Certainly A Trustworthy Son

“Although Prahlada is only five years old, even at this young age he has given up his affectionate relationship with his father and mother. Therefore, he is certainly untrustworthy. Indeed, it is not at all believable that he will behave well toward Vishnu.” (Hiranyakashipu, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.36)

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विष्णोर् वा साध्व् असौ किं नु
करिष्यत्य् असमञ्जसः
सौहृदं दुस्त्यजं पित्रोर्
अहाद् यः पञ्च-हायनः

viṣṇor vā sādhv asau kiṁ nu
kariṣyaty asamañjasaḥ
sauhṛdaṁ dustyajaṁ pitror
ahād yaḥ pañca-hāyanaḥ

The Varaha avatara previously took care of the asura named Hiranyaksha. This battle was necessary, as once the bad guys of this world gain any power they cause unnecessary havoc. They should be happy with what they have, but they instead look down upon others, especially those who are not like them.

The saintly class, the bhusuras, the demigods on earth, appear to be weak in terms of physical strength. They become easy targets, especially since they are interested in spiritual life. The asura thinks that acquiring power is the only rational objective of living. Anyone who rejects that idea is a fool; they are wasting their time.

Yet the sadhus are persuasive. They have the Vedas as support. Their words are so powerful that they can convert children towards the Divine side of life. This is what angered the progenitor named Daksha. Narada Muni had brought the wisdom of self-realization to the new generation and thereby convinced them to a life of celibacy favoring spiritual pursuits.

परित्राणाय साधूनां
विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्
धर्म-संस्थापनार्थाय
सम्भवामि युगे युगे

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

“In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.8)

The demon attacks the saints, but Hari is there to protect. This is one of the reasons for His advent. As Varaha He was the amazing boar that rescued the earth from immersion in water. A person within the same family remembered the incident. Hiranyakashipu held a grudge against Vishnu over the death of Hiranyaksha.

Whenever the name of the Lord was heard in the kingdom, Hiranyakashipu could not help but remember his slain brother. Therefore, when Prahlada showed allegiance to Vishnu, to the father it was tantamount to the son taking the side of the murderer of his own uncle. The five-year-old should have been aligned with the family.

Within the guidelines of dharma the parents are to be treated as the first gurus. They carry weight in terms of authority and guidance. Respect for the parents is rewarded with an easy transfer of knowledge. Rather than having to experience everything in this world firsthand, just accept the information on hearing. If the teachings of the authority figure are without flaws, then this method saves valuable time.

Prahlada was quietly indignant in the sense that he would not succumb to the words of the royal teachers. Prahlada could not be influenced into accepting material life as paramount. He was on the spiritual path since birth, due to the instruction accepted from the same Narada Muni.

Hiranyakashipu considered Prahlada to be untrustworthy due to the allegiance to Vishnu. The actual situation was just the opposite. The royal teachers were only aligned as such out of fear. No one else had the courage to tell the king the truth, that lack of control over the senses was ready to cause his downfall.

Prahlada was such a saintly character that even after everything collapsed around the king, when death itself arrived in the familiar face of Hari, the boy did not hold a grudge. He still maintained affection and used his influence with Vishnu to lobby for clemency. The true Vaishnava is always the most trustworthy person, as they are honest about the reason for living.

In Closing:

Since Prahlada without trust,

To view as enemy a must.

The parents not respecting,

So what good from him expecting?

But since with Vishnu aligned,

Every high quality to find.

Can only hope for such a son,

Through whom liberation is won.