“Although Prahlada is only five years old, even at this young age he has given up his affectionate relationship with his father and mother. Therefore, he is certainly untrustworthy. Indeed, it is not at all believable that he will behave well toward Vishnu.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.36)

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विष्णोर् वा साध्व् असौ किं नु
करिष्यत्य् असमञ्जसः
सौहृदं दुस्त्यजं पित्रोर्
अहाद् यः पञ्च-हायनः

viṣṇor vā sādhv asau kiṁ nu
kariṣyaty asamañjasaḥ
sauhṛdaṁ dustyajaṁ pitror
ahād yaḥ pañca-hāyanaḥ

1. He doesn’t listen to me

“I specifically told him not to do this. I was nice at first. I did not lose my cool. I did not shout. I did not threaten. At this point, what can I do? He simply will not listen. What kind of son is this? Who would ever want to welcome that into their home? Do you know of any other children that behave in this manner? It is the highest insult.”

2. He doesn’t listen to the teachers

“I specifically told the teachers to instill a certain understanding in the boy. That is their job.  You know, to teach? You don’t hear about problems with the other students. They sit and listen, attentively. I am sure their parents are proud. I am sure those kids can answer appropriately about the best thing they learned on a particular day. But no, my child has to be different. My child has to be weird. He has to be the troublemaker.”

3. He is loyal to the enemy

“It is really the only rule to follow. I will forgive anything else. Just do not side with the enemy. Is that too much to ask? But no, my own son is not only loyal to the other side, but he is worshiping. In the morning. In the evening. In his spare time. When playing with his friends. It is like he is trying to torture me. I cannot tolerate this for much longer.”

4. He is not to be trusted

“It is not uncommon to find an establishment, a fixture in society, that was founded long ago and is run today by members of the same family. The reason is obvious: trust. Rivals might come along to spoil the whole thing. The envious and the twisted wish only harm. Your own family shares an interest, after all. They should be loyal based on relation. That is how legacies last hundreds of years. Look at my son, though. He is not loyal at all. How can we ever trust him? That would be a huge mistake.”

5. He appears to be invincible

“Yeah, yeah, he is just a child. Sure, sure, he is only five years of age, but just see what he can do. There must be a spell of magic he has mastery over. He must have learned a mystical art from some teacher when we weren’t looking. I hope you realize that children eventually grow up. One day, my son will be a man. Just think of the power he will wield. It will be a disaster for everyone involved. It is better to address the problem right now.”

…

It is the story behind the framed picture worshiped on the altar. It is the historical account to give inspiration, knowledge, and support to those treading the devotional path, bhakti-yoga, in a world otherwise interested only in the temporary. They are stuck in what Goswami Tulsidas describes as shokadhama, due to the association with kama. Material desire can only lead to grief, for even in success there is an emptiness that has to be quickly covered by a new pursuit.

तब लगि कुसल न जीव कहुँ सपनेहुँ मन बिश्राम
जब लगि भजत न राम कहुँ सोकधाम तजि काम

taba lagi kusala na jīva kahum̐ sapanehum̐ mana biśrāma
jaba lagi bhajata na rāma kahum̐ sokadhāma taji kāma

“For as long as there is not devotion to Shri Rama and the release of material desires, which are like an abode of grief, the living being should not expect to find welfare and peace of mind, even in a dream.” (Dohavali, 131)

The story is easy to understand. You have a villain. You have a hero. You have a person in power, who wields authority. You have a dependent, who has no power of his own. You have the aggressor and you have the victim. Against all odds, in scene after scene that goes against the rules of the very nature within everyone operates, the victim manages to survive. He thrives to the point that the person offering the protection eventually reveals Himself. He feels compelled to show the villain what was going on, even though the victim explained the truth the entire time.

In the above review, we try to understand the story from the perspective of the villain. In this case, he is an ordinary father. He is looking for sympathy, since who wouldn’t eventually turn against their son, given the circumstances? Would we like it if a dependent in our own home was so brazen in their defiance? It is almost like they are taunting us with their insistence on a specific path, one that happens to be directly opposed to our worldview.

We can resolve the two viewpoints by understanding that Prahlada was wishing the father well. Though only five years of age, Prahlada had a vision into the future. He understood the way the typical lifetime passes. He created an informal and virtual pie chart, in dividing up the space with portions for different activities. The emphasis was on the lack of time, in fact. There is so much occupying our time, that we hardly have a moment to contemplate higher matters, such as why we are here, what is our objective, and why we have to suffer.

मुग्धस्य बाल्ये कैशोरे
क्रीडतो याति विंशतिः
जरया ग्रस्त-देहस्य
यात्य् अकल्पस्य विंशतिः

mugdhasya bālye kaiśore
krīḍato yāti viṁśatiḥ
jarayā grasta-dehasya
yāty akalpasya viṁśatiḥ

“In the tender age of childhood, when everyone is bewildered, one passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, engaged in sporting and playing, one passes another ten years. In this way, twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when one is an invalid, unable to perform even material activities, one passes another twenty years wastefully.” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.7)

In the eyes of the father, Prahlada was disloyal. Prahlada might not even be a good devotee, when serving the object of worship, who is Vishnu. The reality is that alignment with Vishnu automatically means alignment with the highest interests of every living being. There was no reason for the violence against the child. Prahlada’s supposed insolence was actually the highest wisdom delivered peacefully, but with persistence. Any father would be blessed to have such an amazing child.

In Closing:

If comparing against the rest,
Then father infinitely blessed.

In home with such a son,
Who of material desires none.

And truth of Hari speaking,
To heights of fearlessness peaking.

Violence against Prahlada not permitted,
So Vishnu a womb of pillar fitted.

Categories: the five

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