Nārada Muni said: A student should practice completely controlling his senses. He should be submissive and should have an attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual master. With a great vow, the brahmacārī should live at the gurukula, only for the benefit of the guru. (1) At both junctions of day and night, namely, in the early morning and in the evening, he should be fully absorbed in thoughts of the spiritual master, fire, the sun-god and Lord Viṣṇu and by chanting the Gāyatrī mantra he should worship them. (2) Being called by the spiritual master, the stu dent should study the Vedic mantras regularly. Every day, before beginning his studies and at the end of his studies, the disciple should re spectfully offer obeisances unto the spiritual master. (3)

Carrying pure kuśa grass in his hand, the brahmacārī should dress regularly with a belt of straw and with deerskin garments. He should wear matted hair, carry a rod and wa terpot and be decorated with a sacred thread, as recommended in the śāstras. (4) The brah macārī should go out morning and evening to collect alms, and he should offer all that he col lects to the spiritual master. He should eat only if ordered to take food by the spiritual master; otherwise, if the spiritual master does not give this order, he may sometimes have to fast. (5) A brahmacārī should be quite well-behaved and gentle and should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and ex pert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the śāstra. Fully controlling his senses, he should associate only as much as necessary with women or those controlled by women. (6)

A brahmacārī, or one who has not accepted the gṛhastha-āśrama [family life], must rigidly avoid talking with women or about women, for the senses are so powerful that they may agitate even the mind of a sannyāsī, a member of the renounced order of life. (7) If the wife of the spiritual master is young, a young brahmacārī should not allow her to care for his hair, massage his body with oil, or bathe him with affection like a mother. (8) Woman is compared to fire, and man is compared to a butter pot. Therefore a man should avoid asso ciating even with his own daughter in a se cluded place. Similarly, he should also avoid association with other women. One should as sociate with women only for important busi ness and not otherwise. (9) As long as a living entity is not completely self-realizedas long as he is not independent of the misconception of identifying with his body, which is nothing but a reflection of the original body and senseshe cannot be relieved of the conception of duality, which is epitomized by the duality between man and woman. Thus there is every chance that he will fall down because his intelligence is bewildered. (10)

All the rules and regulations apply equally to the householder and the sannyāsī, the mem ber of the renounced order of life. The gṛhastha, however, is given permission by the spiritual master to indulge in sex during the period fa vorable for procreation. (11) Brahmacārīs or gṛhasthas who have taken the vow of celibacy as described above should not indulge in the following: applying powder or ointment to the eyes, massaging the head with oil, massaging the body with the hands, seeing a woman or painting a woman’s picture, eating meat, drink ing wine, decorating the body with flower gar lands, smearing scented ointment on the body, or decorating the body with ornaments. These they should give up. (12) According to the rules and regulations mentioned above, one who is twice-born, namely a brāhmaṇa, kṣat riya or vaiśya, should reside in the gurukula un der the care of the spiritual master. There he should study and learn all the Vedic literatures along with their supplements and the Upaniṣads, according to his ability and power to study. If possible, the student or disciple should reward the spiritual master with the re muneration the spiritual master requests, and then, following the master’s order, the disciple should leave and accept one of the other āśramas, namely the gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama or sannyāsa-āśrama, as he desires. (13-14)

One should realize that in the fire, in the spiritual master, in one’s self and in all living entitiesin all circumstances and con ditionsthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, has simultaneously entered and not en tered. He is situated externally and internally as the full controller of everything. (15) By prac ticing in this way, whether one be in the brah macārī-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha āśrama or sannyāsa-āśrama, one must always realize the all-pervading presence of the Su preme Lord, for in this way it is possible to un derstand the Absolute Truth. (16) O King, I shall now describe the qualifica tions for a vānaprastha, one who has retired from family life. By rigidly following the rules and regulations for the vānaprastha, one can easily be elevated to the upper planetary system known as Maharloka. (17)

