Chapter 17 of Sri Narasimha, Glories of Prahlada Maharaja from Visnu Purana

[Paramananda das]

 This chapter is a summary of chapters 17 to 19 of the Visnu Purana 

 

 

 chapter 17 Visnu Purana

Parasara Muni addressed Maitreya Muni and told him that Hiranyakasipu had brought the three worlds under his control .He had taken the position of Indra, Chandra, Varuna ,Kuvera, Yamaraja and all offerings meant for the various demigods .The demigods where hiding themselves on earth disguised as human beings. One day as he was being worshipped and praised by the Gandharvas and Siddhas and apsaras.Prahlada Maharaja one of the sons of Hiranyakasipu was brought in front of his father, followed by his teachers Sanda and Amarka.Hiranyakasipu was drunk ,and when his son bowed at his feet he asked Prahlada to repeat what he had learned at the asrama of his teachers responded :" I have learned to worship He who is without a beginning ,middle and end, the Supreme imperishable Lord, the cause of all causes.On hearing these words the king of demons Hiranyakasipu got enraged and his eyes turned red ,due to wrath  he addressed Sanda and Amarka."Oh evil Brahmanas what is this preposterous glorification  of my enemy ,why have you taught this to my son? Sanda and Amarka replied :This has not been taught by us oh king of the demon race, kindly give up your anger! Hiranyakasipu turned to Prahlada .Who has taught you these things ? Prahlada replied :" Lord Visnu ,He is the Supreme instructor and Guru of the whole world .What else should one  learn or teach save about Him ,who is the Supreme Spirit .Blockhead, exclaimed Hiranyakasipu ,who is this Visnu whose name you dare mention ,as if there was a supreme controller besides myself!

 Prahlada Maharaja answered : " The glories of Lord Visnu is to be meditated upon by his devotees,  He is the Supreme Lord from whom all things proceed. Hiranyakasipu replied:  Are you desiring your own death fool, while I am standing right in front of you ? Prahlada  answered : Lord Visnu is the creator and protector not of me alone but of all the human beings and even you father ,then why should you be offended?Hiranyakasipu angrily exclaimed: "What evil spirit has entered the heart of this silly boy ,like as one possed by a ghost. Speaking insanities and profanities     Prahlada replied: " Not into my heart alone ,Sri Visnu entered the heart of all souls and He pervades the entire universe and by His omnipresence He influences the conduct of all beings including yours and mine dear father .

 Hiranyakasipu totally outraged yelled:" Away with this wretch ,take him to his Gurus asrama .By whom could he have been instigated to praise my eternal enemy Visnu .He returned to the asrama of Sanda and Amarka and was given plenty of instructions in materialistic philosophy and behavior of the demon race. After  a considerable time had passed Hiranyakasipu called for a another  meeting with Prahlada .He asked Prahlada to recite some poetical compositions .Prahlada immediately  began :" May He from whom matter and soul (spirit) originates from whom everything moves or is unconscious(matter) ,who is the cause of all creation, Lord Visnu be favorable upon us ! When Hiranyakasipu heard this he exclaimed: "Kill this wretch he is a traitor and a burden to  his race". Hundreds of soldiers rushed at Prahlada Maharaja with raised weapons.The prince looked calmly upon them and said : : Oh Daityas(demons) as truely as Lord Visnu is present in your weapons and in my body so truely shall those weapons fail to harm me. Though repeatedly struck heavily by hundreds of the Daityas the prince did not  feel the slightest pain , and his energy was renewed by every stroke .His father then promised he would not be harmed as long as he would not glorify Hiranyakasipus enemy, Visnu .Prahlada answered as long as his protector Lord Visnu was protecting him he had not the slightest fear.   Hiranyakasipu called for the most poisonous snakes in the Universe Kukaha, Taksaka , and Andhaka and ordered them to attack Prahlada and kill him .Prahlada was not feeling any pain from the bites. Prahlada focused on Krsna .The snakes cried to Hiranyakasipu that their fangs where broken and they had fever all over their bodies, and that they could not even harm the skin of Prahlada. Next Hiranyakaipu called the elephants of the directions and he had them attack Prahlada ,they gored and trampled on Prahlada. Their tusks where broken against his chest .Prahlada told his father :" Look father the tusk of these elephants are broken though they are more hard than diamonds.This is not due to any strength of mine ,I called upon Lord  Janardana to defend me against such fearful affiliation  Next Hiranyakasipu had Prahlada seated in a huge fire Vayu the God of wind blew winds to make the fire stronger .Prahlada shouted to Hiranyakasipu : Father the fire though blown by the wind ,does not burn me, and all around I see the blue sky ,cool and fragrant like a lake of lotusflowers.  Sanda and Amarka who where illustrious priests and reciters of the Sama Veda said to Hiranyakasipu : "Sir .,restraint your wrath against your  own son Prahlada .How should anger succeed in finding a place in your palace?As far this boy we will instruct him to give up his attachment for your enemy  Visnu .

