Meeting Us Where We Are

“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

A man has recently moved to a major metropolitan area. This was a drastic life change, based on necessity more than preference. You see, several months back he lost his job. He was at that place of employment for almost two decades. This is the harsh reality of the modern world; no job is ever safe. If the company should have a track record of consistent profits, generating sufficient supply to meet the steady demand from the consuming public, a single disruption can change everything. That disruption could be due to corruption from the people writing the laws. It could be from the rapidly developing technology. It could also be from mismanagement following a change in leadership at the company.

Thankfully, this man found another job. He has a family to support, after all. There are young children in the household. This new job, which pays well, happens to be in a city area. This is foreign to him, as he was accustomed to driving through major highways to reach offices that were connected to suburban neighborhoods. Now the office buildings are so tall that you can barely see the sky from the street level. During the winter season, it might be after many months that a specific sidewalk is free of snow and ice. This is because the sunshine never hits the area during the day.

After some time to settle in, to adjust to the new routine, this man begins to like his job. He likes the city. For lunch, he walks around outside. He chooses different places to eat. He does not mind crossing the street inside of a large group of pedestrians. It is during one such crossing that something out of the ordinary occurs. He meets another individual. A total stranger, but this person can read the man’s mind. It is like he knows things about their history, what language they speak, what interests they follow, and what concerns them about the future.

This stranger provides amazing advice to the man. The stranger gives directions to follow. The stranger provides justification for the content. It is like meeting the wisest person in the world. As soon as the man, the recipient, develops an interest, this stranger disappears; never to be seen again. The man returns to the office with the memory of the experience. They took the instructions to heart, but no one else is familiar. No one else would understand what happened. The man feels both empowered and helpless. It is like they have the key to the mysteries of the universe, but the means to act on that information are lacking.

The above hypothetical situation begins to explain the predicament of Prahlada Maharaja, the son of the Daitya king named Hiranyakashipu. Instead of meeting a stranger on the street, Prahlada accepted the wisdom while within the womb. Narada Muni spoke to Prahlada’s mother. Narada Muni then left. You see, saintly people were not welcome in the kingdom. Hiranyakashipu considered the personal God to be a rival. The father would not accept any of the wisdom offered to the son. The father hated Vishnu.

After taking birth, what means did Prahlada have? How could he act on that information provided by Narada? It is not like the culture aligned with the objective. Hiranyakashipu was a Daitya by race and by spirit. He was against dharma. He was more interested in desperately holding on to the temporary body. He wanted to maintain power within a temporary world for as long as possible. Hiranyakashipu naturally expected the son to follow, to continue the family business.

Despite facing the strongest headwinds, Prahlada was able to succeed. This is because the instruction Narada offered was the science of self-realization, whose objective is to realize the self in the definition of the relationship with the Supreme Self. I know who I am in truth only when I understand the nature of spirit. I am like one of the countless sparks distributed by the original fire. In this way, I am always linked to the source. Every other spark is like my family; we are all children of God.

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)

The object of worship in the instruction from Narada does not stay a neutral party in the relationship. He helps the student along. He will kindly meet them where they are. In Prahlada’s case, Vishnu accepted worship through basic symbols drawn on something like a chalkboard. The sign of the chakra, which is one of the items associated with Vishnu. The name of Krishna, which is another way to describe God. Prahlada had these markings on his slate, and that interaction was sufficient for fulfilling the objective revealed by Narada.

In Closing:

Objective by Narada revealed,
In transfer secret and concealed.

Prahlada in the womb to receive,
But teacher just as quickly to leave.

After birth what possibly could do?
Only a child and father inimical too.

Supreme meeting where they are,
By signs on slate near from afar.