STORIES FROM SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM 11 - PRAHLADA

The wicked Asura (demon) Hiranyakasipu once performed severe Tapas (austerities) and propitiated Lord Brahma. Pleased with his Tapas, Brahma appeared before him and said, “I am pleased with you. Ask a boon of me and I shall grant it.” The Asura asked, “O Lord, grant that my death cannot occur at the hands of any living being created by You. Further, grant that my death cannot occur indoors or outdoors, by day or by night, by weapons, neither on earth nor in the air, neither by men nor by animals.” Brahma said, “So be it!”

This boon from Lord Brahma made Hiranyakasipu extremely powerful. Drunk with power and considering himself invincible, the Asura conquered the entire universe. He usurped the palace and throne of Indra and established himself in heaven. He tormented the Devas, Rishis (sages) and human beings.

The inhabitants of all the worlds – including the Devas – ran to Maha Vishnu and prayed to the Lord to deliver them from the wicked Hiranyakasipu. Sri Hari reassured them, saying, “Do not be afraid. The wickedness of this demon is already known to me and I shall put an end to it soon. When he tries to harm his own high-souled son, Prahlada, I shall kill him.” The Lord says here:

यदा देवेषु वेदेषु गोषु विप्रेषु साधुषु ।   धर्मे मयि च विद्वेष: स वा आशु विनश्यति ॥

yadā deveṣu vedeṣu    goṣu vipreṣu sādhuṣu

dharme mayi ca vidveṣaḥ     sa vā āśu vinaśyati   (SB 7.7.27)

Word-by-word meanings: yadā — when; deveṣu — unto the gods; vedeṣu — unto the Vedas; goṣu — unto the cows; vipreṣu — unto the brāhmaṇas learned in the Vedas; sādhuṣu — unto saintly and good persons; dharme — unto Dharma (righteousness / duty); mayi — unto Me; ca — and; vidveṣaḥ — has feelings of hatred / envy; saḥ — such a person; vai — indeed; āśu — very soon; vinaśyati — is destroyed.

Translation: One who has hatred or envy towards the gods, the Vedas which give all knowledge, cows, Brāhmaṇas learned in Vedas, Dharma and even Myself, will be destroyed soon.

निर्वैराय प्रशान्ताय स्वसुताय महात्मने ।  प्रह्रादाय यदा द्रुह्येद्धनिष्येऽपि वरोर्जितम् ॥

nirvairāya praśāntāya    sva-sutāya mahātmane

prahrādāya yadā druhyed    dhaniṣye ’pi varorjitam   (SB 7.7.28)

Word-by-word meanings: nirvairāya — who is without enemies; praśāntāya — peaceful; sva-sutāya — unto his own son; mahā-ātmane — who is a great devotee; prahrādāya — Prahlāda; yadā — when; druhyet — will commit violence; haniṣye — I shall kill; api — although; vara-ūrjitam — blessed by the boons of Lord Brahmā.

Translation: When Hiraṇyakaśipu torments My great devotee Prahlāda, his own son, who is peaceful by nature and without any enemies, I shall kill him immediately, despite the boons that he has obtained from Brahmā.

Four sons were born to Hiranyakasipu, of whom Prahlada was a highly virtuous soul. He was endowed with learning, wealth and humility. He had complete control over his senses and desires. Despite being born in the Asura race, Prahlada was one of the foremost Bhaktas (devotees) of Sri Hari. Even as a child, he would lay aside his toys and remain absorbed in Sri Krishna.

Sukracharya was the Guru (teacher) of the Asuras. Sukracharya’s two sons Sanda and Amarka were appointed as teachers to teach Prahlada and other Asura children. One day, Hiranyakasipu placed the boy Prahlada on his lap and asked him, “Tell me, my son, what you consider to be good.”

The boy immediately replied, “One should go to the forest and take refuge in Sri Hari. This alone will bring one good.” Hearing these words, Hiranyakasipu told the boy’s teachers, “The child’s intellect seems to have been perverted by some devotee of Vishnu. Let him be properly guarded against such people.”

When they were back at the teachers’ residence, the teachers asked Prahlada, “Tell us the truth. Has this aberration of your mind come about by itself, or has been brought about by others?” To this, Prahlada replied, “It is Sri Hari Himself who has made my mind the way it is.” The boy said:

यथा भ्राम्यत्ययो ब्रह्मन् स्वयमाकर्षसन्निधौ ।  तथा मे भिद्यते चेतश्चक्रपाणेर्यद‍ृच्छया ॥yathā bhrāmyaty ayo brahman     svayam ākarṣa-sannidhau

tathā me bhidyate cetaś     cakra-pāṇer yadṛcchayā    (SB 7.5.14)

 

Word-by-word meanings: yathā — just as; bhrāmyati — moves; ayaḥ — iron; brahman — O brāhmaṇas; svayam — by itself; ākarṣa — of a magnet; sannidhau — in the proximity; tathā — similarly; me — my; bhidyate — is changed; cetaḥ — consciousness; cakra-pāṇeḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu, who has Chakra (discus) in His hand; yadṛcchayā — simply by the will.

