ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Hiranyakashyapu was a demon king and ruler of the Asura’s (demons). Hiranyakashyapu together with his brother Hiranyaksha were always creating havoc on earth and troubling the devas in heaven. Everyone was fed up with these two evil asuras. In a battle, Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyaksh. Hiranyakashyapu became very angry with Lord Vishnu for killing his brother. So he decided to make himself so powerful that no one would be able to defeat him. Hiranyakashyapu knew that it was only Lord Brahma who could give him the powers he needed to remain always undefeated.
So he went far away and began praying to Lord Brahma. He prayed for a very long time. Lord Brahma heard his prayers and granted him a wish. The cunning Hiranyakashyapu cleverly asked Lord Brahma to give him a special blessing by which he could not be killed by either man or animal, at night or day, not in the sky, the water or even on earth, not inside or outside and not by any weapon. This boon, the monstrous demon, knew would make him invincible. But as Lord Brahma had promised to grant Hiranyakashyapu his wish he had to do so. Once he had been granted this blessing the wicked Hiranyakashyapu headed back to his kingdom all the while plotting and planning how he was going to kill and destroy and become the Emperor of all the three worlds.
However, while he had been away from his kingdom the devas had attacked his capital city and taken many asuras as prisoners. They had also captured Hiranyakashyapu’s wife, Kayadhu. The holy sage Narada heard of this and went to Lord Indra, the chief of all the devas, and told him not to harm a simple woman who had done no wrong. He also told Indra that Kayadhu was carrying a child who was no ordinary child. Kayadhu’s child, Sage Narada told Indra would be Lord Vishnu’s greatest devotee. Indra immediately released Kayadhu and she went with the sage to live in his ashram.
Hiranyakashyapu after receiving the boon from Lord Brahma had become indestructible and got busy fighting in all the three world. He was so powerful that now even the Devas in heaven could not defeat him. He was not a good King and was very cruel to everyone he ruled. Once he had established his power, he ordered everyone in his kingdom to not worship Lord Vishnu or any other God. He insisted that they all must instead worship him - Hiranyakashyapu. He proclaimed that he was the one and only true God of the Universe.
During this time his wife, Kayadhu ,continued to stay at the ashram. She was a good woman and was happy to spend her days listening to the great sage explain the scriptures. While his mother sat listening intently to Sage Narada’s words, little Prahalad, still in the womb, was listening too. Even while in his mother’s womb Prahlad learnt the knowledge of the Vedas. He listened to the stories of Lord Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, just like you are listening to these stories. Once Kayadhu had given birth to a handsome and healthy boy she returned to the palace and to her husband Hiranyakashypu.
Hiranyakashipu was delighted with his son and wanted his son to become the King of the Asuras after him. One day Hiranyakashipu lovingly asked his son, “What, my son do you think is the best thing in life?” He expected Prahlad to reply that the greatest thing was to be a powerful King. To his father’s horror, Prahlad replied, “Father the greatest thing in life for me would be to renounce the world and seek refuge in Vishnu.” Hiranyakashipu was shocked that his own son had chosen to love and worship Lord Vishnu. And what was even worse for Hiranyakashipu was that Prahlad had chosen, none other than his father’s worst enemy - Vishnu.
Determined to remove all these foolish ideas from his son’s mind, Hiranyakashypu decided to send Prahlad to two of the best teachers in the kingdom. He told the teachers that it was their job to make sure Prahlad understood the greatness of his father and learnt to love and worship only the King - his father.
But try as hard as they could the teachers were unable to turn Prahlad against Lord Vishnu. Fed up they asked the boy, “Who has taught you about Vishnu?” Prahlad answered immediately, “Lord Vishnu Himself.” The teacher believing that he was lying and being cheeky, picked up a cane and started to beat little Prahlad. But the cane did not seem to hurt the boy in any way and he remained quiet and unaffected. Prahlad studied hard and completed his education and then returned to the palace. Hiranyakashipu rushed out to greet his son believing that the teachers had taught Prahlad how to be an Asura King. Hiranyakashipu eagerly asked Prahlad, “Son, what did you learn from your wise teachers?” Prahlad promptly replied, “I learnt that I must always take the name of Lord Vishnu.” Hiranyakashipu, got wild with rage and in a thunderingly loud voice shouted, “Beware, never ever say that name again.”
