53 verses
Nārada said: The demons, headed by Hiraṇyakaśipu, accepted powerful Śukrācārya as their priest for ritualistic ceremonies. Śukrācārya's two sons, Ṣaṇòa and Amarka, lived in Hiraṇyakaśipus palace.
Teaching other boys born of the demons, they also taught Prahlāda, who was already knowledgeable of politic, but was sent by the King.
Prahlāda did not consider the political philosophy he heard and recited, which was taught by the teachers to be proper. It depended on thinking in terms of the duality of oneself and others.
He did not consider topics like punishment and politics proper. Why? It completely took shelter of thinking in terms of self and others.
O King Yudhiṣṭhira! Once, the King of the demons took his son Prahlāda on his lap and very affectionately inquired: My dear son! Please let me know what you consider to be the best of all the subjects.
The King thought that his son would be confused if asked about difficult subjects. What you can speak in front of me, what you studied well and know, please speak that. That was the intention of the question.
Prahlāda said: O best of the demons! I think the best think in life is that persons whose minds are constantly disturbed by absorption in I and mine should give up the blind well of household life which degrades the self, and that they should go to the forest and take shelter of the Lord.
Prahlāda understood his intention, and considering the question What thing do you think is the best in the world among all those things learned he gave his opinion. Since you ask me, please here the correct answer. O best of the demons! I think it is best that those whose minds are disturbed by false absorption in me and mine (asad-grahāt) should give up their house, the cause of degradation of the self, and having gone to the forest, I think the best thing is that they should take shelter of the Lord. While one is still in the house, one should give up attachment to the blind well, and then go to the forest. Otherwise even if one goes to the forest, one will remain taking shelter of the blind well.
Nārada said: On hearing Prahlādas words, which sided with his enemy, the demon laughed. The intelligence of these children has been spoiled by the intelligence of the enemy.
The words were completely dedicated to Viṣṇu, his enemy. He laughed, This boy will learn whatever is taught to him. It is not his fault. From today, Nārada and other Vaiṣṇavas should not enter the school.
Let the boy be given protection at the school, so that his intelligence will not be further influenced by Vaiṣṇavas who may go there in disguise as brāhmaṇas.
They have done this at school. The Vaiṣṇavas are responsible.
The demon priests, calling Prahlāda when he was brought back to the school, praised him with sweet, pacifying words, and then inquired from him.
They praised him with sweet words. We will speak to him so that out of fear he will not speak to the Vaiṣṇavas who have been instructing him.
Dear boy! Good fortune you! Please speak the truth. Do not lie. How has your intelligence been changed, and become different from that of the other boys?
Good fortune to you! We will give you some sweets if you tell the truth! Bālān ati means overriding the other boys. Tubhyam stands for tava.
You should tell us. They thought, If he gives the name of some Vaiṣṇava, recognizing that person, we will bring him the assembly of the King and beat him.
Prahlāda said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, whose external energy has created the distinctions of "my friend" and "my enemy" for men of deluded intelligence, which I can see directly now.
He thinking, These fools cooked in saṁsāra think I am a stupid boy then spoke. Asad-grāhaḥ means thinking of friend and enemy. The other meaning is a crocodile (graha), which devours persons who have fallen in saṁsāra (asat). That conception has been created by māyā and previously inferred (dṛṣtaḥ). Now it is directly perceived by me. You are acting in this way all the time.
When the Lord is favorable to a jīva, his animal intelligence is destroyed. Conceptions of difference between me and others are wrong.
He answers the question Where does your difference in intelligence come from? When the Lord is favorably inclined, animal intelligence is destroyed. What is that intelligence? He (eṣaḥ) is my enemy (anyaḥ). I will kill him. Making these distinctions (bheda) is wrong (asatī).
na hi gopyaṁ hi sadhūnāṁ kṛtyaṁ sarvātmanām iha
asty asva-para-dṛṣṭīnām amitrodāsta-vidviṣām
Certainly, no secrets are to be kept by saintly personalities, who see all others as equal to themselves, who have no conception of "mine" or "another's" and who do not consider who is a friend, who is an enemy and who is neutral. SB 10.24.4
There is no difference because from the point of view of ātmā, all jīvas are similar, and from the point of view of the body, all bodies are made of the same five elements.
