“’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

If there was any doubt on the matter, someone was nearby to provide clarification. Instead of searching the entire store for that bottle of honey that your wife insisted you pick up, there is the person who works at the store who can provide clarification. They are more than happy to assist, but you insist on proceeding with your false understanding. For the Daitya leader named Hiranyakashipu, the consequences to the insistence were dire.

The son made a claim. Though only five years of age, he was wise beyond his years. Prahlada did not insist on ascending the throne. He did not ask for a gift of a plot of land. He did not throw a tantrum that would only end if the father, Hiranyakashipu, offered him a community to rule over. Rather, Prahlada was peaceful. He lived up to his name in remaining joyful. It was the source of that joy that caused tension, confusion, and even hostility. You see, Prahlada was always happy because he was always thinking about that one person who is above and beyond everything.

Prahlada worshiped, but not in the typical way of a routine and compulsory visit to a house of worship. It was like the child worshiped in his spare time. It was the most fun activity. It was something he wanted to do all the time. It was his natural inclination, evident since the time of birth. Prahlada could even explain the reason for that inclination, if anyone should inquire on the matter.

ऋषिः कारुणिकस् तस्याः
प्रादाद् उभयम् ईश्वरः
धर्मस्य तत्त्वं ज्ञानं च
माम् अप्य् उद्दिश्य निर्मलम्

ṛṣiḥ kāruṇikas tasyāḥ
prādād ubhayam īśvaraḥ
dharmasya tattvaṁ jñānaṁ ca
mām apy uddiśya nirmalam

“Narada Muni delivered his instructions both to me, who was within the womb, and to my mother, who was engaged in rendering him service. Because he is naturally extremely kind to the fallen souls, being in a transcendental position, he gave instructions on religion and transcendental knowledge. These instructions were free from all material contamination.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.7.15)

Children are known to share their interests. They tend to be carefree in the matter. That is to say, they do not realize that the adults likely have different interests. The young ones are not aware of the concept of being jaded. It is refreshing to see, that enthusiasm for life based on innocence. In this way, Prahlada shared his interest about worship. He could speak on and on about the glories of the person he was worshiping. One of those glories involved the Sanskrit word sarvatra. It was this very concept that the father, inimical to worship and the idea of God, as a living figure, looked to exploit.

1. Stretched thin

If someone is sarvatra, it means that they are everywhere. Imagine talking to someone on the telephone while engaged in a chat conversation at the same time. How to keep track? How to give proper attention? How to type a response while speaking something entirely different? Some people can do it, but it is not an easy task.

That is multitasking where presence is required in only a few places. It is like the computer which is the brain spins up new CPU cores, resembling the flexible architecture of cloud computing. But what if you had to be everywhere? In every single space. This is what sarvatra means. Therefore, it is natural to conclude that if such a person existed, carrying this property, they might be stretched too thin. They may somehow accomplish omnipresence, but no way could they actually be fully present in every space.

2. Vulnerable to attack

Sarvatra would also mean that the person Prahlada worships is vulnerable to attack. I went to the supermarket because my wife refuses to drive. I picked up everything on the list. I carried everything through the front door, only to hear yells and screams. I was scolded for placing my shoes on the bare floor. I should take them off first, you see. The problem is that my hands are full. There is nowhere to place the heavy bags of groceries I am carrying. Did anyone think of getting up from their laziness to help me? Of course not. Therefore, what choice did I have? I am so frustrated at the lack of appreciation that I am ready to throw those groceries right in that person’s face.

Hiranyakashipu would think of attacking because he was inimical. He hated Vishnu, based on a faulty and limited understanding. Hiranyakashipu knew of Vishnu as the killer of his own brother, the asura known as Hiranyaksha. Prahlada knew Vishnu as the Supreme Lord, whose glories are endless. The sarvatra property provides but one insight into the mysteries of His understanding.

भक्त्या त्व् अनन्यया शक्य
अहम् एवं-विधो ऽर्जुन
ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन
प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप

bhaktyā tv ananyayā śakya
aham evaṁ-vidho ‘rjuna
jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena
praveṣṭuṁ ca parantapa

“My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.54)

Hiranyakashipu started off kind, peaceful, loving, and tolerant. That stance quickly dissipated. The praise was going to stop. Prahlada was to proceed no further. How dare a dependent be so insolent? How dare someone dream of praising Vishnu in the kingdom of the Daityas, who are against Vishnu from their very birth? No, Prahlada had to be eliminated. There was just one problem. He could not be removed. No amount of force could accomplish the task. Every means of lethal force was used, but to no avail.

Finally, Hiranyakashipu was prepared to handle matters himself. He would attack his own son. There was one last opportunity. It was an olive branch sarcastically extended. You see, if Vishnu is truly sarvatra, then He would have no problem proving His presence in the nearby pillar. Hiranyakashipu would strike that pillar with a powerful sword, to remove any further doubt on the matter.

As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains, although the Supreme Lord is everywhere, He is not divided. He retains a singular identity. This is how deity worship can take place across the universe. In my home, I am worshiping Shri Rama, who has His eternal consort, Sita Devi, by His side. In a neighboring home, someone is worshiping Vishnu with Lakshmi Devi. Someone across the globe is worshiping Shri Krishna alongside Shrimati Radharani. It is the same Supreme Lord. It is not like He has to travel to different places whenever a person begins their worship.

Not only is Vishnu everywhere, but He is fully potent. He is as much in the pillar as He is in the survival of Prahlada against wicked and unwarranted attacks. Vishnu is so potent that He can emerge from the pillar in such a way as to easily take care of the inimical Daitya leader. You see, it was Hiranyakashipu with the limitations. Though he thought he was safe from the protections offered by Lord Brahma, there was no match for the one who is everywhere, all of the time, in His complete and inconceivable potency. Narasimha blessed Prahlada by spontaneously appearing, though externally triggered by the rage of the father, who was only looking to exploit.

In Closing:

Exploitation time,
If in pillar to find.

With supposed miracle to catch,
Then for sword no match.

Who Hiranyakashipu holding,
But reversal of fate unfolding.

Despite stretched entire universe across,
Vishnu never at potency’s loss.

Categories: chandrahasa, the two

Tags: dailyprompt, god, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, prahlada, vishnu