Can I Have My Wasted Days Back

“The many past births you spoiled can be rectified right now, today, if you start chanting Shri Rama’s holy name and renounce bad association, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 22)

Download this episode (right click and save)

बिगरी जनम अनेक की सुधरै अबहीं आजु |
होहि राम को नाम जपु तुलसी तजि कुसमाजु ||

bigarī janama aneka kī sudharai abahīṃ āju |
hohi rāma ko nāma japu tulasī taji kusamāju ||

Friend1: Alright, I have some contradictory teachings for you.

Friend2: They contradict who, me?

Friend1: Two different teachings and it looks like they go against one another.

Friend2: Oh, okay.

Friend1: One says that you can’t get back time, no matter how much money you have. I think it’s from Chanakya Pandit, but something similar has been said by countless people.

“You only get one life. Don’t spoil your days, since you will never be able to relive them. It is unfortunate that youth is wasted on the young.”

Friend2: Right. Is there any doubt on the matter? Can you become a kid again? The same size, with the kind of body that doesn’t get affected by eating sugar, pizza, soda and the like. Can you have the same level of energy? Can you have the same lack of concern over the future?

Friend1: Nope. No way to get it back. It doesn’t matter how much money I have.

Friend2: There you have it. The idea is to make the most of your days. Try not to look back in regret later on.

Friend1: We have that point established. Here is the other side. Goswami Tulsidas says that the many past births you spoiled can be fixed today. Forget the standard line of “wait for the afterlife.” No dying and going to heaven here. Remedy the situation through chanting the name of Rama and giving up the association of people who are asat.

Friend2: Which means attached to the temporary. You could actually tie the two teachings together.

Friend1: How so?

Friend2: The people that end up regretting their past days, who spent the time in ways that didn’t bring a desired fruit – try to avoid their association.

Friend1: That’s kind of mean, isn’t it? What if I am one of those people? Stop hanging out with myself?

Friend2: The idea is to get good association. Be with those who are similarly interested in chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend1: Okay, that’s fine. Fair enough. Do you not see the contradiction, though?

Friend2: What’s that?

Friend1: If I can’t get time back, no matter how much I try, how is it possible to remedy the many past births that I spoiled? Isn’t that like going back in time?

Friend2: Ah ha! You have just further praised the bhakti path and the saints who follow it. Perhaps you did so without knowing.

Friend1: I don’t understand. The contradiction remains.

Friend2: You can’t go back and relive those experiences. That is true. Yet there is the ability to fix mistakes.

Friend1: How is that? Suppose I have this memory from this life that haunts me. I always think about it. It is a traumatic experience that I can’t let go of. Is chanting the holy names, engaging in the bhakti-life, going to send me back in time to act differently?

Friend2: No, but everything will be connected. Devotion to God is equivalent with Him. Chanting His names is being in His association. The truth is difficult to realize, even for someone who has been with the routine for many years. Yet the end result is guaranteed, since the Supreme Lord helps such a person.

तेषां सतत-युक्तानां
भजतां प्रीति-पूर्वकम्
ददामि बुद्धि-योगं तं
येन माम् उपयान्ति ते

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te

“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.10)

Friend1: That’s great, but what about that past trauma?

Friend2: Don’t you see? Everything is connected. The supposed mistake becomes part of your larger life story. The bad helped to bring you to the good. Hence the bad becomes good. The past spoiled births were responsible for setting your straight.

Friend1: That is an interesting way to look at it.

Friend2: Consider the story of Nalakuvara and Manigriva described in the Bhagavata Purana. Those brothers were living in the heavenly realm and they committed an embarrassing mistake while in the presence of Narada Muni. They received a curse to remain as trees in Vrindavana for a long time.

Friend1: That certainly is a bad experience one will not soon forget.

Friend2: They were liberated from the curse after Shri Krishna, in the form of Damodara, knocked the trees down using a mortar. This means that the original mistake was actually the greatest blessing. That is what Goswami Tulsidas is saying. You can’t purchase expired time, but you can change the nature of past experiences. The reason is that Shri Krishna is the beginning, middle and end.

In Closing:

Many past mistakes made,

Through consequences dearly paid.

No use further dwelling upon,

Since expired that time gone.

But to change the nature a way,

Secret through holy names to say.