A person in vānaprastha life should not eat grains grown by tilling of the fields. He should also not eat grains that have grown without tilling of the field but are not fully ripe. Nor should a vānaprastha eat grains cooked in fire. Indeed, he should eat only fruit ripened by the sunshine. (18) A vānaprastha should prepare cakes to be offered in sacrifice from fruits and grains grown naturally in the forest. When he obtains some new grains, he should give up his old stock of grains. (19) A vānaprastha should pre pare a thatched cottage or take shelter of a cave in a mountain only to keep the sacred fire, but he should personally practice enduring snow fall, wind, fire, rain and the shining of the sun. (20) The vānaprastha should wear matted locks of hair on his head and let his body hair, nails and moustache grow. He should not cleanse his body of dirt. He should keep a waterpot, deer skin and rod, wear the bark of a tree as a cover ing, and use garments colored like fire. (21) Being very thoughtful, a vānaprastha should re main in the forest for twelve years, eight years, four years, two years or at least one year. He should behave in such a way that he will not be disturbed or troubled by too much austerity. (22)

When because of disease or old age one is unable to perform his prescribed duties for ad vancement in spiritual consciousness or study of the Vedas, he should practice fasting, not taking any food. (23) He should properly place the fire element in his own self and in this way give up bodily affinity, by which one thinks the body to be one’s self or one’s own. One should gradually merge the material body into the five elements [earth, water, fire, air and sky]. (24)

A sober, self-realized person who has full knowledge should merge the various parts of the body in their original sources. The holes in the body are caused by the sky, the process of breathing is caused by the air, the heat of the body is caused by fire, and semen, blood and mucus are caused by water. The hard sub stances, like skin, muscle and bone, are caused by earth. In this way all the constituents of the body are caused by various elements, and they should be merged again into those elements. (25) Thereafter, the object of speech, along with the sense of speech [the tongue], should be bestowed upon fire. Craftsmanship and the two hands should be given to the demigod Indra. The power of movement and the legs should be given to Lord Viṣṇu. Sensual pleasure, along with the genitals, should be bestowed upon Prajāpati. The rectum, with the power of evac uation, should be bestowed, in its proper place, unto Mṛtyu. The aural instrument, along with sound vibration, should be given to the deities presiding over the directions. The instrument of touch, along with the sense objects of touch, should be given to Vāyu. Form, with the power of sight, should be bestowed upon the sun. The tongue, along with the demigod Varuṇa, should be bestowed upon water, and the power of smell, along with the two Aśvinī-kumāra demigods, should be bestowed upon the earth. (26 28)

The mind, along with all material desires, should be merged in the moon demigod. All the subject matters of intelligence, along with the intelligence itself, should be placed in Lord Brahmā. False ego, which is under the influ ence of the material modes of nature and which induces one to think, “I am this body, and eve rything connected with this body is mine,” should be merged, along with material activi ties, in Rudra, the predominating deity of false ego. Material consciousness, along with the goal of thought, should be merged in the indi vidual living being, and the demigods acting under the modes of material nature should be merged, along with the perverted living being, into the Supreme Being. The earth should be merged in water, water in the brightness of the sun, this brightness into the air, the air into the sky, the sky into the false ego, the false ego into the total material energy, the total material en ergy into the unmanifested ingredients [the pra dhāna feature of the material energy], and at last the ingredient feature of material manifes tation into the Supersoul. (29-30)

When all the material designations have thus merged into their respective material elements, the living beings, who are all ultimately completely spir itual, being one in quality with the Supreme Be ing, should cease from material existence, as flames cease when the wood in which they are burning is consumed. When the material body is returned to its various material elements, only the spiritual being remains. This spiritual being is Brahman and is equal in quality with Parabrahman. (31)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After hearing about the activities and character of Prahlāda Mahārāja, which are adored and discussed among great personalities like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, the most respectful king among exalted personalities, again inquired from the great saint Nārada Muni in a mood of great pleasure. (1) Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said: My dear lord, I wish to hear from you about the principles of religion by which one can attain the ultimate goal of lifedevotional service. I wish to hear about the general occupational duties of human society and the system of social and spiritual advancement known as varṇāśrama-dharma. (2) O best of the brāhmaṇas, you are directly the son of Prajāpati [Lord Brahmā]. Because of your austerities, mystic yoga and trance, you are considered the best of all of Lord Brahmā ’s sons. (3)

