According to the
Puranas, a king named
Hiranyakashipu, like many
asuras, wished to become immortal. To fulfill this desire, he performed the required
tapas (austerities) until
Brahma granted him a boon.
Hiranyakashipu received five wishes: that he would not perish inside or outside, by day or night, by any weapon, on earth or in the sky, by men or beasts, or by devas or asuras; that he would be unequalled; that he would possess undiminishing power; and that he would be the sole ruler of all creation. His wish was granted and Hiranyakashipu conquered the three worlds, assuming the throne of
Indra. He punished and killed all who objected to his supremacy. His son
Prahlada, however, had been raised as a
Vaishnava and refused to worship his father as a deity. This infuriated Hiranyakashipu, and he made various attempts to kill Prahlada. During one attempt on Prahlada's life, King Hiranyakashipu's sister, Holika, offered her help. According to the
Vishnu Purana, Holika told her brother that, due to a boon she had received, she was invulnerable to fire. Arrangements were made for Prahlada to sit upon his aunt's lap atop a burning pyre. However, as Prahlada chanted the name of Vishnu, he escaped unscathed while Holika was incinerated. In a variation of this Puranic legend, Hiranyakashipu had Holika wear her scarf or her fireproof garment, so that his son would perish while she remained protected atop the pyre. Yet as the fire intensified, the garment flew off Holika and covered Prahlada. Holika burnt to death, and Prahlada emerged unharmed. Vishnu then appeared in the form of
Narasimha (a half-human and half-lion
avatar not created by Brahma), at dusk (neither day nor night). He took Hiranyakashipu to the threshold of his dwelling (neither indoors nor outdoors), placed him upon his lap (neither land, water, nor air), and slew the king with his claws (not a weapon). In this manner, the comprehensive boon of Hiranyakashipu was rendered useless. Prahlada and the beings of the three worlds were thus freed from the tyrant's rule, and cosmic order was restored. ==Holika Dahan==