Then part of larger story’s victory,

Resolving teachings contradictory.

Four Areas Where Every Person Has A Price

“O Rama, You should know that just as fish cannot survive when taken out of water, neither Sita nor I can live without You for even a moment.” (Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 53.31)

Download this episode (right click and save)

न च सीता त्वया हीना न चाहमपि राघव।
मुहूर्तमपि जीवावो जलान्मत्स्याविनोद्धृतौ।।

na ca sītā tvayā hīnā na cāhamapi rāghava।
muhūrtamapi jīvāvo jalānmatsyāvinoddhṛtau।।

There is the saying that everyone has their price. No matter how much they profess allegiance or affection to something, with the amazing offer they would be forced to think twice. What was previously off the table suddenly becomes eligible for negotiation.

1. Home

It is the place of your dreams. Raised several children in that home. Different corners remind you of amazing memories. The time your daughter took her first steps. Your son spilled a drink in that corner. You held this spiritual gathering that one time, where the objects of worship remain in place to this day.

Yet someone comes along with an offer that seems too good to be true. They want to pay at least twice the going value for such a dwelling. It is a developer who wishes to tear down the houses on the street and erect a shopping complex.

Sometimes there is the issue of eminent domain. The government can take your house if they need the area for a public purpose. If the developers play their cards right, making donations to the appropriate politicians, then even a non-public purpose can get the same privilege. The government only has to give fair market value for a place that you don’t want to leave.

2. Job

In this area there is an almost one hundred percent success rate. Float an offer the employee can’t refuse. Much more money. Better benefits. Perhaps the option to work from home. What person would turn that down? The job is for earning a living, after all. Even if you have been there for many years and established a large client base with trustworthy service provided, with enough money the situation might change.

3. Jewels and ornaments

Acquired through the years, these are often an option for getting money quickly. Someone may have passed that ring onto you, held in the family for years. There is sentimental value for the earring kept safely in the drawer. Yet for the right amount of money, maybe those objects lose their importance.

4. Collector’s items

It was one of a kind. They only handed out a few thousand. A bobblehead doll of that player who retired years ago. Someone else is a big fan. They will pay thousands of dollars for something that you received for free along with your paid entry to the game. There is sentimental value, but then with the money coming in you can have new experiences for which to develop sentiment.

…

The juxtaposition with pure bhakti is striking. While every person may have their price with respect to aspects of material life, the devotee fully immersed in the ananda of yoga, of connecting with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot be bought off. Nothing can change their mind.

This is a difficult concept to understand, since until it is experienced a person will not be able to relate. Fortunately, there are some comparisons passed along. One is to the chataka bird. This creature drinks only rainwater. The beak is fixed in the upright position, where it desperately seeks the rainclouds. Other kinds of food and drink will not suffice. The bird will simply refuse. The allegiance to the rain is fixed.

Shri Lakshmana makes the comparison to fish and water. The fish cannot survive outside of the water. The attachment to the habitat is so strong that nothing can be done to change the situation. Similarly, Lakshmana cannot leave the side of the Supreme Lord Rama.

Sita Devi is the same way. Rama attempted to change her mind one time. He mentioned the dangers of going to the forest and how it was so different from life in the palace, where the two had lived since birth. Sita was born into royalty with her father, King Janaka. She later married into a similar situation, living with Rama in Ayodhya.

No amount of money could change their minds, and the same is seen with the saints who abandon everything for the life in devotion. They may have their daily routine of chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Try to give them a million dollars to stop chanting. Keep raising the price and be prepared for a kind, but steady refusal. Imagine the potency to such a practice if a person is willing to go to such a length.

In Closing:

Despite increasing monetary strength,

The saint to go to such a length.

In that offer refusing,

Life of bhakti choosing.

Though everyone with their price,

On this issue not to think twice.

Lakshmana and Sita Devi so,

Wherever with Shri Rama to go.

Why Can’t I Wait Until I Am Really In Trouble

“The many past births you spoiled can be rectified right now, today, if you start chanting Shri Rama’s holy name and renounce bad association, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 22)

Download this episode (right click and save)

बिगरी जनम अनेक की सुधरै अबहीं आजु |
होहि राम को नाम जपु तुलसी तजि कुसमाजु ||

bigarī janama aneka kī sudharai abahīṃ āju |
hohi rāma ko nāma japu tulasī taji kusamāju ||

Friend1: Let me take you through a scenario here. Say that I have just completed college.