People with faulty intelligence thinking in terms of self and others cannot know the Paramātmā. And even the followers of the Vedas such as Brahmā are bewildered about the path to attain him. That Lord has made my intelligence different from yours.
The Lord is difficult to understand for people with animal intelligence. Paramātmā is defined as he who cannot be approached by persons with faulty intelligence who think in terms of self and others. But one cannot say however that he is easily approached by those who know scriptures. The knowers of the Vedas are bewildered about the path to attain him, bhakti-yoga. What to speak of you silly fellows! This Lord has diverted my intelligence. He has made my intelligence different from yours.
O brāhmaṇa! As iron moves automatically toward the magnet, my consciousness moves towards Viṣṇu on its own, away from your consciousness.
What is this difference in intelligence? Just as iron moves on its own towards a magnet, my consciousness moves on its own towards Viṣṇu and becomes spontaneously different (bhidyate) from your consciousness. It does so on its own, not caused by pious karmas, austerity or charities. The meaning is this. The magnet by its śakti attracts the iron and joins with it. There is no cause or goal in that action. Just as the magnet has its nature of attracting iron, Viṣṇu has his nature. The mind of the devotee becomes attracted to the Lord, controlled by his mercy. Where is my independence in that?
The verb spoke should be supplied.
Oh, please bring me a stick! This Prahlāda is damaging our fame. For such bad intelligence, a cinder in the dynasty of the demons, the fourth method, punishment, is recommended in scriptures.
Vetram is a special stick for beating. Bring the stick because he has brought infamy to us. For such faulty intelligence, among the methods, the fourth one, punishment, is recommended in the scriptures.
A thorn tree has been born in a forest of sandalwood. This boy is the handle of the axe named Viṣṇu who wants to cut down the sandalwood forest.
Prahlāda is the handle of the axe named Viṣṇu who cuts the root of the sandalwood forest of the family of demons. The wood of the varvūra tree is famous as an axe handle. This is the thorn tree.
The teachers of Prahlāda Mahārāja, threatening him in various ways, tried to teach him books which presented the paths of religion, economic development and sense gratification.
They tried to teach him.
After some time, the teacher, understanding that Prahlāda Mahārāja had learned the subjects of pacifying public leaders, appeasing them by giving them lucrative posts, dividing and ruling over them, and punishing them in cases of disobedience, brought him to Hiraṇyakaśipu, after he was bathed and decorated by his mother.
Jñāta-jñeya-catuṣṭayam means Prahlāda who had learned four subjects worthy of learningthe four methods of sāma, dāna, bheda and daṇòa.
Welcoming the body who fell at his feet with blessings, the demon father embraced him for a long time with his arms and felt great happiness.
O King Yudhiṣṭhira! Hiraṇyakaśipu, seating Prahlāda Mahārāja on his lap and smelling his head, while moistening him with his tears, spoke to smiling Prahlāda.
Hiraṇyakaśipu said: My dear son Prahlāda with long life! You should favorably say the excellent knowledge that you have learned from your teacher.
Svadhītam means what you have studied without having doubts. Anu means favorably, conforming to what they taught. The teacher refers to the son of Śukrācārya from Hiraṇyakaśipus point of view, but it refers to Nārada from Prahlādas point of view.
iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye 'dhītam uttamam
Prahlāda said: If any of the nine processes of bhakti --hearing, chanting, remembering, menial service, deity worship, offering prayers, servitude, friendship, and offering body and soulis performed for the Lord by any human without prerequisites, after being offered to Viṣṇu, that should be considered the highest learning.
These two lowest of brāhmaṇas are not my gurus. I have learned only bhakti from Śrī Nārada alone. I will speak about bhakti only. In this way Prahlāda thought. Pāda-sevanam means menial service. Arcanam means deity worship. Dāsyam means thinking oneself a servant of the Lord. Sakhyam means thinking of oneself as a friend of the Lord, and having firm faith as well.1 Ātam-nivedanam means offering the ātmā and offering the body. Ātma-nivedanam can be accompanied by bhāva or without bhāva. Rukmiṇī is an example of the first type and Bali is an example of the second type.2 Puṁsā arpitā means bhakti which is offered by man. This indicates that bhakti can be practiced by anyone, without the rules of varṇāśrama. It means any jīva, and thus includes women. Mention of nine processes means that when any among the nine is practiced it is called bhakti. Bhakti should be performed directly (addhā), not with any prerequisite jñāna or karma. Being offered to the Lord, it is then performed. It is not performed and then offered to the Lord. This is Śrīdhara Svāmīs explanation. Or there is another meaning. If bhakti after being offered to the Lord is performed with the aim of giving Viṣṇu pleasure, not for taking the results for ones own pleasure, which would not be anyābhilāṣa-śūnya, then I consider it is uttama-bhakti (uttamam adhītam).
