“One time, that wicked king of the Daityas saw his son of lotus-like face and beautiful eyes, surrounded by women, having returned from the home of the guru. In his hand, that boy was holding a slate which had the mark of a chakra at the top and the name of Krishna written with great adoration.” (Narasimha Purana, 41.35-36)

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तं पद्मवक्त्रं दैत्येन्द्रः कदाचित् स्त्रीवृतः खलः
बालं गुरुगृहायातं ददर्श स्वायतेक्षणम्
गृहीत्वा तु करे पुत्रं पट्टिका या सुशोभना
मूर्ध्नि चक्राङ्किता पट्टी कृष्णनामाङ्कितादरात्

taṃ padmavaktraṃ daityendraḥ kadācit strīvṛtaḥ khalaḥ
bālaṃ gurugṛhāyātaṃ dadarśa svāyatekṣaṇam
gṛhītvā tu kare putraṃ paṭṭikā yā suśobhanā
mūrdhni cakrāṅkitā paṭṭī kṛṣṇanāmāṅkitādarāt

Perhaps the memories have faded over the years. We adapt to new circumstances rather quickly. We might have spent an entire year working alongside someone, speaking to them every morning, in casual conversation reviewing what occurred over the weekend. We went through so many trials and tribulations, but one day there is separation. We no longer work together. The memories are so distant that we might later forget about that person. It is like the experience never occurred.

We can see a similar change from childhood. Do we really remember what it was like to be a kid? The adults were larger than life. Today, we have advanced past the age our parents were when we were children. We don’t feel larger than life. We are still figuring things out. We still have worries, concerns, troubles, and fears. Perhaps to the children it seems like we have it together, as that is the basis for our authority.

In this regard, it might be easy to forget what the child experiences. In particular, their boundless enthusiasm and how it has to be tempered. This is simply the way of nature. The child is eager to sit behind the wheel of the automobile, for instance. The father must step in. “You see, dear child, you are too young to drive. You will have to wait.” A child hears a program on the radio and wants to call in. They want to ask a question of the host. As soon as they get through, the call screener intervenes. “You see, dear child, you are too young to be on the radio.”

In the modern age, there is the advanced method of communication facilitated by the smartphone. Rather than speak with someone directly, you can exchange messages. You don’t even have to write words. There are images that convey different emotions. A conversation can take place consisting entirely of these images. Alas, the child suffers a restriction. When they try to take the device and write a message, you, as the father, on the other end say, “You see, dear child, you are too young to be sending messages.”

The child keeps trying, and one day, you do respond. It is a short message, to signal when you will be arriving home from work. The child is thrilled. They can’t believe they received a response. They say to you, “I am a kid and you messaged me. Thank you so much.” At the end is the prayer emoji. Smart kid, you think.

As it is a matter of maturity, the restrictions make sense. In the realm of spiritual life, the child might not be allowed near the altar in the home. There is fire involved, after all. The father and mother light incense sticks and wave them in a reverential manner. There is a corresponding object of worship, who has kindly agreed to appear in the form of a picture, a statue, or a sculpture. Sometimes, there is a pebble or a stone which accepts the worship. God is there on the altar, and the people qualified are offering the worship.

There may be restrictions for the child based on practical grounds, in the system of formal worship, but the connection has no boundaries or limitations. God is universally available. He is universally present. We can compare to a giant fire, like the sun, and how the sparks of that fire go everywhere. We know that there is a sun based on sunshine. We know that there is God based on the presence of life, as He is the very essence of life.

एक-देश-स्थितस्याग्नेर्
ज्योत्स्ना विस्तारिणी यथा
परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस्
तथेदम् अखिलं जगत्

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

“Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy.” (Vishnu Purana, 1.22.52)

From Narasimha Purana, we have the image of a five-year old child returning home from school, appearing before his father, holding a slate. The slate is not blank. A chakra is at the top, and there is also the name of Krishna written in a beautiful way. These are decorations, ankita, and the mood is reverential, adarat. Some might say the child is worshiping.

No one instructed him to follow this path. There is no book that he necessarily consulted, advising him to draw the symbols at a specific time and place, in order to receive personal benefits. Rather, everything was spontaneous and natural. The child simply could not know better. He was not interested in the temporary. He was educated in the self, and the symbols on the slate revealed a practical realization of that knowledge.

No one in the community was encouraging the child, either. He was the son of the king, who was the leader of the Daityas. Hiranyakashipu was expecting to hear something else from his son. The father wanted Prahlada to be interested in ruling over a kingdom, in maintaining and expanding power. The father did not want Prahlada to have allegiance to Vishnu.

But we see that Vishnu included the child. Prahlada was allowed to worship. Prahlada worshiped in a manner that betrayed the authority figures around him. Prahlada was breaking the law, in a sense, to the bewilderment of the elders. This is the kindness and compassion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is never lost to those who are thinking of Him. He is always there for those who want to connect with Him.

यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र
सर्वं च मयि पश्यति
तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि
स च मे न प्रणश्यति

yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra
sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati
tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi
sa ca me na praṇaśyati

“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.30)

In Closing:

From age excluded,
Only elders included.

A question of maturity so,
The dangers not to know.

But God universally there,
Even in play of child aware.

Like Prahlada the name to write,
And chakra drawn beautiful sight.

Categories: prahlada and his slate

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, life, parenting, poem, poems, poetry