Friend2: Four years?

Friend1: Sure. I earned my degree. Everything went well.

Friend2: You have a job lined up?

Friend1: I’m getting to that. Someone I know arranged for me to start at this position which is basically perfect.

Friend2: Because of the money?

Friend1: Yes, but as a young professional just starting out money is not so important to me. It’s at a good company. There is room for growth. The responsibilities match well with what I have studied.

Friend2: Awesome.

Friend1: Here’s the thing. I can start the job six months from now.

Friend2: Why is that?

Friend1: We don’t need a reason in order to conduct the analysis. Let’s just say there is a cause. As Shri Krishna is the cause of all causes, sarva-karana-karanam, for this result there is some karana.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: As a young person, I take this to be the best news.

Friend2: Why is that?

Friend1: Because I can enjoy without limitation until the starting date. If I want to sleep in, no problem. Binge watch my favorite television show, I can go for it. Travel the world, see new places, and not tied down – who wouldn’t want that?

Friend2: How are you going to pay for stuff?

Friend1: It doesn’t matter. I can wrack up credit card debt. The present doesn’t matter so much. Everything will be made right in the future.

Friend2: I guess it will if you want to think that way.

Friend1: I’m using this situation to transition to a concept in spiritual life, particularly a promise made.

Friend2: Let me guess. You want to be able to do whatever you want because you know that someone “died for your sins.” Go ahead and be the biggest sinner in the world. Everything will be alright because this person is there to take away the negative consequences.

Friend1: Not quite. I know that if I abandon all varieties of religion, dharma, Shri Krishna will protect. This is because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The surrender has to be genuine, i.e. not merely a signed statement or mandatory attendance at a house of worship.

Friend2: The consciousness itself has to be different. Think of Him constantly, and especially at the time of death. Dedicate every activity for His satisfaction. Know the proper course of action based on the authority of parampara, the disciplic succession which has God the person at the origin. Krishna must be the founder of the institution, so to speak, from which the principles are learned.

Friend1: There is a similar promise offered by Goswami Tulsidas. He says that the many past births that were spoiled can by rectified through chanting the holy name of Rama. Yes, I know that Rama and Krishna are the same.

Friend2: The personal God. Not some abstract concept which you mold and shape to suit your material desires.

Friend1: The idea is that there are certainly mistakes from the past. Not only in this life, but past ones, as well. I can’t remember them, but since the soul never ceases to exist, as an individual I had to be somewhere at every previous point in the time continuum.

Friend2: No one can accurately trace out the history of the conditioned soul, starting from its fall to the material world, but then such information is not necessary to correct the situation at present.

Friend1: Do you see the similarity to the guaranteed job situation?

Friend2: Umm, not really.

Friend1: I have the assurance that everything will be alright in the future. This is license for enjoying right now. Similarly, what is the urgency for starting bhakti-yoga today?

Friend2: Are you serious with this?

Friend1: Someone might raise this objection. Let me enjoy first. Everything will be alright in the end. I have the promise from Shri Krishna. The saints have reformed the greatest sinners in the world. It shouldn’t be a problem with me.

Friend2: That is interesting logic, for sure. One thing you are overlooking in the job situation is that by living a life of indulgence, for however long, you might negatively impact your ability to perform at work. Whatever guarantees you have received, there is still the expectation that you complete the assigned tasks. Am I right?

Friend1: Absolutely.

Friend2: Don’t think that it will be easy to turn on the switch, so to speak, going from irresponsible to responsible. You and I have already spoiled so many past lives. We have many regrettable situations from this life, where we cringe at the thought of what occurred.

Friend1: Embarrassing moments, wishing we had acted differently.

Friend2: And you know there is nothing that can be done now. Yet the promise of bhakti is so amazing that even the past mistakes turn into auspicious occasions. That is because they are connected to the redemption process, bringing you to where you need to be. Don’t waste time. You have the jewel of devotional service. Don’t leave it unprotected. Keep it with you as the most valuable possession. Make every day one to remember by chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

From employer a guarantee,

That in six months a job for me.

