Three Possible Reasons For Prahlada’s Reply To The Father

“Hiranyakashipu naturally became increasingly angry that his son Prahlada was being influenced by the camp of the enemies. He therefore asked that saintly persons like Narada not be allowed within the residential quarters of his son, for otherwise Prahlada would be further spoiled by Vaishnava instructions.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.6 Purport)

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It was an innocent enough question. The father was pleased that the critical stage of life had begun for his son. Prahlada would now go to school. Whatever play occurred before is nice and endearing, likely fondly remembered, but without an education the adulthood will be spoiled. What kind of father would Hiranyakashipu be if his son turned out to be illiterate in the ways of statecraft, of maintaining the kingdom won after so much effort?

The father asked the son what was the best subject learned in school. This is something like the common setting of a family dinner table, with everyone gathered together:

“Son, what did you learn in school today? And don’t tell me, ‘Nothing.’ I know that our tax dollars are going to the teachers for a reason. They must have taught something. Even if you spent the entire day focused on playing video games once you reached home, there had to be a moment or two that sparked your interest. What was the subject matter? What were your initial thoughts? You know, I was once a student, too. Maybe I can provide insights into any areas where there isn’t full comprehension.”

Prahlada was not shy. He did not hold back. Yet the reply shocked the father. He was taken aback, and there were several likely causes for the son to reveal such an unorthodox preference in terms of subject matter.

1. He is just a child

Prahlada was five years old, after all. Children are known to say silly things. Parents run into difficulty when their child accidentally overhears a swear word. They then repeat that word again and again, not knowing what it means. They don’t understand the inappropriate nature, but the parents are in a bind. If they make too big a deal of the offense, the child might be encouraged to continue using that word.

Maybe Prahlada was messing with the father. The boy had to know that the kingdom was everything to Hiranyakashipu. Why, then, would he discuss the embarrassment of accepting a material body and the superiority of taking to the vanaprastha stage of life, which is something like semi-retirement? What interest would Hiranyakashipu have in going to the forest to live when there was the amazing kingdom under his control?

2. The enemy penetrated within

The Shrimad Bhagavatam describes that Prahlada had two primary teachers: Shanda and Amarka. They were sons to Shukracharya, who is the spiritual master of the Daityas. This is like the race of bad guys. Everyone appearing in that line has bad qualities from birth. Selfishness, lack of control over the senses, envy of God and those devoted to Him – Hiranyakashipu was quintessential Daitya.

Maybe one of the suras, the good guys, penetrated the school environment and poisoned Prahlada’s mind. Perhaps the intruder was so expert that no one else noticed his presence. After all, kids are known to pick up bad habits like smoking from one or two classmates in school. The smoking isn’t done out in the open, which means that a meeting in a secluded setting can have such a negative impact.

3. Narada Muni or someone similar got to Prahlada

This is actually what occurred. What Hiranyakashipu didn’t know was that the meeting occurred while Prahlada was within the womb. Who would believe that a child could learn anything at that time, especially the advanced topics within the science of self-realization?

Yet Prahlada remembered everything. The retention was so perfect that the boy had no problem describing the principles to the father, during an impromptu question and answer session. The father could make every excuse he wanted, but there was no changing the situation. Not even the application of lethal force could remove the dedication in devotion to God found in Prahlada, the saintly prince born in the Daitya line.

In Closing:

Of logic and wisdom sound,

In Daitya family found.

Surprising father with reply,

Wondering the initial cause why.

Perhaps a sura kingdom infiltrated,

And teachings of bhakti proliferated.

Too late to do anything now,

Through Narada’s work how.

How Did Prahlada Acquire All Good Qualities Without Practical Experience

“Hiranyakashipu thought that Prahlada, being nothing but a small boy with no actual experience, might reply with something pleasing but nothing practical. Prahlada Maharaja, however, being an exalted devotee, had acquired all the qualities of education.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.5 Purport)

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Friend1: I know of the important verse from the Shrimad Bhagavatam where it says that a devotee doesn’t have to acquire good qualities on their own. They come automatically, as a result of the devotion.

