Bhakti Prahlada: Devotion of Asura King's Son
Prahlada was the son of the asura king Hiranyakashipu, who harbored great hatred toward Lord Vishnu. However, Prahlada was deeply devoted to Lord Vishnu. Even when he was on the brink of danger, his devotion to Lord Vishnu did not waver.
Hiranyakashipu was a powerful Asura King filled with hatred towards Lord Vishnu. This hatred arose after Lord Vishnu killed his brother, Hiranyaksha, which caused Hiranyakashipu to want revenge. To gain invincible power, Hiranyakashipu undertook a very rigorous asceticism to please Lord Brahma. Eventually, Lord Brahma granted his request and granted a boon that made Hiranyakashipu almost unkillable.
The boon included the following conditions: Hiranyakashipu could not be killed by humans or gods. He could not die in the daytime or at night. He cannot be killed inside the house or outside the house. He cannot be killed on land, in water, or in the air. No weapon, artificial or natural, can kill him.
With this power, Hiranyakashipu became very arrogant and proclaimed himself as God. He forced everyone to worship him and forbade the worship of other gods, especially Lord Vishnu.
Hiranyakashipu (Source: Private Collection)
Prahlada was the son of Hiranyakashipu. Although his father greatly despised Lord Vishnu, Prahlada was born with a deep and sincere devotion to Vishnu. This was because, while still in the womb, his mother, Kayadhu, frequently listened to sacred discourses by Narada Muni about the greatness of Lord Vishnu. This influenced Prahlada even while he was in the womb, leading him to grow into a child with profound devotion to Vishnu.
As he grew older, Prahlada continued to display the firmness of his faith. Even in the palace, where he was educated by teachers chosen by his father, Prahlada continued to spread the teachings of love and devotion to Lord Vishnu. He always taught his peers to worship Vishnu and disregard the worship of Hiranyakashipu. This made Hiranyakashipu extremely angry.
Hiranyakashipu, feeling humiliated by his own son, tried various methods to stop Prahlada’s faith and force him to worship him as God. He used extremely cruel methods to kill Prahlada, but all failed due to the divine protection of Lord Vishnu. Some of the attempts included:
Prahlada was thrown from the top of a mountain, but he was saved by divine power and landed safely. After that, Hiranyakashipu tried to poison Prahlada, but the poison turned into nectar inside Prahlada's body. Hiranyakashipu forced a wild large elephant to confront Prahlada, but the elephant instead honored him and did not harm him
Prahlada was also tried to be burned alive. This is part of the famous story involving Prahlada’s aunt, Holika, who had a boon that she could not be burned by fire. Holika tried to burn Prahlada by sitting with him on a bonfire, but Vishnu protected Prahlada, while Holika was consumed by the flames and perished.
Hiranyakashipu used every possible cruel method to kill Prahlada, but all failed due to the divine protection of Lord Vishnu. Despite enduring all these tortures, Prahlada remained unharmed and alive, as his devotion to Lord Vishnu ensured that Vishnu’s protection was always with him.
Illustration of Prahlada Execution Attempt (Source: Private Collection)
At the peak of his anger, Hiranyakashipu challenged Prahlada and asked, "Where is your God? Is he here, inside this pillar?" Prahlada calmly replied that Lord Vishnu is everywhere, including inside the pillar. In extreme fury, Hiranyakashipu kicked the pillar hard.
Suddenly, the pillar shattered, and from within emerged Lord Vishnu in a terrifying and fearsome form, Narasimha, a being half-human and half-lion. This form was chosen by Vishnu to fulfill the conditions of the boon granted to Hiranyakashipu by Brahma, which would allow him to be killed.
Narasimha then dragged Hiranyakashipu to the threshold of the palace, which was neither inside nor outside the house. Narasimha also waited until twilight, which was neither day nor night, and then, with his claws (not a weapon), he tore open Hiranyakashipu’s abdomen, killing him on his lap (neither on land, water or in the air).
Hiranyakashipu Killed at The Hands of Narasimha Awatara (Source: Private Collection)
With the death of Hiranyakashipu, peace and tranquility returned to the world, and Prahlada became a wise king, always worshipping Lord Vishnu with all his heart.
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