He called the teachers to his court and angrily enquired of them, “I told you to teach my son to worship me and to make him realise how great and powerful I am and you send him back with Lord Vishnu’s name on his lips?”
The terrified teachers with folded hands fell at Hiranyakashipu’s feet and explained that it was not their fault. They had made every possible effort to teach Prahlad about the greatness of his father but the boy would keep calling out to Lord Vishnu and repeating that Lord Vishnu was the source of all knowledge and power.
The King then turned his wrath on his son but Prahlad quietly listened to his father’s angry words. Once his father had stopped shouting, Prahlad said, “Father if you wish to be safe then do not make Lord Vishnu your enemy. You too would do well to adore Him just as I do.”
Hearing this Hiranyakashipu got so enraged that he called two of his subjects and ordered them to take the young boy to the highest cliff and drop him down from there. Hiranyakashipu felt he had no other recourse but to kill his own son! The men tied Prahlad hands and feet even though the boy made no attempts to escape. They took him to the top of the highest cliff and threw him off it. All through Prahlad kept chanting Lord Vishnu’s name. They watched him fall but when he landed he fell softly on to a huge bed of flowers. Prahlad then got up and to everyone’s astonishment walked away unhurt.
Hiranyakashipu now was determined to rid himself of this worthless son who would not accept him as God. He then tried to drown Prahlad in the ocean but the waves gently lifted the little boy and carried him safely to the sandy beach.
Not one to give up, the wicked Hiranyakashipu tried to poison Prahlad. The evil King mixed some poison in his son’s favourite dessert and and fed it to Prahlad. The boy happy to enjoy the sweet dish took it from his father and ate it with relish! Hiranyakashipu watched Prahlad gobble up the pudding and waited and waited for his son to fall dead! But Prahlad was fine and went off to play in the palace garden.
Hiranyakashipu could not understand how such a strong poison did not kill the young boy. He was getting desperate in his attempts to kill Prahlad and then he thought of an even wickeder plan. Hiranyakashipu would put Prahlad in a dark, deep, dungeon that would be filled with the most deadly snakes. The evil Asura was sure that Prahlad would not be able to escape from this. Prahlad, obeying his father’s command, went down to the dungeon. As always he kept chanting “Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya”. Quietly he sat in the centre of the dark dungeon and continued chanting. The poisonous snakes started creeping towards the boy. The Asura King Hiranyakashipu began to rub his hands in glee, a mean, ugly smirk on his face. He was delighted that the snakes were heading toward the boy. He was sure they would bite him and their poison would soon turn Prahlad blue and kill him. But to his surprise one by one the huge and venomous snakes came to Prahlad and gently entwined themselves as if they were ornaments on his body. Above Prahlad’s head a King Cobra raised his majestic hood as if he was Lord Shiva himself protecting the boy. Failing even in this attempt Hiranyakashipu called the boy out and set a mad elephant loose on him. Hiranyakashipu wanted the elephant to trample the little boy with his heavy legs. The elephant once free ran at full speed towards Prahlad but stopped just as it reached Prahlad. Then, surprisingly, the elephant raised its trunk to salute the young boy. Thereafter the giant animal slowly and gently curved its trunk around Prahlad’s waist and lifted Prahlad up onto its back. Prahlad then majestically rode back to the palace.
As you can imaging the demon King was now getting angrier and angrier. He was yelling and shouting at all his soldiers and ministers calling them “useless fools” for not being able to kill a young child. After thinking for some time an idea struck him - he would not depend on his brainless ministers and soldiers he would call his sister Holika and ask her for help.