Friend2: Specifically, they acquire gunas up to the point of the suras, the demigods residing in heaven. Think about that for a second. The automatically derived principle is that bhakti accounts for behavior in sattva-guna. Everything that a person might do to win elevation to the heavenly planets, which is not easy, already arrives when they simply engage in repeatable and consistent worshipable acts like chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend1: Isn’t the inverse condition covered, too?

Friend2: Such as if you are not devoted to Bhagavan, what do your qualities mean?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: The entire verse is as follows:

यस्यास्ति भक्तिर् भगवत्य् अकिञ्चना
सर्वैर् गुणैस् तत्र समासते सुराः
हराव् अभक्तस्य कुतो महद्-गुणा
मनोरथेनासति धावतो बहिः

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ

“One who has unflinching devotional faith in Krishna consistently manifests all the good qualities of Krishna and the demigods. However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 5.18.12)

Friend1: There you go. Thanks. Let’s talk about Prahlada Maharaja for a moment, as I believe that verse matches his situation perfectly.

Friend2: Oh, for sure. On both sides. You had Prahlada with every appropriate guna without the explicit pursuit. You had Hiranyakashipu, who thought he had everything, but in fact was worthless in the spiritual estimation.

Friend1: Here is an obvious question, at least to me. It stands out from the juxtaposition of father and son. We know that Prahlada was very young during the time of his encounters with the envious father.

Friend2: Five years old. The time you or I were likely into watching television cartoons and singing nursery rhymes, Prahlada was self-realized and not afraid to give discourses on the science of self-realization.

Friend1: To me, so many qualities that we would consider “good” are tied to life experience. One of the first things they teach young children is sharing.

“Don’t play with that toy the entire day. Let others in the class have a chance. If you want them to share toys with you, you have to do the same for them.”

Friend2: Absolutely. There are so many life lessons. One that stands out from my personal experience is not boasting about accomplishments. Every time I have done so, somebody else was there to put me down. It is better to praise others for their hard work and achievement, especially when you have personal experience of the effort and perseverance required.

Friend1: Here’s the thing. At only five years of age, Prahlada lacked such life experience.

Friend2: Right.

Friend1: So then how did he have all good qualities? How could he be like a demigod without vijnana, which is practical realization?

Friend2: Your questions give further praise to the bhakti path. Devotion to God the person is so strong that no external factors are required. That is the meaning to “unmotivated and uninterrupted.”

तेषाम् एवानुकम्पार्थम्
अहम् अज्ञान-जं तमः
नाशयाम्य् आत्म-भाव-स्थो
ज्ञान-दीपेन भास्वता

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

“Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.11)

We know of no one who became so smart just through reading and hearing, but with Prahlada that was the case. The hearing had the effect of stimulating the outpouring of affection. The meaning is that there was genuine yoga, a link to the Supreme Lord. With His favor, it is easy to bypass the standard route towards knowledge.

In Closing:

Standard route not required,

By bhakti itself inspired.

That which from experience needed,

Where lesson upon lesson proceeded.

For the devotee easily to come,

Equality with demigods won.

Worthless traits on the other side,

Like Hiranya with enmity to reside.

Four Topics That Might Be Discussed At The Dinner Table With Children

“Hiranyakashipu did not ask his young son anything that would be very difficult for him to answer; instead, he gave the boy a chance to speak plainly about whatever he thought might be best. Prahlada Maharaja, of course, being a perfect devotee, knew everything and could say what the best part of life is.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.4 Purport)

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It was a tough day at the office. One problem after another. It would be nice to have some predictability once in a while, but this world being temporary and miserable negates that opportunity.

A saving grace, if you will, is the prospect of returning home at night and meeting with the family. Sure, the wife might have a list of demands. Instead of understanding the difficulties involved with your occupation, she only complains about everything she had to do all day. You have to attend to various responsibilities around the house, but eventually it is time for dinner.

The family sits together, and since the children are attending school on a regular basis, your questions to them are on the subject of education. More specifically, what did they learn in school today. What topics were interesting and which ones were boring or beyond their level of understanding?