No one is superior to you in peaceful life and mercy, and no one knows bet ter than you how to execute devotional service or how to become the best of the brāhmaṇas. Therefore, you know all the principles of con fidential religious life, and no one knows them better than you. (4) Śrī Nārada Muni said: After first offering my obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, the protector of the religious principles of all living entities, let me explain the principles of the eternal reli gious system, of which I have heard from the mouth of Nārāyaṇa. (5) Lord Nārāyaṇa, along with His partial manifestation Nara, appeared in this world through the daughter of Dakṣa Mahārāja known as Mūrti. He was begotten by Dharma Mahārāja for the benefit of all living entities. Even now, He is still engaged in exe cuting great austerities near the place known as Badarikāśrama. (6) The Supreme Being, the Personality of Godhead, is the essence of all Vedic knowledge, the root of all religious prin ciples, and the memory of great authorities. O King Yudhiṣṭhira, this principle of religion is to be understood as evidence. On the basis of this religious principle, everything is satisfied, in cluding one’s mind, soul and even one’s body. (7)

These are the general principles to be followed by all human beings: truthfulness, mercy, austerity (observing fasts on certain days of the month), bathing twice a day, toler ance, discrimination between right and wrong, control of the mind, control of the senses, non violence, celibacy, charity, reading of scripture, simplicity, satisfaction, rendering service to saintly persons, gradually taking leave of un necessary engagements, observing the futility of the unnecessary activities of human society, remaining silent and grave and avoiding unnec essary talk, considering whether one is the body or the soul, distributing food equally to all liv ing entities (both men and animals), seeing every soul (especially in the human form) as a part of the Supreme Lord, hearing about the activities and instructions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead (who is the shelter of the saintly persons), chanting about these activ ities and instructions, always remembering these activities and instructions, trying to render service, performing worship, offering obei sances, becoming a servant, becoming a friend, and surrendering one’s whole self. O King Yudhiṣṭhira, these thirty qualifications must be acquired in the human form of life. Simply by acquiring these qualifications, one can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (8-12)

Those who have been reformed by the garbhādhāna ceremony and other prescribed re formatory methods, performed with Vedic mantras and without interruption, and who have been approved by Lord Brahmā, are dvi jas, or twice-born. Such brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, purified by their family traditions and by their behavior, should worship the Lord, study the Vedas and give charity. In this sys tem, they should follow the principles of the four āśramas [brahmacarya, vānaprastha and sannyāsa]. gṛhastha, (13) For a brāhmaṇa there are six occupational duties. A kṣatriya should not accept charity, but he may perform the other five of these duties. A king or kṣatriya is not allowed to levy taxes on brāhmaṇas, but he may make his livelihood by levying minimal taxes, customs duties, and penalty fines upon his other subjects. (14) The mercantile community should always follow the directions of the brāhmaṇas and engage in such occupational duties as agriculture, trade, and protection of cows. For the śūdras the only duty is to accept a master from a higher social order and engage in his service. (15)

As an al ternative, a brāhmaṇa may also take to the vaiśya’s occupational duty of agriculture, cow protection, or trade. He may depend on that which he has received without begging, he may beg in the paddy field every day, he may collect paddy left in a field by its proprietor, or he may collect food grains left here and there in the shops of grain dealers. These are four means of livelihood that may also be adopted by brāhmaṇas. Among these four, each of them in succession is better than the one preceding it. (16) Except in a time of emergency, lower per sons should not accept the occupational duties of those who are higher. When there is such an emergency, of course, everyone but the kṣatriya may accept the means of livelihood of others. (17)

In time of emergency, one may accept any of the various types of professions known as ṛta, amṛta, mṛta, pramṛta and satyānṛta, but one should not at any time accept the profession of a dog. The profession of uñchaśila, collecting grains from the field, is called ṛta. Collecting without begging is called amṛta, begging grains is called mṛta, tilling the ground is called pramṛta, and trade is called satyānṛta. Engaging in the service of low-grade persons, however, is called śva-vṛtti, the profession of the dogs. Specifically, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas should not engage in the low and abominable service of śūdras. Brāhmaṇas should be well ac quainted with all the Vedic knowledge, and kṣatriyas should be well acquainted with the worship of demigods. (18-20) The symptoms of a brāhmaṇa are control of the mind, control of the senses, austerity and penance, cleanliness, satisfaction, forgiveness, simplicity, knowledge, mercy, truthfulness, and complete surrender to the Supreme Person ality of Godhead. (21)

