Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

In Hindu mythology, Hiranyaksha was a powerful asura (a class of beings often depicted as demons) who stole the Earth and dragged it to the bottom of the sea. The Hindu god Vishnu, in his avatar as Varaha (a boar), battled Hiranyaksha for a thousand years. Ultimately, Varaha slew the demon and rescued the Earth, lifting it out of the water with his tusks. This myth is an earlier creation legend that reflects the story of Prajapati (Brahma) lifting the Earth from primeval waters. Hiranyaksha's brother, Hiranyakashipu, was later defeated by Vishnu's man-lion avatar, Narasimha.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. Varaha
  2. Narasimha
  3. asura

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.