“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)

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स इत्थं निर्जितककुबेकराड् विषयान् प्रियान्
यथोपजोषं भुञ्जानो नातृप्यदजितेन्द्रिय:

sa itthaṁ nirjita-kakub
eka-rāḍ viṣayān priyān
yathopajoṣaṁ bhuñjāno
nātṛpyad ajitendriyaḥ

1. Do you want to be up all night?

“I see. You want to be rich and famous. You want to reach the heights of influence and prominence. Okay, but have you given thought to some of the negatives? I know you are insisting that everything will be great, but just hear me out. Are you prepared to be up all night? You think that is the sign of luxury to not be compelled to fall asleep at a certain time, but have you spent time around such people? Do they seem happy to you?”

2. Do you want to require intoxicants to help you cope with a day?

“I see. You want to have more money than anyone else. You want to be set up such that you never have to rely upon anyone. You will be fully independent. Okay, but have you given thought to how you will make it through the day? Think about it, in a practical sense. Are you prepared to consume one intoxicant after another? An upper to make sure you have enough energy. A downer to help you restrain the mind. Constantly fluctuating between two endpoints in what they call ‘speedballing’. Is that any way to live?”

3. Do you want to be easily agitated?

“I see. You are prepared to sacrifice a little comfort today in order to be wealthy later on. This is your only goal in life. Have you given thought to the predicament when there are no restraints? Are you ready to be upset all of the time? Well, you think there would be no reason for agitation, but it will end up being just the opposite. As they say, more money means more problems. Are you prepared to assume the burden of the most problems in the world?”

4. Do you want to be prodded from morning until night?

“Have you noticed that the people most at peace tend to have the least to their name? I am talking about net worth. I am talking about bank balances. I get it that you want to succeed in the field of business, that you want to strike it big. But do you understand that the accompanying sacrifice is having to deal with agitation? I am talking about from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep. Your life will resemble walking through a humid rainforest, full of mosquitoes. No amount of repellant will be enough to spare you.”

5. Do you want to risk possibly harming an innocent child?

“I am telling you, once you reach a point where no one can make you do anything, you are vulnerable to committing the worst atrocities. You will feel a sense of invincibility to the affairs. There is no law enforcement to get in your way, precisely because you are the law. You can buy off any judge. You can work your way around the laws that others live by. Are you prepared to risk committing violence against the most innocent in society, such as children? I am telling you, these things are known to accompany a life of excess without restraint.”

…

All they have to do is study the life of one person. The beginning-to-end is well-documented. There is no need to speculate on the matter. Bhagavata Purana likely contains the most details, but the narrative is also presented in Vishnu Purana and Narasimha Purana, with a similar level of detail. Sure, the original works are in the Sanskrit language, but the content has already been translated for the benefit of the modern reader.

The barrier, of course, is interest. The less intelligent will relegate the story to mythology. Some will say that they do not have time to hear about the happenings of the ancient past. Others think it is ridiculous that an individual could implement severe austerities in order to please a god. It would further stretch the bounds of believability to have that god reward the worshiper with near-immortality.

Nevertheless, the story is there. Even if a person refuses to believe, they can at least try to follow along. Though he is a Daitya by birth and by nature, Hiranyakashipu is not all that different from the people of today. He thought that preserving his life, which was always temporary, would solve every problem. Accompanying that preservation would be ascension to the heights of enjoyment and prominence. In other words, Hiranyakashipu would have everything going for him.

Except that everything turned out to be nothing. One Sanskrit word perfectly encapsulates the problem: ajitendriyah. The senses controlled the individual instead of the other way around. It is like the senses were the master pulling the strings of the puppet. Just how degraded did Hiranyakashipu become? He resorted to violence to eliminate speech that he did not like. That speech was delivered innocently and affectionately.

The problem is that it was delivered repeatedly and fearlessly. The speaker happened to be Hiranyakashipu’s own son, the five-year old boy named Prahlada. Hiranyakashipu could not stand to hear that speech, but Prahlada was protected by a higher force. Fortunately for Hiranyakashipu, that force was kind enough to shatter the illusion of power once and for all, through the amazing appearance of Narasimha.

हरिः सुरेशो नरलोकपूजितो हिताय लोकस्य चराचरस्य
कृत्वा विरूपं च पुरात्ममायया हिरण्यकं दुःखकरं नखैश् छिनत्

hariḥ sureśo naralokapūjito hitāya lokasya carācarasya
kṛtvā virūpaṃ ca purātmamāyayā hiraṇyakaṃ duḥkhakaraṃ nakhaiś chinat

“Shri Hari, who is the Lord of the demigods, who is worshiped by the people of the world, for benefiting the moving and nonmoving beings of the world took that dreadful form through His own energy and tore apart Hiranyakashipu, who caused suffering to so many, with His nails.” (Narasimha Purana, 44.43)

In Closing:

Shattering once and for all,
In avatara Narasimha to call.

The illusion of protection,
From heavenly boons’ direction.

But the senses controlling not,
Daitya only agitation got.

Such that towards abuse to proceed,
But Prahlada protected indeed.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, hiranyakashipu, poem, poems, poetry, yoga