Holika had a very special power; she could never be burnt by fire. So the King’s devilish plan was to sit Prahlad on Holika’s lap and set them on fire. He knew his sister could never be burnt so she would live and Prahlad would be burnt to ashes. Laughing in glee at his devious plan he called his sister and told her exactly what she had to do. Holika loved her brother very much and could not refuse him anything. So she sat on the ground and invited Prahlad on to her lap. The unsuspecting boy came quickly and sat on her lap. The King’s men built a great big bonfire all around them and then, Hiranyakashipu with a broad smile on his evil face, lit a match and set the twigs of the bonfire alight. He added some oil to speed up the fire and within minutes it started rising up in bright red and gold flames with tiny sparks bursting and flying all over. Soon the fire was so high that neither Holika nor Prahlad were visible. Then after a while the flames began to reduce and gradually they disappeared. Then to everyone’s amazement sitting amidst the embers was not Hiranyakashipu beloved sister, Holika, but young Prahlad still quietly chanting “Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya”. Holika had been burnt to ash much to Hiranyakashipu deep sorrow.
Fed up and most furious now Hiranyakashipu dragged his son back to the place and there in the durbar hall he yelled loudly, “You keep calling out my enemy’s name. You worship and adore him. But this Vishnu is a coward. He never shows his face. Where is he? Is he here?” Prahlad with no hesitation replied, “Yes he is here father. Lord Vishnu is everywhere. He is in everything - in every single nook and every corner. You will find him everywhere.”
Getting even more enraged at hearing Prahlad’s reply Hiranyakashipu set one of the huge, iron pillars of the palace on fire and when the iron was red hot he mockingly said to Prahlad, “Is your Vishnu in this pillar too?” The little boy looked with innocence at his father and said, “Yes of course he is.” The furious King charged towards the burning pillar with a heavy axe to break it down. Seeing this Prahlad ran to the pillar and hugged it tightly. To everyone’s surprise the hot iron did not burn the boy but it did split open with an enormously loud sound and out came the great Narasimha who was half man and half lion. Narasimha had a thick curly mane, sharp curved teeth, fearsome claws and the face of a terrifying lion. But, Narasimha’s body was that of a man with strong shoulders and a slim waist.
Hiranyakashipu picked up a heavy mace and rushed forward to attack Narasimha but strong Narasimha easily tossed aside the heavy mace. Hiranyakashipu because of the blessing he received from Brahma could not be killed by a human or an animal but Narasimha was neither a man nor animal. Narasimha lifted the Asura king and placed him on his thigh. Hiranyakashipu could not be killed in the sky, the water or even on earth so he was now laid on Narasimha’s lap. He could not be killed indoors or outdoors so Narasimha took him to the door way and sat on the ledge under the doorway, neither inside nor outside. He could not be killed during the day or at night, the time was dusk when the sun was just about setting, between day and night. He could not be killed by any weapons so Narasimha tore through Hiranyakashipu with his sharp lion claws. And there ended the life of the wicked Asura demon king Hiranyakashipu and with that his evil reign ended too
Though Hiranyakashipu was mean and cruel to Prahlad, Prahlad, did not hate his father. In fact he loved his father very much and forgave him for all his evil plots. So with folded hands he requested Lord Vishnu to forgive his father for all his sins and bad deeds. Lord Vishnu amazed that a child could be so loving and forgiving said to Prahlad, “How can I not forgive a father who has given birth to such a devout, loving and forgiving son. A father who has given birth to a noble, wise son like you must be forgiven for all the wrongs he has done.” So saying, Lord Vishnu lifted little Prahlad up and carried him to the throne and said, “You will now be King and rule your people justly, wisely and always with love and compassion.”
Lessons Learn
1. If, like Prahlad, you pray to God He will always protect you from all evil.
2. Like Prahlad learn to always love others. Hate is a negative emotion that spoils your inner beauty.
3. Like Prahlad always chose the right path never let anyone persuade, force or tempt you toward doing what is wrong.
4. Like Prahlad learn to forgive those who have done you some wrong. Only those who are really strong can be forgiving.
Commentaires