1. The ABCs

“Father, today we learned about the alphabet. I already knew a little from the books you gave me and the shows I watch on TV, but the teacher brought everything to life. To show me that the word ‘apple’ starts with the letter ‘A’, she had a real apple with her. There was a banana for the letter ‘B’. She asked the class to think of a word that started with ‘I’ and everyone had trouble. Then she showed a picture of an insect.”

2. Multiplication tables

“Today we learned about multiplication. Two times two equals four. Eight times eight is sixty-four. The teacher showed us the tables for all the numbers up to ten, and then after that we had to try to memorize. It took some time, but we divided into groups that had flash cards. My partner and I took turns looking at the flash cards and giving answers.”

3. History of the nation

“Dad, they talked about American history in class today. The Revolutionary War. George Washington. Benjamin Franklin. England and something about taxes and representing. I found it kind of boring. Why do we have to learn about stuff that happened hundreds of years ago? People back then didn’t even have TV. They had to travel with horse and buggy. Anyway, we’re supposed to write a short essay about the topic of the Boston Tea Party. I was sad to learn that it had nothing to do with a celebration. Something about people dressing up as Native Americans and throwing away tea.”

4. The difficulties associated with accepting a temporary body

What child would actually bring this subject up? Moreover, what school would even teach it? Prahlada Maharaja received the question directly from the father, King Hiranyakashipu. It began as an affectionate exchange. The king wanted to see how his son’s education was progressing. Were the teachers focusing on the right subject matter? Was the child interested in learning? Were there any specific topics that would spark the boy’s enthusiasm?

Prahlada described principles that hardly anyone in the world followed, let alone knew about. The material body is temporary, and with the association there are so many embarrassing conditions. A person may rise to the stature of king, but eventually there will be a fall. What goes up must come down, and everything is left behind at the time of death.

This was such a wonderful instruction, expected to open the eyes of any sober-minded person. Coming from such a young child, a parent should be so proud. Of course, Hiranyakashipu was the best of the asuras, or bad people. He did not understand that Prahlada not only repeated such instruction, but believed in it wholeheartedly. Something had to be wrong, and so appropriate measures would need to be taken.

In Closing:

At dinner table sitting near,

To wife and children so dear.

Discussion to school day turning,

And what most interesting learning.

The alphabet one child to say,

Another with multiplication to play.

How about temporary body’s embarrassment?

This to Prahlada brought harassment.

Three Sets Of Friends And Enemies Created In Politics

“Politics involves accepting one group of men as enemies and another group as friends. Everything in politics is based on this philosophy, and the entire world, especially at the present, is engrossed in it. The public is concerned with friendly countries and friendly groups or enemy countries and enemy groups, but as stated in Bhagavad-gita, a learned person does not make distinctions between enemies and friends. Devotees, especially, do not create friends and enemies.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.3 Purport)

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Prahlada Maharaja patiently heard. He recited, when necessary. Though he did not agree with the philosophy being spoken, though his interests were elsewhere, he did not cause any disturbance. This was the edict of the crown, to teach the future generations in a certain way. Become versed in the intricacies of politics, which at its foundation involves drawing lines of distinctions, creating groups of friends and enemies.

1. Rich and poor

One of the more popular forms of government in modern times is democracy. Either direct or through what is known as a representative republic, the citizens vote. There isn’t a central authority figure who makes the decisions unilaterally, without accountability to the people.

Though the benefit of such a system is a wider distribution of the decision-making process, and thereby a lower risk of a single bad actor spoiling everything, there are also many issues. The definition of success in a democratic-style system is swaying public opinion. The actual benefit to the people of the policies is irrelevant. As long as there is majority support in the upcoming election, then everything is okay.

One of the easiest ways to guarantee that support is to spend. Take from the government treasury and give to different groups. If there isn’t enough money, simply borrow it. After that take from a group that won’t garner much sympathy from the majority of the people. The rich are the easiest target.

“It is time they pay their fair share. Do you see what kind of houses they live in? Some of them are so wealthy that they can’t even remember how many homes they own. We’re asking that they pay a little more, that they invest in the future of the country. This isn’t too much to ask.”

