State Controlled Media

By krishnasmercy on November 3, 2026 • ( 0 )

“Prahlada Maharaja continued: I received this knowledge from the great saint Narada Muni, who is always engaged in devotional service. This knowledge, which is called bhagavata-dharma, is fully scientific. It is based on logic and philosophy and is free from all material contamination.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.28)

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श्रुतम् एतन् मया पूर्वं
ज्ञानं विज्ञान-संयुतम्
धर्मं भागवतं शुद्धं
नारदाद् देव-दर्शनात्

śrutam etan mayā pūrvaṁ
jñānaṁ vijñāna-saṁyutam
dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ śuddhaṁ
nāradād deva-darśanāt

FRIEND1: I know you have a particular fondness for the story of Prahlada Maharaja, as described in the Puranas.

FRIEND2: Guilty, as charged. But first…who is Prahlada? What are the Puranas?

FRIEND1: The Puranas, as the name implies, are ancient histories. Sometimes, there are descriptions of the future. These might include stories from other planets, as well. There is more than one Purana. There are different categories, corresponding to the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance.

FRIEND2: Why would there be Puranas for the mode of ignorance? That seems contradictory.

FRIEND1: In terms of appeal. Puranas in each category are for people who belong to those categories. This is proof that the Supreme Lord is an ocean of mercy, kripasindhu. He helps everyone, to some degree, provided they are willing to accept the assistance. Anyway, let us not get sidetracked. The Puranas teach the same truths of Vedanta, such as those found in Vedanta-sutra, but through stories. Vedavyasa, or Vyasadeva, is the acknowledged source of the Puranas.

FRIEND2: Okay, and what about Prahlada? He is a character from these Puranas?

FRIEND1: Yes, also considered a figure from history. The events of his life coincide with the avatara of Narasimha. You could say that Prahlada is one of the triggers for the appearance in this world of Narasimha, who is the half-man/half-lion. Adbhuta-darshana is one way to describe Narasimha; He is amazing to behold.

FRIEND2: Okay, thanks for that. Yes, I think the story of Prahlada has wide-reaching appeal. For the events leading up to the appearance of Narasimha, Prahlada is merely five years of age. He is a child. He is a dependent. He is practically helpless.

FRIEND1: Alright, hold on. I want to get into that. The helplessness part, but not only as it applies to Prahlada. Consider the situation on the ground. You had the leader of the Daityas named Hiranyakashipu. He was practically immortal. He could do as he pleased. He was the top commander. Everyone had to listen to him.

FRIEND2: What kind of person was he, though?

FRIEND1: A Daitya. This is a kind of race of species, known for their demoniac tendencies.

FRIEND2: I see. In other words, a villain. A bad guy.

FRIEND1: Yes. Your bad guy’s bad guy. The best of the best, or the worst of the worst, depending on your angle of vision. I want to get into a specific angle of appreciation. Have you ever heard of the term “state-controlled media”?

FRIEND2: Yes.

FRIEND1: What is your definition of it?

FRIEND2: As the name implies, it is news and commentary that ultimately answers to the state. The term typically implies corruption. In other words, the figures within this media ecosystem are liars. They are dishonest to their core.

FRIEND1: And usually because of an outside force. If they are controlled by the state, then they would get into trouble for telling the truth. In modern times, the corruption usually ties to political interests.

FRIEND2: Or finances. Like being paid millions of dollars by drug pushers to lie about medicines. Telling people something is safe and effective when it is certainly not.

FRIEND1: Right, and so as a thought exercise, I consider what life would be like in such an environment. You would be shut off from the truth. You would never know better. Everyone is lying to you. You have to accept the lies in order to keep living.

FRIEND2: Exactly. A dangerous predicament, if you ask me.

FRIEND1: Therefore, think about how amazing Prahlada’s triumph was. He essentially took down a state-controlled media apparatus, along with the leader of the state himself, simply through words. Prahlada could not lift a finger. He did not possess extraordinary strength. He did not have an underground communication channel with outside forces. He could not collude with a foreign power to take down Hiranyakashipu.

FRIEND2: Who happened to be Prahlada’s own father. Yes, that is the power of wisdom. Hiranyakashipu was rightly afraid of it.

FRIEND1: To the point that he kept trying to eliminate Prahlada. As the child refused to desist in his speech, the father saw no other solution. It was like the words triggered the violence that served as the justification for the appearance of Hari, with His nails.

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)

FRIEND2: This shows you the power of wisdom. It snuck through in that case with the secret teachings of Narada Muni. There was no opportunity to establish a formal academy. Narada could not even wait until the birth of the child. He had to speak the science of self-realization to a womb. That womb was certainly living. It was anything but an unviable tissue mass. That womb produced the amazing Prahlada, who has been celebrated ever since.