Reading section 9

His illustrious son, by name Prahlāda, while yet a boy, residing in the dwelling of his preceptor, read such readings as are studied in early years. Once on a time the high-souled (Prahlāda) in the company of his preceptor appeared before his father the Daitya-chief while drinking. The father Hiranykasipu, raising up his son prostrate at his feet, spoke to Prahlāda of unmitigated prowess, saying,—"Repeat, boy, agreeably, the substance of what you have read during the period". Prahlāda said,—"Hear, father I will repeat the substance of what I have read. Hear attentively what occupies my thoughts. I bow to that Great Being who is without beginning, middle or end, increase or diminution: the imperishable lord of the world, the universal cause of causes". Parāçara said:—Hearing those words the lord of the Daityas, his eyes red with ire and lip swollen with indignation, looked towards the preceptor and said,—"O vile Brahmana, what is this? O vicious-minded, thou hast, in disrespect to me, taught my boy the worthless commendation of my foe". The preceptor replied,—"O sovereign of Daityas, it doth not behove thee to give way to anger; I have not taught thy son what he has uttered". Hiranyakashipu said,—"Prahlāda, my boy, by whom then you have been thus taught. Your preceptor says that he has not instructed you thus". Prahlāda replied,—"Vishnu, O father, is the instructor of the whole world and is present in our minds. Who else, but that Great Soul can teach us (any thing)?" Hiranyakashipu said,—"O thou of vile understanding, who is this Vishnu, of whom thou art speaking again and again before me the valiant lord of the world?" Prahlāda said,—"He is Vishnu, the great God, who is being meditated upon by the devout, whose glory cannot be described in words, who is all things and from whom all things proceed". Hiranyakashipu said,—"O fool, myself living, to whom else you give the title of supreme lord? Are you desirous of death that you are mentioning this again and again?" Prahlāda replied, "O father, Vishnu, who is Brahmā, is not only the creator, preserver and supreme lord of me only, but of all creatures as well as of thyself. Be propitiated; why art thou angry?" Hiranyakashipu said,—"What evil spirit has entered into the breast of this silly lad, that, he, like one possessed, gives expression to such profane words". Prahlāda said,—"That Vishnu is not only present in my mind, but he pervades the whole universe; He is omnipresent and commands me, thyself and all creatures". Hiranyakashipu said,—"Away with this wicked boy; take him again to the preceptor's house and govern him; perhaps he has been taught by some vicious-minded (men) to sing the glories of my foes". Parāçara said:—He having said this Prahlāda was again conducted to the preceptor's house by the Daityas, where always prompt to attend upon the preceptor he received instructions constantly. After a considerable time that lord of Asuras sent for Prahlāda again and said "O my boy, recite me some poetical composition". Prahlāda said—"May that Vishnu be propitiated with us, from, whom matter and soul originate and all that is mobile and immobile proceeds and who is the cause of all this creation". Hiranyakashipu said,—"Destroy this vicious-minded boy; there is no use of his life; he is a fraud to his own family since he has proved a traitor to his kin". Parāçara said—Being thus commanded by him, hundreds and thousands of Daityas, with huge weapons, addressed themselves for his