There are counterarguments, for sure, but only heard in certain circles. If a rich person actually came out to publicly defend themselves, they risk severe backlash.

“The rich pay the majority of the taxes that flow into the treasury. This is indisputable. However you want to calculate fairness, if only five percent of the people fund something like ninety percent of the government, that doesn’t seem fair to me. We should help the poor, but they already receive so much. Moreover, at some point you are encouraging idleness and destroying work ethic by telling people that they don’t have to earn for themselves in order to eat and sleep properly.”

2. Men and women

In present times politicians rely heavily on public polling for directing future policy. If there is a dividing line on an issue between men and women, it is not surprising to hear the following:

“Men have been suppressing women for centuries. It’s about time they stood back and kept quiet. Let women run things for a while. Their predatory behavior, their uncontrolled desire for domination has caused so many problems in society. Let us empower women today.”

3. Law-abiding and criminals

Wherever a politician can find votes, to that place they will go. If a certain group of people can guarantee them power in the government for many generations, then that option will be taken into consideration. It matters not whether the people propped up happen to be criminals, those who don’t obey the most basic laws of the state. The law-abiding risk demonization if any objections are raised:

“We are a compassionate nation. We don’t turn our back on foreigners. Anyone who wants to come here should be allowed in. How cruel it is to refer to these people as criminals. They are not. They are simply looking to improve their lives. Let them participate in our system. They are just as much citizens as the people that arrived here through legal channels.”

…

This is just a sampling, as the practice of division has been going on since before anyone can remember. In terms of working with other nations, there is an advantage to forming alliances and treating well those groups identified as allies. With enemies it is good practice to employ the threefold strategy known as charity, division and force.

द्विविधम् त्रिविध उपायम् उपायम् अपि सेवते |
विजिगीषुः सुहृत् कच्चिन् मित्रेषु च परम् तपः ||

dvividham trividha upāyam upāyam api sevate |
vijigīṣuḥ suhṛt kaccin mitreṣu ca param tapaḥ ||

“I trust that the chastiser of the enemy [Rama] employs the twofold strategy in behaving friendly with friends and in His desire to conquer the enemy employs the threefold strategy.” (Sita Devi speaking to Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 36.17)

Devotees generally don’t take an interest in creating such divisions. Such was the case with Prahlada Maharaja. He had jnana at the highest level, understanding the spiritual equality of all beings. He considered everyone to be a friend in the sense that it is in the nature of the soul to serve the Supreme Lord. Something like atheism is also devotional service, when viewed a certain way.

For instance, Prahlada’s father Hiranyakashipu was paying homage to God by displaying just how powerful the illusion of maya can be. It fools an otherwise capable person into thinking that there is no intelligent controller behind the amazing creation. It makes them think that they can remain in their temporary situation forever and that the presence of God can simply be removed by the application of force.

In Closing:

When higher tax policy to state,

Group of wealthy target to create.

The men and women divide,

Criminals and laws those who abide.

Friend and enemy in this way making,

But Prahlada a different course taking.

Since devotion to Bhagavan directed,

Knowing that all to Him connected.

Three Places Where Bad Association Can Ruin A Good-Natured Person

“Prahlada Maharaja was already educated in devotional life, but when his father sent him to those two sons of Shukracharya to be educated, they accepted him at their school along with the other sons of the asuras.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.2)

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तौ राज्ञा प्रापितं बालं
प्रह्लादं नय-कोविदम्
पाठयाम् आसतुः पाठ्यान्
अन्यांश् चासुर-बालकान्

tau rājñā prāpitaṁ bālaṁ
prahlādaṁ naya-kovidam
pāṭhayām āsatuḥ pāṭhyān
anyāṁś cāsura-bālakān

The Sanskrit term is sadhu-sanga. Maintain the association of saintly people. That is the recommendation for advancement. Not just earning a lot of money. Not just having more conveniences with respect to daily responsibilities. Create genuine progress along the path that will bring liberation.

On the other side is asat-sanga. The ideal situation is sat-sanga combined with asat-tyaga. Keep the association of those who are on the spiritual path, who wish to go beyond the dualities of the material world. Renounce the association of those who are attached to the non-permanent.

