Slokam 9

Hiranyaksha and Hiryankashipu ran amuck in their destructive ways.  Endowed with immense physical power,  and intellect, they could not be subdued by any force on the planet.

In this slokam Hiranyaksha is described as carrying a mace and looking for an enemy that could put up a decent fight.

They scoured mother earth looking for suitable competition.

Hiranyaksha could not find any worthwhile competition. So he is said to have actually drowned the earth.  This drowning may either be symbolic of the destruction that was ravaged.  It could also mean a physical flooding brought about by the melting of the polar icecaps,  which in turn could have resulted from the de-forestation of the planet by Hiranyaksha.  In either case, the net result is that the extent of destruction of the planet was total.

May we be blessed to never invoke the destructive power that is in-built within us.