destruction. Prahlāda said to the Daityas—"Since Vishnu is present in your weapons as well as in mind, your weapons shall fail to hurt me". Parāçara said—Thereupon hundreds of Daityas assailed Prahlāda with their weapons but he did not feel the least pain and his strength was ever renewed. Hiranyakashipu said—"O you of vile understanding, refrain from glorifying my enemy; I promise you immunity, be not so foolish". Prahlāda replied: "No fear can overwhelm me since that immortal remover of all dangers is present in my mind, the very recollection of whom is enough to remove all perils consequent upon birth and human infirmities". Hiranyakashipu said—"O serpents, speedily bring this vicious lad to destruction with your envenomed fangs". Parāçara said:—Being thus commanded by him, Kuhaka, Takshaka, Artdhaka and many other venomous serpents, bit him in every part of his body. But with his mind solely devoted to Krishna he remained in that pleasurable recollection; he could not feel anything although he was bitten by deadliest serpents. The serpents said to the sovereign of the Daityas—"Our fangs are broken; our jewelled crests are shattered; our hoods are burning; Our hearts are trembling; but the skin of this body is unhurt; O king of Daityas, resort to some other expedient". Hiranyakashipu said—"O Elephants of the spheres, unite your tusks and slay this deserter of his own family and the supporter of our enemy; sometimes our own descendants bring about our own destruction as the fire consumes the wood from which it proceeds". Parāçara said:—The boy was then cast down on the earth being assailed by the tusks of those elephants of the spheres as huge as mountain peaks; but he recollecting Govinda, thousands of tusks were blunted against his breast: he then spoke to his father: "The tusks of the elephants hard as adamant have been blunted. This is not on account of any strength of mine but is consequent upon my calling upon Janārddana who destroys all dangers and sins the sources of all these evils". Hiranyakashipu said:—"Away, O ye elephants of the spheres. O Asuras, light out fire; O deity of the winds, blow up the fire, and let this perpetrator of endless iniquities be destroyed therein". Parāçara said:—Thereupon commanded by their master the Dānavas piled a huge heap of wood around the son of the king of Asuras and then put fire thereto to burn him. Prahlāda said—"This fire, although blown up by the wind, doth not burn me: I behold all around me the face of the quarters, cool, and the beds of lotuses". Parāçara said:—Thereupon the twice-born ones, the sons of Bhargava, the high-minded priests skilled in speech and the reciters of Shama Veda, eulogising him, said to the sovereign of the Daityas,—"O king, subdue thy anger against this lad, thy own begotten son. Even thy ire against the celestials bore fruits. O king, we shall so bring up this boy, that he growing humble shall engage in the destruction of thy enemies. O king of daityas, since childishness is the root of all these evils, it behoveth thee to renounce thy ire against this boy. If he according to our instructions, does not abandon the cause of Hari we shall then concert infallible measures to bring about his destruction". Parāçara said Thereupon being thus solicited by the priests the king of Daityas had his son brought out from the flames by the Daityas.

Thence-forth residing in the house of the preceptor the boy Prahlāda, whenever he got an opportunity, gave lessons himself to the sons of the Dānavas. Prahlāda said,—"O sons of the descendants of Diti, hear from me the supreme truth; do not take my instruction otherwise for there is no touch of covetousness. All creatures are born first, then they attain to infancy and youth and then succeed gradually the inevitable decay; and then they meet with death, O sons of the Daitya chiefs. This myself and you all have witnessed. He who is dead is born again—this cannot be gainsaid; the sacred texts warrant it. Birth is consequent upon the virtue and vice of pristine actions. All conditions from conception to re-birth are tinged with pain. The simpleton, in his childishness, thinks that the alleviation of hunger, thirst, cold and the like is identified with pleasure; but in sooth that is pain; for exercise gives delight to those whose limbs are incapable of motion and suffering affords pleasure to those whose understanding is blinded with delusion. Where is this vile body which is a compound of phlegm and other humours and where are its beauty, grace, loveliness and other qualities? The foolish wight will take delight even in hell, who is fond of this body composed of flesh, blood, matter, ordure, urine, membrane, marrow, and bones. The agreeableness of fire is produced by cold; of water by thirst; of food by hunger; and thus all other things are rendered agreeable by their contraries. O children of Daityas, he, who will take to a wife will introduce so much of pain into his bosom. The more a man will create dear relations, the more deeply will be implanted the thorns of anxiety in his heart. He, who has got large possessions in his house, is troubled, wherever he goes, with the anxiety that they may be lost or burnt or stolen. Then there is a great pain in being born: the dying are afflicted by the tortures of Death and again by the pain of passing into the womb. Fancy, there is not the least pleasure la the embryo state; you must then admit that the world is full of miseries. Verily I speak unto you, that in this ocean of the world infested with many miseries Vishnu is your only stay. Do not consider yourselves as mere boys and therefore ignorant of it for the spirit embodied in your bodies is eternal. Birth, youth and decay are the properties of the body not of the soul. I am now a child—when I shall be young I shall exert myself for my behoof; I am yet a youth and when I shall grow old I shall work for the benefit of my soul. I am old now—all my senses have failed me and I cannot exert myself. What shall I do now, vicious-minded as I am? I did not do anything when I was capable of doing it. Thus, men, although thirsting after knowledge, having their minds distracted by vain hopes, do not attain to beatitude. The ignorant, addicted to sport in boyhood, to worldly things in youth, find, when they become incapable, that old age is come upon them. Therefore let the soul even in childhood exert itself for its welfare independent of the conditions of infancy, youth or age. This is then what I speak unto you. If you think that it is not true, do you, for my satisfaction, think of Vishnu the liberator from all bondage. What trouble is there in calling him to mind? When remembered he bestows prosperity upon people. And if you recollect Him day and night there will be an end of all sins. Let your mind be fixed on Him day and night who is present in

