Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.781

c7.781

4) Hiraṇyakaśipu. With the killing of his brother, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s hatred and enmity towards Viṣṇu increased very much. He, by doing tapas for very long years, secured boons from Brahmā and conquered the three worlds and ruled them as Triloka Cakravarti (Emperor of the three worlds). He prohibited throughout the empire not only the chanting of Viṣṇu’s name, but even thinking about him (Viṣṇu) by his subjects. "Hiraṇyāya namaḥ" (salutations to Hiranya) replaced the old custom of chanting 'Nārāyaṇāya namaḥ' (salutations to Nārāyaṇa). Sometime, a son called Prahlāda, a great devotee of Mahāviṣṇu was born to Hiraṇyakaśipu. (For the story of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s death see Prahlāda). (Kamba Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa; Padma Purāṇa, Bhūmikhaṇḍa, Chapter 20).