Four Meanings To The Word Guna

“Another meaning of guna is rope; it is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself-he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Krishna, or His bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14 Purport)

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1. Material quality

The individual is actually spirit soul. It lacks hands, legs, and a face in the strict sense, though such association exists when there is a material body. That body consists of different qualities, which are something like elements. Shri Krishna explains that there are both gross and subtle varieties.

भूमिर् आपो ऽनलो वायुः
खं मनो बुद्धिर् एव च
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे
भिन्ना प्रकृतिर् अष्टधा

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego - altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

There are also gradations to the specific qualities. Goodness, passion and ignorance. Take these in different combinations and proportions and you get up to 8,400,000 species. This is the information descending from Vedic literature. Long before modern science travelled in the direction of identifying species and creating a hierarchical system for understanding, the Vedas already revealed everything to be known.

2. Rope

Another meaning for guna is “rope.” Actually, the two definitions are identical in the sense of the effect. As the individual is spirit soul at the core, with their proper identification as atma, any material qualities accepted become binding. Something like anchoring a boat to the floor of the sea when trying to set sail. Tied down to a bed when trying to get up. Locked in a room when wanting to get out.

The place to which the conditioned soul is bound is known as the material world. The process of the binding is called reincarnation. Repeated birth and death, spinning in a cycle for as long as the desire remains.

The meaning is that desire, kama, combined with fruitive activity, karma, fuels the engine of reincarnation. They are what purchase the rope and lead to the subsequent binding. For as long as material desire remains, the gunas continue to have the same effect.

3. Distinguishable feature

Here guna has a meaning specific to a type of understanding. For learning of the Supreme Lord, who is the origin of everything, the vessel is the material body. From a skewed perspective a person has to try to understand someone who is beyond the senses and this world, even.

Therefore, a distinction may arise, specifically between what is seen and what is not. The unseen version of the Divine may be tagged as nirguna. This is without any distinguishable features. The version that can be identified with the eyes is known as saguna, or with qualities.

It should be acknowledged that there is no distinction in terms of definition. That is to say how a person views the Supreme Lord bears no impact on His actual position. We say that the sun has set for the day since we can no longer see it, but the sun is always there no matter our angle of vision.

4. Transcendental glories

The qualities belonging to Bhagavan are not binding. He is above the material world and its dualities. Therefore, when discussing gunas for the Supreme Lord, they refer to His glories. He has too many gunas to count. Moreover, they are not limiting.

As an example, the gunas associated with Shri Krishna in the land of Gokula relate to a child’s body. Yet even as an infant Krishna can thwart the attacks of a powerful whirlwind and a devious witch. He brings transcendental bliss to everyone who meets Him.

The gunas in terms of binding material qualities become spiritualized when there is a connection in yoga to service to Krishna. Everything becomes auspicious due to the purifying effect of the all-attractive one. Reincarnation ceases and liberation is the guaranteed end to the current ride on the cycle of birth and death.

In Closing:

Material qualities on person shown,

Guna also as rope is known.

Distinguishable feature a way,

Nirguna or saguna can say.

With Supreme Lord to His glories applying,

Proof from pastimes logic defying.

When connected positively to affect,

No more deleterious effect.

Two Ways To Prove God Without Opening a Book

“The two youths, one dark-skinned and one fair, are treasures of beauty. It appears that Lord Brahma has taken all the beauty in the world and placed it in them.” (Janaki Mangala, 32)

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स्यामल गौर किसोर मनोहरता निधि
सुषमा सकल सकेलि मनहुँ बिरचे बिधि
syāmala gaura kisora manoharatā nidhi |
suṣamā sakala sakeli manahum̐ birace bidhi ||

The believers against the non-believers. Those siding with the concept of a superior force, someone above everything. The other in that camp that has full confidence in skepticism. Unless something gets presented directly in front of them, to see, touch and feel, they won’t believe with certainty.

Fortunately, there are ways to understand the presence of the Almighty without ever opening a book. No need to attend a lecture, sign a loyalty oath, or visit a house of worship. You might not even need to leave the home. Just look out the window.

1. Infinite variety

This particular manufacturer revolutionized the technology business. They created an entire industry just through one device. In the beginning, there wasn’t much choice. One version of the same smartphone had a certain storage space, while the other carried more. There was only one service provider, the product of a strategic decision to help bring the product to market more quickly.

Now years after the fact, the product comes in many varieties. The older versions are still supported to a degree, and so the consuming public may have any one of up to ten different kinds of hardware. There are different colors to match the different sizes and specifications.

