Five People We Should Thank On A Daily Basis

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.” (Bhagavad-gita, 10.12-13)

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अर्जुन उवाच
परं ब्रह्म परं धाम
पवित्रं परमं भवान्
पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यम्
आदि-देवम् अजं विभुम्
आहुस् त्वाम् ऋषयः सर्वे
देवर्षिर् नारदस् तथा
असितो देवलो व्यासः
स्वयं चैव ब्रवीषि मे

arjuna uvāca
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
devarṣir nāradas tathā
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

1. Healthcare workers

“It is a global pandemic. No one knows the accurate death count or even the number of people infected. You hear these horror stories. The mortality rate floats on a daily basis, from one extreme to another. I am not that concerned, but everyone else is. Businesses shut down. Schools closed. People forced to work from home.

“In the thick of it all, we have the warriors on the battlefield. These are the healthcare professionals. They do their best to save lives every time they go to work, but especially today people are taking notice. They applaud and cheer at designated times of the day. I’m not sure how much difference that makes, but I guess it is a way to show appreciation for people who put themselves at risk through providing treatment.”

2. Truckers

“These people are usually on the receiving end of the polar opposite in treatment. Who actually prefers seeing a giant truck on the road? You never want to be stuck behind one. They cause traffic and congestion. Such a loud sound, too.

“Yet the people driving these trucks deserve just as much applause as the nurses and doctors. Without this kind of sacrifice, no one would have any supplies. The governor of a particular state is crying on television that he needs someone else to supply him enough ventilators. This should have been his responsibility all along, but no one wants to think rationally during these times.

“Anyway, those ventilators can’t get transported without truck drivers. In the modern world we wouldn’t get anything we need without this kind of transportation, which involves long days and little sleep. Thank you so much to the people who make that sacrifice.”

3. Farmers

“Just as money doesn’t grow on trees, the food on the shelves of the supermarkets does not appear by magic. Someone had to take the time to grow the food, and for little profit. The farmers do not sit in an expensive and cushioned office chair and worry about what restaurant they will visit for lunch.

“Instead, they get up early and work hard outside, in the fields. There is no guarantee of a sufficient yield, as mother nature might have different ideas in a particular year. Yet these farmers produce enough to feed the entire world, if necessary. They deserve so much appreciation.”

4. All taxpayers

“We applaud the doctors and nurses, but let’s be honest, they are paid pretty well. I am not saying they don’t deserve their salaries. They chose a profession with a higher monetary reward than most, and they earn every penny.

“But we should not forget the taxpayers who fund many of these hospitals and the insurance systems on which they rely. These taxpayers also bear the burden of super-high premiums, which are sometimes more expensive than a monthly rent or mortgage payment. Thank you to these people for ensuring that our government has enough money to deal with these national emergencies.”

5. The Supreme Personality of Godhead

It is interesting to see that the government designates a time for certain professionals to receive praise and applause, but they never think of the person supplying the needs for everyone, including the animal species. Stand up and clap for those we visibly acknowledge during a time of crisis, but the wise person sees how everything is interwoven.

That is to say, without God we would have nothing. Without His rain and sunlight the food would not grow. The farmers would not have anything to place on the trucks, and the drivers would have nothing to transport. The doctors would have no equipment to use and the government would have no resources to pay people to help.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada compares praising the Supreme Lord to watering the root of a tree. The rest of the connected branches and leaves automatically get nourished. This means that worshiping Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, should be the first priority.

It should not be relegated to the end of life or to times of distress. His glories are endless, and devoted souls like Arjuna never tire of hearing of them. That celebrated bow-warrior of the Pandava dynasty heard those glories directly from Krishna, and fortunately for the world those words have been preserved for the future through the beautiful Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad-gita.

In Closing:

By their bravery and sacrifice awed,

So now designated time to applaud.

Seeing daily the suffering face,

Working hard the disease to erase.

But others too should not forget,

Where one weakness and entire chain upset.

Appreciative most of Krishna needing,

Who the entire universe feeding.