all beings and you shall laugh at every trouble. The whole world is subject to a triple[229] affliction. What wise man would cherish hatred against beings who are all objects of compassion? If others are crowned with prosperity and I am incapable of enjoying the same why should I be malignant against those who are more prosperous than myself? I should rather be glad for their happiness for the suppression of malice is itself a reward. Even those who cherish malice against foes are considered as objects of pity by the wise, as being overwhelmed with delusion. O Daityas, admitting the distinction between myself and all other creatures, I have described to you the various reasons for repressing hate. Hear briefly the duties of those who approach the Deity. This whole world is the manifestation of Vishnu who is identified with all beings. The wise therefore do not regard any difference between themselves and all other creatures. Let us therefore renounce the angry passions of our race and so exert ourselves that we may obtain that perfect beatitude which is beyond the power of the deities of fire, of the sun, of the moon, of wind, of Indra, of the regent of the sea, of the Siddhas of the Rākshasas, of the Daitya-chief, of the serpents, of Kinnaras, of men, or beasts or human weaknesses and which is uninterrupted by various diseases such as fever, eye-disease &c., by hatred, malice, passion or desire. The beatitude, which can not be destroyed by others which is pure and eternal, can be enjoyed by him, who fixes his mind on Kesava. Verily I speak unto you, that you shall attain no satisfaction through various revolutions of this world. O Daityas, regard all creatures with impartiality—this is the adoration of the undecaying (Vishnu). He being propitiated what cannot be attained—wealth, pleasure, virtues are things of the little significance. Do ye resort to the exhaustless tree of true wisdom and undoubtedly you shall reap precious fruits therefrom".

SECTION XVIII.

Parāçara said:—Having observed the conduct of Prahlāda, the Dānavas, out of fear, reported it to the king. Hiranyakashipu sent for his cooks and said "O cooks—my vile and wicked son is teaching others his impious doctrines. Do ye slay him without his knowledge by mixing up deadly poison with all his viands. Do not hesitate to destroy that wretch". Parāçara said:—Thereupon they offered poison to the high-souled Prahlāda as they were commanded by his sire. O Maitreya, repeating the name of the imperishable and mixing that poison with his food he ate it up. Prahlāda did not suffer any harm either in body or in mind for the very name of the endless baffled the power of the poison. Beholding that deadly poison digested by him, they stricken with fear approached the king of Daityas and said: "O king of Daityas, deadliest poison was offered by us but it was digested with food by thy son Prahlāda". Hiranyakashipu said,—"Hasten, hasten, O ye priests of the Daityas: do ye speedily perform the rites that will bring about his destruction". Parāçara said:—Thereupon the priests approaching Prahlāda and beholding him lowly consoled him and said,—"Thou hast been born in the family of Brahmā celebrated in the three worlds and thou art the son of Hiranyakashipu the king of Daityas. Why dost thou depend upon the gods? Thy father is the refuge of all people:—thou dost also become the same. Do thou renounce eulogising the enemy of thy family: know that a father is the most venerable of all preceptors". Prahlāda said—"O illustrious Brahmins, that ye have said is true—the family of Marichi is celebrated in the three worlds—this cannot be gainsaid. My father has attained to the foremost place in the world by his actions—I have known this to be true—there is not the least shadow of untruth. That a father is the most venerable of all preceptors—I do not find the least mistake in this assertion. Forsooth, father is a venerable preceptor and is to be respected with all care. Methinks I have not committed any offence in this respect. You have said, 'Why do you seek shelter of the eternal?' I do not know how far this statement is sound and reasonable". Having said this Prahlāda remained speechless for some time to uphold their dignity. And again smiling he said: "'Why do you seek shelter of the eternal,' was it fair for you to accost me thus? What need of the eternal? Most admirable, most worthy of you, O my preceptors. If it does not pain you, hear what need there is of the eternal. Virtue, desire, wealth and emancipation are the fourfold objects of men. Is it vain to adore him who is the source of these four objects? Why do ye speak in vain? Marichi and other ascetics, the Patriarch Daksha and other eminent men attained to virtue and others and obtained the enjoyment of their desires. Others, through true wisdom and holy contemplation, have come to know his essence, and being freed from the bondage of the world have obtained emancipation. The adoration of Hari, attainable by unity, is the root of all wealth, dignity, glory, wisdom, progeny, piety and emancipation. O twice-born one, virtue, wealth, desire and final emancipation (all) proceed from him (and still you say) what need is of the eternal? What is the use of speaking more, you are all my preceptors—speak ye good or evil, limited is my understanding". The priests said—"O boy thou wert about to be consumed by fire, but we saved you thinking that you would not give vent to such words again. We know how