Translation: O brāhmaṇa [addressing the teacher], as iron attracted by a magnet moves automatically towards it, my consciousness is automatically attracted by Lord Vishnu, who carries the Sudarshana Chakra in His hand.

Afraid of the king’s wrath, the teacher threatened the boy with dire punishment if he continued to praise Maha Vishnu. After some days, once again, the teacher took the boy to his father. As before, Hiranyakasipu placed his son on his lap and asked him, “Dear Prahlada, repeat to me something excellent that you have learned from your teacher.” The boy replied:

श्रवणं कीर्तनं विष्णो: स्मरणं पादसेवनम् ।   अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं सख्यमात्मनिवेदनम् ॥इति पुंसार्पिता विष्णौ भक्तिश्चेन्नवलक्षणा ।     क्रियेत भगवत्यद्धा तन्मन्येऽधीतमुत्तमम् ॥

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ     smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ   sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau   bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā 

kriyeta bhagavaty addhā   tan manye ’dhītam uttamam     (SB 7.5.23-24)

Word-by-word meanings: śravaṇam — hearing; kīrtanam — chanting; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Vishnu; smaraṇam — remembering; pāda-sevanam — serving the feet; arcanam — offering worship (with flowers and other articles of worship); vandanam — offering prayers; dāsyam — becoming the servant; sakhyam — becoming the best friend; ātma-nivedanam — surrendering oneself to the Lord; iti — thus; puṁsā arpitā — offered by the devotee; viṣhṇau — unto Lord Vishnu); bhaktiḥ — devotion; cet — if; nava-lakṣaṇā — possessing these nine features [as listed above]; kriyeta — one should perform; bhagavati — unto the Lord; addhā — directly or completely; tat — that; manye — I consider; adhītam — learning; uttamam — best.

Translation: Hearing and chanting the holy name of the Lord, remembering Him, serving His lotus feet, worshipping Him with flowers, etc., praying to Him, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering oneself to Him – complete Bhakti (devotion) possessing these nine features – such Bhakti to the Lord, I consider to be the highest learning.

Hearing this, Hiranyakasipu was wild with rage. He thundered at the boy’s teacher, “O wicked one, it is you who has taught this nonsense to the boy. You pretend to be my friend, but you have taught my son to praise my worst enemy!” The teacher replied, “O king, what your son is saying is something that has not been taught by me or by anyone else. It is his own view. Please do not blame me.”

The Asura turned to the boy and asked him, “From where have these vicious ideas come into your mind, O inauspicious one?” Prahlada replied, “The minds of those who are devoted to worldly objects and pleasures of the senses fail to approach the feet of Lord Vishnu. It is by worshipping the Lord’s feet alone that one can get rid of the evil of Samsara (transmigration).”

Blind with wrath, the king threw the little boy from his lap to the ground. He ordered his Rakshasa servants, “Kill this boy at once. Forsaking his own kith and kin, he worships Vishnu, the enemy of our race and the slayer of his own uncle.” (Hiranyakasipu’s brother Hiranyaksha had earlier been killed by Maha Vishnu). At the wicked Asura’s command, the demons rushed forward to kill the boy with their pointed spears. Their blows proved of no avail against Prahlada, whose mind was merged in Sri Hari. What harm can come to a true devotee of the Lord?

Alarmed at this miracle, the monsters tried various means of killing him. They tried to have him trampled by elephants, bitten by serpants, hurled him down from great heights, poisoned him, starved him, exposed him to frost and fire, and tried to crush him with huge rocks. Prahlada just stood undaunted and unaffected, completely absorbed in Sri Hari. He seemed not even aware of the attacks on him. Astonished at this, the teachers – putting on a brave face – told Hiranyakasipu, “Let us wait till our father [Sukracharya] comes back.” The demon agreed and sent the boy back to school with the teachers.

One day, when the teachers were away for some household duties, Prahlada was called by the other boys to play. Prahlada addressed the boys, “O friends, this human birth is attained with great difficulty, and is transient too. Therefore, a wise person should practice virtues to realize God from childhood itself. We must not waste our life in idle sensual pleasures. Listen to my advice and take refuge in Lord Narayana. I have received this knowledge from the great sage Narada, who has seen the Lord with his own eyes.”

The Daitya (Asura) boys, who were Prahlada’s classmates, asked, “O Prahlada, ever since we were infants, we have been students of the two sons of Sukracharya. We have known no other teacher. How is it, then, that you could be associated with a great soul like Narada?”

