“’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 you think about it, there is almost this lingering feeling of regret. Alas, if only he had given it more thought. If only he had remembered to mention this one category, that one group, or that one situation. Then the result would have been different, you see. He would not have met with defeat, which was devastating in its delivery. He would have continued on, having outsmarted the system.

“I am talking about the rise and fall of the notable historical figures such as Hiranyakashipu and Ravana. Granted, they are special cases. Their influence warranted the personal appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Though He is above it all, kind of aloof to the happenings in the many universes He creates, effortlessly so, He is still kind enough to descend. Whenever and wherever He desires. Based on the circumstances He determines warrant special attention.”

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य
ग्लानिर् भवति भारत
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य
तदात्मानं सृजाम्य् अहम्

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7)

“With regard to Hiranyakashipu and Ravana, we have ascension based on requests. Like they figured out the proper prompts to enter into an LLM. Whereas others were content to follow pious behavior, dharma, to the best of their ability and let the universe sort everything out, these two wanted to find the glitch in the system. They wanted to exploit whatever it is they could gain. They decided to ask for certain favors. They knew where to go. They approached esteemed figures who were sure to deliver on the promises, after sufficient periods of tapasya.

“The irony is in the mistakes. You see, if Ravana would have remembered to identify human beings, he would have been set. It is like he forgot the one important item to put on the grocery list. God essentially exploited this omission. Vishnu later appeared on earth as a human-like figure known as Rama. Since Rama was the greatest bow-warrior, Ravana was eventually defeated.

“Hiranyakashipu asked for protection against a host of beings, in addition to moments of time and geographical placement. It appeared to be a better approach. Alas, Vishnu found a way around the boons. Brahma, who was the benefactor in that case, was never proven to be a liar. Mahadeva was truthful in what he offered Ravana. It is just that God outsmarted the beneficiary each time. The issue I see is that someone might complain that the fight is not fair. Hiranyakashipu and Ravana were not smart enough. That should be acknowledged from the outset. Why should Vishnu feel the need to intervene? Why can’t he let others figure it out? Why should God have to prove how smart He is? Why should He exploit that superiority by appearing as Narasimha and Rama?”

Why is there no issue with the exploitation from the perpetrators? Is the function of Brahma, the creator, to facilitate the rise to power of the atheist class? Is Brahma like a utility company, whose service is to help those who are intent on destroying everything good in society? Brahma is a devotee of Vishnu. Brahma can only create because Vishnu empowers him to. Brahma hears from Vishnu at the beginning of creation, when there is no one else in sight.

अहम् एवासम् एवाग्रे
नान्यद् यत् सद्-असत् परम्
पश्चाद् अहं यद् एतच् च
यो ऽवशिष्येत सो ऽस्म्य् अहम्

aham evāsam evāgre
nānyad yat sad-asat param
paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca
yo ‘vaśiṣyeta so ‘smy aham

“Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.33)

Mahadeva is the best of the Vaishnavas, who are aligned with Vishnu. Lord Shiva can speak continuously on the glories of Shri Rama. Ravana might approach Shiva for boons of protection, for assistance in rising to prominence in a temporary world, but there is no help when Rama fires arrows in defense of dharma. There is no ambiguity as to who Brahma and Shiva support.

In the case of Hiranyakashipu, the demise was not necessarily due to a lack of protection. It was not a case of an improper prompt entered into the generative-AI system. No, the fall occurred because of crossing the line of decency. Hiranyakashipu was in the position of supposed greatest authority, supported by the boons of Brahma. Hiranyakashipu should have had no reason to fear. There was no logical justification for agitation.

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)

It was words. From a child. From his own son. That is how Hiranyakashipu fell. He could not stand to hear praise of Vishnu, from within the kingdom, from a five-year old boy named Prahlada. As Prahlada refused to desist in the explanation of the science of self-realization, which is helpful to everyone, all of the time, Hiranyakashipu decided to exploit his authority. The father was in the vastly superior position, after all. He could make anything happen. He decided to order the removal of Prahlada.

The removal was through lethal punishment. There were many means employed, only because Prahlada kept surviving. The child was not looking to exploit. He did not hatch a scheme for continued survival. He did not look to extract something from a material existence which was not possible. Prahlada merely meditated. He kept the connection in consciousness to the Supreme Lord.

Should not Hiranyakashipu have rethought the situation? Was there not a wide gap in intelligence, based on experience alone? How could a five-year old know more about the world than his powerful father? How could the father continue along the path of ignorance, thinking that nothing bad would result from torturing an innocent child? Vishnu did not exploit the situation; He corrected it. Vishnu arrived at just the proper moment, after being sarcastically invited. Vishnu appeared from the pillar as Narasimha, proving the words of the child to be true.

In Closing:

Proving the words to be true,
After sarcastically invited who.

By the perpetrator of wicked deed,
Who in superior position indeed.

How then down to defeat brought,
Where truth by small child taught?

Narasimha unlimited kindness showing,
Devoted souls only His shelter knowing.

Categories: chandrahasa, questions

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