayed for was that while passing through the lowest births, they might not have Moha, beclouding their recollection of Bhagavan. Bhagavan knew what had transpired outside. He hastened on foot with Lakshmi by His side to where the Munis stood. The Kumaras prostrated themselves before Him Whom they had so long meditated upon in their hearts. With intent eyes they looked steadily on Him and longed to see Him again and again. The Kumaras lauded Him with words full of import. Bhagavan addressing them said: -- 'These my door-keepers are by name Jaya and Vijaya. They have slighted you, and it is right that you have cursed them. I sanction that curse. For they are my servants, and I am indirectly responsible for their deeds. I always respect Brahmanas, as my glory is derived from them. These door-keepers did not know my regard for you, and they therefore unintentionally slighted you. But they shall instantly reap the fruit of their evil deeds and come back to Me when their punishment is over. Please therefore decide where they are to go.' The Kumaras knew not what to say. They thought they had not done right and they asked to be excused. 'It is all right for Thee to extol the Brahmanas in this way, for Thou art the Preserver of Dharma and Thou teachest others what to do. But if, really, we have done wrong, let us be punished and let not our curse visit these innocent door-keepers.' Bhagavan replied: -- 'It is I who have uttered the curse through your mouths. My will shall be done. These door-keepers shall be born as Asuras, but they shall come back to Me speedily.' These two door-keepers, O Devas, have now appeared in Diti's womb. I have no power to overcome them. But when the time comes for the prevalence of Satva, Bhagavan Himself will do what is needed." The Devas went away and waited for events. The two Daityas Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu were born of Diti, after a conception of one hundred years. Hiranyaksha though elder by birth was younger by conception. THOUGHTS ON HIRANYAKSHA. [Diti is literally 'Cutting,' 'Splitting,' or 'dividing.' Jaya and Vijaya mean victory. Hiranya is gold. Hiranyaksha means gold-eyed. Hiranyakasipu means gold-bedded. The key to the mystery lies in the fact that Jaya and Vijaya were the door-keepers of Vishnu and their external form was that of Vishnu. The Purusha in the Heart is the Counterpart in microcosm of the Purusha in the Universe. And we have found above that the five or ten door-keepers or Brahma-Purushas in the Heart are the five or ten Pranas in man. By analogy, therefore, which is a potent factor in the solution of mysteries, we find that Jaya and Vijaya are the two-fold manifestations of Prana in Vaikuntha, the in-going and out-going energies of Purusha. The life principle is an aspect of Bhagavan and stands at His very gate. It is this outer aspect of Purusha that is the mainspring of all material activities, of all life-manifestations and of the material development of the universe. The duality represents Tamasic inaction and Rajasic activity. Hiranyaksha would have no life-manifestation, no appearance of globes, he would continue a state of things verging on Pralayic sleep. Hiranyakasipu was the very ideal of material greatness and material grandeur. Kumbhakarna slept and Ravana worked. The brothers Jaya and Vijaya passed through the dividing energy of Diti, to cause the material manifoldness of the Universe. The Varaha as representing the awakened Jivic Karma fought with the Asura that opposed the development of that Karma, which could only fructify on the Bhur system.]