Hearing these words from his son, Hiraṇyakaśipu, his lips trembling, spoke angrily to the son of Śukrācārya.
O unqualified brāhmaṇa! Fool! What is this? Disrespecting me, you have deceptively taken shelter of the enemy, and taught nonsense to the boy.
Te should be tvayā (by you). You have taught something which has no worth (asāram). However the other meaning is you have taught something which has no compare.
In this world there are dishonest, false friends, who disguise themselves. Just as disease appears in sinful persons with time, their hatred will manifest in time.
By good fortune your partiality to the enemy has been revealed after so many days. Today will give you a suitable gift. He makes a general statement with this specific intention. The hatred of those with false friendship will become evident by fate, just as disease becomes manifest in a sinner. It is said in the smṛti:
brahma-hā kṣaya-rogī syāt surā-paḥ śyāva-dantakaḥ
svarṇa-hārī tu kunakhī duścarmā guru-talpagaḥ
The killer of a brāhmaṇa gets tuberculosis. The alcoholic gets discolored teeth. The gold thief gets diseased nails. He who violates the gurus wife gets leprosy. Yajñavalkya Smṛti
The son of Śukrācārya said: O enemy of Indra! O King! Whatever your son Prahlāda has said was not taught to him by me or anyone else. This is his natural tendency. Give up your anger and do not find fault in us.
O enemy of Indra! This indicates It is not proper for you to become angry at a poor brāhmaṇa. Do not find fault (kat) in us. The augment a on adāḥ is poetic license.
Nārada said: When Hiraṇyakaśipu received this reply from the teacher, he again addressed his son Prahlāda. Inauspicious child! If you have not received this way of thinking from your teachers, from where have you receive it?
O inauspicious one! The hidden meaning is From where did you get this mind which is not inauspicious (asatī)?
Prahlāda replied: For those attached to household life, who enter hell by uncontrolled senses, and chew what has been chewed already, inclination to the Lord does not arise either by others influence, in ones own efforts or by the combination of both.
True, according to you, thinking of Kṛṣṇa is asat. It is non-existent at least in you. This mentality will never arise in persons like you. Prahlāda laughs at his father with these crooked words. From persons like your guru, from yourself or from combined effort, this inclination does not arise. Internally however Prahlāda understands that it does not arise because his father does not have the dust from the feet of the devotees. (SB 7.5.32) Gṛha-vratānām means persons attached to household life. That life is described. By uncontrolled senses they enter hell. But the householders should go to Svarga sometimes. They chew what others have already chewed. The prostitute house and Svarga are all the same.
Having evil hearts and thinking that sense enjoyment has value, they do not know that the goal of real value is Viṣṇu. Just as blind men lead other blind men into a ditch, bound by the ropes of Vedic instructions on rituals and binding others in the same way, they fall into the dark well of material existence.
O fool! You are criticizing me, your father, whose feet are worshipped by Indra. Listen foolish boy! Do your teachers, greatly learned pupils of Śukrācārya, not know the import of scriptures? You do not think that what they have taught is correct. Prahlāda replies. They do not know that Viṣṇu, who is ones treasure, is the goal. They know only goals like Svarga, which are not valuable at all. They have evil hearts and consider sense enjoyment which is useless to be valuable. If they do not know what is valuable, how will their pupils know? An example is given. Blind men directed on the path by other blind men fall into a ditch. Similarly the teachers, bound up by the rituals, tied by the long ropesnames like brāhmaṇamentioned in the Vedas, fall along with their students.
As long as their intelligence does not accept the dust from the feet of devotees having no material desires, the intelligence of these people will not realize the lotus feet of the Lord, whose secondary goal is destruction of saṁsāra.