In societies it is seen that a good-natured person can sometimes go astray. They started out pure and innocent, but through mixing with the wrong crowd in a specific place, they became tainted.

1. Government

You are not happy about having to travel such a great distance. This is the second trip in order to reach a satisfactory resolution. You received a parking ticket while at work. You know that you did nothing wrong. The police officer issuing the ticket made a mistake. It wasn’t a spot reserved for the handicapped.

The problem is that the fine for the ticket is quite hefty. A few pictures of the parking spot should clear your name. The first trip to the traffic court yields a notification of a future return date. That is when the trial will occur.

That day is today, and after waiting in line for a long time, you come up to meet the prosecutor. They barely look at you as they speak, and they argue this point and that.

“Oh, you were parked along the blue line of the other spot. That is why you got the ticket.”

“Actually, that’s not true. I was not anywhere near the line. This is a valid parking spot. I work in the building. People park there all the time.”

“Well, the officer is going to say that you parked on the blue line. Do you want to discuss entering a guilty plea for a reduced fine?”

In essence, the truth makes no difference. It’s a petty issue to the government, but not to you. If you ask the prosecutor about their principles, they will tell you that they stand for the truth, but rarely is that the case. The government is all-powerful. If a newcomer plays ball, so to speak, they will be able to keep their job. No reason to go on a crusade to eradicate corruption. Join the group and receive lifetime immunity from such violations yourself.

2. Media

This person used to always give an honest opinion. They did not care about offending others. They were not worried about outside reaction. Yet since they joined a television news show, everything has changed. They pile on against the so-called offenders, when they themselves are guilty of such behavior in the past. They realized that in order to keep their job, in order to get interviews with powerful people in the business, they have to sometimes tell lies. Withhold your honest opinion in order to maintain a good relationship with others.

3. School

The obvious danger here is with other children. If you are from a family that teaches traditional values like honesty, cleanliness, austerity and compassion, it will be a culture shock to meet others who are not that way. Enough of them join together and there is something known as peer pressure. Basically, at some point it is easier to give up the fight. Become like the others so that you won’t stand out.

In the interesting case of Prahlada Maharaja described in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, the bad association was from the teachers themselves. They were employed by the king, who happened to be Prahlada’s father. The boy had different interests from practically everyone else in the community. Prahlada was already aware of moral principles. He correctly dovetailed all relevant information with devotion to the Supreme Lord.

The teachers were only interested in material life. They would cover neither God nor devotion to Him. Prahlada was in great danger of losing his dedication to Bhagavan, as teachers are naturally considered authority figures. They are traditionally called guru for a reason.

Yet from the history described, we learn that Prahlada could not be dissuaded, even with the threat and subsequent exercise of violence inflicted by the father, Hiranyakashipu. Though sadhu-sanga is recommended, sometimes it is not available. Yet if the heart is pure, if the dedication is there, if the prior instruction was sufficient and from an authorized source, then nothing can break the link in yoga. Prahlada received such instruction from Narada Muni, and so the crowd aligned against him could not alter the situation.

In Closing:

This person innocent and pure,

But with bad association to endure?

Corrupt the politician and leader,

Media figure fake criticism’s feeder.

In school bad habits to learn,

Friendship of the crowd to earn.

For Prahlada everything against aligned,

But too strong in devotion to find.

Three Ways To Know You Haven’t Made Progress

“In the history of human society, an affectionate father is rarely found to chastise a noble and devoted son. Therefore Maharaja Yudhishthira wanted Narada Muni to dissipate his doubt.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.46 Purport)

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Smartphones. Instant access to news. Forecasts on the weather to an alarmingly accurate degree. The ability to travel thousands of miles in only a few hours. Speaking to someone across the globe, but feeling as if they are there in the room with you. Indoor plumbing. Air conditioning.

With such advancements in general living conditions, it is not surprising to hear the following lament from a parent of children just reaching the age of adulthood:

“I don’t understand why they have such a negative outlook on life. They have had everything practically handed to them. When I was growing up there were only five or six channels to watch on television. If you wanted to order takeout food, you had to reference this large yellow book of phone numbers.

