Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3 - Chapter 1 - Verse 25

Sanskrit:

तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे वरुणस्य सैनिकायादोगणा: सन्नधिय: ससाध्वसा: ।अहन्यमाना अपि तस्य वर्चसाप्रधर्षिता दूरतरं प्रदुद्रुवु: ॥ २५ ॥

ITRANS:

tasmin praviṣṭe varuṇasya sainikāyādo-gaṇāḥ sanna-dhiyaḥ sasādhvasāḥahanyamānā api tasya varcasāpradharṣitā dūrataraṁ pradudruvuḥ

Translation:

On his entering the ocean, the aquatic animals who formed the host of Varuṇa were stricken with fear and ran far away. Thus Hiraṇyākṣa showed his splendor without dealing a blow.

Purport:

Materialistic demons sometimes appear to be very powerful and are seen to establish their supremacy throughout the world. Here also it appears that Hiraṇyākṣa, by his demoniac strength, actually established his supremacy throughout the universe, and the demigods were afraid of his uncommon power. Not only were the demigods in space afraid of the demons Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa, but so also were the aquatic animals within the sea.