foolish you are. If you, at our words, do not remove this hallucination we shall, O vicious-minded one, perform rites for your destruction". Prahlāda said—"Who slayeth what living creature—who preserveth what living creature? Every one is his own destroyer or preserver accordingly as he follows evil or good". Parāçara said:—Being thus addressed, the priests of the Daitya-chief were excited with rage, and instantly, by virtue of their magical powers, created a female form enveloped with fiery flame. That highly dreadful figure, under whose tread earth trembled, greatly wroth, struck him instantly on his breast with a dart. That fiery dart reaching speedily the breast of the boy fell on the ground broken into hundred pieces. Even a thunder-bolt is shattered against the breast of him in whose heart the imperishable Hari resides—what to, speak of a dart? The magic, which was directed by the vicious priests against the guileless (Prahlāda), then fell upon them and slew them all; And beholding them thus consumed by fire the noble Prahlāda exclaiming, "Save, O Krishna, O Eternal" approached them and said—"O thou, spread all over the universe, O thou who art manifest in the universe, O thou the creator of the universe, O Janārddana! do thou save these Brāhmanas from the unbearable flame set up by their magical incantations. As the omnipresent Vishnu, the preceptor of the world, is present in all creatures, let these priests regain their life. Vishnu being present everywhere, as I did not consider fire as my enemy let the priests be restored to life. I regarded with a friendly attitude all those who came to slay me, those who offered me poison, those who kindled fire, the elephants of the skies and serpents by whom I was bitten. And I never entertained malice against them; if this be true let the priests of Asuras be restored to life". Parāçara said:—He having said this they all, touched, rose up unhurt, and spoke to Prahlāda who was humble,—"O boy, O foremost of all, be thou crowned with a long life, undaunted strength and prowess". O great Muni, having said this, the priests repaired to the king of Daityas and related to him every thing.

SECTION XIX.

Parāçara said:—When Hiranyakashipu had heard that the magical charms (of the priests) had been baffled he sent for his son and asked him of the secret of his prowess,—"Prahlāda, thou art gifted with extraordinary prowess—is it the result of your self-exercise or the outcome of magical powers or thou art, from birth, gifted with it?"

Being thus interrogated by his father the Asura boy Prahlāda bowed down to his father's feet and said,—"This not the outcome of magical powers, O father—nor is it natural with me; This is trifling to him in whose mind resides the undecaying. He who does not cherish malice against others, O father, and regards all like his own self, is not visited by any affliction inasmuch as the cause does not exist. He who tortures others in act, thought or speech, sows the seed of numberless miseries. I wish no evil to any; neither do nor speak it; I always meditate, in me, upon Keshava who is existent in all beings. Why should miseries, physical or mental, or those inflicted by elements, or the gods, affect whose soul is purified? Considering that Hari exists in all beings the learned should assiduously love all creatures". Parāçara said:—Having heard this the Daitya-king, seated on the summit of his palace, having his face darkened with ire, said to his attendants.—"Throw this vicious-souled one from this palace which is a hundred yojanas in height, down upon the tops of the mountains, so that his body may be crushed into pieces against the rocks". Thereupon all these Daityas and Dānavas hurled that boy down: and he fell down cherishing Hari in his mind. And Earth, the upholder of the world, approaching, received him falling who was devoted to Keshava the protector of the world. Thereupon beholding him unhurt and having no bone fractured, Hiranyakashipu said to Samvara the foremost of those conversant with charms:—"We have not been able to slay this vicious-minded lad; thou art cognisant of various charms: do thou slay him". Samvara said:—"Instantly shall I slay him, O king of Daityas: do thou behold my power of illusion which can invent thousands and myriads of artifices". Parāçara said:—Thereupon that silly Asura Samvara, desirous of destroying the boy, practised his magical charms against Prahlāda, looking upon all creatures with an impartial eye. With a heart tranquil and void of malice even against Samvara, O Maitreya, Prahlāda engaged in the meditation of the destroyer of Madhu. Thereupon to protect him the excellent and flaming discus Sudarshana was despatched by the Great God. Thereupon thousands of Samvara's illusions were baffled by the quick-coursing discus for the protection of that boy.

