You Might Not Like What You See

“’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

“Alright, time for me to complain again. I cannot help it. I see and hear things which are total nonsense but are passed along as advanced thought. It is obvious fraud, full of holes, but I think people are too intoxicated, medicated, hopeless, or lazy to see through it. But I cannot see beyond it, and so I will try to give voice to my grievances, but in a civil way.

“The issue I witness time and time again relates to crimes committed in the public space. Let’s say that there is an election taking place over several days. It is supposed to be one day, mind you. In the past, the winners were almost always known a few hours after the polls closed in the evening. A recent development from the past few cycles, they now wait weeks and weeks. They never tell people just how many ballots are outstanding. The people in charge make one excuse after another, but nothing makes sense.

“Well, to the people who are conscious, who are paying attention, the reason is obvious. The cheating is out in the open. The people are taking that long because they are stealing the election. Plain and simple. They stopped the vote count in order to run the numbers. They needed to calculate just how many fraudulent ballots are required to put their candidate over the top. A second grader could figure out what is going on. The cheating is not hidden; it is in plain sight.

“Well, if you raise any of these objections with others, they insist upon evidence. They ask what proof do you have. This is not reserved exclusively for elections. It could be that a political figure has recently been assassinated and it is beginning to look more and more like his wife was in on it. The people surrounding the organization are caught in lie after lie. The suspicions are valid, but if you say anything, people will demand evidence. They insist on tangible proof. Otherwise, the people complaining should stay quiet. They should not sully the otherwise good name of innocent people.

“The reason I am so flabbergasted is precisely because it is impossible to gather the evidence in the early phases. I see that my bank account is much smaller today. I also saw someone with a mask entering the local branch of the bank last night and walking out with large bags. At this point, I have no evidence that a crime was committed. I have no investigatory power. I cannot get a search warrant from a local magistrate. I cannot approach suspects and ask questions. This means that I will never get the evidence required.

“Hello? You shouldn’t need evidence at the outset. You just need suspicion strong enough to warrant a full investigation into the matter. That is how you gather evidence. The legal term is ‘probable cause.’ Why are people so foolish in this regard? It is amazing that they insist on evidence in cases where the external symptoms are more than enough to generate sufficient doubt. I just don’t get it.”

In these instances, the insistence on evidence is the easy way for the criminals to dismiss suspicions. To stop any further discussion on the matter, they ask someone to provide proof. Otherwise, stop asking questions. Stop using your intelligence. Just accept the prevailing narrative, pushed forward by people of questionable character, and be done with it.

We see this play out in the pushback against the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The deniers insist that there is no God, that the devotees are full of it. The devotees are talking with an imaginary friend, you see. They are worshiping the sky, which cannot hold a conversation. No statue or picture is going to answer questions about the mysteries of life. There is no God precisely because the supporters cannot provide empirical data. In other words, where is the evidence?

This was the threat by the leader of the Daityas named Hiranyakashipu, at the height of his frustration. Though the setting of the story is thousands of years in the past, the players can be found in any period of time. You have a person rising to prominence, thinking that they are self-made. You have someone else not interested in the temporary, who acknowledges and appreciates everything that is provided by the highest authority. The two happen to square up against one another. In this special case, it happened to be a father against his own son. The father was in the position of leadership and authority. The son had nothing going for him. Oh, and the son was only five years of age.

One thing the skeptics fail to consider is the nature of the evidence in the potential reveal. That is to say, if the atheist should ever receive the evidence they were insisting upon, they might not like what they see. Hiranyakashipu tried to eliminate the mere mention of Vishnu in his kingdom. He tried to kill Prahlada, the five-year old son, for talking about Vishnu and recommending worship of Vishnu. One justification for that worship is the sarvatra property. Vishnu, as God, is supposedly everywhere. Since we take benefits from any space that we find ourselves in, we can also show appreciation wherever we are. Whether high or low, coming or going, seated on a throne or stuck in a classroom of small children, we can appreciate Vishnu and all that He offers to the universe.

The attempts at elimination failed. Prahlada continued to survive. Hiranyakashipu offered one last chance. Prahlada had to give up the goods. The child had to finally cough it up. Put up or shut up. Show that Vishnu is actually sarvatra. With no time to waste, in a moment of haste Hiranyakashipu settled upon the nearby pillar as the laboratory for the experiment. If the pillar, having been struck by the most powerful sword, did not provide sufficient evidence of the existence of Vishnu, then Prahlada would be split into two pieces.

Alas, Prahlada had been telling the truth. The evidence was there the entire time. It was right under Hiranyakashipu’s nose. The fiend was too intoxicated by power and too agitated by the senses to see clearly. Vishnu was merciful enough to provide the evidence so intensely insisted upon. The problem was that Vishnu remembered the many unwarranted attacks against the innocent devotee who was Prahlada. Through the avatara known as Narasimha, Vishnu not only gave evidence of the existence of God, but also the reality that every deed gets remembered. The wicked have what is coming to them, and in this case Hiranyakashipu would be the one torn to pieces. Careful what you wish for, as you just might get it.

In Closing:

“Wicked liar are you,
To be split into two.

But one last reprieve,
In that pillar should receive.

Vision of Vishnu the one,
After mighty sword swung.

False words this entire time,
Now let’s see your savior shine.”