“Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahma, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.8.7)

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श्री-प्रह्राद उवाच
न केवलं मे भवतश् च राजन्
स वै बलं बलिनां चापरेषाम्
परे ’वरे ’मी स्थिर-जङ्गमा ये
ब्रह्मादयो येन वशं प्रणीताः

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
na kevalaṁ me bhavataś ca rājan
sa vai balaṁ balināṁ cāpareṣām
pare ’vare ’mī sthira-jaṅgamā ye
brahmādayo yena vaśaṁ praṇītāḥ

“On the occasion of Narasimha Chaturdashi, we celebrate the Divine appearance of Narasimhadeva, the unique incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Narasimha has a literal translation of ‘man and lion.’ This particular avatara was ferocious and human-like at the same time. He had the specific purpose of rescuing an innocent, five-year old child.

“Named Prahlada, the boy was being tortured by his father, Hiranyakashipu. Any person can relate to this story. The child has no other protectors except the parents. If the father turns inimical, if he goes to the extreme of invoking violence, what recourse does the victim really have?

“They are immature both in bodily stature and intelligence. They cannot fight back with weapons. They do not have the means to carry through an elaborate escape plot, even if they were wise enough to devise a plan.

“No, it took the hand of God intervening to put a stop to the persecution. It was the nails on the hand in particular, which tore apart the villainous character named Hiranyakashipu, who had moments prior mocked the idea of God being all-pervasive and the source of strength in everyone.

“It is indeed a heartwarming historical incident. No wonder it is documented in Vedic literature and carried forward to the present day. Anyone who hears that story is sure to feel uplifted, optimistic, and thankful.

“At the same time, we know for certain that tragedies take place where children are often the victim. There isn’t anyone to save them. The perpetrators might actually wear religious attire. They are supposedly devotees of Narasimha, but that is all for show. On the inside, they are actually worse than Hiranyakashipu.

“Why were not these children saved? Why are not all victims given the same preferential treatment shown to Prahlada Maharaja? Does this mean these children are not special enough? Are they not worthy of Divine intervention?”

We could ask the same question about any supposedly negative outcome. If there is up, there must be down. If there is happiness, there must be sadness. If there is birth, there must be death.

Along the same lines, if there are pious and honest people, there are those who are cunning, mischievous, dastardly, and downright evil. Within the playing field of maya, the material world, all sorts of outcomes occur.

श्री भगवानुवाच
अशोच्यनन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे ।
गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ
prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase
gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca
nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

“The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.11)

Shri Krishna explains that the wise person does not grieve for the living. The same treatment towards the dead. This is because nothing can be done to harm the spirit soul. The individual is always intact as a spark of spirit, whether taking birth, departing for another world, living peacefully, or facing torture on a daily basis.

We see that Prahlada Maharaja did not specifically ask for intervention. He did not want anything from Bhagavan. He remained in devotion. He stayed connected to Supersoul through consciousness. The same Supersoul was inside of the father. God is guiding both the thief and the victim of the theft.

The explanation is that due to Prahlada’s extraordinary devotion, Narasimha appeared. This was a special circumstance, and the same should not be expected for every person and every case. At the same time, through devotion a person earns the favor of the Supreme Lord.

समो ऽहं सर्व-भूतेषु
न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या
मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम्

samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ‘sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

That favor is already universally available, in the manner of the elements of nature distributed throughout space. One person takes advantage of the sunshine, but another does not. The sun is not actually favoring the one person, but on the surface it appears that way.

क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा
शश्वच्-छान्तिं निगच्छति
कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि
न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā
śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

“He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.31)

Whether someone like Prahlada received protection or someone like Jatayu perishes in a valiant fight against a more powerful foe, the spirit of devotion remains. That can never be destroyed. The outcomes of temporary significance may fall one way or the other, like mustard seeds dropped on a blade, but the endurance of the link to Bhagavan is what matters most.

In Closing:

Jatayu valiantly to fight,
In sky of carrier’s height.

But to fall in the end,
Not capable to defend.

But Prahlada protected the same,
When out of pillar Narasimha came.

Endurance in devotion the test,
Whether by Bhagavan blessed.

Categories: questions

Tags: god, hare krishna, narasimha, poem, poems, poetry, prahlada, religion