Thereupon the Daitya-king spoke to the withering wind saying,—"Do thou, speedily, at my command, bring this vicious-minded boy to destruction". Saying "So be it" the wind immediately penetrated into his body—cold, cutting and insufferable, for his destruction. Perceiving that wind had entered into his body the Daitya boy again meditated, in his mind, upon the great upholder of the earth. And Janārddana, present in his mind, wroth, drank up that dreadful wind. And the wind thus met with its own destruction. All the magical charms being thus baffled, the wind being thus annihilated, the high-minded Prahlāda again repaired to the abode of his preceptor. And the preceptor instructed that boy daily in the science of polity essentially necessary for the administration of the government and invented by Usanas for the behoof of kings. When the preceptor found him well-versed in all political sciences and humble, he then communicated it to his father, saying,—"O lord of Daityas, thy son Prahlāda has become conversant with the principles of government as laid down by the descendant of Bhrigu". Thereat Hiranyakashipu said to his son,—"Prahlāda, how should a king conduct himself towards friends or foes and what steps he should take at the three periods (i.e. advance, retrogression and peace)? How should he behave towards his ministers, courtiers, the state and household officers, his emissaries, his subjects, those of doubtful allegiance and his open enemies? With whom should he make alliance; with whom enter into war; what sort of fortress he should build; how forest and mountain tribes should be brought down to subjection; how internal disturbances should be removed: all this and all other things you have read, do thou relate to me: I wish to hear thy mind".

Thereupon bowing to the feet of his father, Prahlāda, who had humility as his ornament, said, with folded palms to that Daitya-king. "Forsooth I have been instructed in all these by my preceptor and I have learnt them; but I do not approve of all of them. For the subjection of friends and foes four expedients have been prescribed by all—namely—conciliation, gift, punishment, and sowing dissension. But O father, be not angry, I know neither friends nor enemies. O thou of mighty arms where there is nothing to be effected what is the use of resorting to the means for effecting it? O father, it is useless to talk of friend or foe in Govinda, who is identical with all beings, manifest all over the universe, the lord of it and the Great Soul. The Great Vishnu exists in thee, in me as well as in all other creatures; and then what is the use of making such distinction as he is friend and he is foe! It is useless therefore to cultivate such tedious and unprofitable sciences which contain but false knowledge. It is but proper, O father, to engage in the cultivation of the knowledge of self. O father, the idea that ignorance is knowledge arises from ignorance only. A boy, O lord of Asuras, regards the fire-fly as fire. That is (proper) action that liberates us from the bondage of the world and that is (true) knowledge that leads us to the path of emancipation; all other actions lead but to weariness and all other knowledge is turned only into cleverness of an artist. Considering all this knowledge as useless I shall relate to thee respectfully what is really profitable; do thou, O great king, hear it. Who does not think of a kingdom? Who does not desire for riches? But all these are acquirable by the piety accumulated in a pristine birth—so the pious obtain them both. O great king, all men desire to be great—but this greatness is not acquired by exertion, it is the destiny that confers it upon men. O lord, kingdoms are acquired by fate, even by the stupid, the ignorant, the cowardly and those who are ignorant of the science of government. Therefore, he, who longs for greatness, should try to acquire piety. He, who desires for final beatitude, should try to regard all people with an impartial eye. Gods, men, animals, birds, reptiles, all are but diverse manifestations of the eternal Vishnu and exist in a separate state. By him, who knows this, the whole world, moveable and immoveable, is considered as at one with him—all proceeding alike from Vishnu assuming the universal form. When a man obtains this knowledge, the undecaying and eternal Vishnu—the remover of all afflictions, is propitiated with him". Parāçara said:—Having heard this and got up from the excellent seat, in great rage, Hiranyakashipu spurned his son on the breast with his foot. And burning in ire and wringing his hands as if bent upon destroying the whole universe, he exclaimed: "Ho Viprachita! Ho Rāhu! Ho Vāli binding this boy with serpents, do ye throw him unto the deep: delay not or else the Daityas, the Dānavas and all other people shall be initiated into doctrines of this stupid and vicious boy. We have prevented him many a time and oft and still he persists in chanting the glories of our foe: it is proper to destroy the wicked boy at once". Parāçara said:—Thereupon obeying the mandate of their master the Daityas speedily bound him with ropes and threw him into the water. Thereupon with Prahlāda trembled the mighty deep; and being agitated throughout, it rose in mighty waves.