Two Ways Of Dealing With The Diseased Condition

“The child cries to have the moon from the mother, and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the reflection of the moon. Similarly, the crying child of the Lord is given over to the reflection, the material world, to lord it over as karmi and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history of when the living entity desired this. But the fact is that as soon as he desired it, he was put under the control of atma-maya by the direction of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.1 Purport)

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His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada uses the comparison to the diseased person as a way to guide the behavior and focus moving forward. After all, that is the only direction where I can make an impact. The past is the past. What is done is done. I cannot move in the reverse, no matter how much I try or pray.

The condition is being conditioned itself. The jiva soul stuck in this seemingly endless cycle of birth and death. We know that there was a previous birth based on the truth that the soul will live on after this lifetime completes.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरो ऽपराणि
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्य्
अन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ‘parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

In the common vernacular this is known as reincarnation. It can also be described as “transmigration of the soul” or “the changing of the bodies.” In this sense, there are many mini instances of reincarnation taking place at every moment. The most obvious evidence is the experience from the womb, which we most certainly lived through but have completely forgotten. There is no recollection of that time.

When dealing with the diseased condition of the body, there are generally two paths to take.

1. Deciphering when the disease began

We see this take place with the world pandemic. Someone is feeling the symptoms of a particular disease known to be rapidly spreading across the globe. The questions are obvious:

“When did this happen? To whom was I exposed? That person at the office was out for an entire week. This is not like them. They usually never take sick or vacation days. When they returned, they could barely speak. Obviously, they were hit hard.

“The experts say that you need to touch an infected surface and then carry the virus to your nose. But I am pretty sure I did not do that. I did not shake hands with anyone in the office. Of course, the experts aren’t really that knowledgeable. They say it is possible that the virus spreads through air. In that case, we are all doomed, as there is no way to control the type of air we breathe.”

2. Trying to get out of the diseased condition

Fever. Chills. Body aches. Coughing. The objective is to escape the condition. Fix everything so that it is back to normal. Maintain regular habits. Keep a proper diet. Get plenty of rest. Do not tax the brain. Try some supplements that will strengthen the immune system. There is plenty of time for a post-mortem later on.

…

Of the two options Shrila Prabhupada recommends the latter. Fix the condition. Don’t harass the brain as to when the cycle of reincarnation began. We will never know, in fact, since infinity is beyond the comprehension of the human being.

We can remedy the issue today by changing consciousness. Move towards the Divine. Leave the temporary behind. The separation is compulsory, eventually. No one remains here forever. The consciousness carries forward, like the aromas travelling through air.

शरीरं यद् अवाप्नोति
यच् चाप्य् उत्क्रामतीश्वरः
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति
वायुर् गन्धान् इवाशयात्

śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti
yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ
gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti
vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

There is the warning that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. If we do not understand what caused the conditioned life, how can we ensure that it does not take place again in the future?

The living entity has free will, so there is always vulnerability, but the basic understanding of the turn away from Divine life is sufficient. There is no need to trace out the exact moment in time when this took place.

We have evidence from personal experience to support the truth. We are miserable and sad, full of despair and hopelessness, whenever we buy into the illusion sold to us by maya. As soon as we dissipate the illusion, the hope returns, where we long to always see the smiling lotus-like face of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose all-attractiveness protects us from falling down in the future.

In Closing:

No more illusion expecting,

From repeat misery protecting.

The one of smiling lotus face,

In position time not to erase.

Whereas in this cycle spinning,

After many births this form winning.

So that finally opportunity high,

For in spiritual life to try.

Five Things We Might Be Afraid Of

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.40)

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नेहाभिक्रम-नाशो ऽस्ति
प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते
स्व्-अल्पम् अप्य् अस्य धर्मस्य
त्रायते महतो भयात्

nehābhikrama-nāśo 'sti
pratyavāyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt

1. Our party losing the election

“We have made so much progress in recent years. It is no time to reverse course. The establishment settles into their positions of power. I’m not talking about only elected officials. These are the appointed, who ensure a particular type of government remains long after the representatives and leaders have gone.

“It seems that the more they fail, the higher up they go. Promotions for years of service, not for job performance. They make these wild predictions that never come true. They consider massive forced unemployment to be an inconvenience, when to the people affected the result is devastating.

“At least with the latest leader we are reversing the trend. The administrative class has lost some of its power. We can’t allow the other side to take over the government again. They will surely try. I am afraid of cheating and fraud in the upcoming election.

