Two Ways Nature Changes Based On The Expectation Of Seeing Krishna

“The same friend of Mother Yashoda addressed Krishna as follows: ‘My dear Mukunda, if Mother Yashoda, the Queen of Gokula, is forced to stand on fire, but is allowed to see Your lotus face, then this fire will appear to her as the Himalayan Mountains: full of ice. In the same way, if she is allowed to stay in the ocean of nectar but is not allowed to see the lotus face of Your Grace, then even this ocean of nectar will appear to her as an ocean of arsenic poison.’ Let the anxiety of Mother Yashoda of Braja, always expecting to see the lotus face of Krishna, be glorified all over the universe!” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 43)

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It just clicked one day. The ability must have been there to start, but something was holding you back. While first learning to drive, there was conscious attention on every turn. One particular difficulty in the beginning was accepting the idea that the automobile continued moving forward even after pressing the brake. For some reason you thought that putting your foot on that pedal one time would stop everything completely, forgetting the concept of momentum and how there needed to be considerable time in deceleration prior to a complete stop.

Then there was an incident at work. It made you so upset that on the ride home you could not think about anything else. It was a distraction, which is supposed to be a negative when operating a motor vehicle. But this time everything went smoothly. You didn’t give conscious attention to the turns, the lights, the other cars on the road, or even the passenger seated next to you. You made it home just fine. The same conditions, but a different experience.

The difference was due to consciousness. External factors consist of material elements, after all. When it comes to spiritual life, there is the opportunity to both transcend the surroundings and also change their nature. A friend once described such changes in Mother Yashoda, who was so anxious to see her son.

1. Fire feeling like ice

The friend was speaking to Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devotion to Him is known as bhakti, and when there is fixed concentration in that devotion, the process is known as yoga. This is the full manifestation, not simply the physical exercises. Yoga means to connect, and the reference is to the two kinds of souls, individual and Supreme.

This was a friend of Yashoda, the mother who took in Krishna in her home when the boy was only a few hours old. Since He is God, Krishna has no definitive age. He is never a certain number of years old, as time never binds Him. He is so kind that for His devotees He sometimes descends to the manifest world and appears to go through the typical life-cycle of a human being.

As with other aspects of His transcendental body, Krishna’s face is lotus-like. It is beautiful to behold, contributing to the appropriateness of the name, which means “all-attractive.” There has to be an element of devotion, of purity at heart; otherwise the appreciation will be absent. So many bad characters came to Yashoda’s town of Gokula because of attraction to Krishna, but of a different kind. They did not appreciate His lotus-like face; rather, they were intent on meeting death.

The friend described to Krishna that if Yashoda were standing on fire, there wouldn’t be discomfort if she were able to see her darling child’s beautiful face. Not only would the body survive, but the fire would feel like ice found on the Himalaya mountains. This seems like an exaggeration, but the love was so strong that nothing material could affect the queen of Gokula, who was married to Nanda Maharaja.

2. Nectar feeling like poison

The fire feeling like ice is on the positive side. It is a kind of experiment dealing with the condition of association. That is to say if Krishna’s lotus-like face were within eyesight then Yashoda could withstand the many-pronged miseries of this world.

What about the opposite condition? A similar experiment, but where the stimuli is absent. Here the comparison is made to nectar. Even if Yashoda were in an ocean of nectar, there wouldn’t be any joy if Krishna’s face were not nearby. That is to say if she were separated from appreciating her beloved son, nothing could make her feel good. The nectar would feel like poison.

The case applies to the many jiva souls conditioned by the material nature, wandering from one body type to another in search of the elusive transcendental happiness that is found only in bhakti. They get glimpses here and there, ideas from a shadow reflection of the spiritual world, but the real thing can only be brought by the darling of Gokula Himself or one of His representatives.

One way those representatives help to deliver the elixir is through the holy names. An integral aspect of a well-rounded bhakti-yoga discipline, a way of life, the chanting of these names can slowly bring about a change, such that the material existence becomes not as difficult to endure; something like being around a snake whose fangs have been removed. The secret is that these names are non-different from the person being worshiped, and so keeping them close by is actually just as good as seeing the lotus-like face: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Not just on meeting to rely,

With holy names close by.