Prahlada explained, “Before we were born, our father (Hiranyakasipu) left for the Mandara mountain to practice Tapas (austerities). Taking advantage of his absence, Indra and the other Devas attacked the Asuras. The frightened Asuras fled in all directions to save their lives. Indra even seized the queen (my mother). The sage Narada saw her trembling with fear and crying. Narada told Indra, ‘Let go of this innocent lady, who is another’s wife.’ Indra replied, ‘Our enemy Hiranyakasipu’s child is in her womb. Let her be in my captivity till the child is born. I shall then kill the infant to wipe out the Asura’s race.’

“Narada said, ‘O Indra, the child in her womb is not only sinless, but a great Bhakta (devotee) of Lord Vishnu. He cannot be killed by you.’ At these words of Narada, Indra released my mother with great respect and left her in the care of the sage. Narada told her, ‘My daughter, do not be afraid. Stay in my Ashrama (hermitage) till your husband returns.’ My mother agreed and stayed in the Ashrama, serving the sage with utmost devotion. The compassionate sage instructed her about Dharma (essence of religion, righteousness and duty) and Jnana (pure wisdom). Unalloyed Bhakti (devotion) to Sri Hari is the highest interest and goal of man. I was fortunate to hear this teaching by sage Narada even when I was in my mother’s womb, and it has stayed in my memory ever since.”

The boys accepted Prahlada’s faultless teaching. Coming to know this, their teacher, afraid of the king’s wrath, immediately reported the matter to him. The Asura summoned Prahlada, and, trembling with anger, roared at him, “O obstinate fool, how dare you disobey me, before whom the three worlds shake with fear?” The little boy replied calmly, “O king, it is Sri Hari who controls you, me and all creatures. He is present everywhere. Please give up this evil disposition of yours and practice devotion to the Lord.”

Further infuriated by the boy’s words, the demon thundered, “O wretched one, there is no lord of the universe other than myself. If, as you say, Vishnu is present everywhere, is he also in this pillar? I will just now sever your head from your body. Let us see if your Lord comes to save you.” So saying, the demon knocked hard at a pillar in the palace with his fist.

That very moment, there was heard a terrible explosive sound, striking terror into the hearts of the Asuras. In order to prove Prahlada’s words and His presence everywhere – including in that pillar - Maha Vishnu emerged from the same pillar in a most terrifying form. He was half-man and half-lion – Narasimha – with the body of a man and the head of a lion. His eyes were fierce, and His jaws and teeth most fearful. Armed with his mace, Hiranyakasipu rushed towards Narasimha. The Lord seized and lifted him – just as Garuda would lift a snake. At the entrance of the hall, He placed the wicked Asura on his thighs. With His sharp lion-claws, he tore open the demon’s abdomen. He pulled out Hiranyakasipu’s entrails and wore them as a garland around His neck. Throwing aside the demon’s body, He killed thousands of Asuras who attacked Him from all sides.

Why did Sri Hari take this terrible form to destroy Hiranyakasipu? According to the boon from Brahma, the demon could not be killed by any living being created by Brahma. Sri Hari is even Brahma’s Creator. Further, the Lord made sure that all the other conditions of Brahma’s boon were also met. The Asura had asked that his death should not occur indoors or outdoors, by day or by night, by weapons, neither on earth nor in the air, neither by men nor by animals. The Lord killed him at the entrance of the hall – which is neither indoors nor outdoors. The time chosen by the Lord for killing him was the twilight, which is neither day nor night. He killed the Asura without any weapons, with his bare nails. He placed him on his lap, thus meeting the condition that he should not be killed on earth or in the air. With the body of a man and the head of a lion, the Lord was in the form of neither man nor animal. Thus, all the conditions of the boon granted by Brahma were fulfilled.

After the Asuras had been vanquished, the Lord took His seat on a throne. Even though the enemy was no more, Narasimha wore a furious look. Brahma, Rudra, Indra, the Rishis, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Yakshas and others, including Maha Vishnu’s own attendants prayed to the Lord and sung His praises. Seeing that the Lord’s anger had not subsided, they approached His consort Maha Lakshmi and requested Her to appease Him, but even She dared not go near the Lord, in this furious form. Brahma then sent Prahlada, the five-year old child, to pacify the Lord. Prahlada prostrated his body at the Lord’s feet, with his palms joined. Full of compassion on seeing the little child fallen at His feet, the Lord’s anger vanished. He lifted the child and placed his hand softly on his head.

