Tell And Show

“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)

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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

The intent is development. The objective is to give the children an opportunity to express themselves. The exact words they use are not as important as having an interest, participating in a presentation, and perhaps even discovering points of view that they previously did not consider. A long time ago, in the kingdom of the Daityas, the activity went in reverse, albeit unintentionally. The reveal at the conclusion was so amazing that people still talk about it.

If a young child has an interest, they cannot be expected to produce a written dissertation on a level equivalent to the academic chairing a department at a university. They are not expected to resemble the doctoral candidate defending their thesis. These kids can barely identify letters and numbers. How are they going to develop words into sentences, placed together in paragraphs, sequenced to produce a full narrative, featuring beginning, middle, and end?

Instead, the teacher of the class settles upon an easier way to share. The theme of the day is called “Show and Tell”. The children bring something from home that they have fondness for. A stuffed animal. A toy. Maybe a simple game that they like to play. One by one, they take turns standing in front of the classroom, holding their object of interest and talking. They show the toy and then tell about it. This is likely their first time speaking in public. This is their introduction to sharing interests, as well, in a formal setting.

In describing the case of Prahlada Maharaja, the title to the theme could have the terms reversed. Instead of “Show and Tell”, it was “Tell and Show.” Instead of bringing a toy to school one day, Prahlada decided to tell, over and over, at that. Whenever he was asked. Whenever he was questioned about school, about what he learned, about what he thought was the most important instruction – the boy of five years would tell.

And he would tell no matter the reception on the other side. Whether the adults liked what they were hearing or the words made them cringe. Whether the father agreed with the sentiment or was immediately sent into a fit of rage. Whether the topic of discussion only moments prior aligned with the content described by Prahlada or the audience had never considered the specific angle of vision before.

Prahlada told about Vishnu. Prahlada told about Vishnu as God. Prahlada told about Vishnu as the source of strength in man. As man is purusha, or a person, so the ability in man is known as paurusham. That ability has a single source. Some men exhibit more strength than others, but this just means that the original source has decided to manifest that strength to a greater degree. The proof is that the same strength can one day vanish, without the prior sanction of the individual previously proud of that strength. This must mean that the strength came from somewhere else the entire time.

श्री-प्रह्राद उवाच
न केवलं मे भवतश् च राजन्
स वै बलं बलिनां चापरेषाम्
परे ’वरे ’मी स्थिर-जङ्गमा ये
ब्रह्मादयो येन वशं प्रणीताः

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
na kevalaṁ me bhavataś ca rājan
sa vai balaṁ balināṁ cāpareṣām
pare ’vare ’mī sthira-jaṅgamā ye
brahmādayo yena vaśaṁ praṇītāḥ

“Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahma, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.8.7)

Prahlada kept telling and telling, but Hiranyakashipu was not believing. Prahlada did not feel the need to explicitly show. After all, the proof of Vishnu is evident in the existence itself. Prahlada told that the highest occupation in life is devotional service, which is the real meaning to dharma. Prahlada even told about nine different ways that such service could be carried out. Prahlada was actively participating in one of those activities, as his repeated telling could be identified as kirtanam. As described in Bhagavad-gita, saintly people are known to engage in kirtanam with the strength of a steady vow, dridha-vrata.

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां
यतन्तश् च दृढ-व्रताः
नमस्यन्तश् च मां भक्त्या
नित्य-युक्ता उपासते

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)

Prahlada kept telling and telling, despite the stiffest opposition. His own father, who was the ruler of the Daitya kingdom, was intolerant. Hiranyakashipu tried to kill Prahlada. The son sharing his interests with the father was considered the greatest crime. Prahlada was a repeat offender. Therefore, the father repeatedly applied punishment. The worst kinds of punishment, at that, but Prahlada kept surviving.

Finally, the time for showing arrived. Ironically, it was Hiranyakashipu who invited the esteemed guest to the gathering. The father mocked the interest of Prahlada. The father rhetorically asked if this Vishnu person was in a nearby pillar. Well, of course He was. Vishnu was there the entire time. As Prahlada had described, Vishnu is the source of everything.

Prahlada told and told, and Vishnu finally decided to show. The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared from a pillar of all places, and without prior warning. The spontaneous emergence of a half-man/half-lion figure, frightening the miscreants and delighting the devotees, proved that Prahlada’s friend was not imaginary. That original source of strength then proceeded to tear apart the evildoer, the criminal that was Hiranyakashipu. Vishnu literally tore Prahlada’s father apart, using just His nails.

In Closing:

The one who never fails,
Tore with just His nails.

That evildoer punishment reaping,
Since with violence keeping.

Against the most innocent son,
Who simply telling had done.

About Vishnu who at universe’s core,
Prahlada steady through attacks to endure.