To be influential in bat tle, unconquerable, patient, challenging and charitable, to control the bodily necessities, to be forgiving, to be attached to the brahminical nature and to be always jolly and truthfulthese are the symptoms of the kṣatriya. (22) Being always devoted to the demigods, the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu; endeav oring for advancement in religious principles, economic development and sense gratification [dharma, artha and kāma]; believing in the words of the spiritual master and scripture; and always endeavoring with expertise in earning moneythese are the symptoms of the vaiśya. (23) Offering obeisances to the higher sections of society [the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas], being always very clean, being free from duplicity, serving one’s master, perform ing sacrifices without uttering mantras, not stealing, always speaking the truth and giving all protection to the cows and brāhmaṇasthese are the symptoms of the śūdra. (24)

To render service to the husband, to be al ways favorably disposed toward the husband, to be equally well disposed toward the hus band’s relatives and friends, and to follow the vows of the husbandthese are the four princi ples to be followed by women described as chaste. (25) A chaste woman must dress nicely and decorate herself with golden ornaments for the pleasure of her husband. Always wearing clean and attractive garments, she should sweep and clean the household with water and other liquids so that the entire house is always pure and clean. She should collect the house hold paraphernalia and keep the house always aromatic with incense and flowers and must be ready to execute the desires of her husband. Be ing modest and truthful, controlling her senses, and speaking in sweet words, a chaste woman should engage in the service of her husband with love, according to time and circumstances. (26-27)

A chaste woman should not be greedy, but satisfied in all circumstances. She must be very expert in handling household affairs and should be fully conversant with religious prin ciples. She should speak pleasingly and truth fully and should be very careful and always clean and pure. Thus a chaste woman should engage with affection in the service of a hus band who is not fallen. (28) The woman who engages in the service of her husband, follow ing strictly in the footsteps of the goddess of fortune, surely returns home, back to Godhead, with her devotee husband, and lives very hap pily in the Vaikuṇṭha planets. (29) Among the mixed classes known as saṅkara, those who are not thieves are known as ante vasāyī or caṇḍālas [dog-eaters], and they also have their hereditary customs. (30)

My dear King, brāhmaṇas well conversant in Vedic knowledge have given their verdict that in every age [yuga] the conduct of different sec tions of people according to their material modes of nature is auspicious both in this life and after death. (31) If one acts in his profes sion according to his position in the modes of nature and gradually gives up these activities, he attains the niṣkāma stage. (32) My dear King, if an agricultural field is cul tivated again and again, the power of its pro duction decreases, and whatever seeds are sown there are lost. Just as drops of ghee on a fire never extinguish the fire but a flood of ghee will, similarly, overindulgence in lusty desires mitigates such desires entirely. (33-34) If one shows the symptoms of being a brāhmaṇa, kṣat riya, vaiśya or śūdra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification. (35)

The saint Nārada Muni continued: Although Prahlāda Mahārāja was only a boy, when he heard the benedictions offered by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva he considered them impediments on the path of devotional service. Thus he smiled very mildly and spoke as follows. (1) Prahlāda Mahārāja said: My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because I was born in an atheistic family I am naturally attached to material enjoyment. Therefore, kindly do not tempt me with these illusions. I am very much afraid of material conditions, and I desire to be liberated from materialistic life. It is for this reason that I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet. (2) O my worshipable Lord, because the seed of lusty desires, which is the root cause of material existence, is within the core of everyone’s heart, You have sent me to this material world to exhibit the symptoms of a pure devotee. (3)