Excuse for enjoyment to make,

Why life so seriously to take?

Promise from Krishna coming the same,

That in surrender the highest gain.

Issue that time rather not deferring,

Auspicious this body type conferring.

Four Ways To Relate To Prahlada Maharaja

“In any assembly where there are discourses about saints and devotees, O King Yudhishthira, even the enemies of the demons, namely the demigods, what to speak of you, would cite Prahlada Maharaja as an example of a great devotee.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.35)

Download this episode (right click and save)

यं साधु-गाथा-सदसि
रिपवो ’पि सुरा नृप
प्रतिमानं प्रकुर्वन्ति
किम् उतान्ये भवादृशाः

yaṁ sādhu-gāthā-sadasi
ripavo ’pi surā nṛpa
pratimānaṁ prakurvanti
kim utānye bhavādṛśāḥ

Narada Muni gives the seal of approval. He is the authority on devotional service, acting exclusively for the interests of the Supreme Lord, who is known by the name Narayana, among many others. The confirmation goes to Yudhishthira Maharaja, who is himself a saintly character.

Narada says that whenever there are discourses about saintly people, Prahlada Maharaja is cited as an ideal example. That amazing son exhibited great courage, strength, perseverance, and even forbearance at such a young age.

With so much detail provided in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, the subject of Prahlada is suitable for a lifetime of study. Varieties in living situations exist, and so from many different angles a person can relate to that persecuted son of King Hiranyakashipu.

1. A child with a horrible parent

Some people will tell you that if your child doesn’t hate you at one time or another, you are not doing your job.

“You want that fear. You need that fear. Otherwise, they will become spoiled. A weak adult is a sucker; they get taken advantage of. The future miseries of the child will be your fault, for having coddled them.”

Thus, it is natural for a child to have negative feelings towards one or both parents on occasion. Perhaps there was an unfair punishment. They said “no” to the sleepover happening next door. They refused to extend funds to purchase a new car.

To become a truly horrible parent means to descend further down the hole of improper behavior. Perhaps the father drinks too much. They strike the wife unnecessarily. Maybe the mother is promiscuous and more concerned about shopping than putting food on the table.

A child stuck in a bad situation can relate to Prahlada Maharaja, who happened to have the worst parent imaginable. Hiranyakashipu tried to kill Prahlada in so many ways. The boy’s only crime was openly professed loyalty to Lord Vishnu.

This was not mere dogmatic insistence or blind sentimentalism. Prahlada understood both Vishnu the personal God and the meaning behind that full feature. That is to say the son knew that the source of his strength was the same as in the father. The child treated every person as a friend, extending universal brotherhood, because he understood the inherent link to Vishnu.

2. A student not interested in school

What child actually likes going to school? Maybe in the early years they think it is fun to board the yellow bus every morning with the other children, but soon the novelty wears off. If not compelled to learn, they would likely choose to stay home and watch television all day.

Some subjects are more dreaded than others. A student might question the teacher as follows:

“Why are we learning this? When am I ever going to use this information? I don’t care what a bunch of old guys did a few hundred years back. That has no bearing on my life today. This is so boring.”

Prahlada was not interested in school, either. Hiranyakashipu first tried to get the boy’s mind right. Maybe if the teachers of the state force-fed the students information about material life and how to rule a kingdom, the interests would change.

3. A loving family member with compassion

Love gets tested in the difficult moments. The genuineness gets revealed rather quickly. It is easy to say that you care for someone when everything is going well. When they don’t treat you properly, when they fall into bad sorts, do you still love them as much?

If so, you can easily relate to Prahlada Maharaja. His own father was in the depths of illusion. He had a hint of affection inside him. He would shed tears from time to time when in the presence of Prahlada. Yet the hatred for Vishnu trumped everything.

Despite all that went wrong, with the many aggressions against him, Prahlada maintained a forgiving disposition. He had so much compassion for the father that when Narasimhadeva arrived and delivered the just punishment, Prahlada still sought clemency. He asked that Hiranyakashipu be forgiven.

4. A parent who wants the best for their children

You’re not actually sure what it is you want to give, but you know that the child should find the best situation. You wish that they surpass you in happiness. Maybe that means a strong educational foundation. Perhaps it is an occupation in adulthood that provides a satisfactory income.

