Hiranyakashyap was a wicked king who prayed to Brahma for immortality. He requested that neither at day nor at night could any man, beast, god, or demon kill him. He also prayed that no instrument or weapon could ever destroy him. Impressed by his devotion, Brahma granted him the boon.

The king banned the worship of gods. But his son Prahlad was a devotee of Vishnu.

This enraged Hiranyakashyap and he decided to kill Prahlad. After many unsuccessful attempts, one evening, he ordered his men to tie Prahlad to a pillar and behead him. However, Vishnu took the form of Narsimha, a creature that was semi-man and semi-lion. He came out of the pillar and extended his sharp nails and tore Hiranyakashyap's chest apart and slashed his head.