Passing The Cognitive Test

By krishnasmercy on May 5, 2026 • ( 0 )

“’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

“To remove any doubt on the matter, I am intentionally trying to stir the pot here, but I also will not be threatened into silence. I think these issues need to be discussed, especially with the rapid degradation in standards that I am witnessing. I honestly do not understand how other people are not seeing this. Basic things we took for granted from my childhood are now thrown out the window. Even critical thinking is now being criticized. Imagine that. Using your brain goes against the prevailing orthodoxy. There can only be one reason, and I will get to that.

“To give you an idea about my complaints, take the issue of medical interventions. I have been on this earth for a while. Never once have I cared about what medications other people are taking. Unless there is a lethal combination or someone under my care has forgotten to take their pills, as prescribed, I do not bother with the medical issues of others. If you want to take supplements, go ahead. If you want to follow a certain diet, I will not stand in your way. I am gentlemanly enough to sit and listen to you explain the particulars. If you want to turn into an advocate and get me to convert, I will at least indulge you. I will listen to your presentation.

“What boggles my mind is when others insist that I take a certain medical intervention. Moreover, if I fail to adhere to your desires, I am somehow endangering others. That makes absolutely no sense. Never in the history of the universe has any medication worked only when everyone is forced to take it. As a counterargument, people have used great analogies recently, such as the seatbelt in the car and the lifejacket when entering bodies of water.

“If ever I should mention this obvious logical fallacy, I get puzzling looks in return. People become angry. They tell me that I do not understand the science. They shove credentials in my face. Let me tell you something. If you spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attending medical school and you do not know the basics of how medicines work, then you wasted your money. Your medical license is worthless. If anything, you are proving yourself to be a quack.

“But what can we do? There are so many other issues where the same madness takes hold. It is like people would fail a basic cognitive test, if administered. I cannot believe we are living through such an era. Where do we go from here? What is the root cause? How have people become this dumb? They are dishonest, as well, if you ask me. These are not good people. They lack character. That is my opinion.”

There could be several possible explanations. In many cases, if people are not specifically impacted by an issue, if they have not witnessed the negative consequences to a supposedly harmless decision, they will simply go along to get along. Whatever everyone else is doing, they will follow. This has been the tendency since time immemorial, and especially when the governing authorities are tyrannical in nature. When they force their ideas on people, with blatant disregard for logic, reasoning, common sense, and long-term consequences. We see this in the case of the historical figure known as Hiranyakashipu.

If leaning on the science of self-realization, which explains both God and the position of the living beings relative to God, we get a more detailed explanation for the madness. There is one Sanskrit word in particular which applies to practically every case. That word is ajitendriyah. This refers to losing control over the senses.

Imagine if your hunger dictated every move during your typical day. You eat at the immediate onset of hunger, without regard to the past and the future. For instance, if you ate a large meal but an hour ago, you will eat again because your hunger tells you to. You will knock down a party tray of cheese, vegetables and dip in the middle of the night. This is because your hunger told you to.

Next thing you know, there are health problems. Itchy skin. Rashes everywhere. Spikes in blood sugar. Difficulty sleeping. That is another impulse from the senses. Therefore, you start taking medication. To help you sleep. To then revive you in the morning. Uppers and downers. Second after second, minute by minute, you keep getting prodded. This is one way to understand the condition of ajitendriyah.

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)

If you are constantly prodded by the impulses of the senses, how can you possibly think clearly? Hiranyakashipu had everything going for him. It is like he had won the lottery, retired, and was assured of recurring interest payments that still made him the wealthiest person in the world. He wielded the greatest authority. He did not need to bribe politicians. He did not have to impress venture capitalists. He was the highest person, in the kingdom carrying the greatest influence. His Daityas were thriving. There was nothing to worry over.

Just imagine that someone in that position ended up being taken down by a five year old child. Hiranyakashipu’s own son, no less, Prahlada was not like someone locked in prison deliberate in their plan for escape. No, all Prahlada did was speak the truth. Innocently, in the way children are known to share their interests. Without fear, in the way that a son might expect to be protected by his own father. Repeatedly, as if using emphasis to get important knowledge across. It was like there was a barrier. Hiranyakashipu could not put two and two together.

This was never more evident than at the final moments. Hiranyakashipu made a threat, but one that sarcastically offered a way out. You see, if Prahlada could be proven correct, then there would no longer be issues. No more physical threats. No more bouts with snakes. No more being tossed off a cliff. No more administration of poison. No, Prahlada would finally be safe in that kingdom, since his words about the sarvatra property of Vishnu would have supporting empirical evidence.

That evidence would be found in the nearby pillar. This is what Hiranyakashipu insisted. If this Vishnu person Prahlada spoke so glowingly about could show Himself in the pillar, then Prahlada would be spared. Otherwise, the same sword used to strike the pillar would be used to cut Prahlada in half. It was a pass or fail test. No ambiguity. No second chances.

Amazingly, Hiranyakashipu never considered the aftermath of a potentially positive test. What if Prahlada was right? If Vishnu was sarvatra, or all-pervading, would everything be forgiven? Would Vishnu forgive Hiranyakashipu for employing lethal means to try to eliminate Prahlada? Would Vishnu suddenly forsake the person who was advocating for Him the entire time? In this way, even a powerful king, from ancient times, showed himself to fail a basic cognitive test. The rational person considers both sides. They take into account the potential consequences to decisions. They then act accordingly. Hiranyakashipu was in for a world of hurt, except Vishnu did not require a special sword. Using just His nails, in the amazing vision of Narasimha, who used a pillar as a womb, Vishnu made good on the promise of division. Except it would be the wicked leader of the Daityas split into two.