A parent in this situation can appreciate Prahlada Maharaja since the child achieved liberation even prior to birth. The steadfast devotion to Vishnu is the model for every person to follow. If a person’s child exhibits anything close to the same, where they sing along to the maha-mantra and dance to the sound of sankirtana, then the highest goal of life has been attained.

In Closing:

Perhaps strong educational,

Or the best occupational.

Parent for their child hoping,

That not struggle in this life coping.

Or the child with parents horrible,

Prahlada dealing with father terrible.

How to forgive the most intense hate,

Many ways to that saint to relate.

Three Takeaways From Yashoda Seeing Into Krishna’s Mouth

“When the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna was so ordered by His mother, He immediately opened His mouth just like an ordinary boy. Then mother Yashoda saw within that mouth the complete opulence of creation. She saw the entire outer space in all directions, mountains, islands, oceans, seas, planets, air, fire, moon and stars. Along with the moon and the stars she also saw the entire elements, water, sky, the extensive ethereal existence along with the total ego and the products of the senses and the controller of the senses, all the demigods, the objects of the senses like sound, smell, etc., and the three qualities of material nature.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 8)

Download this episode (right click and save)

The friends levied the accusation. The word of Balarama carried some weight. He was the elder brother, so there was not a conflicting interest. Or so it seemed. Krishna’s defense was that somehow Balarama had joined the other party. They were out to get Him. Krishna was innocent of the charge.

Young children are known to do things they shouldn’t. Once they become mobile and gradually increase in height, they can get to areas that were previously out of reach. These are prohibited places. The infant should not reach up and pull down the blinds from the window. They should not hang off the edge of the table, for they might fall back and hit their head on the tile floor.

That floor brings trouble in another area. Anything lying on it is liable to be put into the baby’s mouth. They simply do not know better. Catch them in the act, about to eat something not fit for human consumption, and they quickly jump up and run away. It is as if they want you to catch them, to force them away from the prohibited behavior.

The accusation was that Krishna had eaten dirt. This is not a good thing, for there could be all sorts of foreign substances mixed in. The digestive system is not equipped to handle large objects that cannot be broken down. Mother Yashoda was rightfully concerned. As there was conflicting testimony, to get confirmation she looked into the mouth of her darling son.

1. Infinite within the finite

Within His mouth she found the entire universe. Not limited to a large abstract vision, there was endless nuance and detail. Planets, stars, bodies of water, mountains, islands – everything a person would think to be present in a space inhabited by living creatures. Yashoda essentially went on a tour of the universe.

One significance of the exchange is that within the seemingly limited there can be the unlimited. This is only true with the Supreme Lord. The transcendental body of Krishna at the time was diminutive in comparison to the adults. Children can’t eat that much precisely because the stomach has yet to expand to full size. How could the entire universe fit into that tiny form?

The reason is that Bhagavan is not limited by the body. The dichotomy between spirit and matter does not apply to Him. He is quintessential transcendence. The vision shown to Yashoda was limited by the time factor. In truth, a person can travel endlessly inside of the stomach of the Supreme Lord. Kakabhushundi, one of the authorities on the Ramayana, had a similar experience. In the form of a crow he was swallowed by the same Krishna in the form of a small child named Rama, the prince of Ayodhya.

2. God can eat anything He likes

The concern from Yashoda was legitimate. The sentiment was indicative of her pure love. Despite the fact that her son had overcome many obstacles prior, the mother did not think He was invincible. She did not look to take anything from Him. She only wanted to give.

For Krishna eating dirt is not an issue. He accepts all kinds of offerings from His devotee. The earth is actually a devi, or goddess, known as Bhumi. She had originally gone to petition Lord Vishnu to help with the dire situation on earth. Accepting her dirt in His mouth was like receiving a kind offering.

As Krishna can accept dirt in His mouth, He can eat with His eyes. He reciprocates offerings consisting of sound vibration, as well, such as the singing of the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

3. Yashoda did not need to be impressed

The vision of the universal form was not necessary. Yashoda was already in the liberated position. She did not need convincing on the stature of her son, since she was totally dedicated to Him regardless of what anyone said or thought. Nothing Krishna could show her would change the relationship.

