I Have A Slate Too

“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

It took long enough. It is amazing that so many years passed before this man ever gave thought to what is inevitable for every living being. As what goes up must come down, as what rises must fall, as what ascends must eventually descend, sometimes crashing back to the ground level, so the vibrancy of youth one day gets replaced with the dwindling ability of old age. This man one day reflects to himself as follows:

“I never noticed how young people actually look. Their skin. It is just glowing. What is going on there? My face looks terrible on many days. How do I get that glow back? What is the scientific basis for that glow to begin with? Never mind, as the past is gone. I will never be young again. It was not that long back, the youth of which I reference. Just a few short years ago, I was full of enthusiasm. I had boundless energy. I never worried about anything. Now I have so much anxiety that I need medication to help me sleep at night. It is only going to get worse. How can life be so cruel?”

The Vedic science reveals that the individual is actually not the body. This means that they are neither young nor old. The youthful shape never truly identified them. The seasoned appearance from advancing in years does not indicate a lack of vibrancy. The animating spark, the essence of identity, which is inside of the machine that is the body, is always full of potency.

ईश्वरः सर्व-भूतानां
हृद्-देशे ऽर्जुन तिष्ठति
भ्रामयन् सर्व-भूतानि
यन्त्रारूढानि मायया

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe ‘rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.61)

We can take further comfort from the object of worship in the Vedic science. The Sanskrit to describe His appearance is nava-yauvanam. He always looks like He is a newly minted member of the teenage group. He never ages beyond this. He never ages, either, but for the purposes of our understanding, He is like perpetually the most youthful person.

It is not possible for the man described above to reclaim his youth, but he shouldn’t have to change bodies to feel invigorated. The daily habits of a five-year old boy from ancient times show the way. That boy was named Prahlada. He lived in the kingdom of the Daityas. When the time came for attending school, Prahlada went along. Though he was the son of the king, Prahlada was a student all the same.

Prahlada one time held a slate in his hand. That slate had the symbol of the chakra. It showed the name of Krishna. This is a routine aspect of childhood that no one really spends much time contemplating. Do any of us remember learning how to read? Do we remember being illiterate? Do we recall the exact process for transformation?

Some people indeed remember, but in adulthood they no longer require the slate. They are bigger. They are a learned adult. But since the object of worship is always young, the individual offering the worship can assume the position of a youth. They too can take a slate. They can write the name of Krishna. They can write the name of Rama. They can draw symbols associated with Vishnu, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Writing on the slate is sufficient for achieving perfection in life. Writing in this way is equivalent with worshiping in the formal sense. Prahlada did not have a place to go for worship since such affiliation was prohibited in the kingdom. The father, Hiranyakashipu, was against Vishnu. The father did not appreciate the innocence in the worship from Prahlada. The child did not look for anything. He was not asking Vishnu for a return of favor. Prahlada was not following out of a sense of obligation, of fear over negative consequences from missing certain rituals. Rather, the worship was so pure and innocent, in the manner of a person showing their affection for someone they care about.

That affection is inside of everyone. That affection can be shown by child and adult alike. I can find a slate and write the holy names. I can even write the name of Prahlada and fondly recall his bravery amidst turmoil and danger. I can remember his heroic triumph, the relief of seeing Vishnu as Narasimha. That Divine appearance was the end of the terror inflicted by Hiranyakashipu on Prahlada, but it was not the end of Prahlada’s relationship with Vishnu. Similarly, with slate in hand, wherever I am, I can continue to feel eternally youthful in my connection with God, who is non-different from His name.

In Closing:

For protecting Prahlada came,
Who connected all the same.

Because previously also saw,
Through name and chakra to draw.

Despite an adult now being,
Still my opportunity for seeing.

Through a slate in my hand to hold,
Story of Prahlada to unfold.