“The latest tactic is ballot harvesting. After getting the final tally on election night, the local officials see how many votes they need to reverse the outcome. Then they go digging through ballots that weren’t accepted the first time around. Perhaps the voter didn’t have proper identification. Maybe they weren’t registered. A lot of times they are no longer living! Now the officials, using their discretion which is really bias, try to find votes. This is another way of cheating and I am afraid for our country.”

2. Losing my job

“This latest forced lockdown from the government has not affected me directly. I am still getting paid the same. I still have my job. But who knows how long that will last? Economics is intricate and interwoven. People have no idea how many forces voluntarily join together to produce something as basic as a pencil.

“You can’t just put so many people within the supply chain out of work and expect nothing bad to result. Who knows if many of these stores will ever open again? Things are okay now, but today is no guarantee of tomorrow.”

3. Not being able to fall asleep

“The pressure is a little much. If I could just relax, there wouldn’t be issues. But so much to worry over in the upcoming days. I need to fall asleep, and soon. Otherwise, I will be too tired to function. This seems to be a daily occurrence. I wish I could sleep peacefully like I did in my youth. I know I am not the only person suffering from this.”

4. Getting caught in bad weather

“Three hours. That is how long it took me to reach home the last time there was a snowstorm. The commute typically takes around thirty minutes. People just don’t move on the road when there is the slightest hint of snow. You can’t beat the traffic. Yelling and screaming will not help. I worry about the future, as I have an upcoming trip and the forecast does not look good.”

5. Getting caught in a pandemic

“Normally, I remain level-headed. From basic common sense and personal experience, I am pretty certain that viruses are all around us. Every person carries them to some degree. It is not like we only catch seasonal illnesses because of being around other people. You can’t help that, in fact. We can’t all just live in a cave or a log cabin in the woods.

“But this time the fear has gotten to me a little bit. They say this virus is more deadly and contagious. The news highlights the symptoms and the dreadful experience that can result. Sure, likely more than ninety-nine percent of the people end up completely fine, but I don’t want to be in the category that suffers.”

…

Bhagavad-gita recommends yoga. Link the individual soul with the Supreme Soul. Make this the primary focus, the top priority on a daily basis. Not something to be practiced for only fifteen minutes a day, try to remain always linked to the Divine consciousness.

Your typical day might involve sitting in an office and staring at a computer screen. It could be as fearful and hectic as firing arrows at attacking enemies on a battlefield. The same yoga can exist and persist in either situation.

One of the benefits of this endeavor is that it protects against bhayat. This is fear, and the degree can be as high as can be considered. That fear which cripples my ability to work and think properly – yoga can help.

This is the promise of Shri Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is on the other side of the link. Yoga is for connecting with Him. In other endeavors, failure amounts to a futile effort. You have to try again from the starting point. With yoga there is nothing lost, and while protected from the greatest fear a person can enjoy the bliss of association with the Supreme Lord.

In Closing:

Of so many things afraid,

Like too long locked up stayed.

Or my job eventually to lose,

That virus my body to choose.

But yoga offering protection,

With link in Divine direction.

So that even if success not to see,

Benefitted in process to be.

Isn't Every Person Dangerous

“As a ripe fruit has no other fear than to fall, so a man who is born has no other fear than death.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 105.17)

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यथा फलानां पक्वानां नान्यत्र पतनाद्भयम्।
एवं नरस्य जातस्य नान्यत्र मरणाद्भयम्।।

yathā phalānāṃ pakvānāṃ nānyatra patanādbhayam।
evaṃ narasya jātasya nānyatra maraṇādbhayam।।

Friend1: I trust you are doing well, putting into practice the guidelines from the authorities.

Friend2: And what are those?

Friend1: Maintaining proper distance from each other. At least six feet. Wearing a mask in public, if you feel the need. Basically, treating everyone else as if they were “eww dirty.”

Friend2: You are trying to be provocative, I know, but I will not take the bait. I will never advise anyone to go against the authority. They know better, after all.

Friend1: I am certain that you do not believe that. Anyway, it is a time of great panic. I have never experienced anything like this before. People are really afraid of getting this virus.

Friend2: The fear is unfounded, you think?

Friend1: I wouldn’t say that. You look at the death tally on the television screen throughout the day and you can’t help but be afraid. At the same time, it is not like there wouldn’t be death in the absence of the virus. People would still be in danger.