Shri Krishna, the Supreme one,

Who took role of Yashoda’s son.

Sentiments on association depending,

That mother nature’s force transcending.

Such miseries easily to erase,

When in sight Lord’s beautiful face.

Five Names Of Vishnu Chanted By Yashoda For Krishna’s Protection

“Mother Yashoda was firmly convinced of the Vedic injunctions about the importance of cows and the holy name of Vishnu; therefore she took all shelter in the cows and the name of Vishnu just to protect her child Krishna. She recited all the holy names of Vishnu so that He might save the child.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 6)

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The mood of vatsalya-rasa is so strong in mother Yashoda that she is not consciously aware of the Divine nature of her son, who was brought to her in the middle of the night from Mathura, where He first emerged from the womb of Devaki, who is the wife of Vasudeva and the sister of Kamsa, the wicked ruler of Mathura.

Kamsa wanted that child killed, and the transfer in residence made no difference. He simply sent various associates to do the deed, with one of them being the witch named Putana. She smeared poison on her breast and tried to feed it to baby Krishna, but the result was the death of Putana instead.

Seeing her large, hideous form lying dead in the rural community of Vrindavana, with little Krishna innocently playing on top of her, Yashoda felt relieved and also afraid. To further protect her son, she chanted various names of Lord Vishnu, who was known to the people to be Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

1. Maniman

The Supreme Lord is wealth personified. This is one of the opulences He possesses in full. In truth, whatever quality we would consider to be an opulence, God has it. He is never lacking anything. Since no one can compare to Him, one name for Him is Anupama.

Jewels are a sign of wealth, and they help to enhance beauty. Vishnu is like a string of jewels, since He possesses the most beautiful, transcendental body. Yashoda asked that this feature of Vishnu protect baby Krishna’s thighs.

2. Yajna

This name is significant in the sense that so many rituals take place where the participants make use of the word for identification but remain unaware of its true meaning. In general conversation yajna refers to a sacrifice. Some type of formal worship conducted by man for a specific purpose.

Yet no matter the stated purpose, the person enjoying is the same. Even if the yajna is dedicated to a divine figure different from Vishnu, He remains in the background. Without His sanction, the phala, or fruits, of the ritual could not manifest. Yashoda prayed that Vishnu as Yajna protect Krishna’s legs.

3. Achyuta

This name refers to a person who never falls down. Not just in the literal sense of letting gravity take hold, but also succumbing to pressures, being defeated, not carrying through successfully with a desired objective, and the like. Vishnu always wins. No one is able to defeat Him. He controls maya, after all. The powerful illusory energy of the material world works at His direction. If Achyuta could protect Krishna’s arms, then Yashoda’s son would never fail in the use of those arms.

4. Hayagriva

The literal meaning is a person with a horse-face. Not meant as an insult or metaphor, one time Vishnu took this transcendental form. Hayagriva rescued the Vedas from characters of ill intent and returned them to Lord Brahma, the creator. Yashoda prayed for the protection of Krishna’s abdomen, and since Hayagriva was known to be capable of defeating powerful asuras, such protection would be sufficient.

5. Keshava

This name has several meanings. Vishnu has long, beautiful hair, and so the name suits Him. Vishnu also killed the Keshi demon while in the avatara of Krishna. The assumption is that Yashoda referred to Vishnu specifically, not knowing that her son was non-different from him. The slayer of the Keshi demon would protect Krishna’s heart.

In Closing:

From Mathura through Yamuna going,

New mother son’s nature not knowing.

So when danger to Him coming,

Anxious in prayer becoming.

Mercy of Lord Vishnu sought,

That never again in danger caught.

Like Krishna on dead witch to play,

Yashoda with names of Lord to pray.