That variety is a byproduct of consumer demand. The shelves in the supermarket carry ten forms of pasta precisely because there are people willing to purchase each one. Otherwise, the ones that don’t sell will quickly be removed.

Just imagine, then, the effort required to create the variety seen in the world itself. Man has yet to get a full grasp. They created a classification system for the species, but from the Vedas we learn that the true distinct count reaches 8,400,000.

The infinite variety is proof itself of a higher being. Random explosions cannot replicate the same. No one is able to even conceive of such an end-goal. Someone beyond the capacity of the typical human brain had to be involved.

2. Beauty of the works of the creation

Within that variety is amazing beauty. As much as the nighttime skyline of a major city is appreciated, nothing can quite compare to a flower. There is the colorful sunset, the glacier created by nature, the waterfall, the meadow, the tall tree, and the dark raincloud.

There is so much to appreciate within nature that constant travel conducted over many years still wouldn’t bring everything within vision. The creation has a creator. No one can produce the same through human effort. Nothing just randomly appears. Whether that original person goes by this name or that is not really important. The acknowledgment must be made that there is an origin, and to that origin would be attributed the most beautiful artistic output.

From Vedic literature we learn that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually more beautiful than His creation. The comparison is found in many places, including the Janaki Mangala of Goswami Tulsidas. The two sons to King Dasharatha, Rama and Lakshmana, are so amazing to behold that it looks like the creator took everything available to him and used it for shaping their transcendental bodies.

The Vedas inform that there is a specific creator, but he actually doesn’t generate the elements. He takes the base ingredients of goodness, passion and ignorance and gets to work on crafting nature and the different body types. Still, he has a benefactor. He is empowered by someone.

That person is the Supreme Lord, the origin of everything. He is beauty personified, and the infinite variety and amazing works of the creation represent but a spark of His splendor. Those who connect with Him in consciousness, in what is known as yoga, recognize and appreciate this property. They continue to discover more and more about Him, and the bliss in the connection continues to increase.

In Closing:

Not that interest decreasing,

Bliss of connection increasing.

Since always more to learn,

Closer in consciousness to yearn.

Not required that outside going,

Just from amazing nature knowing.

That beauty from someone the cause,

Whose self-form everyone awes.

Two Areas Of Modern Science Covered By The Vedas

“There are many personalities possessing the qualities of Bhagavan, but Krishna is the supreme because none can excel Him. He is the Supreme Person, and His body is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is the primeval Lord Govinda and the cause of all causes.” (Brahma-samhita, 5.1)

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ईश्वरः परमः कृष्णः
सच्-चिद्-आनन्द-विग्रहः
अनादिर् आदिर् गोविन्दः
सर्व-कारण-कारणम्

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

In a specific area of the world it was a new way of thinking. In the past it might have gotten you killed. You would be labeled a heretic, someone going against the established traditions of the time, venturing beyond what is written in a specific book that was translated and maintained by an institution with a rigid hierarchical management structure.

In the more free thinking areas, where the people were liberal on the concept of a creator or the origin of everything, scientists were free to think for themselves. Conduct experiments to learn valuable truths. Go beyond blind faith and sentimentalism. Have some sort of empirical data to substantiate the belief amongst the majority of the population.

Fortunately, Vedic culture already accounts for this. Man is not encouraged to accept blindly and neither are they expected to discover everything for themselves. Rely on the authority of a realized person, one who has heard the truth, shrotriya.

To test the validity of the claim, we see that several areas that are of interest to modern science are already covered in Vedic literature with great clarity.

1. The first cause of action in matter

The interest in this area increased as the curiosity with electricity began to grow. Scientists were adding on to the discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton. The average person could conduct their own experiments and then share the results with their peers. Sort of how the original personal computers came to be through the association involved with hobby-related clubs, there was a collaborative spirit in advancing the condition of human society in general.

There was the visible evidence of electricity. There were experiments showing how a single charge could travel over a specific distance, maintaining intensity. The belief was that this same kind of energy pervaded the entire nature, being responsible for the workings of the creation.

But what exactly is the initial cause? To conduct an experiment, someone had to act as the instigator. Even in the basic functioning of a light bulb today, someone must first turn the switch to the “on” position. If the same concept extends to the macro level, who is providing the initial surge to keep the lights on in the universe, so to speak?

2. The cause of gravitation

The apple falls from the tree. The apple is not doing anything special and neither is the tree. There is a specific force pulling the object down. The same force applies to all objects, and at every moment. This helps to explain how objects remain where they are, and why certain collections of elements remain above relative to others, like the clouds.

The natural question, therefore, is what causes the gravitational pull. Who is on the other side? Is there a mechanism to negate? Is there a way to turn everything off, so to speak?