If the scriptures say that Viṣṇu is the valuable goal, then your teachers, who know scriptures, would have become fixed on Viṣṇu. Since they do not think of Viṣṇu, bhakti to Viṣṇu must not be the instruction of scripture. Niṣkiñcanānāṁ means those who have given up karma, jñāna, and desires for material wealth, sons, and family, with a desire only for bhakti.
mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛòhām
mat-kṛte tyakta-karmāṇas tyakta-svajana-bāndhavāḥ
They perform firm bhakti to me with exclusive devotion, giving up all actions to attain me, giving up friends and relatives. SB 3.25.22
As long as the intelligence does not accept a bath in the dust from the feet of great devotees who have given up all material desires, bathing in his Vaiṣṇava behavior and knowledge, that intelligence will not touch the feet of the Lord. Śruti says:
yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthā prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
He who has bhakti for the guru as much as he has for the Lord understands the meaning of the scriptures. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām
The Lord reveals his form to he whom he chooses. Muṇòaka Upaniṣad
The goal of the intelligence touching the Lords feet (yad arthaḥ) is destruction of saṁsāra (anartha-apagamaḥ). This is actually an accompanying result. The main goal is simply to touch the feet of the Lord.
After Prahlāda had finished speaking, Hiraṇyakaśipu, blinded by anger, threw him off his lap onto the ground.
Intolerant and angry, his reddish eyes burning like molten copper, Hiraṇyakaśipu said: O demons! Take this boy away! He deserves to be killed. Kill him immediately!
He was overcome with anger along with intolerance (amarṣa). Naiṛṛtā means O Rākṣasas!
This low person, giving up his family of well-wisher, is the killer of my brother, for he worships the feet of Viṣṇu, the killer of his uncle, like his servant.
He is the killer of my brother. But it is well known that Viṣṇu killed your brother. He is Viṣṇu. How is that? He worships Viṣṇu like a servant, though he is the son of demon king. He is Viṣṇu because Viṣṇu gives a similar form to his servants. Therefore kill him.
Although Prahlāda is only five years old, being unfit, he has given up the affection of his father and mother, difficult to reject. Will he put his faith in Viṣṇu?
Viṣṇu should not be believed. How could a person who is intelligent put faith in him?
Someone elses child, if beneficial like a medicinal herb, is treated like a son. A son who is unbeneficial, though coming from ones body, is like disease. A limb which is unbeneficial should be cut off. By cutting it off, one can finally live happily.
How can we kill your son? A person not of ones family, if beneficial like a medicinal herb, is treated like son. A limb, if unbeneficial for oneself, should be cut off.
This enemy, disguised as friend, like uncontrolled senses for a sage, should be killed by some means while he eats, sits or sleeps.
He should be killed by putting poison in his food and other means.
nadanto bhairavaṁ nādaṁ chindhi bhindhīti vādinaḥ āsīnaṁ cāhanañ śūlaiḥ prahrādaṁ sarva-marmasu
Ordered by their master, the demons with fearful faces, sharp teeth and reddish, coppery beards and hair, making fearful sounds, shouted, "Chop him up! Pierce him!" With tridents in their hands they began attacking sitting Prahlāda at all the vital points on his body.
Just as pious acts have no effect on a misfortunate person, the demons had no effect on Prahlāda whose body was embraced by the Supreme Lord, the soul of all things, the supreme Brahman, who is spread everywhere without change, possessing inconceivable powers.
His body (ātmā) was connected with the Lord, since it was previously said that he was embraced by Govinda. He was like a child protected on the lap of his father. Then did the weapons attack the limbs of the Lord? No, that is impossible. The Lord is the supreme Brahman, spread everywhere, without change, with inconceivable powers (anirdeśye). He is the soul of everything, and thus the controller of all weapons. How could weapons strike him? Apuṇyasya means a person with misfortune.
O King Yudhiṣṭhira! When all the attempts failed, the King of the demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu, being most fearful, stubbornly tried other means to kill him.
hima-vāyv-agni-salilaiḥ parvatākramaṇair api na śaśāka yadā hantum apāpam asuraḥ sutam cintāṁ dīrghatamāṁ prāptas tat-kartuṁ nābhyapadyata
When Hiraṇyakaśipu could not kill his innocent son by throwing him beneath the feet of big elephants, throwing him among huge snakes, employing destructive spells, hurling him from the tops of hills, conjuring up illusory tricks, imprisoning him, administering poison, starving him, exposing him to severe cold, winds, fire and water, or throwing heavy stones on him to crush him, he began to contemplate the situation deeply. He did not succeed in killing him.