Friend2: Of what?

Friend1: So many diseases. There is danger at every step in this material world. Doesn’t Shri Rama say something to the effect of the mature human being afraid of death?

Friend2: The comparison is to the ripened fruit on the tree. It has no other fate than to fall. It has gone through everything else it needs to. Only one destiny. The mature human being knows the same will happen for them. It is not something to be taken lightly.

Friend1: Okay, but isn’t every person dangerous, all the time?

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: I am saying that in any circumstance, not just the public health emergency that we are in, there is danger from other living entities. The human beings can inflict the misery known as adhibautika.

Friend2: What is that?

Friend1: Sourced from other bhutas, which is Sanskrit for “living beings.” The ants can bite me. The mice bring dreaded disease. The weather, controlled by the demigods, can ruin my life. I am saying there shouldn’t be any added justification for panic at this time.

Friend2: That is a fair assessment. You can’t blame people for being concerned. It is difficult to keep a proper perspective during a time like this. Shastra, and especially the Vedic tradition, is here for our benefit.

Friend1: Education?

Friend2: The proper consciousness. If you cling to the lotus feet of Shri Rama, really understanding the saguna feature of the Divine, then you will be able to tolerate the ups and downs. Gain and loss will be the same thing to you. A sudden pandemic will not alter your behavior or your concern.

Friend1: Wouldn’t someone say that is foolishness? Just trust in God that He will make everything right, instead of taking practical steps.

Friend2: Just the opposite, in fact. My main focus will be on service, for connecting in yoga. This means that I will automatically maintain proper habits. After all, the single greatest cause of health problems is lack of control over the senses. The Supreme Lord is Hrishikesha, or the master of all senses. If I direct my desires in His direction, He will help me to sleep properly, to eat just the right amount, and to stay calm in the face of danger.

Friend1: What is the way to serve? What is the service that needs to be maintained?

Friend2: It could vary from person to person. The simplest is to sit and chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is a kind of sacrifice, yajna. It is the most potent yajna for this age. Just try and see for yourself. It will certainly make a difference.

In Closing:

Standing six feet apart,

From common sense depart.

That the disease sudden and new,
When always danger to me and you.

From this illness and that,

At any time can catch.

Better with Shri Rama to stay,

Who to guide in proper way.

Is There Any Help From Shastra For Dealing With Global Emergencies

“As a ripe fruit has no other fear than to fall, so a man who is born has no other fear than death.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 105.17)

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यथा फलानां पक्वानां नान्यत्र पतनाद्भयम्।
एवं नरस्य जातस्य नान्यत्र मरणाद्भयम्।।

yathā phalānāṃ pakvānāṃ nānyatra patanādbhayam।
evaṃ narasya jātasya nānyatra maraṇādbhayam।।

“The entire world is under lockdown at the moment, it seems. There is nothing on television to watch but the news, and that only makes people depressed. It’s not like we can go on a trip to visit friends and family. We are literally stuck in this terrifying situation.

“Is there any help offered from shastra of the Vedic tradition? Are there lessons we can take from the Ramayana, for example, that apply to this severe health emergency? People are looking for hope in these desperate times.”

There is certainly much assistance offered by the Vedas to deal with material miseries and distresses. We have to endure this temporary existence, after all. Better to live it peacefully and in good health. What is the alternative? Despair, chaos, and paralysis through fear? Stay locked in your room for six months at a time?

Take the temporary situations and use them to further understand the Almighty. This is kind of a reverse situation. Rather than taking from God and using for our benefit, we are accepting whatever life hands to us and transitioning to the spiritual realm.

As an example, there is a verse in the Ramayana which reveals man’s greatest fear. The comparison is to the mature fruit hanging from the tree. Its destiny is to fall. There is nothing else left for it to do. Nothing can be done to change this reality of life.

In a similar way, the mature human being has no other fear than death. This is at the heart of the health emergency. Who wants to be forced to exit the body prematurely, and through a debilitating illness, at that? We acknowledge the inevitable nature of death, but no one wants a daily reminder of the grim reality.

Yet the teaching from Shri Rama is entirely accurate. The context is a discussion on doing the right thing. It is much easier to place short-term comfort on a higher priority than the long-term interest.

