Narasinh Avataar    Contd...  on   Next Page

Maitreya asked - "Hey Muni, I wish to hear about Prahlaad. He was very religious then why Daitya afflicted him with weapons, why he was dropped in the sea, why he was thrown from mountains, why he was bitten by snakes, why he was burned in fire, why his body was pierced with elephants' tusks, why the wind was sent to him to dry him, why he was given poison though food. I wish to know about him. If he was such a devotee, there is no wonder that Daitya could not kill him. Wonder is only that who is such a great devotee of Vishnu, why he was put to death by his own family?"

Paraashar said - "Hey Maitreya Jee, In earlier times, Diti's son Hiranyakashyap empowered with Brahmaa's Var, controlled the whole Trilok. he was enjoying the status of Indra and was himself Soorya, Chandra, Vaayu, Agni, Varun, Kuber, Yam Raaj every Devtaa. He was enjoying all Yagya shares himself. All Devtaa used to wander around in Prithvi in human form because of his fear. All used to worship him.

He had a very fortunate son - Prahlaad. When he grew up, he was sent to Guru to study. One day he went to his father along with his Guru. Hiranyakashyap was drinking at that time. Prahlaad greeted him by bending over his feet. Hiranyakashyap raised him and said - "Dear son, Tell me what have you learned at Guru's place? Prahlaad said - "Whatever I have understood till now, I tell you the gist of it. Who is without Beginning, the Middle and the End; does not take birth, does not increase or diminish and is stable; is the causes of all causes; and is the cause of all existence of Universe, I greet Him." 

Hearing this Hiranyakashyap's eyes became red with anger. He said to Guru - "O wicked Braahman, What is this? You have trained him to pray my enemy ignoring my instructions?" Guru said - "You shouldn't be so angry. Your son is not telling you what I have taught him" Hiranyakashyap again asked him - "Son, Tell me who has taught you this? Your Guru Jee says that he has not taught you this." Prahlaad said - "Father, Bhagvaan Vishnun is the only teacher who lives in heart. Leaving Him who is there who can teach anything to anybody?"

Hiranyakashyap said - "O Fool, Whose name you are taking again and again in front of me, the Bhagavaan, who is He?" Prahlaad said - "Who cannot be described, from whom this Universe has appeared and who Himself is like a Universe, the same Parameshwar is Vishnu." Hiranyakashyap again said - "Who else can be called Parameshwar except me? Still you are telling all this to me? Do you want to die?" Prahlaad said - "O Father, That Vishnu is not only mine, but is of all people and yours too. Be pleased, do not be angry without any reason."

Hiranyakashyap said - "Who is that sinner who has entered this boy's heart? That is why he is speaking this inauspicious speech." Prahlaad said - "Vishnu Bhgavaan exists not only in my heart but also in the whole Universe. He guides everybody to do his actions." Hiranyakashyap said - "Take away this sinner from here and discipline him well in Gurukul. Who has guided him to speak against me?"

Hearing this Daitya took him to Gurukul and he again started learning there. After long time Hiranyakashyap again called him and asked - "My son, Tell me something." Prahlaad said - "That Vishnu from whom this whole Universe has appeared, should be pleased with us." Hiranyakashyap said - "He is very wicked, kill him. There is no use to keep him alive, because he has become the source of the destruction of our family."

Many Daitya ran to kill him with their weapons. Prahlaad said - "Vishnu is in you, in all your weapons and in me. If it is true then let not these weapons affect me." In spite of being hit by those weapons Prahlaad did not feel anything. Hiranyakashyap said - "Don't pray my enemy, don't be too innocent, I make you fearless." Prahlaad said - By whose remembrance all kinds of fear, birth, old age and death run away, when He Himself exists in my heart then how can I fear from anybody" Then Hiranyakashyap called snakes and ordered them to bite him. They did bite him but Prahlaad didn't feel anything. Snakes said to king - "Our teeth are broken, our gems have cracked, our heads are paining, but his skin remains unaffected. Tell us some pother work."

Then Hiranya ordered his elephants to kill him with their tusks and teeth. They threw him on the ground and crushed him with their teeth, but since all the time he was remembering Govind, their tusks were broken after touching his chest. Prahlaad said - "I have no power to break these elephants' tusks this is the effect of remembering Janaardan only."

Then Hiranyakashyap ordered his Daitya to start a fire and wind to blaze it so that Prahlaad could be burned in it. Daitya obeyed their king. Prahlaad said - Hey Father, This Agni, fanned by wind is not able to burn me. I am feeling very cool around me as if lotus flowers are spread around me." Hearing this Shukraachaarya praised Hiranyakashyap and said - "Please be calm and don't be angry with this boy. You should be angry only with Devtaa because those are the cause of his success. We will now train him like that that he will cause the destruction of your enemy. Still if he praises Vishnu, we will spare no efforts to kill him. We will produce Krityaa for him."

Hearing this request of his Purohit Hiranyakashyap took the boy out of fire and sent him again to Gurukul. There he started to preach other Daanav children like this - "O Daitya children, I will teach you for your good. Don't take it otherwise, because I am not doing this because of any greed etc. All beings take birth, become young, then old and then die. It happens all the time. After death, there is another birth, this is also certain, and this is also proven that nothing comes into existence without any reason. (see Note 2) Whatever are the states (pregnancy etc) during the process of rebirth, all are full of sorrows. People consider the feeling or heat, coolness, or satisfaction, or hunger, or thirst etc as comfort, but in reality they are only sorrows.

As much pleasure you will collect around you, they will all give you sorrows in the same proportion. Whatever wealth one has at home, one worries about it even if he is in a far land. Thus when one is alive here, he has to tolerate sorrows and in rebirth also one has to tolerate great pains. Thus the whole world is sorrowful. Therefore only Vishnu Bhagvaan can free you from all these sorrows.

Don't think that you are still children, because these are only the states or nature of body, but the Lord of the body is soul (Aatmaa). Its nature is not like that. Who is confused by these states of body - "I am still a child", or "let me play now", or "I will do my good later", or "I am still young, let me enjoy the world's pleasures now, I will do my good later in old age", and at old age he thinks that "I am old now, my body is weak, I cannot do anything", he can never do any anything good for himself. Therefore one should do his good from the childhood itself. If you trust me then start meditation on Hari. He will free you from all kinds of sorrows.

Now you listen to the gist - this world is the extension of Vishnu only, that is why we should give up our Daitya feelings and remember only Hari. I again plead you that you should never be satisfied with the pleasures of this world. Treat everything alike, because that is the real worship of Hari. Never desire for Dharm, Arth, and Kaam. Just take refuge in Hari's feet."

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