Why Did Prahlada Have To Be Weird

By krishnasmercy on September 27, 2025 • ( 0 )

“Others will also ridicule and scorn saying, ‘This child is an asura but prays to the gods. It is like a cat offering prayers to a mouse or a peacock to a snake.’ This is indeed a bad omen, behavior resembling an enemy, as even after obtaining great wealth and power, an unintelligent person can fall down.” (Hiranyakashipu speaking to Prahlada, Narasimha Purana, 41.59-60)

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अन्येपि त्वां हनिष्यन्ति वदिष्यन्ति जनास्त्विदम्
असुरोयं सुरांस्तौति मार्जार इव मूषकान्
द्वेष्यान् शिखीव फणिनो दुर्निमित्तमिदं ध्रुवम्
लब्ध्वापि महदैश्वर्यं लाघवं यान्त्यबुद्धयः

anyepi tvāṃ haniṣyanti vadiṣyanti janāstvidam
asuroyaṃ surāṃstauti mārjāra iva mūṣakān
dveṣyān śikhīva phaṇino durnimittamidaṃ dhruvam
labdhvāpi mahadaiśvaryaṃ lāghavaṃ yāntyabuddhayaḥ

“Listen, I will admit it. I am just as guilty as the next guy. No need to hide it or pretend that I am purer than your average person. This stuff is out there. It is a reality of the modern world, though particularly gathering momentum over the last several years. I am not necessarily proud of it, but it is my truth. So, here it is…

“I have been known to, on occasion, scroll through those short-form videos. I am not recommending this for others, but it is the easiest way to procrastinate, no doubt. When there is something pressing, when there is an issue that I am not exactly sure how to resolve, I tend to table the important stuff and reach for the brain-rot, as people like to refer to it.

“One of the videos I happened to see the other day related to parenting. I guess the algorithm knows what I am concerned about. The devices must be listening to my conversations, since I am always thinking of ways to be a better parent. I am not even sure what constitutes ‘better’ or ‘good,’ but it is on my mind. There is that fine line between discipline and indulgence. I don’t want the kids to be spoiled, but I don’t want them to be traumatized, either.

“So this video had the attention grabbing headline of, ‘Don’t let your kids be weird.’ The idea was that the parents who let their children do strange things end up causing significant harm. The children will not know proper boundaries. They will not realize that their behavior is unacceptable in the real world. The children will be mocked. They will be made fun of. They will certainly stand out.

“This resonates with me a little because there were moments in my childhood where I felt out of place. I distinctly remember one time asking one of the guidance counsellors in high school if I could take two of the science classes, like chemistry and biology, in the same year, instead of following the standard path. The person looked at me like I was crazy. Some of the students laughed at my question. One of them rhetorically asked why I would even consider such an option.

“This brings me to Prahlada Maharaja, the son of the Daitya king, who is described in many sacred texts of the Vedic tradition. Let’s be honest here, Prahlada was really weird. At least in his kingdom, he stood out. Imagine the same scene playing out today. You are at a public playground, young children moving about, running and having a good time. Then your kid decides to hold court, so to speak, and expound on the meaning of life and how everyone is wasting their precious time in the human birth. Your kid is teaching others about the urgency for understanding Vishnu, who is God the person, and worshiping Him from childhood into old age.

“I mean, come on, that would be horrifying for a parent today. The other parents would stare daggers. Sure, the knowledge is correct. The child is on point, but their social life will be ruined. None of the other children will play with them. Even if the kids like what they hear, their parents will surely interfere. The teachers will get involved. I can see the lawyers rushing to the scene, Constitution in hand, pointing at the first amendment, mumbling something about church and state.

“That leads me to the question. Why did Prahlada have to be weird? Why did he have to cause trouble? Why not at least try to fit in, in the interim stages, until there was a better position from which to speak? An adult can intentionally choose the life of ascetism. They will stand out, for sure, but at least they can be respected for the decision. The child doing the same just looks out of place.”

Indeed, the father in that case presented a similar line of argument. The other children in school would make fun of Prahlada. The child was a Daitya, after all. The Daityas are the demons. They are powerful, at that. Why would the son of the leader of the Daityas choose to worship Vishnu, who is the leader of the gods? Vishnu is Suresha, and He is always worshiped by the suras. Indeed, it was for the benefit of those very suras that Vishnu would later appear as Narasimha.

हरिः सुरेशो नरलोकपूजितो हिताय लोकस्य चराचरस्य
कृत्वा विरूपं च पुरात्ममायया हिरण्यकं दुःखकरं नखैश् छिनत्

hariḥ sureśo naralokapūjito hitāya lokasya carācarasya
kṛtvā virūpaṃ ca purātmamāyayā hiraṇyakaṃ duḥkhakaraṃ nakhaiś chinat

“Shri Hari, who is the Lord of the demigods, who is worshiped by the people of the world, for benefiting the moving and nonmoving beings of the world took that dreadful form through His own energy and tore apart Hiranyakashipu, who caused suffering to so many, with His nails.” (Narasimha Purana, 44.43)

The parent today has concern over what life will be like for their “weird” child. Isolation. Abandonment. Loneliness. Mocking. Just consider what happened to Prahlada. The punishment for his “weirdness” was lethal force, applied by his own father. The palace guards attacked Prahlada with weapons. The crime was words, in speaking the reality to the situation. Prahlada was the only one who understood Vishnu, while everyone else was lost in their illusion.

विष्णुः शस्त्रेषु युष्मासु मयि चासौ यथा स्थितः
दैतेयास् तेन सत्येन मा क्रामन्त्व् आयुधानि वः

viṣṇuḥ śastreṣu yuṣmāsu mayi cāsau yathā sthitaḥ
daiteyās tena satyena mā krāmantv āyudhāni vaḥ

“O Daityas, just as Vishnu is in those weapons and also situated in me, so by that truth your weapons will not be able to overcome me.” (Prahlada Maharaja, Vishnu Purana, 1.17.33)

Does the child who understands the science of self-realization risk alienating everyone around them? Yes. Does the innocent and selfless devotion shown by the child towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead invite envy, ridicule, and perhaps torture? Yes. Will your child stand out if they are following devotion with a fixed vow, dridha-vrata? Yes.

यस्यास्ति भक्तिर् भगवत्य् अकिञ्चना
सर्वैर् गुणैस् तत्र समासते सुराः
हराव् अभक्तस्य कुतो महद्-गुणा
मनोरथेनासति धावतो बहिः

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ

“All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord’s external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 5.18.12)

If the objective is to ensure our children grow up to be just like everyone else, then there is something to consider. Just what exactly is there to be gained from popularity, conformity, and a high stature? What if the children ascend to the heights of prominence, as seen in Hiranyakashipu? What is there to be gained if they end up reaching the level of the demigods, who live in the highest mode of material nature? The opinion of the self-realized, of the saintly, of those aligned with tattva, is that there is everything to gain in devotional service. If everything else is lost, at least there is the association of Vishnu. One plus God is always greater than anything else. May every child be so blessed as to be the “weird” one, following in the footsteps of the memorable Prahlada.