Hiranyakasipu and Prahlada

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04 April 2017 – Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.4
When Brahmaji came to see Hiranyakasipu, whose tapasya was causing great suffering to all the living entities, he found that the demon somehow kept his life force present in his bones, which were all that remained of his body. Brahma sprinkled water from his kamandalu onto Hiranyakasipu and thus blessed him with a new body.
Hiranyakasipu was very happy. He wished that body to be everlasting, for he remembered his pain when his brother lost his. The conditioned souls are so attached to the material body. Tama-gunis are like this. The body is everything to them. Raja-gunis are even more attached.
Hiranyakasipu prayed to Brahma as if he was greater than or equal to the Supreme Lord Himself. Brahma knew that demons destroy themselves by their greed and he had faith in the Lord, therefore he did not hesitate to grant Hiranyakasipu the list of boons he asked for. Hiranyakasipu tried to free himself from death in all ways and Brahma said, “Tathastu,” to his requests.
If you withdraw what you have previously deposited in your bank account, that amount will no longer be saved for you. When you run away with the fruit of your seva or good activities, it is like spending all your money. You may have the fruit but you will have no wealth.
The gopis never accept anything from Krsna. Thus He says:
na pāraye ’haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ
sva-sādhu-kṛtyaṁ vibudhāyuṣāpi vaḥ
yā mābhajan durjara-geha-śṛṅkhalāḥ
saṁvṛścya tad vaḥ pratiyātu sādhunā
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.32.22
My darling gopīs, your meeting Me is innocent and immaculate in every respect because it is devoid of even a single iota of desire for your own happiness. It is overflowing with supremely pure love. Although the bonds of affection for the members of one’s own home are impossible to overcome, you have completely demolished them. Thus, for loving service to Me, you have transgressed the moral laws of this world. Even if I lived as long as the gods I would be unable to requite even one drop of your love, sacrifice and service. All of you may free Me from debt simply by your own gentle nature, but I am forever the debtor of your prema, and will always continue to be.
If you curse someone, having gained the power to do so by sadhana, your sadhana is lost. Also, if you gladly accept followers and adoration, then you will lose taste for sadhana.
So Brahmaji gave Hiranyakasipu the fruits of his tapasya and left. Now was it possible for Hiranyakasipu to do tapasya anymore? No. When a person collects maya’s presentations then tapasya and sadhana become impossible.
Brahma had said, “I will grant what you are asking for, although such benediction is rarely obtained.”
Hiranyakasipu was given many things by Brahma but he did not know how to properly use them. This was like giving a lot of wealth to an unqualified recipient.
After Brahma departed, Hiranyakasipu’s mind immediately erupted with his anger for Visnu.
Now he was a maha-asura with hard earned paraphernalia for worshiping his own false ego. He now had all mystic powers and practically unlimited strength. He quickly conquered the universe, defeating all the demigods. Everyone became subservient to him.
Claiming Indra’s abode, and all its riches, priceless stones, apsaras, and heavenly opulences, Hiranyakasipu enjoyed the fruits of his austerities. In all directions, the slaughtering of animals could be found, and the consumption of all types of intoxicants. There was no room for goodness.
Aside from Brahma, Visnu, and Siva, all the demigods humbled themselves before Hiranyakasipu. Those hungry for name and fame—those who are followers of Hiranyakasipu—demand that everyone do pranama to them. That fierce demon forced everyone to stop chanting, “Om Visnave namah,” and to worship him instead.
Sitting on the throne of Indra, and in control of the siddhas, gandharvas, and apsaras, Hiranyakasipu now relished the hearing of their glorifications to him. If they did not glorify him, he would kill them. If the brahmanas did not do yajna for him and give him all daksina then he would kill them also. All the planets, oceans, and rivers surrendered to Hiranyakasipu.
Hiranyakasipu enjoyed continuously but, of course, found no ultimate satisfaction. He proudly broke all of sastra’s rules and regulations and if anyone did not follow him, he would attack them.
