The One With The Missed Parade

By krishnasmercy on November 11, 2026 • ( 0 )

“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

Yes, you now fully acknowledge the reality. You had indeed wasted so much time. You could have been on a better path. You could have accumulated progress sufficient to cushion the blow from any accidental mistakes. Like having invested in a company during the startup phase, whose stock price then exploded to the point that it reached the highest market cap in the world. None of that applies to you, but fortunately, the object of attention in this case is universally available. You can tap in at any time. If you are committed enough, you just might receive direct assistance, to rescue you from the otherwise dire predicament.

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि
मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्-पराः
अनन्येनैव योगेन
मां ध्यायन्त उपासते
तेषाम् अहं समुद्धर्ता
मृत्यु-संसार-सागरात्
भवामि न चिरात् पार्थ
मय्य् आवेशित-चेतसाम्

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi
mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
ananyenaiva yogena
māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate
teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha
mayy āveśita-cetasām

“For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Pritha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 12.6-7)

The following hypothetical account highlights the limited nature of enjoyment outside of the path referenced above. In this case, you happen to be a staunch supporter of a local sports team. You have fond memories of watching their games on television during childhood. In that particular season of your life, you were lucky to have time to yourself. There were only two television sets in the household, and the only programming available was through the antenna. A few channels, with no digital display informing you of the program or the episode.

When you saw this team play, you were excited. You felt fortunate to have the opportunity. It was a brief escape from your life that otherwise felt like a prison. School was no fun. There was no neighborhood to speak of. For half of the year, the weather did not allow for playing outside. There were no smartphones, no computers, and no internet. At least the broadcast of these adults playing the game was free. You wanted to be just like them, in fact.

The only issue with the allegiance is that the team never won. It rarely was good enough to make the playoff round at the conclusion of each season. That is, until recently. This past season that same team, though with players now younger than you, made it to the final round. They upset the favorite. They won the championship. You cannot believe it. You only ever dreamed of this day. You never thought it would become a reality. You think back to those many quiet nights at home, watching their games, just hoping for them to do well.

The city the team plays in appears to be as excited as you. The local leaders have announced a parade. It is in a few days. You will surely attend. This is worth it. It certainly feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Literally, this has never happened before in your lifetime. You take the day off from work and get ready. Hours before the parade is set to begin, you arrive at one of the streets that will be along the route. There is just one problem: a massive crowd.

How many people are there? Enough so that you cannot get anywhere near the street. There is a long line, winding down several blocks, of people who are waiting to get in. Apparently, it is the same everywhere else. You see, these fans lined up the previous night. They camped outside. They were not going to miss this parade for the world. Sadly, you will not be as fortunate. You are going to miss the celebration. You have to settle for watching it on television.

With worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are important occasions sprinkled throughout the calendar year. Sometime in August or September, there is the anniversary of the appearance of Shri Krishna, who is the beloved child of Devaki and Vasudeva. In March or April, there is the day celebrating the appearance of the avatara known as Shri Rama, who is the eldest son of King Dasharatha. You have Diwali, Govardhana Puja, and many other such occasions. The opportunity renews with each year. You can look for like-minded individuals, who are just as excited to remember the Supreme Lord.

At the same time, if you have limited access, if you miss out on the personal association, if you have no opportunity to celebrate with others, you can still remember. You can follow through on what is known as nityotsava. This is a constant celebration. For instance, today, right now, we can remember the appearance of Narasimha, who is the combination of a man and a lion. He emerged from a pillar, of all places. He struck down a wicked character known as Hiranyakashipu.

We can celebrate Narasimha by remembering how his roar alone can cause elephants to flee. He presents a ghastly image. Narasimha is angry. He is not in a peaceful posture; at least not yet. The devas, for whom Narasimha arrived, are too afraid to go near Him. The request is for Prahlada to step forward. Prahlada is the five-year old son of the victim in that case. Prahlada was tortured by his own father. It appears that Vishnu finally had enough. Vishnu decided to take that dreadful form, to rid the world of Hiranyakashipu. Vishnu, who is also known as Hari, accomplished the task by using only 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)

Prahlada is not afraid. The roar of the lion does not send him running for his life. The visual of blood soaking the mane does not frighten him. Prahlada understands that Narasimha had appeared for his protection. This act of saving Prahlada can be celebrated every single day. Other celebrations may come and go. I may not be able to access that which is limited, but Narasimha is always in abundance for those who wish to connect with Him.