“Today they have everything, but are still unhappy. They act as though they are entitled to stuff. Their first job has to pay as much as an experienced person receives. They want everything to be free, including goods and services that others had to sacrifice so much to produce. I don’t understand it.”

From the behavior of a notable figure described in Vedic literature, we get a proper assessment on what actually constitutes progress. Namely, key indicators reveal when progress isn’t present.

1. Senses constantly agitated

I have everything available to eat. The refrigerator is always stocked full. This is not a random occurrence of nature. Someone else is doing the work. The farmers are producing. The truckers are driving. A person is going to the store and making the purchases.

Yet despite the lack of a food problem, there is always a thought on eating. What to do for dinner? How to lose weight? How to kick this general feeling of lethargy? What new drinks to try? How to avoid eating the same thing for every meal?

Constantly agitated senses indicates a lack of progress. To truly better the human condition is to have more control. Imagine if you could quit any particular food or drink at a moment’s notice. Imagine if you paid no attention to what you ate; whatever is available would be fine.

2. Maintaining envy

You have everything available to you, but there is still envy. There is concern over how another person is faring in life. How big is their house? Are their children more advanced than yours? Do others earn a higher salary than you?

If a person were truly making progress, their happiness would be independent of outside factors. That is to say someone else’s position in life would have no bearing on my emotional outlook on a daily basis. If I am maintaining envy, with any person as a potential target, then there are still issues to resolve.

3. Improper vision

In the modern world of so-called progress, the senses can get so out of control that absurd rationales get created to justify remedies for actions later regretted. If a child should happen to appear in the womb due to a romantic rendezvous, there is the option to kill it. Since the child can’t be seen, since they can’t speak for themselves, the perpetrator feels more comfortable with the decision, not seeing anything wrong with it.

King Hiranyakashipu’s worst crimes came in this area. He thought he was the most advanced, having made the most progress due to gaining control over the entire world. He was feared by everyone. There was no authority figure above him, or so he thought.

Yet his senses were never under control. He maintained envy of Vishnu, the person he considered to be his greatest enemy. This is because deep inside Hiranyakashipu understood that Vishnu was God, and the staunch materialist is always envious of God, precisely because there will always be someone superior to them.

The king treated his son Prahlada terribly. When hearing about this later on, Maharaja Yudhishthira was puzzled. He could not think of a case in history where an affectionate father turned on a pious and saintly son. He asked Narada Muni to explain further.

It was the same Narada who had instructed Prahlada while the child was in the womb, during the period of time where there is supposedly only an unviable tissue mass. What an amazing mass that is, as it has the potential to take down the most powerful king the world has ever seen.

The child was much further advanced than the father. Prahlada had his senses under control, never considered anyone to be his enemy, and certainly treated others well. The one who fell deeper into a hellish mental condition due to his so-called progress eventually had to give up everything due to his harassment of Prahlada.

In Closing:

That most advanced I’m thinking,

But only into illusion sinking.

Because control over senses none,

Envy from news of others to come.

Not even properly seeing,

Like in womb a human being.

Hiranyakashipu in this way flawed,

Through his hostilities Narasimha clawed.

Four Behaviors Parents Don’t Mind From Their Children

“A father and mother are always affectionate to their children. When the children are disobedient the parents chastise them, not due to enmity but only for the child's instruction and welfare. How did Hiranyakashipu, the father of Prahlada Maharaja, chastise such a noble son? This is what I am eager to know.” (Yudhishthira speaking to Narada Muni, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.45)

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पुत्रान् विप्रतिकूलान् स्वान्
पितरः पुत्र-वत्सलाः
उपालभन्ते शिक्षार्थं
नैवाघम् अपरो यथा

putrān vipratikūlān svān
pitaraḥ putra-vatsalāḥ
upālabhante śikṣārthaṁ
naivāgham aparo yathā

Even the most brutal dictator, the one who has killed scores of people in a quest for power, tends to have some sympathy and affection for their family. This is especially true with respect to the children. There is a closeness automatically established, through nature. No need for a shared interest. No need for reciprocation, either, as the parent tends to forgive all kinds of behavioral transgressions from their children.