…

To answer the first question we have a verse from the Brahma-samhita. It says that one person is the cause of all causes. The Sanskrit is sarva karana-karanam. For every action there is a cause. There cannot be a result without some work applied, as confirmed by Shri Lakshmana.

अदृष्टगुणदोषाणामध्रुवाणां तु कर्मणाम्
नान्तरेण क्रियां तेषां फलमिष्टं प्रवर्तते

adṛṣṭaguṇadoṣāṇāmadhruvāṇāṃ tu karmaṇām
nāntareṇa kriyāṃ teṣāṃ phalamiṣṭaṃ pravartate

“Unseen and indefinite are the good and bad reactions of fruitive work. And without taking action, the desired fruits of such work cannot manifest.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 66.17)

If you travel up the chain of causes, you eventually reach a beginning point. This is one way to understand God. The Brahma-samhita describes Him to be Govinda, the one who gives pleasure to the senses. Govinda is all-attractive and thus also known as Krishna. Even if a person simply understands Him to be the original cause, they have made tremendous advancement in fulfilling the objective of the human birth.

For the second question we have the knowledge of the expansion of God known as Anantadeva. He is depicted to be a serpent with an unlimited number of hoods. The idea is that God holds everything together. He is in charge of maintaining the solar system. The planets are where they are because of Anantadeva.

We know something is keeping everything in place; that is undeniable. Through the knowledge of this amazing expansion of God, we learn that the Supreme Lord is not fatigued in holding up the massive objects of matter known as planets. He has limitless potency. Consider millions upon millions of universes. Know that Shri Krishna can maintain a proper inventory count. He can supply the necessary energy without tiring.

Without consulting Vedic literature, the curious scientist is left to keep exploring. Bits and pieces of information gathered over time, published in an ever-revising compendium of literature-sets, but always missing the mark. The amazing nature is intentionally constructed to indulge this curiosity, to have layer upon layer of mystery. In other words, a conditioned soul has as much time as they desire to forget the Supreme Lord and service to Him.

Those on the other side are blessed with the astounding information from the outset. They both know the workings of nature and have a great appreciation for how everything works. They marvel at the power of illusion, maya. Through exploring this universe they find new ways to continue their praise of the all-attractive one, who is the source of the material and spiritual sciences.

In Closing:

In science discovery’s course,

Finding gravitational force,

But what exactly at the source?

And who the original force?

For matter to move and collide,

Such knowledge in Vedas to reside.

God as first cause one way known,

Holding up the many planets alone.

Three Limitations To Prahlada’s Benevolence

“Prahlada Maharaja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krishna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.30)

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श्री-प्रह्राद उवाच
मतिर् न कृष्णे परतः स्वतो वा
मिथो ’भिपद्येत गृह-व्रतानाम्
अदान्त-गोभिर् विशतां तमिस्रं
पुनः पुनश् चर्वित-चर्वणानाम्

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
mitho ’bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

Prahlada Maharaja, the saintly son of Hiranyakashipu, in a fair assessment would have to be considered the most benevolent person. What he offered to others is unmatched and neither can a price tag be placed. His association alone purified the atmosphere, bringing auspiciousness for everyone connected to him.

At the same time, it is interesting to note exactly what the child was not able to offer. These are areas commonly associated with benevolence, in how it is defined in a material existence.

1. He could not offer money

Your friend down on his luck? Run into some poor people on the underground train system, begging for financial assistance? Charity starts at the personal level, so there is always the option to donate money. Give away enough so that you feel less guilty about the situation.

Prahlada was born into royalty, but at the same time he had nothing for himself. He was not yet the king. Therefore, offering financial assistance to others was out of the question. More importantly, the people he was helping didn’t necessarily need money.

2. He could not heal the sick

Another way to be benevolent is to offer medical assistance. Go to a place that is lacking treatment facilities and hospitals. Start with basic services like general checkups and exams for hearing and vision. Bring some over-the-counter medicines to deal with common illnesses. Though it doesn’t seem like a lot, just a little help in this direction goes a long way towards making an impact.

Prahlada was not specifically qualified in this area. He was neither a medical person nor one who could hire graduates from medical school. He was healing maladies, but the issues dealt more with consciousness and the way the world was viewed.

3. He could not give food

Sometimes the beggar is willing to accept food in lieu of currency. After all, food is one of the basic necessities. If sufficient money does happen to arrive, it is often exchanged for food, clothing and shelter.

Prahlada could be a hero by going to areas of destitution and offering food. In truth, his father had caused starvation amongst people who were previously the most well-off. The demigods residing in the heavenly planetary system eat the oblations offered in yajna, which is sacrifice. Hiranyakashipu took over their position by force and was not willing to share the deposits made in the bank account of sacrifice.