Three Times Bhagavan Was Shown To Be More Significant Than Gold

“The Syamantaka jewel was so powerful that it was daily producing a large quantity of gold. A quantity of gold is counted by a measurement called a bhara. According to Vedic formulas, one bhara is equal to sixteen pounds of gold; one mound equals eighty-two pounds. The jewel was producing about 170 pounds of gold every day.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 1)

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Modern day life is tough enough. From the Bhagavad-gita we already know about the two principal defects. Everything around us is temporary. Nothing will last. Destruction is the guaranteed end.

“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.15)

The temporary nature of things contributes to the miserable experience. There is misery everywhere, even in a place where on the surface the conditions are ideal. Husband and wife, two kids, a nice home, a steady job – still constant disagreements. The wife is not faithful; she does not listen to anything the husband says. The husband turns resentful, choosing not to spend significant time with the wife. The children suffer as a result, living in what is commonly referred to as a broken home.

There is the basic struggle for existence to consider. As nothing lasts forever, there is always fear of loss. One thought is that sufficient wealth will prevent this fear. That is to say if I get enough money, I won’t have to worry about anything.

One sign of true wealth is gold. Choose any period of time, in any part of the world, and gold has tremendous value. This is because others want it. Even if not attracted by the beauty, there is the inherent understanding that others will be desirous. If I have gold, at the very least I can sell it to make money; converted wealth.

From the historical accounts found in Vedic literature, we find that this mindset is indicative of illusion. Gold does not bring the elusive peace and contentment associated with its possession. In many cases just the opposite results; more sinful life and more surrounding dangers. Moreover, in the direct presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, gold’s inferior nature becomes obvious.

1. Hiranyakashipu

Here gold is in the name of the person, symbolizing what the evil character truly valued in life. Gold and a soft cushion. Sufficient quantity and quality of each should bring peace of mind. Yet as is often the case, the more a person travels in the direction of accumulation, the more unhappy they become. The overlooked factor is the senses. The more the senses are kept in control, the happier a person tends to be. With increased amounts of gold the mind gets dragged in several directions simultaneously, leading to added pressure.

Despite being a great and powerful king, Hiranyakashipu was so paranoid that of all things the devotion practiced by a five year old boy caused his downfall. This child happened to be the king’s son, named Prahlada. Not a foreign adversary with a similar interest in gold. Not lust for another woman. Not a desire to overtake another land. Bhakti-yoga, devotional service, from an innocent child became the Achilles heel.

The issue was that Hiranyakashipu knew the object of devotion. It was Vishnu, who was hated by the king. Prahlada’s devotion could not be tolerated, which led to lethal attacks from the father. Those heinous crimes, unsuccessful in their objectives, ultimately led to the appearance of Vishnu in the flesh, in the half-man/half-lion avatara. Hiranyakashipu and his gold were soundly defeated.

2. Ravana and Lanka

A person similar in mentality to Hiranyakashipu was Ravana, the ten-headed one. This time there was gold literally everywhere. Lanka was a city of splendor like no other, unrivaled in history. There was gold in the buildings and crystals in the floors and walls. This was real opulence; not some temporary facility for living in an otherwise crowded, congested and unclean city.

Yet all the gold in the world couldn’t protect Ravana and his home. The first significant damage came from Shri Hanuman. Using his tail initially set on fire by Ravana as a great insult, Hanuman hopped from place to place to increase the influence of the fire. He was an innocent messenger, after all, sent to meet Sita Devi, the wife of Bhagavan. She was illegally and unjustifiably taken from the side of Shri Rama by Ravana.

Rama Himself eventually came to the scene and defeated Ravana in the battle that should have occurred many months prior. The gold was not enough, and neither were the many beautiful queens in Lanka. Ravana’s uncontrolled kama, material sense desire, turned out to be his downfall. The city of gold was then passed down to his younger brother, Vibhishana, who happened to be a devotee of Rama.

3. The Syamantaka jewel

This story of illusion’s temporary victory took place within the very presence of Bhagavan. He was living in the city of Dvaraka as the leader. Shri Krishna in adulthood with respect to the timeline of His earthly pastimes, the Supreme Lord was happy with His thousands of queens, each beautiful, devoted and chaste.