All the sages now took sannyasa, they stopped eating and breathing even as they were disturbed so much by Hiranyakasipu’s tyranny. He harassed anyone who did tapasya or bhajana, burned their dwellings, and made them his slaves. Despite this, they were, like sannyasis, renounced from their external situation and simply prayed to Bhagavan.
teṣām āvirabhūd vāṇī
arūpā megha-niḥsvanā
sannādayantī kakubhaḥ
sādhūnām abhayaṅkarī
Srimad-Bhagavatam.7.4.24
Then there appeared before them a transcendental sound vibration, emanating from a personality not visible to material eyes. The voice was as grave as the sound of a cloud, and it was very encouraging, driving away all fear.
The voice of the Lord told them, “Do not worry. I will soon send My great devotee and make all arrangements for the universe’s ultimate auspiciousness. The person I send will become Hiranyakasipu’s son. My nearest and dearest devotee will, by his fixed faith in Me and by other natural symptoms of his exemplary bhakti, purify his father. Unable to tolerate his mistreatment of My bhakta, I will appear and destroy Him personally.”
The sages were comforted and pleased to hear these words of the Supreme Lord.
In due course of time Prahlada Maharaja was born as one of Hiranyakasipu’s four sons. He was a pure devotee of Bhagavan and knew nothing but Him.
Prahlada had all godly qualities, given to him by the Supreme Lord Himself.
brahmaṇyaḥ śīla-sampannaḥ
satya-sandho jitendriyaḥ
ātmavat sarva-bhūtānām
eka-priya-suhṛttamaḥ
dāsavat sannatāryāṅghriḥ
pitṛvad dīna-vatsalaḥ
bhrātṛvat sadṛśe snigdho
guruṣv īśvara-bhāvanaḥ
vidyārtha-rūpa-janmāḍhyo
māna-stambha-vivarjitaḥ
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.4.31-32
[The qualities of Mahārāja Prahlāda, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, are described herewith.] He was completely cultured as a qualified brāhmaṇa, having very good character and being determined to understand the Absolute Truth. He had full control of his senses and mind. Like the Supersoul, he was kind to every living entity and was the best friend of everyone. To respectable persons he acted exactly like a menial servant, to the poor he was like a father, to his equals he was attached like a sympathetic brother, and he considered his teachers, spiritual masters, and older godbrothers to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was completely free from unnatural pride that might have arisen from his good education, riches, beauty, aristocracy and so on.
nodvigna-citto vyasaneṣu niḥspṛhaḥ
śruteṣu dṛṣṭeṣu guṇeṣv avastu-dṛk
dāntendriya-prāṇa-śarīra-dhīḥ sadā
praśānta-kāmo rahitāsuro ‘suraḥ
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.4.33
Although Prahlāda Mahārāja was born in a family of asuras, he himself was not an asura but a great devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. Unlike the other asuras, he was never envious of Vaiṣṇavas. He was not agitated when put into danger, and he was neither directly nor indirectly interested in the fruitive activities described in the Vedas. Indeed, he considered everything material to be useless, and therefore he was completely devoid of material desires. He always controlled his senses and life air, and being of steady intelligence and determination, he subdued all lusty desires.
Prahlada was glorified as being possessed of these qualities by all the sages. Hiranyakasipu forced people to offer him lengthy glorifications but for Prahlada, this glorification was automatic. The sadhu does not need to tell people to follow him, they are automatically attracted to him. Hiranyakasipu was trying to acquire everything in the universe, but fame was going to his son now instead. He thus became jealous.
O King, with the appearance of Prahlada Maharaja, the people felt like thirsty souls trapped in a desert who are finally offered water to drink.
This is called spiritual happiness. God’s bhaktas have the power of this happiness and they can give it to others. Prahlada has this power. He carries hladini-sakti and can bless others with that sakti. We carry rubbish things that disturb others, but he has pure love and distributes that.
Everyone spoke about Prahlada wherever they met. Even the Yaksas and Raksasa, who are generally wicked hard-hearted, thought of him as well. He became the main object of glorification and affection.