Otherwise, O my Lord, O supreme instructor of the entire world, You are so kind to Your devotee that You could not in duce him to do something unbeneficial for him. On the other hand, one who desires some mate rial benefit in exchange for devotional service cannot be Your pure devotee. Indeed, he is no better than a merchant who wants profit in ex change for service. (4) A servant who desires material profits from his master is certainly not a qualified servant or pure devotee. Similarly, a master who bestows benedictions upon his servant because of a desire to maintain a pres tigious position as master is also not a pure master. (5) O my Lord, I am Your unmotivated servant, and You are my eternal master. There is no need of our being anything other than master and servant. You are naturally my mas ter, and I am naturally Your servant. We have no other relationship. (6)

O my Lord, best of the givers of benediction, if You at all want to bestow a desirable benediction upon me, then I pray from Your Lordship that within the core of my heart there be no material desires. (7) O my Lord, because of lusty desires from the very beginning of one’s birth, the functions of one’s senses, mind, life, body, religion, patience, in telligence, shyness, opulence, strength, memory and truthfulness are vanquished. (8) O my Lord, when a human being is able to give up all the material desires in his mind, he be comes eligible to possess wealth and opulence like Yours. (9) O my Lord, full of six opu lences, O Supreme Person! O Supreme Soul, killer of all miseries! O Supreme Person in the form of a wonderful lion and man, let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You. (10)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlāda, a devotee like you never de sires any kind of material opulences, either in this life or in the next. Nonetheless, I order you to enjoy the opulences of the demons in this material world, acting as their king until the end of the duration of time occupied by Manu. (11) It does not matter that you are in the material world. You should always, continuously, hear the instructions and messages given by Me and always be absorbed in thought of Me, for I am the Supersoul existing in the core of everyone’s heart. Therefore, give up fruitive activities and worship Me. (12) My dear Prahlāda, while you are in this material world you will exhaust all the reactions of pious activity by feeling happi ness, and by acting piously you will neutralize impious activity. Because of the powerful time factor, you will give up your body, but the glo ries of your activities will be sung in the upper planetary systems, and being fully freed from all bondage, you will return home, back to God head. (13)

One who always remembers your activities and My activities also, and who chants the prayers you have offered, becomes free, in due course of time, from the reactions of material activities. (14) Prahlāda Mahārāja said: O Supreme Lord, because You are so merciful to the fallen souls, I ask You for only one benediction. I know that my father, at the time of his death, had already been purified by Your glance upon him, but be cause of his ignorance of Your beautiful power and supremacy, he was unnecessarily angry at You, falsely thinking that You were the killer of his brother. Thus he directly blasphemed Your Lordship, the spiritual master of all living beings, and committed heavily sinful activities directed against me, Your devotee. I wish that he be excused for these sinful activities. (15 17) The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlāda, O most pure, O great saintly person, your father has been purified, along with twenty-one forefathers in your family. Be cause you were born in this family, the entire dynasty has been purified. (18)

Whenever and wherever there are peaceful, equipoised devo tees who are well-behaved and decorated with all good qualities, that place and the dynasties there, even if condemned, are purified. (19) My dear Prahlāda, King of the Daityas, because of being attached to devotional service to Me, My devotee does not distinguish between lower and higher living entities. In all respects, he is never jealous of anyone. (20) Those who fol low your example will naturally become My pure devotees. You are the best example of My devotee, and others should follow in your foot steps. (21) My dear child, your father has al ready been purified just by the touch of My body at the time of his death. Nonetheless, the duty of a son is to perform the śrāddha ritualis tic ceremony after his father’s death so that his father may be promoted to a planetary system where he may become a good citizen and dev otee. (22)

After performing the ritualistic cer emonies, take charge of your father’s kingdom. Sit upon the throne and do not be disturbed by materialistic activities. Please keep your mind fixed upon Me. Without transgressing the in junctions of the Vedas, as a matter of formality you may perform your particular duties. (23) Śrī Nārada Muni continued: Thus, as the Su preme Personality of Godhead ordered, Prah lāda Mahārāja performed the ritualistic cere monies for his father. O King Yudhiṣṭhira, he was then enthroned in the kingdom of Hiraṇyakaśipu, as directed by the brāhmaṇas. (24) Lord Brahmā, surrounded by the other demigods, was bright-faced because the Lord was pleased. Thus he offered prayers to the Lord with transcendental words. (25) Lord Brahmā said: O Supreme Lord of all lords, proprietor of the entire universe, O bene dictor of all living entities, O original person [ādi-puruṣa], because of our good fortune You have now killed this sinful demon, who was giving trouble to the entire universe. (26)

This demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu, received from me the benediction that he would not be killed by any living being within my creation. With this as surance and with strength derived from auster ities and mystic power, he became excessively proud and transgressed all the Vedic injunc tions. (27) By great fortune, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s son Prahlāda Mahārāja has now been released from death, for although he is a child, he is an exalted devotee. Now he is fully under the pro tection of Your lotus feet. (28) My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are the Supreme Soul. If one meditates upon Your transcendental body, You naturally protect him from all sources of fear, even the imminent danger of death. (29) The Personality of Godhead replied: My dear Lord Brahmā, O great lord born from the lotus flower, just as it is dangerous to feed milk to a snake, so it is dangerous to give benedic tions to demons, who are by nature ferocious and jealous. I warn you not to give such bene dictions to any demon again. (30)

Nārada Muni continued: O King Yudhiṣṭhira, the Supreme Personality of God head, who is not visible to an ordinary human being, spoke in this way, instructing Lord Brahmā. Then, being worshiped by Brahmā, the Lord disappeared from that place. (31) Prahlāda Mahārāja then worshiped and offered prayers to all the demigods, such as Brahmā, Śiva and the prajāpatis, who are all parts of the Lord. (32) Thereafter, along with Śukrācārya and other great saints, Lord Brahmā, whose seat is on the lotus flower, made Prahlāda the king of all the demons and giants in the uni verse. (33) O King Yudhiṣṭhira, after all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, were properly worshiped by Prahlāda Mahārāja, they offered Prahlāda their utmost benedictions and then returned to their respective abodes. (34) Thus the two associates of Lord Viṣṇu who had become Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, the sons of Diti, were both killed. By illusion they had thought that the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone’s heart, was their enemy. (35) Being cursed by the brāhmaṇas, the same two associates took birth again as Kumbhakarṇa and the ten-headed Rāvaṇa. These two Rākṣasas were killed by Lord Rāmacandra’s extraordinary power. (36)

Pierced by the arrows of Lord Rāmacandra, both Kumbhakarṇa and Rāvaṇa lay on the ground and left their bodies, fully absorbed in thought of the Lord, just as they had in their previous births as Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu. (37) They both took birth again in human society as Śiśupāla and Dantavakra and continued in the same enmity toward the Lord. It is they who merged into the body of the Lord in your presence. (38) Not only Śiśupāla and Dantavakra but also many, many other kings who acted as enemies of Kṛṣṇa attained salvation at the time of death. Because they thought of the Lord, they received spiritual bodies and forms the same as His, just as worms captured by a black drone obtain the same type of body as the drone. (39) By devo tional service, pure devotees who incessantly think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead receive bodies similar to His. This is known as sārūpya-mukti. Although Śiśupāla, Dantavakra and other kings thought of Kṛṣṇa as an enemy, they also achieved the same result. (40)

Everything you asked me about how Śiśupāla and others attained salvation although they were inimical has now been explained to you by me. (41) In this narration about Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, various expansions or incarnations of the Lord have been described, and the killing of the two de mons Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu has also been described. (42) This narration describes the characteristics of the great and exalted dev otee Prahlāda Mahārāja, his staunch devotional service, his perfect knowledge, and his perfect detachment from material contamination. It also describes the Supreme Personality of God head as the cause of creation, maintenance and annihilation. Prahlāda Mahārāja, in his prayers, has described the transcendental qualities of the Lord and has also described how the various abodes of the demigods and demons, regardless of how materially opulent, are destroyed by the mere direction of the Lord. (43-44)

The principles of religion by which one can actually un derstand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are called bhāgavata-dharma. In this narration, therefore, which deals with these principles, ac tual transcendence is properly described. (45) One who hears and chants this narration about the omnipotence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, is certainly liberated from ma terial bondage without fail. (46) Prahlāda Mahārāja was the best among exalted devotees. Anyone who with great attention hears this nar ration concerning the activities of Prahlāda Mahārāja, the killing of Hiraṇyakaśipu, and the activities of the Supreme Personality of God head, Nṛsiṁhadeva, surely reaches the spiritual world, where there is no anxiety. (47) Nārada Muni continued: My dear Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all of you [the Pāṇḍavas] are ex tremely fortunate, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, lives in your palace just like a human being. Great saintly persons know this very well, and therefore they constantly visit this house. (48)