…

Prahlada’s benevolence had a much deeper impact. Food, money, medical assistance, shelter, material education and the like provide only temporary relief. The farthest the impact can reach is the present existence. After death the slate gets wiped clean.

Prahlada teaches that such a condition is certainly shameful. Being attached to the temporary is not the natural way. Allegiance and subsequent service to Shri Hari is what the soul is meant to do. It is the very definition of dharma.

The five-year old son to the king offers the instruction that enjoying the senses in the human form is something like chewing the chewed. It is trying to extract taste from something already eaten. There is very little left to enjoy, but in illusion the individual thinks otherwise.

Just as in our normal affairs a person may not be willing to accept assistance offered to them, the people in the Daitya kingdom did not really respond to Prahlada’s teachings. Nevertheless, the instruction was not a waste of time. At least Prahlada took joy in the process. There was subsequent documentation in Vedic literature, to help countless future generations avoid the depressing life of material attachment. The child’s devotion also triggered the descent of the amazing avatara known as Vishnu, who gave proof to the principles that Prahlada was firmly convinced of.

In Closing:

Prahlada the saintly son,

Through whom liberation won.

The most benevolent so,

Since with knowledge to go.

But limited in other ways,

Like in gifting hospital stays.

Or to the needy financial assistance,

But much more through royal resistance.

Three Things I View Differently After Receiving Knowledge And Experience

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)

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सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां
यतन्तश् च दृढ-व्रताः
नमस्यन्तश् च मां भक्त्या
नित्य-युक्ता उपासते

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate

It’s not just about giving up stuff because someone tells you to. It’s not about torturing yourself for the sake of winning a reward only to be witnessed in the afterlife. There is a science to it. Jnana coupled with vijnana. Taking the knowledge first and receiving confirmation through practical application.

It is possible to choose spiritual life after careful consideration, upon weighing the different options. The behavior of a person on the path of transcendence may seem odd, out of place, or unnecessary, but there is strong evidence at the foundation. Indeed, a similar change in behavior already takes place after some knowledge and experience arrive.

1. I do not want that candy

In my youth it was almost routine. Every trip to the supermarket with the parents involved choosing at least one candy bar from the checkout aisle. In the early years it was Butterfinger, but after that the affinity was towards peanut butter cups.

As an adult, I want nothing to do with such things. Not that the taste has changed. I would still enjoy it, at first. The headaches afterwards I want to avoid. Damage to the teeth. An expanding waistline so that the clothes for work don’t fit. Trouble getting proper sleep. At the mere sight of candy I now turn away.

2. I would rather not chase after that woman

It’s as old as the universe itself. Men and women come together. There is natural attraction. I am no different in this regard. I see a pretty girl and my behavior changes. You take notice. It must be the same on the other side.

In my youth it was a kind of competition, a way to puff up the false ego, ahankara. See if you can get an attractive person to take an interest in you. Whatever the preferred strategy, find a way. Give compliments. Show off some accomplishment. Go the extra effort.

At this point in life I would never even consider making the approach. The reason? Sure, there is some satisfaction in the beginning, but who wants to be yelled at for the rest of their lives? Who wants the attachment and responsibility? I am fine with where things stand. No justification for screwing things up.

3. I want an inexpensive and inconspicuous automobile

One way to attract attention is to purchase an expensive car. Something that will make others take notice. I’ve seen it where an owner gets stopped in the middle of the road, as others strike up a conversation based simply on the kind of car being driven.

Today, I am fine with something reliable, affordable and anything but eye-catching. The reason is the extra involvement with maintenance. I don’t want to have to worry about someone dinging the side door. I can now park wherever I want. I don’t need to stay far away from others.

…

One could say that the above examples represent a jaded view, a person who is fussy for no reason. The truth is that the knowledge and experience led to a shift in outlook. Vedic culture operates in the same manner, with one notable exception.

The knowledge is first passed down from authority. There is no requirement to experience everything firsthand, document, and then reference later on. Saintly people from the past either saw enough to gather sufficient material to pass on to others or they accepted the same from their own teachers.

Even better is that the knowledge covers the full span of existence. Not just eating and sleeping. Beyond sense enjoyment, there is information on the afterlife, the kinds of experiences possible and what triggers specific travel.

A person who accepts this information in a formal way is known to have a second birth. They gain the vision of shastra. They observe with the eyes of scripture, thereby knowing what to avoid. There is the positive aspect, as well. Knowing what to do, how to be happy and how to stay that way.

