From Krishna.org, link: http://krishna.org/sudarsana/a038.html A great little article that showcases a supreme example of divine anger. This story should be familiar to people in hardcore, since it is depicted on Cro Mags' 'Best Wishes' iconic album cover.
There was a great demon called Hiranyakasipu, he was so powerful that he
was able to control practically all the planets in the universe. There
were only a few people in the universe who could escape the rule of
Hiranyakasipu.
Everyone else, even some of the great devotees were forced to serve
him because he was so powerful. So how did he get this power? He got it
by following the Vedic process of performing austerities.
He went to a place called Mandara Hill which is a sacred place, a
holy place, and he performed very great austerities there for many
thousands of years. He was standing there, meditating, and his
austerities were so powerful that, as he was there for such a long time,
some ants built their ant-hill around his body and ate all of his
flesh. Even though all his flesh was gone he kept his life within the
bones of his body only. So this is amazing. He was performing such great
austerities, so much so that ultimately, as a result of his austerity,
an immense heat emanated from his body.
Because of this heat even the heavenly planets became unbearable
to live on. So all the residents of the heavenly planets, The demigods,
approached Lord Brahma and asked him to do something about
Hiranyakasipu. They told Brahma Hiranyakasipu's austerity was making the
whole universe intolerable for them. Here is another point. We think on
such a small scale. We think if somebody drops an atomic bomb on
Australia, that will make it very uncomfortable but here we see
Hiranyakasipu had become so powerful he is able to make the whole
universe uncomfortable. So what is our tiny atomic bomb?
We're so proud, we've made these huge atomic bombs that can wipe
out one country or even the whole planet but what's this whole planet?
When we look in the sky there are so many planets. What is our
insignificant atomic bomb? It's nothing. Hiranyakasipu, by dint of his
powerful austerities, was able to make the whole universe uncomfortable.
What to speak of one tiny planet.
So all the demigods came to Lord Brahma and prayed to him,
"Please do something about Hiranyakasipu because it's unbearable for us.
What can we do?" After Lord Brahma received this request he thought,
"Well I have to do something, because Hiranyakasipu is my devotee."
The demons don't worship Krishna, they worship the demigods
because they know that by worshiping the demigods they can become
powerful within the material world. Whereas the devotees worship
Krishna, they are not interested in becoming powerful in the material
world, they are not interested in anything except trying to please
Krishna. Devotees have no desire other than the service of Krishna. We
have to please Krishna. Devotees are not interested in anything within
this material world. But the demons are totally consumed by the desire
for power, fame, strength, wealth and opulence within the material
world. So they worship the demigods.
So Hiranyakasipu was worshiping Lord Brahma to become very
powerful. Therefore Lord Brahma saw Hiranyakasipu had performed all
these austerities to please him so he had to go there and give him some
benedictions because this is the process for the demigod worshippers.
It's very different from the devotees of Krishna. The demigod
worshippers are materialists who worship for some gain. They understand,
"If I worship Lord Brahma in a certain way and perform certain
austerities then Lord Brahma will become obliged to give me some
benediction." This is the mentality of the demigod worshippers. There is
no love. They don't love the demigod they are worshiping, it's a
business transaction. They are approaching the demigod and undergoing
some penance and austerity and performing some ritualistic ceremonies
with the object of getting something in return. The devotees of Krishna,
on the other hand, don't want anything.