1. Waking them up unexpectedly

It was one of those days. Too many things to do and not enough time to accomplish everything. This adds to the pressure, since there is carryover to the next day. Sleeping would be a lot easier if responsibilities didn’t weigh on the mind.

Nevertheless, you were able to get to bed on time. The issue is that you feel this buzzing sensation every few minutes right after falling asleep. At least you think that it’s occurring in those intervals; you can’t be sure since you haven’t fully awoken yet. Finally, the next sound does the trick. You are now awake.

You come to learn that it is the smartphone which has been buzzing. Text messages from one of your friends. It must be an emergency, you think. You open the messages app only to see that the information was trivial. Talk of sports, during the time of night when most people are sleeping. You are so angry to have been awoken for such nonsense that you fire back an angry response.

On another day, with perhaps the same tension relating to daily responsibilities, you get awoken early in the morning by a strong physical movement. You learn that it is your child. They have decided to jump on top of you in bed. They are awake and desirous to play. They are wondering why you are still sleeping. It is something like a move seen in professional wrestling, yet you are not upset at all. The behavior is endearing.

2. Spilling food and drink

A guest is at the house for dinner tonight. Afterwards, they take their beverage to the living room, where they sit on the sofa. A few minutes later the drink accidentally falls out of their hand. The sofa looks like it is ruined. The stain is on the carpet, as well. Though it is a guest and also an accident, you are not too pleased.

Yet with children the same happens on a routine basis. The furniture goes into the “write-off” category. You don’t expect anything to remain intact, since children learning to crawl and walk are essentially moving disaster areas. In fact, if there is a little collateral damage to further the mission of reaching life’s critical milestones, there is no issue for you.

3. Chastising for being late

It was a rough commute home. You thought you learned your lesson many years back, when you drove home during a snowstorm. But this time it is November. There is no serious snowfall in this month, you tell yourself. The forecast said only a dusting.

Wow, was everyone wrong. The commute that normally takes thirty minutes took three hours. Somehow you remained calm throughout, but sitting in the car for that long sure made you tired. Upon arriving home you see your child waiting for you. They have recently learned how to walk and it is so nice that as soon as they hear the front door open, they head for the safety gate by the stairs. They are anticipating your arrival.

On this day they are not happy. Though they can’t speak yet, they voice their frustration. It is almost like getting a scolding from your wife. “Where were you,” is the message. Normally, you would snap back. After getting stuck in the worst traffic the last thing you want to hear from someone else is complaints. Yet from your child the behavior is endearing.

4. Disobeying orders

You tell the person at the office to work on something for you. They don’t get the job done. They didn’t even try. Now the client is upset with you since the company didn’t deliver for them. This is actually grounds for termination, on top of the chastisement that is deserved.

With young children it is like a miracle if they listen to any of your instructions. “Don’t go there.” “Don’t touch that.” “It is time to sleep now.” Rather, they are in it for the fun. They only listen if compelled to, and their resistance is not taken as a serious offense.

This review provides a backdrop to a question posed by Maharaja Yudhishthira. The person of authority was Narada Muni, who was referred to as devarsha. He is a rishi amongst the devas, a saintly man within the collective of demigods. If anyone can answer the question, it will be Narada.

Yudhishthira wants to know how the father Hiranyakashipu could stoop so low as to harass his innocent son Prahlada. The boy was young, and parents are known to have a soft spot for their children. Not only was Hiranyakashipu mean, but he escalated the anger to the greatest degree, doing unspeakable things.

Prahlada’s only crime was devotion to Vishnu. Though born in a family of Daityas, who are typically demoniac in nature, Prahlada was just like Narada. This is not surprising since Narada provided the necessary instruction while the boy was still in the womb. The transcendental sounds describing the Supreme Lord and devotion to Him are powerful enough to break through barriers, physical as well as age-related.

In Closing:

That sound to break through barrier,

From saintly Narada the carrier.

So much that Prahlada like him so,

With devotional spirit to go.

Whereas parents punishment exempting,

Father with lethal force attempting.

Young child but well beyond his years,

Through vicious attacks perseveres.