Not Suitable For Children

“My Lord, who are never conquered by anyone, I am certainly not afraid of Your ferocious mouth and tongue, Your eyes bright like the sun or Your frowning eyebrows. I do not fear Your sharp, pinching teeth, Your garland of intestines, Your mane soaked with blood, or Your high, wedgelike ears. Nor do I fear Your tumultuous roaring, which makes elephants flee to distant places, or Your nails, which are meant to kill Your enemies.” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.9.15)

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नाहं बिभेम्य् अजित ते ’तिभयानकास्य-
जिह्वार्क-नेत्र-भ्रुकुटी-रभसोग्र-दंष्ट्रात्
आन्त्र-स्रजः-क्षतज-केशर-शङ्कु-कर्णान्
निर्ह्राद-भीत-दिगिभाद् अरि-भिन्-नखाग्रात्

nāhaṁ bibhemy ajita te ’tibhayānakāsya-
jihvārka-netra-bhrukuṭī-rabhasogra-daṁṣṭrāt
āntra-srajaḥ-kṣataja-keśara-śaṅku-karṇān
nirhrāda-bhīta-digibhād ari-bhin-nakhāgrāt

“A fond memory I have of childhood is being able to watch major motion pictures on television. During those times, the VHS tape was only beginning to take a footing. Most people did not even own a machine that could play the tapes. This meant that if you missed the original showing of a movie in the theater, you had to wait until it was later available to the broadcast television networks. It was a big deal to see a popular movie. These showings became appointment viewing; almost the equivalent of going out for a night.

“The interesting part was that the movies were always properly adapted. Children could watch films that were originally intended for adults. The adaptations might include dubbing over curse words and removing violent, graphic, or adult scenes. Whatever the form was, us kids were excited to watch.

“This got me to thinking about ratings, in general. It seems that the boundaries have been removed in the modern day. The parents have to judge for themselves in determining what content is suitable for their children. Movies, music, and television are one thing, but what are we doing to protect children in houses of worship? That sounds like a strange question to ask, but consider the image of Narasimha that is worshiped on altars across the world. There is a peaceful side, for sure. This is an avatara of Vishnu, after all. Narasimha might be depicted with four arms, having the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi Devi, seated next to Him.

“The avatara refers to one who descends. Narasimha appeared in this world for a reason. It was an adbhuta-darshana, or something amazing to behold. It was a lion, but not quite. It was a man, but not really. Narasimha tore apart an agitator known as Hiranyakashipu. Narasimha accomplished the task using only His nails. The scene was the very definition of violence. It would have the highest content restriction rating, if depicted accurately on screen.

“But there you have, off to the side, a five-year old boy. The child happens to be the son of the victim. The child is not bothered, in the least, but how is that possible? Why would Prahlada be subjected to such a gruesome image? Do you see what I am saying? If parents today protect their children from sensitive material, in order to help them grow up free of trauma, why would Vishnu not do the same for Prahlada? Was the vision of blood and guts pouring out of Hiranyakashipu not too graphic for minors?”

What to speak of children, even the highest beings of the material world were too afraid to go anywhere near Narasimha. Vishnu in that form was quite angry, after all. Even though Narasimha was victorious, in killing Hiranyakashipu, in giving the proper payback for the wicked deeds that had been perpetrated against the innocent Prahlada, the image presented was still vicious.

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 the published translation and commentary of Shrimad Bhagavatam, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada refers to pacification in the title of the chapter covering the aftermath of Narasimha’s victory. In other words, it is the innocent child who approaches Vishnu first. Prahlada receives a sacred touch from Narasimha, as a result, which immediately removes all apprehension.

Prahlada then directly reveals his mind. Prahlada is not afraid of the vision. He is not scarred from the ordeal. He is completely at peace. This is a form of Vishnu that no one had seen before. It was a big deal. The appearance was entirely for Prahlada. The devotee in that case could consider themselves to be the most fortunate. The blood and guts were real. The slaying occurred. There was nothing that could be done to shield the innocent from the reality. Prahlada was ready. He was prepared to handle the difficult aspects of life. In a display of unimaginable compassion and forgiveness, Prahlada requested Narasimha to not hold anything against the father. If possible, Hiranyakashipu should be liberated.

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच
वरं वरय एतत्ते वरदेशान्महेश्वर
यदनिन्दत्पिता मे त्वामविद्वांस्तेज ऐश्वरम्
विद्धामर्षाशय: साक्षात्सर्वलोकगुरुं प्रभुम्
भ्रातृहेति मृषाद‍ृष्टिस्त्वद्भ‍क्ते मयि चाघवान्
तस्मात्पिता मे पूयेत दुरन्ताद् दुस्तरादघात्
पूतस्तेऽपाङ्गसंद‍ृष्टस्तदा कृपणवत्सल

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
varaṁ varaya etat te
varadeśān maheśvara
yad anindat pitā me
tvām avidvāṁs teja aiśvaram

viddhāmarṣāśayaḥ sākṣāt
sarva-loka-guruṁ prabhum
bhrātṛ-heti mṛṣā-dṛṣṭis
tvad-bhakte mayi cāghavān

tasmāt pitā me pūyeta
durantād dustarād aghāt
pūtas te ’pāṅga-saṁdṛṣṭas
tadā kṛpaṇa-vatsala

“Prahlada Maharaja said: O Supreme Lord, because You are so merciful to the fallen souls, I ask You for only one benediction. I know that my father, at the time of his death, had already been purified by Your glance upon him, but because of his ignorance of Your beautiful power and supremacy, he was unnecessarily angry at You, falsely thinking that You were the killer of his brother. Thus he directly blasphemed Your Lordship, the spiritual master of all living beings, and committed heavily sinful activities directed against me, Your devotee. I wish that he be excused for these sinful activities.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.10.15-17)

In Closing:

Blood and guts to spill,
Like ghastly scene to fill.

Just from words shastra stating,
Required strongest content rating.

How Prahlada standing then,
As child of five only when?

Narasimha specifically for his protection,
Without fear in that direction.