I am so concerned over the spread of a deadly disease, but I fail to realize that death was guaranteed as soon as birth took place. Nothing can remove this fixed factor of a temporary existence. Vyadhi is one of the four miseries, accompanying birth, old age and death.

This time of crisis helps to remind me of Shri Rama and the detachment shown in that Raghu dynasty for the benefit of others. Rama risked life and limb to uphold the principles of righteousness. The people of Ayodhya welcomed Him home with lamps as a way to appreciate God for who He is, not for what He can do for others.

The condition of fear can serve as impetus for approaching the Divine, who is actually with us in the heart, through the expansion of Supersoul. The emergency situation, the forced isolation, can be beneficial in chanting the holy names in the proper mood of humility and service: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

What of this emergency to make,
Any lessons from Ramayana to take?

Rama the fate of fruit explaining,
How only one thing left remaining.

That guaranteed to fall,
In man the fear of death to call.

Better shelter finding today,
Through sacred chanting way.

Three Tricks Of The Rakshasas

“You are indeed the Ravana I saw in Janasthana, who gave up his real form and took the form of a wandering religious mendicant.” (Sita Devi speaking to Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 34.15)

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स्वम् परित्यज्य रूपम् यः परिव्राजक रूपधृत् ||
जन स्थाने मया दृष्टः त्वम् स एव असि रावणः |

svam parityajya rūpam yaḥ parivrājaka rūpadhṛt ||
jana sthāne mayā dṛṣṭaḥ tvam sa eva asi rāvaṇaḥ |

The acharyas warn us. Don’t be fooled. Man is godly. He is divine, atma, due to the relationship to deva, the real God. But this does not mean that we are God. Nor can we ever become so.

This is only logical. If I have to work to become the Supreme, it means that at some point in time I was not in that status. If at any point in the infinite timeline of existence I am not the Supreme, my high status gets invalidated.

One of the easy ways to be fooled is to see a magical display, but Vedic literature gives the proper perspective. We get accounts of wicked characters doing amazing things, and they were anything but God. In fact, they were completely against Him.

1. Change their shapes at will

These characters were of the Rakshasa species. This is both a kind of body and a mindset. The Rakshasas of ancient times were known for man-eating. They were night-rangers, and thus another name to identify them is Nishachara.

The Rakshasas exhibited what is known as the kama-rupa-siddhi. This is the perfection of mystic yoga whereby a person can take any form they desire. We know that forms do change, such as from boyhood to youth to old age.

देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

The body can also change significantly through disease or exercise. Sometimes the star athlete looks completely different a decade or so after they retired from competition. The same person, but a different visual.

With the kama-rupa-siddhi, you can change your form instantly. One time the leader named Ravana took the shape of a parivrajaka mendicant. This is a kind of spiritually inclined person who begs for a living. They travel from door to door to sustain life, and at the same time they disseminate spiritual wisdom.

Ravana was a fake parivrajaka, but the change in shape was so convincing that Sita Devi mistook him for an innocent visitor in the forest of Dandaka. Later on, when the messenger sent by her husband Rama came to visit, Sita suspected him of also being Ravana, since the Rakshasas could easily change shapes. Hanuman displayed the visual of a monkey, but perhaps that was not real.

2. Appear and disappear on the battlefield

Sita’s husband was so skilled in the military arts that He could defeat enemies without seeing them. Not some magic trick or an ability used to show off, this skill was necessary. When facing the female demon named Tataka, Rama had to use sound to defeat her, as she appeared and disappeared at will.

Later on, when Rama and His army of friends from the Vanara community marched to Lanka to rescue Sita, the same problem was there. The Rakshasas from Lanka, led by Ravana, could appear and disappear at will. How can you shoot arrows at someone you can’t see?

The Rakshasas could also display false visions. Similar to how modern media can create a societal panic by keeping a death tally on the screen for victims of an illness, the Rakshasas could show Shri Rama being defeated. This was a false vision, meant to dispirit the people fighting for the side of good.

3. Rise to great prominence in the material world

This is another trick of the Rakshasas. We typically wouldn’t expect bad people to rise to the top. Cheaters never win. You can’t become wealthy by confiscating what belongs to others. Yet this is what Ravana did. He was so feared throughout the world because of boons of protection he previously received.

