Editing Hiranyaksha (section)

==Legend==
[[File: The boar avatar Varaha, the third incarnation of Viṣṇu, stands in front of the decapitated body of the demon Hiranyaksha.jpg|right|thumb|The boar avatar Varaha, the third incarnation of Vishnu, stands in front of the decapitated body of the asura Hiranyaksha]]
Some of the [[Puranas]] present Hiranyaksha as the son of [[Diti]] and [[Kashyapa]].<ref name="Dalal2010p159">{{cite book|author=Roshen Dalal|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC|year=2010|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=978-0-14-341421-6|page=159}}</ref> Having performed austerities to propitiate [[Brahma]], Hiranyaksha received the boon of invulnerability of meeting his death by neither any god, man, nor beast.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cole |first=W. Owen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YpSvAwAAQBAJ&dq=Hiranyaksha+boon+brahma&pg=PA29 |title=Six World Faiths |date=1996-06-01 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4411-5928-1 |pages=29 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p3-RkE-Xxa0C&pg=PA59 |title=Ancient India's Myths and Beliefs |last2=Kerrigan |first2=Michael |last3=Gould |first3=David |date=2011-12-15 |publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc |isbn=978-1-4488-5990-0 |pages=59 |language=en}}</ref>

Having received this boon, Hiranyaksha assaulted the defenceless Bhumi and pulled her deep beneath the [[cosmic ocean]]. The other deities appealed to [[Vishnu]] to save the earth goddess and creation. Answering their plea, Vishnu assumed the avatar of a wild boar ([[Varaha]]) to rescue the goddess. Hiranyaksha attempted to obstruct him, after which he was slain by Vishnu.<ref name="Dalal2010p159"/><ref name="Williams2008p86">{{cite book |author=George M. Williams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC |title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-19-533261-2 |pages=154–155, 223–224}}</ref>

Hiranyaksha had an elder brother named [[Hiranyakashipu]], who similarly achieved a boon of invulnerability and conquered the three worlds, seeking vengeance for his brother's death.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hudson |first=D. Dennis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXlMCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT202 |title=The Body of God: An Emperor's Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century Kanchipuram |date=2008-09-25 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-045140-0 |pages=202 |language=en}}</ref> He tried to persecute and abuse his son [[Prahlada]] for being a faithful devotee of Vishnu. While Hiranyaksha was slain by [[Varaha]] (the boar avatar of Vishnu), Hiranyakashipu was killed by [[Narasimha]] (the man-lion avatar of Vishnu).<ref name=" Dalal2010p159"/> Their younger sister was [[Holika]], who tried to kill her nephew by attempting to immolate him but got burnt herself and killed.

In some texts including the ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'', Hiranyaksha is an incarnation of one of the [[Dvarapala|dvarapalas]] (gatekeepers) of Vishnu named [[Jaya-Vijaya|Vijaya]]. [[Vishnu]]'s guardians [[Jaya-Vijaya]], were cursed by the [[Four Kumaras]] (Brahma's sons) to incarnate on earth either three times as enemies of Vishnu, or seven times as his devotees. They chose to take birth on earth thrice. During their first births (during the [[Satya Yuga]]), they were born as Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. During their second births, (during the [[Treta Yuga]]), they were born as [[Ravana]] and [[Kumbhakarna]]. During their third births (during the [[Dvapara Yuga]]), they were born as [[Shishupala]] and [[Dantavakra]].