The Human Being Against The Wild Animal

“’You said that He is indeed everywhere, so why can He not be seen in this pillar? If I do see that Vishnu right now in the middle of the pillar, then I will not kill you. Otherwise, you will be divided into two.’ Having seen (his father) in that way, Prahlada began to meditate on that Supreme Lord.” (Narasimha Purana, 44.10-11)

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त्वयोक्तं स हि सर्वत्र कस्मात् स्तम्भे न दृश्यते
यदि पश्यामि तं विष्णुम् अधुना स्तम्भमध्यगम्

तर्हि त्वां न वधिष्यामि भविष्यसि द्विधान्यथा
प्रह्लादो ऽपि तथा दृष्ट्वा दध्यौ तं परमेश्वरम्

tvayoktaṃ sa hi sarvatra kasmāt stambhe na dṛśyate
yadi paśyāmi taṃ viṣṇum adhunā stambhamadhyagam

tarhi tvāṃ na vadhiṣyāmi bhaviṣyasi dvidhānyathā
prahlādo ‘pi tathā dṛṣṭvā dadhyau taṃ parameśvaram

It is the way of the animal. It is the tendency of the fool. It is the tacit admission of a losing hand. When one side does not even think there is a competition underway, when they carry no hostility, when they are not looking to win an argument, why would the other side get so heated? Why would they feel the need to reach for one of the most powerful weapons ever to exist? Why is the target of their wrath a five-year old child? That boy happens to be the son of the aggressor, but blood-relations are no insulation from lethal punishment, it appears. This was a special case, and so the aggression was halted, by a vision even more amazing than the sword.

The mood of approach was kindness. Prahlada was wishing well. He wanted the best for everyone. He wanted his own father to at least recognize the presence of a higher authority. After all, everyone begins in the most helpless state. If they make it out of the womb alive, it means that no one forcibly entered. The fetus did not have to dodge a sharp-pointed knife headed in their direction. The child was protected sufficiently by the mother, whose womb is intended for that purpose. The womb is not there as a practice field or a runway for objects to roll on and off from. The womb is there to protect the early stages of life, to bring a new person into this world.

It is not like the dangers cease after birth. In the modern world, the innocent child gets prodded left and right, with a host of concoctions that have no guarantee of safety. Neither are the manufacturers of the product liable for any subsequent injury. As many injections as the so-called doctors wish to apply, the companies profiting from the endeavor are completely immune from the consequences. If the parents should object, the child runs the risk of being denied admission into school. Who would want to live with that stain? Who would want to be an outlier within the community of parents?

Hiranyakashipu had his own history of ascension that had a visible dependency. Hiranyakashipu indeed rose to the heights of prominence, but he first received assistance from the creator, Lord Brahma. The leader of the Daityas might argue that he had to work to receive the meeting with Brahma, that it was not a chance encounter. Nevertheless, Brahma had to agree to offer boons. Brahma was like the clerk at a government office. Hiranyakashipu waited in line for a long time. He made his requests, and Brahma assessed the situation, responding accordingly.

नान्तर्बहिर्दिवा नक्तमन्यस्मादपि चायुधै:
न भूमौ नाम्बरे मृत्युर्न नरैर्न मृगैरपि

nāntar bahir divā naktam
anyasmād api cāyudhaiḥ
na bhūmau nāmbare mṛtyur
na narair na mṛgair api

“Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought by any being other than those created by you, nor by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.” (Hiranyakashipu praying to Lord Brahma, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.36)

When Prahlada arrived on the scene, the intent was to complete the entire picture. Sure, the father was immune from attack. Sure, the father was powerful. Sure, the father was as close to immortal as a person can hope for. Still, there was a reason for the universe. There was something or someone keeping the lights on, so to speak. The father should acknowledge the reality. He should not live in ignorance of it. The father was actually maintaining enmity with the origin. The father considered the source of strength to be a rival. Rivals are to be defeated, after all. They may be respected, but for someone as protected as Hiranyakashipu, what reason was there to fear?

Prahlada merely spoke. He did so without fear. He was not concerned with the consequences. What five-year old son would ever think their own father would respond with threats of violence? It is not like Prahlada was speaking bad words. He was not exhibiting poor behavior. He did not pose a threat to anyone. He was but a child. What could he really do, anyway? What means were at his disposal? Meanwhile, the father was protected. Even if Prahlada gathered an entire army in an attempt to overthrow the government, the father was protected. That is what Lord Brahma promised, was it not?

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that in the general case, when a person becomes angry during a conversation, it means they have lost. They could not come up with words sufficient to express their position, so they had to resort to shouting. Hiranyakashipu was like this, except when his exasperation reached its height, there was a physical threat. The father was ready to end the son, once and for all. There was a lifeline offered. There was one last opportunity. This Vishnu person that Prahlada kept mentioning? If that Vishnu could appear from the pillar, then everything would be fine. No more trouble. But if not, Prahlada had it coming. He would be divided into two pieces by the very sword used to open the pillar. That sword was known as Chandrahasa.

A literal translation to that name is the laugh of the moon. The strike of that sword against the pillar caused something like the laugh of the Supreme Lord. Vishnu did appear. He was in that pillar. He was in the survival of Prahlada. He was also in the strength of Hiranyakashipu. Vishnu is indeed sarvatra. He is omnipresent. In that special circumstance, Vishnu gave Hiranyakashipu the visual evidence he insisted upon. It was in the amazing vision of the half-man/half-lion known as Narasimha.

Hiranyakashipu would be expected to lay off Prahlada henceforth, except Narasimha was not going to sit idly by. Vishnu was there for a reason. It was the inimical father who would be split in two. Narasimha did not require amazing weapons handed down from Lord Shiva. No, by simply using nails, Vishnu was able to tear apart that leader of the Daityas, whose protections were not enough to overcome the consequences to his horrible deeds.

In Closing:

Not enough to overcome,
Into two pieces to become.

In irony of promised the same,
With vision of Narasimha to attain.

The first one angry admitting defeat,
Prahlada calm without raising heat.

Just the truth of Vishnu to say,
Soon from the pillar to display.