Hiranyaksha, the elder brother of
Hiranyakashipu, was a demon who was killed by
Varaha, an incarnation of
Lord Vishnu. These demons, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, born out of Diti, one of the wives of Sage Kashyap, had terrific powers. They were supposed to be the famous twin gatekeepers, Jaya-Vijayas, of Vishnu’s heaven. But they started harassing the gods. These gods then took refuge in the caves of the mountain ranges on the earth. Then Hiranyaksha came to the earth and drowned the earth in the ocean.
In order to save the earth from the demon, Hiranyaksha, Vishnu took the form of a boar which grew into the size of a large mountain. A terrible fight went on from morning till evening and the demon was killed.