A person by the name of Satrajit came upon a jewel that could produce a large quantity of gold on a daily basis. He considered himself to be more fortunate than Krishna, who is actually married to fortune personified, Lakshmi Devi. Satrajit thought the gold made him superior, but it in fact led to his murder.

There was a conspiracy to take the jewel from Satrajit, which led to a series of events implicating different people. The jewel became something of a hot potato, with quiet accusations against Krishna as being jealous and wanting it for Himself. The person who is more than the sun in splendor interested in a small object that produces gold, a material element?

Due to Krishna’s influence the situation was eventually resolved. Though nothing material touches Him, the historical event is symbolic of how a person can forget God even when He is living close by. Physical proximity is not the most important factor. The consciousness is what counts, and the devotee maintains the pure consciousness by always chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Over senses taking hold,

When found a little gold.

Like Hiranyakashipu chasing,

But envy of son erasing.

Ravana and his city filled,

In end lust-driven killed.

Syamantaka even when Krishna nearer,

Foolish accepting material dearer.

Nothing Like A Kick To The Chest

“My dear father, O great sage, I know that your feet are very soft, like a lotus flower, and that My chest is as hard as a thunderbolt. I am therefore afraid that you may have felt some pain by touching My chest with your feet. Let Me therefore touch your feet to relieve the pain you have suffered.” (Lord Vishnu, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 34)

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As a first-time father, you are always on call, ready to offer service when necessary. There is no schedule; everything is unpredictable. At any moment an accident can occur. The baby’s sleeping patterns might be steady for a few days, but growth changes everything. The rule is there are no rules. Whenever called upon there has to be love offered.

Another aspect to keep an eye on is milestones. The baby grows, which means that they learn how to do new things. One day they suddenly turn over. Now they prefer to sleep on their stomach. No matter how much you try to straighten them because of what you’ve read for safe sleeping, they will return to the preferred position soon after.

After turning over for the first time, the baby loves to do it. It is almost instinct. Sometimes they are sleeping and they still move around. The latest milestone has been crawling. Not the typically understood movement, where they scamper from one place to another in a matter of seconds, this is something like a snail moving. They put the head down and then push forward with their legs. However the motion is technically described, there is movement nonetheless.

One day while lying down on the bed next to the baby, you see that they are moving towards you. An endearing behavior, you are watching to make sure they don’t get hurt. The baby comes close enough without any harm done. For a few seconds your attention drifts elsewhere when you suddenly feel a sensation. You look down and the baby is trying to eat your leg. They are sucking on the skin.

This isn’t particularly odd behavior, as teeth are coming in. The baby tries to put everything in their mouth. This incident is humorous because who else would try to eat your leg? If any other person were to attempt this, you might get upset. Actually, any recipient would be unhappy. Among adults it would perhaps lead to physical conflict.

Yet since it’s your child, there is the opposite feeling. It tightens the bond. Instead of getting upset, you are proud that the child is able to push itself up and feel for different objects.

The incident helps to explain the amazing reaction from Lord Vishnu when one time meeting Bhrigu Muni in Vaikuntha. The respected saint was conducting an experiment. Who says that science didn’t exist in ages past? Through observing behavioral patterns, responses to certain stimuli, a wise person could deduce the natures of different people. A certain kind of nature would be considered superior, and other kinds inferior.

In this case the superior nature would be the mode of goodness, sattva-guna. Though Vishnu is beyond all gunas, as they are typically understood, the test for Bhrigu was to see which of the three presiding deities of the material creation possessed the mode of goodness in full.

Bhrigu first insulted his father, Lord Brahma. Then he insulted Mahadeva, the great god. Both became upset as a result. Bhrigu reserved perhaps the worst insult for last. He kicked an unsuspecting Vishnu. The husband of Lakshmi Devi was lying down in rest at the time.

Imagine the same happening to you. For no reason, mind you. Not like the wife kicking you to get up and take out the trash. Not like your parents waking you up out of bed for going to school. Not like the child still upset over punishment received a few weeks back.

This was without cause. Of the three victims of offenses, Vishnu had reason to be the most upset. And yet His reaction was amazing. He asked Bhrigu if everything was alright. Surely the muni’s foot must be in pain, as Vishnu’s chest is known to be hard.