The impersonal Brahman is Kṛṣṇa Himself because Kṛṣṇa is the source of the impersonal Brahman. He is the origin of the transcendental bliss sought by great saintly per sons, yet He, the Supreme Person, is your most dear friend and constant well-wisher and is in timately related to you as the son of your ma ternal uncle. Indeed, He is always like your body and soul. He is worshipable, yet He acts as your servant and sometimes as your spiritual master. (49) Exalted persons like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā could not properly describe the truth of the Supreme Personality of God head, Kṛṣṇa. May the Lord, who is always wor shiped as the protector of all devotees by great saints who observe vows of silence, meditation, devotional service and renunciation, be pleased with us. (50) My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, long, long ago in history, a demon known as Maya Dānava, who was very expert in technical knowledge, reduced the reputation of Lord Śiva. In that situation, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, saved Lord Śiva. (51)

Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said: For what reason did the demon Maya Dānava vanquish Lord Śiva’s reputation? How did Lord Kṛṣṇa save Lord Śiva and expand his reputation again? Kindly describe these incidents. (52) Nārada Muni said: When the demigods, who are always powerful by the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, fought with the asuras, the asuras were defeated, and therefore they took shelter of Maya Dānava, the greatest of the demons. (53) Maya Dānava, the great leader of the de mons, prepared three invisible residences and gave them to the demons. These dwellings re sembled airplanes made of gold, silver and iron, and they contained uncommon parapher nalia. My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, because of these three dwellings the commanders of the demons remained invisible to the demigods. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the de mons, remembering their former enmity, began to vanquish the three worldsthe upper, middle and lower planetary systems. (54-55)

Thereafter, when the demons had begun to destroy the higher planetary systems, the rulers of those planets went to Lord Śiva, fully surrendered unto him and said: Dear Lord, we demigods liv ing in the three worlds are about to be van quished. We are your followers. Kindly save us. (56) The most powerful and able Lord Śiva reas sured them and said, “Do not be afraid.” He then fixed his arrows to his bow and released them toward the three residences occupied by the demons. (57) The arrows released by Lord Śiva appeared like fiery beams emanating from the sun globe and covered the three residential airplanes, which could then no longer be seen. (58) Attacked by Lord Śiva’s golden arrows, all the demoniac inhabitants of those three dwell ings lost their lives and fell down. Then the great mystic Maya Dānava dropped the demons into a nectarean well that he had created. (59)

When the dead bodies of the demons came in touch with the nectar, their bodies became in vincible to thunderbolts. Endowed with great strength, they got up like lightning penetrating clouds. (60) Seeing Lord Śiva very much aggrieved and disappointed, the Supreme Personality of God head, Lord Viṣṇu, considered how to stop this nuisance created by Maya Dānava. (61) Then Lord Brahmā became a calf and Lord Viṣṇu a cow, and at noon they entered the residences and drank all the nectar in the well. (62) The demons could see the calf and cow, but because of the illusion created by the energy of the Su preme Personality of Godhead, the demons could not forbid them. The great mystic Maya Dānava became aware that the calf and cow were drinking the nectar, and he could under stand this to be the unseen power of provi dence. Thus he spoke to the demons, who were grievously lamenting. (63)

Maya Dānava said: What has been destined by the Supreme Lord for oneself, for others, or for both oneself and others cannot be undone anywhere or by anyone, whether one be a dem igod, a demon, a human being or anyone else. (64) Nārada Muni continued: Thereafter, Lord Kṛṣṇa, by His own personal potency, consisting of religion, knowledge, renunciation, opulence, austerity, education and activities, equipped Lord Śiva with all the necessary paraphernalia, such as a chariot, a charioteer, a flag, horses, elephants, a bow, a shield and arrows. When Lord Śiva was fully equipped in this way, he sat down on the chariot with his arrows and bow to fight with the demons. (65-66) My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, the most powerful Lord Śiva joined the arrows to his bow, and at noon he set fire to all three residences of the demons and thus destroyed them. (67)