The interaction is another instance of the Supreme Lord having fun with those closest to Him. The documented version of the incident also helps to bring others back into the eternal occupation of devotional service, one they have missed since too long, unfortunately choosing a path of forgetfulness instead.

In Closing:

After eating dirt from the ground,

Amazing vision in mouth found.

By Yashoda the loving mother,

Though son is Vishnu no other.

Not this way considering,

Selfless service delivering.

That Krishna beyond limits to go,

For devotees an amazing show.

Friends Of The Brahmanas Playing Tricks

“For a demon there is no substance in the process of devotional service, but to a devotee devotional service is the only essential factor in life. Since Hiranyakashipu did not like devotional service, the essence of life, he chastised Prahlada Maharaja's teachers with harsh words.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.26 Purport)

Download this episode (right click and save)

You and your sister are watching television at home in the living room. Though sometimes a struggle to reach agreement on a channel and program, today you are both pleased by staying on music videos. One song that you particularly like is up next on the rotation.

Synchronized to the music, you clap your hands. Everything is going well until suddenly the television turns off. Neither of you can seem to find the remote control. No issue, as you simply walk up to the device and turn it back on.

The music playing again, you start clapping your hands. Again, the television turns off. Your sister looks at you angrily and makes an accusation:

“Is this some trick you are playing? I want to watch that song. Stop being silly. Turn the television back on.”

Yet you are not doing anything. Just as an experiment you decide to clap your hands. Suddenly the television turns back on. This can’t be real. There is no extra device plugged in that would monitor for such signals. You keep going and notice that sometimes there is a delayed response. Certain clapping sounds don’t trigger a power on/off and others do.

His mission accomplished your brother finally emerges from the hallway behind the sofa in the living room. He was playing a trick on both of you. He had the remote control the entire time. He tried to synchronize the power button pressing with the clapping. Upset at first you must later give him his due. That was a pretty good prank.

King Hiranyakashipu had a similar suspicion one time, but he did not see anything funny about the situation. The teachers presented Prahlada before the king. Father once again meeting son. Prior enmity now forgotten, Hiranyakashipu showed every sign of an affectionate family member.

Everything changed once Prahlada began to speak. The boy responded to the question from the father about the most preferred topic heard from the teachers. The answer was devotional service, bhakti-yoga. There was one problem. The teachers didn’t touch on this subject, at all. If they were to bring up Vishnu, the personal God, it would be to warn against coming near Him. The gopis of Vrindavana give a similar warning, since they know that a person will end up relinquishing everything else in life in favor of devotion to Him.

Hiranyakashipu and his assistants were of the demoniac mentality, so they could not tolerate any hint of devotion in the kingdom. The father was so angry at the teachers that he immediately accused them. They were referred to as brahma-bandhu, which is someone who is merely a relative or friend of a priestly person. The teachers certainly thought they were qualified in every respect, but the king indirectly revealed that the post of brahmana they occupied was not legitimate; it was due to ancestral links only.

The only genuine brahmana in the picture was Prahlada. He heard from another qualified brahmana, with the instruction in a setting no one would suspect. Prahlada received the lessons on bhakti-yoga from Narada Muni, the travelling saint who sings the glories of Narayana wherever he goes. Prahlada was still in the womb at the time.

The teachers were not playing tricks. They were just as flabbergasted at Prahlada’s response as the father. They were about to see even more amazing things from that son soon to be celebrated across the three worlds.

In Closing:

As opportunity for Vishnu used,

Father then the teachers accused.

That secretly with the other side,

Though in asura kingdom to reside.

To brahmanas only by relation known,

Not with qualifications shown.

Truth that Prahlada already heard,

From Narada’s authoritative word.

Three Ways Prahlada Tortured The Father

“After hearing these words of devotional service from the mouth of his son Prahlada, Hiranyakashipu was extremely angry. His lips trembling, he spoke as follows to Shanda the son of his guru, Shukracharya.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.25)

Download this episode (right click and save)

निशम्यैतत् सुत-वचो
हिरण्यकशिपुस् तदा
गुरु-पुत्रम् उवाचेदं
रुषा प्रस्फुरिताधरः

niśamyaitat suta-vaco
hiraṇyakaśipus tadā
guru-putram uvācedaṁ
ruṣā prasphuritādharaḥ

Intense anger. Uncontrollable rage, bubbling over to the point that you cannot speak. No words emerging from the mouth because there are too many from which to choose. Just one won’t suffice, since you need to properly express the intense emotion.