The saint was surprised by the reaction. He then understood that only Vishnu possesses the mode of goodness in full. In truth, the reaction was due to the relationship. As a qualified brahmana, Bhrigu was viewed as a cared-for son. The devotees of the Lord are able to come close to Him in this way. They are not in the challenging spirit, after all. They have surpassed the stage of fearing God. As seen in Vrindavana, with Bhagavan it is possible to wrestle with Him, to carry Him on your back, or to even have Him carry you. These are glimpses into the life of liberation, mukti.

In Closing:

Bhrigu Muni conducting a test,

Where last a kick to the chest.

Of Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha living,

To offense amazing reaction giving.

Worry for the brahmana’s feet,

And that failed properly to greet.

Like father child’s climbing not minding,

Most merciful nature in Bhagavan finding.

How Can Someone Remain Unsatisfied After Composing The Bhagavad-Gita

“Shri Narada said: You have not actually broadcast the sublime and spotless glories of the Personality of Godhead. That philosophy which does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord is considered worthless.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.5.8)

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Friend1: The Bhagavad-gita is timeless wisdom.

Friend2: Describing principles applicable to any time period.

Friend1: Also to any type of person.

Friend2: The religion inherited from the ancestors does not matter. The occupation, the stage in life, the gender, and not even the age in year. Though discussing complex subjects, Krishna’s words to Arjuna can benefit even a child.

Friend1: Really beautiful. It is a pastime, in fact. One of Krishna’s many lilas. He is the Supreme Lord, after all, which means that He can do things. He is not limited to some abstract understanding. He is more than a concept.

Friend2: For sure. That is one of the benefits to worshiping in the Vedic tradition. The mystery about the Divine gets removed.

Friend1: We know that the Bhagavad-gita is found within a much larger work, known as the Mahabharata. The author, so to speak, is Vyasadeva.

Friend2: The son of Parashara Muni. The island-born one, also known as Vedavyasa since he divided the original Veda into four so that man could better understand.

Friend1: To match the general decline in the population’s brainpower and adherence to dharma.

Friend2: The bulk of important Vedic literature is attributed to him. He is considered the literary incarnation of the Supreme Lord.

Friend1: Here is my question. In the Shrimad Bhagavatam we find the instruction from Narada Muni to write more. Vyasadeva was still unsatisfied, despite so many important works to his name. Narada revealed to the disciple why he felt that way. The spiritual master gave guidance on how to benefit both the writer and future audiences.

Friend2: It should be noted that Vyasa is more a compiler than an author. He puts the verses together but he is not making anything up. He simply reports on what happens in real life.

Friend1: Yes, but why was he unsatisfied? The Bhagavad-gita can be remembered simply for Krishna’s role in it. He was Partha-sarathi, the chariot driver to Arjuna, the son of Queen Kunti. I know there was a brahmana who felt tremendous ecstasy from just holding the Bhagavad-gita, as he was not able to read. The reason was that the book reminded him of God’s kindness towards His devotees.

Friend2: And Lord Chaitanya said that this man’s understanding of the work was perfect.

Friend1: Exactly! And Vyasadeva is part of the chain of credit. He gets some of the benefits to liberating that person.

Friend2: The idea is that there wasn’t yet a full presentation of Krishna’s position only. With nothing else mixed in, such as guidance on how to prosper materially and the like. Narada knew that Vyasa would feel much better after having focused only on the Supreme Lord, His position with respect to the living entities, the history of some of His most important appearances, and especially His time on earth as the all-attractive one, Shri Krishna.

Friend1: But aren’t bits and pieces of that knowledge found in other Puranas and the like? Doesn’t the Mahabharata describe Krishna? What about the Hari-vamsha, which is considered the appendix to the Mahabharata?

Friend2: Again, the idea is to get the full presentation in a single work. No more need to jump from place to place. Saving a lot of time for everyone involved. The Vedas are compared to a tree with many branches, and Vyasadeva would compose a work to be known as the ripened fruit coming from that tree.