Saintly people stay with the origin of everything, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They remember Him, describe Him, sing His glories and keep Him close by through the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This strong connection, known as yoga, certainly changes the way of life, but everything works out for the best.

In Closing:

All working out for the best,

When saintly person to bless.

Highest wisdom passing down,

Potent that transcendental sound.

So that experience not needed,

Away from danger proceeded.

The shelter of Hari to bring,

Daily His glories to sing.

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.

Three Early Indications That Hiranyakashipu's Boons Weren't Perfect

“Indignant and angry, his reddish eyes like molten copper, Hiranyakashipu said to his servants: O demons, take this boy away from me! He deserves to be killed. Kill him as soon as possible!” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.34)

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आहामर्ष-रुषाविष्टः
कषायी-भूत-लोचनः
वध्यताम् आश्व् अयं वध्यो
निःसारयत नैरृताः

āhāmarṣa-ruṣāviṣṭaḥ
kaṣāyī-bhūta-locanaḥ
vadhyatām āśv ayaṁ vadhyo
niḥsārayata nairṛtāḥ

That he had to conjure up so many tricks, thinking of this situation and that, should have been the first sign. What Lord Brahma was offering could not be perfect. Otherwise, there would have been only one request coming from the worshiper, Hiranyakashipu.

“Immortality. Let me live forever. No one will be able to kill me. I will remain in whatever post I choose, free of outside interference. The strongest beings in the world, combined into a singular attacking force still will not be able to penetrate my coat of armor created through your favor.”

Instead, the future terror of the world thought of different ways to protect himself. From different kinds of creatures. From different kinds of weapons. At every time of the day. Yet from the interaction with the amazing son named Prahlada, Hiranyakashipu should have realized that while the boons received from Brahma were significant, they did not equate to perfection.

1. The first incident with Prahlada

The names of the main characters to this historical account described in Vedic literature are not accidental. The great coordinator, the Supreme Lord, writes a better real-life script than any person can imagine. The name of Hiranyakashipu references gold and soft cushions. This is the materialist’s attitude. In this case there was the specific demon species known as Daitya.

Prahlada is always joyful in understanding the spiritual nature. The child had practically nothing to his name. Just the link in ancestry. Hiranyakashipu had so much and yet became quickly agitated at some innocent words spoken by his own son.

Prahlada described what he thought to be the most important instruction in this world. He stated that accepting a material body is a kind of embarrassment. Retreating to the forest and meditating on Shri Hari is a better option.

The father did not like this. Hari, who is also known as Vishnu, was the mortal enemy. Hiranyakashipu could never let go of the hatred. He didn’t believe in God and he specifically didn’t like hearing Vishnu praised. Despite the rapid ascendance to power, the king of the world lost his cool.

2. The second incident with Prahlada

Hiranyakashipu ordered the royal teachers to set the boy’s mind right. Guide him along the proper direction. Children are quite impressionable, after all. Put them in a specific setting for long enough a time and they will become a product of their environment. This explains how young children can be so easily scared into thinking that the planet will be destroyed within ten years or that mankind can somehow change the weather.

When the son returned sometime later, the father was heartened by the offering of respect. It was as if the past enmity vanished; the slate was wiped clean. The father asked about the most important topic learned in school.

This time Prahlada got more specific. He mentioned the nine processes of devotional service, bhakti-yoga. The first is shravanam, or hearing. Hiranyakashipu was an unwitting participant. He was hearing Hari-katha from a member of the family.

Once again the father became enraged. He threw Prahlada off his lap. The eyes became red. The supposed loving affection that was aroused only moments prior was now a forgotten memory. All the power in the world couldn’t help Hiranyakashipu from becoming angry with the words from a five-year-old child.

3. The failure to kill Prahlada

Brahma gave protections against death in so many situations. The problem now was that Hiranyakashipu wanted someone else killed. Prahlada had made no such deal with Brahma. There was no specific worship. Neither was there a lengthy exercise in mysticism.

No matter how hard he tried, Hiranyakashipu could not kill Prahlada. The task should have been easy, as Prahlada did not even fight back. Yet something was wrong in the situation. The child had some ability, and Hiranyakashipu wanted to know what was going on.

In truth, it was Hari offering the protection. The father could not believe this, but soon he would have to see the flaw in his situation up in his face. The undefeated time would arrive in a most gruesome form, one that was feared by everyone except Prahlada.

In Closing:

From early on should have known,

By amazing son’s reliance shown.

That while boons significant so,

Only so far could go.

That Brahma with immortality not,

And Prahlada some special power got.

Since Vishnu’s protection flawless,

Soon to punish offender lawless.