“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

1. Disbelief

“Is this really happening? I must be imagining it. I think I simply misunderstood the child. He was saying a different word. Or maybe someone is playing a trick on me. Let me casually laugh it off. Perhaps others will not suspect me of anything. Let me not make a scene right now. I do think I heard it correctly, but let me give it some time. There might be another explanation for what I am both seeing and hearing.”

2. Censure

“No! Absolutely not. Such blasphemy will not be tolerated here. Do you understand who I am? I am not only your father, but also the leader of the community. My word is the final say. There is no higher court to which you can appeal. There is no reversal based on the passage of time. Normally, I might be inclined to hear you out. You are my son, after all. But this is the one issue where I have to put my foot down. The allegiance you are showing is strictly prohibited here. I am not sugarcoating my disapproval. What you are doing has to stop.”

3. Censor

“Anyone encouraging the child will have to answer to me. Whether you are subtly helping him along or tacitly supporting him by your hesitancy to intervene, something has to change. These signs of devotion are not allowed. The words the boy is speaking cannot be heard. The culture will spoil everything I have worked for. You people are well aware of the history. I should not have to remind you who is my mortal enemy. I will not hear that enemy being praised right in my own home. Any further display of devotion will lead to immediate cancellation.”

4. Deprogramming

“Alright, this is a five-year old child. He doesn’t just learn things on his own. Someone must have taught him. One of you teachers here is betraying me. Never mind, as that is in the past. You must now instruct the child in a totally different way. That devotion to Vishnu nonsense has to be completely erased from his mind. You find whatever way necessary to teach him about the joys of ruling over a kingdom, of dominating over enemies, of having the highest authority in the land. I am already in that position. Do you see me worshiping anyone else? Alright, there was that time in austerity to get the attention of Brahma, but that is over now. My son should be groomed to take over, to one day succeed me in the highest position.”

5. Violence

The above sequence of steps is more or less what occurred one time with the leader of the Daityas named Hiranyakashipu. Parents have a natural expectation to lead their children along a preferred path. There is the hope that the children will show the same interests, especially those that are dear to the parents. The beginning of schooling is a special time because the parents can start to assess the proclivities of the child. What they like. What they don’t like. The best way to teach them. The style of instruction that matches their nature. The type of teaching that fails to make an impact, and so on.

To Hiranyakashipu, the worst thing imaginable took place. Prahlada was devoted to Vishnu, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If there was one word to define Hiranyakashipu’s very existence, it was rivalry. He took Vishnu to be his rival, though God is never partial to anyone. God has no hate. He has no reason to be envious of anyone. He always gets what He wants, so why should any person be taken as a foe?

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)

Prahlada made his choice clear. When he came home from school one day, there were symbols of devotion on his slate. It is not like he was learning different sounds and how to put letters together to make words. The symbol of the chakra and the written name of Krishna were like daggers into the heart of the father. Hiranyakashipu tried to laugh it off when Prahlada praised Vishnu prior to answering a question, but as time went by the reality began to set in. Prahlada, at five years of age, was a devotee of Vishnu.

The final step was violence, to be personally delivered by the father. As the devotion could not be shaken, frightened, or beaten out of Prahlada, so the hatred for devotion could not be turned around in the father. Almost like a practice drill in American football, where two players run straight into each other, the bigger, stronger, and heavier force that was Hiranyakashipu should have won. The father should have been able to defeat the child. After failing through censoring, censuring, deprogramming through the teachers, and even applying violence through surrogates, the most powerful Daitya in the world was ready to attack the innocent child with a sword.

The heavier force might dominate every single time, but adding God to the equation always tips the scales in the other direction. Before the sword could be applied against Prahlada, it struck against a pillar. This triggered the amazing appearance of Narasimha, who was like a man, but also like a lion. Narasimha was Vishnu. Narasimha was the same Krishna written on the slate, but coming to life, to give proof to the disbelieving father. Narasimha was set to deliver violence in an unprecedented way, to protect the devotee Prahlada.

In Closing:

Because in violence not relented,
An appearance unprecedented.

After the pillar to strike,
Like name coming to life.

Previously on slate to draw,
To chagrin of father who saw.

Prahlada unwavering in connection,
Narasimha providing full protection.

Categories: prahlada and his slate, the five

Tags: dailyprompt, grief, hinduism, parenting, poem, poems, poetry