Friend1: I get all that, but still, I don’t know why he wasn’t satisfied already.

Friend2: That is the way of bhakti. There is never a final destination where you think that nothing else needs to be done. The occupation is eternal, sanatana-dharma. This is actually a benefit, since it means that the bliss experienced can continue to increase. This is another area where the difference between spiritual and material is marked.

In Closing:

Vyasa with so much to his name,

Yet left unsatisfied the same.

Narada the cause pointing out,

A single work, material without.

Focusing on Vasudeva alone,

With His pastimes brilliantly shown.

In bhakti always further inspiration,

For those serving with determination.

What About The Prohibition On Creating An Image Of God

“There is no difference between the thumblike Vishnu in the womb of Uttara and the full-fledged Narayana in the Vaikuntha-dhama, the kingdom of Godhead. He accepts the form of archa-vigraha (worshipable Deity) just to accept service from His different incapable devotees. By the mercy of the archa-vigraha, the form of the Lord in material elements, the devotees who are in the material world can easily approach the Lord, although He is not conceivable by the material senses.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.12.9 Purport)

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Friend1: I know that Bhaktivinoda Thakura considered the worship of the deity to be really important.

Friend2: It’s an integral part of the Vedic tradition for a reason. The acharya does not concoct. They do not make up principles and practices. That is the meaning to parampara. Take the message from the predecessors and don’t change. Perhaps adjust to time and circumstance, but the foundation remains.

Friend1: Which is devotion to God the person. That is the end goal.

Friend2: A change in consciousness. Turn it around from the very beginning, before the illusion has a chance to gain majority influence for life.

Friend1: Away from sense gratification as a goal and towards the Divine light.

Friend2: Know that you are not the body. You are spirit soul, atma. As there is an individual soul, a Supreme Soul exists, as well.

Friend1: Okay, so someone else might agree with that but then have issues moving further.

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: They accept the existence of God. They believe in a higher power. They want to worship Him. At the same time, they strongly object to the idea of deity worship.

Friend2: Why?

Friend1: They don’t have logical reasons; just references to their sacred books and the like.

Friend2: What is the danger?

Friend1: Creating an idol. The idea is to never create an image of God. That is offensive. Creating then leads to worshiping, and that is an even bigger sin.

Friend2: Again, why? What is the harm? If you are supposed to worship, then why not have a physical activity associated with it? Why not see features?

Friend1: But God is beyond the mortal body. He cannot be limited to a statue or picture.

Friend2: Of course not. The Vedas agree with that, as well. The name Adhokshaja says that the Supreme Lord’s features are beyond measurement. Nevertheless, the deity is there as a sign of His mercy. The one who is impossible to know arrives in a form that can be understood to some degree. The one who is nirguna apparently shows a saguna form, though gunas in the material sense never apply to Him anyway.

Friend1: Isn’t it a little sectarian, though?

Friend2: What is?

Friend1: The deity. The image challenges others. It creates the “My God versus your God” game.

Friend2: This is not a game. Why would others feel threatened?

Friend1: Precisely because they don’t worship such an image. Actually, they have no image at all.

Friend2: And therein lies the danger. When you lack the deity, it is much easier to forget God. He forever remains a myth. No wonder people would be afraid of Him. This means that they don’t know Him. No wonder they would get hung up on rules and regulations, trying to strictly apply them and condemning people to hell who slip up. No wonder He would be forgotten throughout the journey of life, replaced with other deity-like figures.

Friend1: That is true. People worship all-kinds of non-Divine entities, like pets, celebrities, athletes, politicians and the like.

Friend2: The archa-vigraha is not some neat vehicle aimed at helping the less intelligent. For sure the wise person understands that God is all-pervading, not forced to stay only in the temple or a statue. At the same time, there has to be an understanding of spiritual features, of life in liberation, of how it is different from the way things occur at the moment. Meditation on a single visual, made from authority and not imagination, can account for all of that.

In Closing:

Bhakti philosophy to lure,

But of certain practices unsure.

Like worship of deity done,

Not hints of idolatry some?

My God/Your God paradigm creating,

Sectarian differences reinstating.