He tried black magic (abhicāraiḥ), throwing him from high places (avapātanaiḥ), imprisoning him a hole and other places (sannirodaiḥ). The plural case indicates that he tried each method many times. Tat-kartuṁ nābhyapadyata means that he could not kill him.
I have called him many ill names and have devised many means of killing him, but he was freed from all these violent spells by his own powers.
Three verses explain his thoughts. Asad-dharmaiḥ means from spells.
Though he is only a child and is not far from me, he remains energetic in mind, never forgetting my enemy Viṣṇu. He is capable of escaping death like Śunaḥ-śepa.
Though he is situated close, he never forgets my enemy (anāryam), Viṣṇu. Prahlādas inability to give up his nature is explained through an example. He is resilient like a dogs tail. Śunaḥ-śephaḥ is the name of the middle son of Ajīgarta who was sold to Hariścandra by his parents as a sacrifice. He did not remember their harm to him, and took shelter of Viśvāmitra and became a member of his family. He was thus saved from being killed. Prahlāda was similarly able to escape death.
He has unlimited power, is fearless and deathless. Perhaps opposing him will bring my death.
While he was thinking in this way, bereft of bodily luster, his face cast downward, Ṣaṇòa and Amarka spoke to him in private.
You have conquered the three worlds by yourself. The devatās are afraid of the mere movement of your brow. O master! We do not see that it is worth while to think about unobtainable desires. We do not take seriously the good and bad behavior of children.
We do not see it suitable for you to think about desires you cannot attain. But my sons nature is to oppose me. We do not see the behavior of children in terms of good and bad. We will understand the good or bad nature of his intelligence after his childhood. Vai means and. The one verb cakṣvahe is used for both objects.
Keep him bound with Varuṇas ropes so that he does not run away in fear. His intelligence will develop with age and service to the ācārya, when Śukrācārya arrives.
Let that be. What should I do right now? They give their advice in this verse. Any man develops intelligence, by age, after passing childhood, and by service to the ācārya. Who is the ācāryā? When will he serve the ācārya? When Śukrācārya returns, he will become intelligent.
Accepting the instructions of Ṣaṇòa and Amarka, Hiraṇyakaśipu said, Instruct Prahlāda on the duties of householder kings.
Anjñāya means accepting.
O King! Thereafter, Ṣaṇòa and Amarka systematically and unceasingly taught Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was submissive and humble, about mundane religion, economic development and sense gratification.
Just as he considered what was previously taught by the teachers to him concerning artha, dharma, and kāma to be wrong, he considered these teachings concerning topics of material enjoyment to be wrong.
Just as he considered the teachings of tri-varga to be wrong, he considered this teaching wrong, since it described topics of material enjoyment (dvandvārāma), and nothing spiritual.
When the teacher went home to attend to his household affairs, the students of the same age as Prahlāda Mahārāja would call him for playing.
Parāvrṭtaḥ means going to his house from the school. There he engaged in his duties. At that time Prahlāda was called by his friends for having a good time playing (kṛta-kṣaṇaiḥ). Or it can mean with opportunities for teaching about bhakti.
Smiling with compassion, Prahlāda, who was very intelligent, knowing that the boys would accept his as a teacher, responded to them with a sweet voice.
Vidvān tna-niṣthām means he knew that the boys had faith in him as their teacher. He smiled slightly, thinking, These boys have fallen into the net of the Lords mercy.
paryupāsata rājendra tan-nyasta-hṛdayekṣaṇāḥ tān āha karuṇo maitro mahā-bhāgavato 'suraḥ
Respectful to him, all the boys, whose minds were uncorrupted by the actions and words of the brāhmaṇas teaching about material pleasure, gave up their toys and sat around him. O King! Being compassionate and friendly, the great devotee born in a demonic family spoke to the boys, who had placed their minds and eyes upon him alone.
Their intelligence was not contaminated by the words (īritaiḥ) or actions (īhitaiḥ) of the brāhmaṇas involved in material pleasure.
Thus ends the commentary on the Fifth Chapter of the Seventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Fifth Chapter Prahlāda, asked by his father about his education, praises Kṛṣṇa, as taught by his guru. He is attacked by elephants and other calamities which were arranged by his father, but remains safe. Nārada begins to explain how Prahlādas bhakti was the cause of hatred. Kāvyaḥ is Śukrācārya. The two sons lived in the palace (verb is omitted).