Sandhikaal: The moment of transition

Haughtiness could be Hiranyakashyap’s second name. Son of a revered sage Kashyap and his wife Diti, he, along with his brother Hiranyaksh caused havoc around the three realms, especially since extreme powers were endowed upon them. Hiranyaksh’s vanquishing by Vishnu in the form of Varaha caused Hiranyakashyap to swear revenge, and he meditated upon Brahma for a boon. Since Brahma refused him the boon of immortality, Hiranyakashyap asked for another boon that no man, god or animal created by Brahma could kill him, that he couldn’t be killed during day or night, neither in heaven nor on earth, not with a weapon and neither inside nor outside the house.

With such a boon, Hiranyakashyap was sure that he could vanquish Vishnu. A shock awaited in the form of his son, Prahlad, who prayed fervently to Lord Vishnu. His own son is praying to his enemy! He tried to dissuade his son, but to no avail. Anger led him to try to assassinate his son multiple times, though he failed as each time Vishnu saved his devotee. So, from the swords of the guards to a poisonous snake to mad elephants, none seem to stand a chance. Even Hiranyakashyap’s sister Holika, sitting with Prahlad on a burning pyre, found Prahlad remaining unscathed while Holika turned into ashes, despite her being immune to fire.

Raving mad at his failures, Hiranyakashyap confronted Prahlad and asked if Vishnu would come to help him at that moment. Prahlad replied that Vishnu was omnipotent. Hiranyakashyap mockingly asked if Vishnu was present in the pillar they were standing next to. When Prahlad replied in affirmative, Hiranyakashyap kicked the pillar, only to find a ferocious being come out of it. It was neither a man nor an animal. It was Lord Vishnu, in the form of Narasimha, who dragged Hiranyakashyap to the doorstep, which was neither inside nor outside the house. Then, placing Hiranyakashyap on his lap since it was neither heaven nor earth and using his claws, which weren’t weapons, Narasimha ripped Hiranyakashyap’s heart out.

Though commonly interpreted as a win of good over evil, the story has underlying elements. Let’s understand why ancient Indians gave so much importance to sandhikaal. It’s catching the present between the past and the future. It’s the moment of transition, where death comes to all Hiranyakashyaps—the deep-seated negativities that our mind has created.