Hiranyakashipu felt this way one time. There were several people with whom to be upset. Though typically viewed as the worst father in history, and deservedly so, in this world different viewpoints lead to variety in judgments. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, to the demoniac father whose deeds were so deplorable that they warranted a visit from Vaikuntha’s chief resident it was actually the son who was torturing him.

1. Replying about devotional service

In his mind things were going smoothly. Hiranyakashipu was on a roll. He succeeded in pleasing the creator, Lord Brahma. This is something like going to the boss of the company and asking for keys to the ship.

“Let me become the leader. By the way, if any of the employees should try to remove me by force, allow me to be so powerful that I can squash the mutiny. I realize that you cannot guarantee my remaining in that post in perpetuity, but provide me with protections that are sufficient to cover every situation I can think of.”

Hiranyakashipu then proceeded to take over the world. He was not satisfied to remain in the earthly realm. He physically travelled to the heavenly planetary system and asserted his authority over the king of the demigods, Indra. Hiranyakashipu did not wait for the typical route of travelling to a different body after death, where ascension occurs due to meritorious credits, sukriti.

There were sons to the king, and Prahlada was considered the best. The perfect record ended when once Prahlada spoke of the science of self-realization while in the presence of the father. If the father had a hint of spiritual culture in him, he would not have been so taken aback. One who knows pain and suffering is better equipped to tolerate a change in fortune. The one who is driven by the senses and not used to controlling them cannot handle simple words of wisdom coming from a five year old boy.

Upset that any person in his kingdom would favor the eternal enemy, the Supreme Lord, Hiranyakashipu ordered the royal teachers to get the boy’s mind right. These were sons to the guru of the asuras, Shukracharya. The name is significant, because he was an acharya in title only. He obtained the post through seminal relation, not necessarily by qualification. Therefore, the advice his students received was flawed.

The teachers tried their best to turn Prahlada’s interests towards dharma, artha and kama. Formal religion, and economic development for the ultimate purpose of sense gratification. When they brought the boy to the father again sometime later, Hiranyakashipu was in tears. The affection was so strong, as if nothing had happened previously.

The anger quickly returned once Prahlada started speaking about devotional service. The child explained the nine processes of bhakti-yoga, essentially going above and beyond the generic teachings on material life he presented before. This was torture to Hiranyakashipu because of the lack of success in such an important area. Obviously, the teachers were not effective. The king had failed in something that should have been simple.

2. Surviving the attacks

No other recourse but to apply brute force. Kill the child. Get rid of the problem. No more hearing such words if the person speaking them is no longer around. Hiranyakashipu again employed deputies to handle the horrible deed.

Yet the tables turned. While throwing a kid off a cliff, putting him in fire, feeding him to snakes and giving him poison would be considered the worst kind of torture, it was Hiranyakashipu who suffered. He could not believe that Prahlada survived. There had to be a secret. Maybe the child knew some mystic art that was unknown to the father.

3. Describing the source of strength

Hiranyakashipu finally inquired:

“Prahlada, what is the source of your strength? How are you able to withstand these attacks?

The reply was again like torture to the father. Prahlada explained that the source of his strength is the same as it is for every person. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita by Shri Krishna.

रसो ऽहम् अप्सु कौन्तेय
प्रभास्मि शशि-सूर्ययोः
प्रणवः सर्व-वेदेषु
शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु

raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu

“O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.8)

The torture finally came to an end. Prahlada was not agitated by the antagonism from the crown, but Hiranyakashipu could tolerate no more. The same person that Prahlada worshiped without fail arrived on the scene in the amazing form known as Narasimha. Unlike the attacks on the innocent and helpless boy, this would succeed. Despite every boon he had going for him, Hiranyakashipu did not stand a chance. The origin of Prahlada’s strength chose the side of devotion, proving that the asura mindset never wins in the long run.

In Closing:

Bad guy from boons becoming strong,

But to lose in the story long.

Because Vishnu the other side choosing,

Not those with personal motives using.

The material energy, illusion’s force,

Prahlada staying bhakti’s course.

Such that to father torture feeling,

Failed despite to violence appealing.