Harm actually when deity lacking,

The illusory then easier distracting.

Isn’t It Bad To Sing The Names Of Villains

“O Keshava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one's fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasplike demon Hiranyakashipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands.” (Shri Dashavatara-stotra, 4)

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Friend1: The holy name is non-different from the person it represents. This is at the foundation of the sankirtana process.

Friend2: Which is no different than the kirtanam mentioned by Prahlada Maharaja in his response to the father’s question.

Friend1: Wow, so glad you mentioned Prahlada and his father. That was going to be my question today.

Friend2: About sankirtana? I don’t think Prahlada had the opportunity for that. He was stuck in a hostile environment. Not sure he even had beads to chant on. He had to worship internally. Smaranam of Vishnu. Remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Friend1: The spark was shravanam, though.

Friend2: While in the womb of all places. Prahlada heard about bhakti-yoga, the science of self-realization, from Narada Muni, himself a realized soul.

Friend1: I’m assuming remembering the name of Vishnu is as good as chanting.

Friend2: The same equivalence exists. Remembering God the person is as good as seeing Him. Worshiping the deity in the temple is powerful for this reason. What was your question?

Friend1: Well, there is the formal worship of the person who eventually came to save Prahlada Maharaja from danger.

Friend2: Narasimha. The half-man/half-lion incarnation of Vishnu.

Friend1: With a transcendental form tailored to match the protections previously offered to Hiranyakashipu, the aggressor. The father was not kind and benevolent towards the son.

Friend2: He started out that way, but as soon as Prahlada showed signs of devotion, staunch at that, the father went in the other direction.

Friend1: It makes sense that we would celebrate Narasimhadeva. I love the arati song. It is beautifully composed and sung.

Friend2: I believe it is a combination of a verse from the Puranas and a song from Jayadeva Gosvami about the ten principal avataras of Vishnu.

Friend1: Nice. Well, what got me thinking the other day was that the name of the main bad guy is included in the song.

Friend2: Hiranyakashipu.

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: I mean he did play a pretty important role in the pastime.

Friend1: I understand that. It just seemed strange to me because here I was, feeling something like transcendental bliss, but singing the name of a bad guy. Not just any villain, but the worst of the worst. A person who tried to kill his innocent five-year old son in unspeakable ways.

Friend2: A contradictory mood?

Friend1: Odd, more like it. I mean, shouldn’t the very sound of his name conjure up negative feelings? Shouldn’t we not even reference him? Shouldn’t all of this be about Prahlada and Narasimha, who is also known as Narahari?

Friend2: Those are good questions.

Friend1: What is the answer? If the holy name is non-different from Vishnu, does not the same apply to the asuras? Are we not connecting directly with Hiranyakashipu by singing his name on a daily basis?

Friend2: The name is not the same as him. That rule applies only to the Supreme Lord.

Friend1: What about consciousness? Are we not invoking a bad memory? Should not our focus be on the positive?

Friend2: There is context. Think about this for a second. If you play a part in one of God’s most famous pastimes, you will get your name sung into the infinite future. This must mean something. Hiranyakashipu has to be more than just your average bad guy.

Friend1: I understand that he is originally one of the gatekeepers in Vaikuntha, the spiritual realm. He gets cursed to take a few births as wicked characters on earth, eventually to earn liberation through the hands of Vishnu. Still, the song doesn’t reference Jaya or Vijaya. The name invoked is specifically that of the demon birth.

Friend2: Right, but there is always a juxtaposition. Moreover, the mention of the name actually helps to increase the glory of the Supreme Lord. That is to say Narahari is so amazing that he took down one of the most powerful villains in the world. The power of Prahlada’s devotion was at such a high level that not even Hiranyakashipu could squash it. In this way the mention of the name is integral to the worship process, specific to that form of the Lord.

In Closing:

Sitting on temple room floor,

With song Narahari to adore.

But why name of villain included,

Who by hatred of Vishnu deluded?

Glorious only the son,

Who by bhakti’s power won.

Juxtaposed to God giving glory,

All-auspicious the Narasimha story.