Prahlada then eulogized the Lord with utmost Bhakti. Pleased with the child’s devotion, the Lord said, “O noble child, I am pleased with you. Ask any boon of me and I will grant it.” Prahlada replied, “O Lord, do not tempt me with pleasures of the senses.” The child goes on to say:

यदि दास्यसि मे कामान्वरांस्त्वं वरदर्षभ ।  कामानां हृद्यसंरोहं भवतस्तु वृणे वरम् ॥

yadi dāsyasi me kāmān   varāṁs tvaṁ varadarṣabha

kāmānāṁ hṛdy asaṁrohaṁ   bhavatas tu vṛṇe varam   (SB 7.10.7)

Word-by-word meanings: yadi — if; dāsyasi — want to give; me — me; kāmān — anything desirable; varān — as Your benediction; tvam — You; varada-ṛṣabha — O Lord, Who can give any boon; kāmānām — of all desires for material happiness; hṛdi — within my heart; asaṁroham — no growth; bhavataḥ — from You; tu — then; vṛṇe — I pray for; varam — such a benediction.

 

Translation: O Lord, Who can give any benediction, if You want to bestow a boon upon me, then I pray no desire should ever arise in my heart.

 इन्द्रियाणि मन: प्राण आत्मा धर्मो धृतिर्मति: ।

 ह्री: श्रीस्तेज: स्मृति: सत्यं यस्य नश्यन्ति जन्मना ॥

indriyāṇi manaḥ prāṇa     ātmā dharmo dhṛtir matiḥ

hrīḥ śrīs tejaḥ smṛtiḥ satyaṁ     yasya naśyanti janmanā    (SB 7.10.8)

Word-by-word meanings: indriyāṇi — the senses; manaḥ — the mind; prāṇaḥ — the vital-air; ātmā — the body; dharmaḥ — righteousnes / duty; dhṛtiḥ — patience; matiḥ — intelligence; hrīḥ — modesty; śrīḥ — prosperity; tejaḥ — brilliance; smṛtiḥ — memory; satyam — truthfulness; yasya — of which lusty desires; naśyanti — are vanquished; janmanā — from the very beginning of birth.

 

Translation: Because of desires, all of the following are destroyed: the senses, mind, vital-air, body, righteousness / duty, patience, intelligence, modesty, prosperity, brilliance, memory and truthfulness.

 

विमुञ्चति यदा कामान्मानवो मनसि स्थितान् ।  तर्ह्येव पुण्डरीकाक्ष भगवत्त्वाय कल्पते ॥vimuñcati yadā kāmān    mānavo manasi sthitān

tarhy eva puṇḍarīkākṣa   bhagavattvāya kalpate   (SB 7.10.9)

Word-by-word meanings: vimuñcati — gives up; yadā — when; kāmān — all material desires; mānavaḥ — human being; manasi — in the mind; sthitān — situated; tarhi — at that time ; eva — indeed; puṇḍarīka-akṣa — O lotus-eyed Lord; bhagavattvāya — to attain oneness with God; kalpate — becomes eligible.

 

Translation: When one gets rid of the desires in the mind, one becomes eligible to attain the Lord.

नमो भगवते तुभ्यं पुरुषाय महात्मने ।     हरयेऽद्भ‍ुतसिंहाय ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने ॥

oṁ namo bhagavate tubhyaṁ     puruṣāya mahātmane

haraye ’dbhuta-siṁhāya     brahmaṇe paramātmane   (SB 7.10.10)

Word-by-word meanings: namaḥ — I offer obeisance; bhagavate — unto the Lord; tubhyam — unto You; puruṣāya — unto the Supreme Person; mahā-ātmane — unto the Supreme Soul; haraye — unto Lord Hari [who takes away the miseries of devotees]; adbhuta-siṁhāya — unto Your wonderful lion-form as Narasimha; brahmaṇe — unto the Supreme Brahman; parama-ātmane — unto the Supreme Soul.

 

Translation: I offer my obeisance to You, O Lord, O Supreme Person, O Supreme Soul, O Hari, O wonderful lion.

Extremely pleased with Prahlada’s devotion, Lord Narasimha said, “Those like you, who are exclusively devoted to me, never seek boons in the form of material pleasures. Nevertheless, reign over the Daityas. Continue to worship Me and dedicate all your actions to Me. Your fame will be sung even in heaven. After reigning righteously for a long time, you will attain Me.”

Thus blessed by the Lord, Prahlada requested the Lord, “Although, my father, out of ignorance and anger, spoke ill of You, may be absolved of that sin.” Pleased with the boy, the Lord said, “O child, not only your father, but twenty-one past generations of your family have been purified by the very fact that you were born in this family. You are a model for all my Bhaktas (devotees). Now perform the last rites for your father. Having been blessed with a noble son like you, he will attain to heaven.”

Obeying the Lord’s commands, Prahlada – the foremost of Sri Hari’s devotees – performed Hiranyakasipu’s obsequies. He was crowned the next king. Then, after praising and blessing Prahlada, Brahma and the gods returned to their respective abodes. After ruling over the Daityas (Asuras) in complete adherence to Dharma (righteousness) for many years, he finally attained the Lord Himself. 

- SB 7.3.1 to 7.10.34