“Prahlada Maharaja said: O Supreme Lord, because You are so merciful to the fallen souls, I ask You for only one benediction. I know that my father, at the time of his death, had already been purified by Your glance upon him, but because of his ignorance of Your beautiful power and supremacy, he was unnecessarily angry at You, falsely thinking that You were the killer of his brother. Thus he directly blasphemed Your Lordship, the spiritual master of all living beings, and committed heavily sinful activities directed against me, Your devotee. I wish that he be excused for these sinful activities.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.10.15-17)

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श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच
वरं वरय एतत्ते वरदेशान्महेश्वर
यदनिन्दत्पिता मे त्वामविद्वांस्तेज ऐश्वरम्
विद्धामर्षाशय: साक्षात्सर्वलोकगुरुं प्रभुम्
भ्रातृहेति मृषाद‍ृष्टिस्त्वद्भ‍क्ते मयि चाघवान्
तस्मात्पिता मे पूयेत दुरन्ताद् दुस्तरादघात्
पूतस्तेऽपाङ्गसंद‍ृष्टस्तदा कृपणवत्सल

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
varaṁ varaya etat te
varadeśān maheśvara
yad anindat pitā me
tvām avidvāṁs teja aiśvaram

viddhāmarṣāśayaḥ sākṣāt
sarva-loka-guruṁ prabhum
bhrātṛ-heti mṛṣā-dṛṣṭis
tvad-bhakte mayi cāghavān

tasmāt pitā me pūyeta
durantād dustarād aghāt
pūtas te ’pāṅga-saṁdṛṣṭas
tadā kṛpaṇa-vatsala

“In contemplating the story of Prahlada Maharaja, as made famous by Vaishnava acharyas, as documented in sacred texts such as Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana, I find myself wondering what was the most amazing aspect. Sort of like when the analysts and supporters look to find the best season or stretch of years for a particular athlete, when they are inducted into a hall of fame, when we think of Prahlada and all the wonderful things he did, just which one stands out the most?

“Now, for the yogis, the obvious would be the survival through trials and tribulations created by the inimical father. Prahlada was only five years of age at the time, mind you. Hiranyakashipu was in the most powerful seat in the world; that is until he found the seat of the lion-man named Narasimha. An expert yogi can hold their breath for an extended period of time, but can they survive the weight of heavy boulders placed on top of them while lying on the surface of the ocean?

“Children would appreciate Prahlada’s kindness towards others, in how he actually loved his father. Materialists might like the fact that Prahlada unseated a person of great authority, although unintentionally. To me, the most amazing aspect is the forgiveness. I have really been thinking about this. Not only would I not want to forgive someone who tortured me so, needlessly, and without cause, but I would never want to think of that person again. If they have been vanquished, then fine. That should be the end of the ordeal.

“It was different with Prahlada. The Supreme Personality of Godhead was so pleased with the boy that a boon had to be insisted upon. Narasimha asked Prahlada to take some benediction. Prahlada acquiesced and looked for relief from any future negative consequences for the father, who was now slain. I was speculating that if the father were still around, he likely would not appreciate the gesture. He would think that Prahlada was up to something. The father would be suspicious. He would never even understand that level of kindness and compassion. Therefore, what is the point? If the person you are trying to rescue will never appreciate you, why try to help them at all?”

This is indeed something worth contemplating. Imagine that we did something good for someone. We helped them out. They never asked for our favor. We just thought it would be something nice to do, in seeing how they were struggling. They receive the benefit. They experience the benefit. One day, they happen to find out the source of the benefit. Upon learning that we are responsible, they still curse at us. They don’t like us, you see. They don’t appreciate what we did for them.

In knowing that potential ungratefulness, would we still act? With Prahlada, there is no question. Vishnu is the supreme witness, after all. Vishnu could later relay the kind act to the beneficiary. Hiranyakashipu, in his newly liberated state, could learn of what happened. Then there is the potential for appreciation or continued animosity. To Prahlada, it would not matter. Prahlada was already helped by the greatest person. Prahlada had already won the favor of the person whose favor matters most. The child still asked for pardon for the father, who deserved everything he got when Narasimha spontaneously emerged from the pillar and tore apart that dreaded leader of the Daityas. Narasimha accomplished the task with ease, using just His nails.

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)

A distinction to note in this case is that Hiranyakashipu could not understand the presence of someone “good.” Everyone had to be in the game, as he was. Everyone must have some sort of angle, something they are looking to exploit. By Prahlada praising Vishnu and teaching the other students in school the science of self-realization, the end-game must be related to a rivalry. The child must have viewed the father as an adversary. The child was exploiting the known vulnerability, in how Hiranyakashipu hated Vishnu. In this way, the father found sufficient justification for eliminating the child, who happened to be his own son.

Prahlada carried a different vision. He understood good and bad, in the manner of context switching. He understood why Hiranyakashipu was inimical. Prahlada tried to correct the father. Rather than pound the victim into submission, compelling them to believe something they are staunchly against, perhaps logic and reasoning could make a difference. The ignorance could be eliminated. The potential for enlightenment was there.

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच
मतिर्न कृष्णे परत: स्वतो वा
मिथोऽभिपद्येत गृहव्रतानाम्
अदान्तगोभिर्विशतां तमिस्रं
पुन: पुनश्चर्वितचर्वणानाम्

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
mitho ’bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

“Prahlada Maharaja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krishna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.30)

Since Prahlada understood why Hiranyakashipu was so inimical, there was no lasting enmity. If I know that someone is suffering from a disease and therefore not behaving as they should, I will not take it personally if they offend me. I will correctly identify the disease as the root cause for the offending behavior. For Hiranyakashipu, the ailment was ajitendriyah. Though the leader of the world, comfortable in a position of near-immortality, the senses were controlling him. Narasimha eventually cured that condition, with His personal presence, and Prahlada subsequently asked for amnesty for the father.

स इत्थं निर्जितककुबेकराड् विषयान् प्रियान्
यथोपजोषं भुञ्जानो नातृप्यदजितेन्द्रिय:

sa itthaṁ nirjita-kakub
eka-rāḍ viṣayān priyān
yathopajoṣaṁ bhuñjāno
nātṛpyad ajitendriyaḥ

“In spite of achieving the power to control in all directions and in spite of enjoying all types of dear sense gratification as much as possible, Hiranyakashipu was dissatisfied because instead of controlling his senses he remained their servant.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.19)

In Closing:

Most astonishing request,
Insisted at His behest.

That for inimical father slain,
Liberation to yogis the same.

That entire ordeal to forgive,
Despite with torture to live.

Because Prahlada the condition could tell,
That father due to senses fell.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, life, poem, poems, poetry, prahlada