“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. Mess with the substitute teacher

“I do feel for them a little. They are sitting targets. This is probably not what they signed up for. They think they will get called in periodically, read through the lesson plan left by the regular teacher, and then pass the day in peace. Oh, no. That was not happening. We made sure of it. When the substitute put on a video for everyone to watch, we would cut the tape. It was easy since the room was so dark. This was back in the days of film played off reels. We would act up. We would intentionally use a different name when calling the teacher. I am sure we took years off their life. They never wanted to see us again.”

2. Cause a disturbance in class

“Our classroom that year was a mess. The one group could never keep quiet. They would always laugh at times that demanded silence. We were trying to pay attention, while taking tests. These kids would throw paper airplanes, make strange noises, and mercilessly tease some of the shyer students. I am just glad I was never a target of their mocking.”

3. Challenge the instruction

“Every single time. Whenever the lesson is over, this one kid has to raise their hand. They complain about this thing and that. They ask when we will ever need to apply the knowledge in real life. Listen, I am not against raising concerns, but there is a polite way to do it. This student tries their best to make the teacher look like a fool.”

4. Carry contraband

“Umm, they should know that no phones are allowed. If caught, the student will get into trouble. The parents will be notified. This one person does not care, it seems. They bring the phone every single day. I think the teacher is exhausted, by now. They just pretend that it isn’t happening. How will this student ever learn anything?”

5. Write the name of Krishna

Almost the equivalent of enrolling in a school that tries to impose a religion on its students, in a fundamentalist sort of interpretation of ancient texts, demanding strict adherence, and blind allegiance – Hiranyakashipu expected that the studies for his son Prahlada would go a certain way. The ultimate objective dictated everything. The exact curriculum, the lesson plans, the flow through the different years – these tied back to the final goal, which in the external sense was ruling over a kingdom.

At the end of the day, irrespective of the exact occupation a person follows, the true measure of work is the impact on the level of enjoyment. In the case of Hiranyakashipu, the purpose of ruling over a kingdom was to enjoy. This was something he wanted. It was something he explicitly sought after. It was something he asked for, through the initial request of immortality, followed by the derivative boons offered by Lord Brahma.

If you rule over a kingdom, no one can tell you what to do. The primary threat is foreign attack. The secondary threat is insiders turning against you. If you have boons of protections, the threats are practically nonexistent. You can do whatever you want. If you have children, you can guide them along the same path, to one day follow in your footsteps.

Amazingly, something innocent like writing a name on a chalkboard was a revolutionary act by the young Prahlada. The chakra on the same chalkboard was like the strongest symbol of defiance. The boy was breaking the rules. He was rebelling. These were traits of a snake, as how could someone so loving like the father be so brazenly insulted, in front of everyone?

It may be argued that Hiranyakashipu was not hurting anyone by the objectives set in the classroom. After all, should not children be taught how to administer important affairs? What can be more important than taking the helm of a kingdom? It is an awesome responsibility to govern, to rule over subjects, to ensure that everyone is happy. If the kingdom wields influence, there is a requirement for expert diplomacy. Why shouldn’t Prahlada learn such things? Why shouldn’t the son of the king take an interest in such lessons?

“If we give a swan milk mixed with water, the swan will take the milk and leave aside the water. Similarly, this material world is made of two natures—the inferior nature and the superior nature. The superior nature means spiritual life, and the inferior nature is material life. Thus a person who gives up the material part of this world and takes only the spiritual part is called paramahamsa.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Ch 3)

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada places emphasis on spiritual instruction due to the target audience. Prahlada is a human being, though of the Daitya race. The goal of mundane instruction, involving maneuvering the ups and downs of a material existence, is to enjoy the senses. The animals already enjoy the senses. They never sit in a classroom. They never have to recite poetry, compose verses, add and subtract numbers, or appear for a formal examination. They enjoy sufficiently; sometimes more, sometimes less. They follow their instincts, for the duration of the life experience, as it is established for their community.

Why should the human being settle for something which is inferior? Shri Krishna says that the material nature is the inferior energy. It is apara-prakriti. The living beings are superior. They should not give much importance to the impulses of the senses, the objects of the temporary world, or the pursuit of total domination. The living beings are superior for a reason.

अपरेयम् इतस् त्व् अन्यां
प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्
जीव-भूतां महा-बाहो
ययेदं धार्यते जगत्

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ
prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho
yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

“Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.5)

The living beings have a higher objective. Prahlada was trying to fulfill that objective. He was doing so in an innocent way. He should have been encouraged. Prahlada was auspicious for both the father and the kingdom. Prahlada was rebelling against something the father should have renounced a long time ago. Instead, Prahlada was treated like the worst outcaste, but due to his link in transcendence, in seeking out the Krishna whose name was beautifully written out, he was protected.

In Closing:

As Krishna written the name,
Link to person the same.

Just from the slate to take,
A tool for worship to make.

Such that protection to find,
Despite father of inimical mind.

Prahlada as rebellious rascal considered,
But by highest power delivered.

Categories: prahlada and his slate, the five

Tags: dailyprompt, education, poem, poems, poetry, school