This is the natural power of a bhakta. Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura spoke the glories of Prahlada Maharaja 108 times. He preached about the glories of Prahlada Maharaja everywhere he went. He said that it is difficult to remember, contain, or understand and then follow the glories of other great personalities, but Prahlada Maharaja’s glories are very beautiful and easy for us to understand. He even appeared amidst the asuras and purified them. Even they were able to appreciate him. Prahlada Maharaja has unlimited glories. It is impossible to describe them all.
Although he was a small child, Prahlada was connected with Bhagavan by mind. Because of that connection, and because his soul was near Krsna, he was constantly and blissfully submerged in an ocean of rasa.
If Prahlada Maharaja received water he offered it to His Lord. If he was given food, flowers, or anything, he offered it. He offered every second to Govinda. He had no duplicity. If anyone came to him, he also offered him to Bhagavan and prayed, “Lord, please accept this person.” He sent any affection that was directed to him straight to Bhagavan. This is the specialty of our line of spiritual masters.
Our Guru-varga went to the Western countries, and the ignorant people there did not even know when they were transformed. Such is Sri Guru’s power. Prahlada Maharaja was not a cheating Guru. He removes all anarthas.
Prahlada constantly drank the rasa of Bhagavan and urged others to also drink, like when someone finds a fragrant flower and gives it to a friend to also appreciate.
While eating, resting, walking—at all times, Prahlada Maharaja embraced Govinda within his heart and likewise, Govinda embraced him. Completely filled with prema, he sometimes laughed and sometimes sang. He also made everyone glad.
Sometimes, Prahlada Maharaja said to Govinda: “I am alone here and distant from You (in other words, surrounded by abhaktas). But I will bring these people to You. Please do not reject them.”
He spoke like this, but no one could understand exactly what he was saying or with whom he was conversing.
Everyone who saw him would take Prahlada in their lap and kiss him. They did not know why they were so happy with him. Many people went to Hiranyakasipu’s meeting hall and glorified Prahlada. “Oh, he is so wonderful!” they would say. “Really, the fruit of your tapasya has come to you in the form of your son!”
In a very short time they became thus attached to Prahlada. But he did not see who liked him or who was attached to him. His eyes were almost always closed in meditation on the Lord.
sa uttama-śloka-padāravindayor
niṣevayākiñcana-saṅga-labdhayā
tanvan parāṁ nirvṛtim ātmano muhur
duḥsaṅga-dīnasya manaḥ śamaṁ vyadhāt
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.4.42
Because of his association with perfect, unalloyed devotees, who had nothing to do with anything material, Prahlāda Mahārāja constantly engaged in the service of the Lord’s lotus feet. By seeing his bodily features when he was in perfect ecstasy, persons very poor in spiritual understanding became purified. In other words, Prahlāda Mahārāja bestowed upon them transcendental bliss.
He was akincana and niskincana and did not like asat sanga. He always prayed to Bhagavan that the people around him become purified. “What are they doing?” he would say, “ They are wasting time. They will suffer so much from their prarabdha-karma. Why don’t they go to You?” So, he prayed for their benefit constantly.
Hiranyakasipu was most fortunate to have a son like this, but unfortunately, the demon king was against him, being envious.
śrī-yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
devarṣa etad icchāmo
vedituṁ tava suvrata
yad ātmajāya śuddhāya
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.4.44
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said: O best of the saints among the demigods, O best of spiritual leaders, how did Hiraṇyakaśipu give so much trouble to Prahlāda Mahārāja, the pure and exalted saint, although Prahlāda was his own son? I wish to know about this subject from you.
Yudhisthira Maharaja further inquired, “A great sage, fathers generally have great affection for their sons, but why did Hiranyakasipu see his son as an enemy? And why did he try to punish him so much? Prahlada Maharaja was not against his father but Hiranyakasipu was against him and even ready to kill him. This is surprising to me. I humbly request that you explain this.