 Prahlada returned to the Gurukula and started to instruct the sons of the demons .He said: Sons of the offspring of Diti ,there is only one object of worship ,only one Supreme Truth .There is birth infancy ,youth ,old age and death to all created beings .This is stated everywhere in the sacred Vedas  and it is observed by you and me and everyone, and the Vedas describe the soul is eternal .We all experience pains and pleasures in this temporary body made of skin, blood, mucus, marrow, urine and phlegm etc. A fool that is fond of a body composed of these things lives in hell. The fire is pleasant due to cold, water is pleasant due to thirst, food is pleasant due to hunger.They are not a source of pleasure in themselves.Fire is not pleasant in heat ,water is not pleasant to a person that is not thirsty, in these circumstances these things becomes a source of pain and suffering. Verily I say to you that in this vast ocean of suffering in the material world Lord Visnu is your only hope 

If you say ,we are children ,we know nothing about this and that birth, youth ,old age and death are what is happening to the body not to the soul .But it is in this way we perceive ourselves ,I am yet a child .In this way one remains bound to the bodily conception of life forgetting ones very own soul and the Lord of all souls Lord Visnu .Devoted to play in childhood and material pleasures in youth , until  old age sneaks up upon one and one dies in ignorance of spiritual life .

 

Therefore from early childhood the embodied soul must learn discrimination and wisdom and become free from birth, old age ,disease and death by taking shelter of Lord Visnu .You should constantly meditate on Lord Visnu .What is the difficulty in remembering Him day and night ,who protects the surrendered devotees and frees the devotees from all sins .Let all your thoughts and affection be fixed on Him ,who is present in all beings. The whole world is afflicted by 3 fold sufferings, from the body and mind ,other living beings and from nature.What wise person should feel hatred toward other beings, who are objects of compassion? (because all are in the material world)If others have more wealth than I why should I envy them? If others are hostile and indulge in hatred they are the object of pity to the wise.

chapter 18 of Visnu Purana Glories of Prahlada Maharaja : 
The demons reported the preaching of Prahlada Maharaja to Hiranyakasipu .He ordered Prahlada to be poisoned and a huge dose of poison be put into his food  Prahlada offered the food with poison to Lord Visnu and was not the least affected. 
Sanda and Amarka warned Prahlada that if he did not stop glorifying Lord Visnu they would personally destroy and kill him.Prahlada replied that the glorification of Lord Visnu is the cause of all auspicious things, dignity ,wisdom ,wealth and progeny and righteousness and liberation .You are my teachers so you can do as you please.They responded :"We previously protected you from your fathers wrath, since you will not stop your glorification of Visnu .We will create a being to slay you .Prahlada answered :"What being slays or is not slain.Each person is his own destroyer or preserver , as he follows good or evil. 
Infuriated they created a female demon born of the fire,that manifested at their chanting of tantric hymns. The demon attacked Prahlada and the trident she attacked him with broke in hundreds of pieces when it touched Prahlada Maharajas chest .This is not amazing as Lord Hari was fully manifested in the heart of Sri Prahlada Maharaja.The demoness turned around and killed Sanda and Amarka.Prahlada Maharaja prayed to Lord Janardana with devotion to bring them back to life. By his prayers Lord Krsna restored the life of Sanda and Amarka .They bowed to him and offered their blessings,and then ran to Hiranyakasipus palace and told him what had happened.
 

 chapter 19 of Visnu

Purana    

 

 Hiranyakasipu had Prahlada Maharaja thrown of a cliff ,after being chained and thrown into the ocean at Visakhapatnam  

Prahladas chains burst and freeing him and unharmed emerged from all the bolders thrown on top of him .(Other Puranas state Prahlada was chained by snakes and Garuda came and ate those snakes) Lord Visnu appeared to Prahlada Maharaja and asked Prahlada to ask Him for a benediction. Prahlada Maharaja asked for devotional service birth after birth .Lord Visnu said that this boon you have already recieved ask for another boon.Prahlada asked Lord Visnu to forgive his demoniac father.Lord Visnu blessed Prahlada with freedom from birth and death and disappeared.When Prahlada returned Hiranykasipu embraced Prahlada and cried and kissed his forhead and blessed him saying:May you live a long life".After Lord Narasimha killed Hiranyakasipu ,Prahlada became the emperor of Earth. Whoever read these pastimes of Prahlada Maharaja is free from all sins. Those who hears the pastimes of Prahlada Maharaja with faith and devotion will be protected by Lord Narasimhadeva

Thus ends chapter 17 of Sri Narasimha : Glories of Prahlada Maharaja from Visnu Purana