Despite these tricks, we see that the illusion soon dissipated. Rama could snuff out their false forms, such as when He shot Maricha with an arrow. This occurred two different times, with the last instance ending the life of illusion.

Rama defeated Tataka and others who cowardly disappeared on the battlefield, and He ended the reign of terror in Lanka. This means that the side of good does eventually emerge victorious. The real God does not require such tricks, and He can be discovered through genuine religious practices, which are based on service, like the appealing prayer of the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

To be made aware,

Through appealing prayer.

Shri Rama easily found,

Via sacred sound.

Not like Rakshasas hiding so,
Changing forms a deadly foe.

Despite their powerful rise to the top,
From Lord’s arrows a deadly drop.

Was Paramatma Inside Of Hiranyakashipu

“Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahma, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.8.7)

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श्री-प्रह्राद उवाच
न केवलं मे भवतश् च राजन्
स वै बलं बलिनां चापरेषाम्
परे ’वरे ’मी स्थिर-जङ्गमा ये
ब्रह्मादयो येन वशं प्रणीताः

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
na kevalaṁ me bhavataś ca rājan
sa vai balaṁ balināṁ cāpareṣām
pare ’vare ’mī sthira-jaṅgamā ye
brahmādayo yena vaśaṁ praṇītāḥ

“When you get passed the hellfire and brimstone message based on fear, where only faith is required and some token acknowledgment of belonging to an established institution, spirituality can be really interesting.

“Of course I am speaking of the Vedic tradition, which seems to open my eyes every day. Though in the morning I sometimes don’t feel like waking up, knowing what lies ahead of me in terms of responsibility, questioning different aspects of tattva invigorates me. I am out of the darkness and into the light.

“But then sometimes I fall back into the darkness. This is my own shortcoming. I have a difficult time understanding everything theoretically. I know, perhaps I need more field work, practice of the devotional principles in order to receive a practical understanding, which is more important.

“I am absolutely fascinated by this concept of Paramatma. Everyone is equal at the potency level. We have soul inside. Atma is our defining object. Without atma, nothing would exist. Death is the departure of atma. Birth is its arrival. No proper or fixed orientation, meaning that birth might be after death instead of the other way around.

“Paramatma is also inside of us. This is an expansion of God. He plays a unique role with this feature. He simply observes; the all-pervading witness. As antaryami He knows everything that takes place. God is never absent from a situation.

“My question relates to the episode with Prahlada Maharaja. A five-year old, the son of a Daitya king, he survived unspeakable violence inflicted against him. The father was envious. Hiranyakashipu could not stand to hear glorification of Vishnu coming from the son. Vishnu is the personal God. He is the same Paramatma, but with the full feature.

“Prahlada tried to explain to his father that the source of strength is the same in every person. That is to say Vishnu was the reason Prahlada could withstand the attacks, and Vishnu was also the reason for Hiranyakashipu’s rise to world dominance. Does this mean that Paramatma was also inside of Hiranyakashipu? I’m assuming it was, but then how does that work?”

It is an interesting perspective, for sure. The acharyas explain that in the material world God helps both the burglar and the homeowner. One is trying to illegally enter a place and take what doesn’t belong to them, i.e. steal. The other is there to protect, to repel such unwarranted intrusions.

Paramatma is neutral. He does not interfere with decisions. At the same time, no result would manifest without Paramatma’s sanction. This means that Hiranyakashipu, the best of the Daityas, could not have asserted dominance over the entire world without acceptance of the proposal by Paramatma.

Yet we see that the dominance did have a limit. The denial was in areas of such assured success that Hiranyakashipu was dumbfounded. He could not believe that throwing Prahlada off a cliff did not kill the boy. Feeding to snakes, taking in a pit of fire, releasing mad elephants to rush over the body – Prahlada kept surviving.

Prahlada was telling the truth. The source of strength was the same in both, but the key distinction was that Paramatma abandoned the position in neutrality on one side. Prahlada was a devotee of Vishnu, which is the full realization of God. Vishnu protected Prahlada, and soon after He would personally arrive to destroy Hiranyakashipu, which is an occasion still celebrated to this day.

In Closing:

Soul impossible to see,
But known inside of me.

Of Paramatma also to reside,
Like neutral witness standing aside.

There for Daitya king’s ascension,
And also madness descension.

But for Prahlada personally protecting,
For him out of pillar projecting.