“’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

Upon further review, it was quite the gamble. Hiranyakashipu took a chance. In his mind, there was little at stake. This child all of five years, his own son, no less, could not have been thinking straight. There was no evidence thus far that this Vishnu person was involved in the proceedings. Vishnu existed in a sense, as He was responsible for the death of Hiranyakashipu’s brother. That was a long time back, and for that reason the leader of the Daityas held on to a grudge. But it was more than a vendetta based on a specific conflict. No, there was more at the surface. The concept of Vishnu cut right into the heart of the leader’s existence. If Vishnu was real, then Hiranyakashipu was leading a lie. If Vishnu was as Prahlada had described, then there was no possibility of becoming self-made, in dominating the universe forever.

The illusion only continued to have life because Prahlada did. The son managed to survive lethal attacks against him. Prahlada would not budge from his stance. Was it innocence? Was it deviousness? Was it a ploy to get the father to lose his mind? Did Prahlada know the weak spot in Hiranyakashipu, in how to trigger his anger? After all, Bhagavad-gita explains that frustrated desire, kama, has the potential to turn into anger and wrath. Once a person crosses over to the dark side, so to speak, they end up doing things they would later regret, upon a return to sanity.

क्रोधाद् भवति सम्मोहः
सम्मोहात् स्मृति-विभ्रमः
स्मृति-भ्रंशाद् बुद्धि-नाशो
बुद्धि-नाशात् प्रणश्यति

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ
sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ
smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo
buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati

“From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.63)

It is safe to assume that Hiranyakashipu would regret his final threat against Prahlada. There was an olive branch extended half-heartedly and mockingly. You see, Prahlada got himself into this mess. It was the honesty, as presented by the boy. Prahlada kept insisting that Vishnu is everywhere. The Sanskrit word is sarvatra. There is a commonly associated concept called sarvada. This says that the same Vishnu is present in every period of time. Beginning, middle, and end, applying relative to the individual and also for the entire universe, which is the complete picture.

वेदाहं समतीतानि
वर्तमानानि चार्जुन
भविष्याणि च भूतानि
मां तु वेद न कश्चन

vedāhaṁ samatītāni
vartamānāni cārjuna
bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni
māṁ tu veda na kaścana

“O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.26)

If Vishnu is everywhere, then why not in the nearby pillar? This is inanimate. We know that Prahlada was something special, since he survived the attempts made on his life. These attempts consisted of the combined forces of the royal attendants. The attempts were instigated by Hiranyakashipu. The purpose was to cancel the child. The intent was lethal, to eliminate any further mention of Vishnu within the kingdom. Here was a final chance. If Prahlada was telling the truth, then Vishnu would prove His existence within the pillar. Hiranyakashipu would attack directly, using the special sword known as Chandrahasa.

There is a modern saying involving a slang word. The saying has the acronym of FAFO. In this case, why would Hiranyakashipu risk finding out? Why would he take the chance? Just what if Prahlada was telling the truth? It appears that Hiranyakashipu expected a neutral posture. If Vishnu was going to show Himself, the aftermath would be forgiveness. Hiranyakashipu would finally relent. He would spare Prahlada. Otherwise, if there was no proof, if Vishnu did not magically appear, then Prahlada would be sliced in half by the same sword.

As Hiranyakashipu blamed Prahlada’s words for the current predicament, it would be the truthfulness to those words that would be the demise of the leader of the Daityas. In one sense, you could say it was Prahlada’s honesty to blame for the amazing appearance of Vishnu as Narasimha. That half-man/half-lion was not in a forgiving mood. He was angry. He was looking to attack. He spared none of the evildoers. Hiranyakashipu would be split into two, but without the use of a weapon. Narasimha accomplished the task, using only 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)

In Closing:

Power put to shame,
The honesty to blame.

In that son found,
Who of wisdom profound.

Telling of Vishnu steady attempt,
Such that father fate to tempt.

When the sword pillar to strike,
Nails of Narasimha to spike.

Categories: chandrahasa

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