Seated in their air planes in the sky, the inhabitants of the higher planetary systems beat many kettledrums. The demigods, saints, Pitās, Siddhas and various great personalities showered flowers on the head of Lord Śiva, wishing him all victory, and the Apsarās began to chant and dance with great pleasure. (68) O King Yudhiṣṭhira, thus Lord Śiva is known as Tripurāri, the annihilator of the three dwellings of the demons, because he burnt these dwellings to ashes. Being wor shiped by the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva returned to his own abode. (69) The Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, appeared as a human being, yet He performed many uncommon and wonderful pastimes by His own potency. How can I say more about His activities than what has already been said by great saintly persons? Everyone can be purified by His activities, simply by hearing about them from the right source. (70)

The great saint Nārada Muni continued: The demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and other great demigods, dared not come for ward before the Lord, who at that time was ex tremely angry. (1) The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmījī, was requested to go before the Lord by all the demigods present, who because of fear could not do so. But even she had never seen such a wonderful and extraordinary form of the Lord, and thus she could not approach Him. (2) Thereafter Lord Brahmā requested Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was standing very near him: My dear son, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is extremely angry at your demoniac father. Please go forward and appease the Lord. (3) Nārada Muni continued: O King, although the exalted devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja was only a gradually little boy, he accepted Lord Brahmā’s words. He proceeded toward Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva and fell down to offer his respect ful obeisances with folded hands. (4)

When Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva saw the small boy Prahlāda Mahārāja prostrated at the soles of His lotus feet, He became most ecstatic in affection to ward His devotee. Raising Prahlāda, the Lord placed His lotus hand upon the boy’s head be cause His hand is always ready to create fear lessness in all of His devotees. (5) By the touch of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s hand on Prahlāda Mahārāja’s head, Prahlāda was completely freed of all material contaminations and de sires, as if he had been thoroughly cleansed. Therefore he at once became transcendentally situated, and all the symptoms of ecstasy be came manifest in his body. His heart filled with love, and his eyes with tears, and thus he was able to completely capture the lotus feet of the Lord within the core of his heart. (6)

Prahlāda Mahārāja fixed his mind and sight upon Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva with full attention in complete trance. With a fixed mind, he began to offer prayers in love with a faltering voice. (7) Prahlāda Mahārāja prayed: How is it possi ble for me, who have been born in a family of asuras, to offer suitable prayers to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even until now, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, and all the saintly persons, could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said of me? I am not at all qualified. (8) Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence and mystic yogic power, but I think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Su preme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional ser vice. Gajendra did this, and thus the Lord was satisfied with him. (9)

If a brāhmaṇa has all twelve of the brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta] but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedi cated everythingmind, words, activities, wealth and lifeto the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brāhmaṇa because the devo tee can purify his whole family, whereas the so called brāhmaṇa in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself. (10) The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always fully satisfied in Himself. Therefore when something is offered to Him, the offering, by the Lord’s mercy, is for the benefit of the devotee, for the Lord does not need service from anyone. To give an example, if one’s face is decorated, the reflection of one’s face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated. (11)

There fore, although I was born in a demoniac family, I may without a doubt offer prayers to the Lord with full endeavor, as far as my intelligence al lows. Anyone who has been forced by igno rance to enter the material world may be puri fied of material life if he offers prayers to the Lord and hears the Lord’s glories. (12) O my Lord, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, are sincere servants of Your Lordship, who are situated in a transcendental position. Therefore they are not like us [Prah lāda and his father, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu]. Your appearance in this fearsome form is Your pastime for Your own pleasure. Such an incar nation is always meant for the protection and improvement of the universe. (13) My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, please, therefore, cease Your an ger now that my father, the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear. (14)

My Lord, who are never con quered by anyone, I am certainly not afraid of Your ferocious mouth and tongue, Your eyes bright like the sun or Your frowning eyebrows. I do not fear Your sharp, pinching teeth, Your garland of intestines, Your mane soaked with blood, or Your high, wedgelike ears. Nor do I fear Your tumultuous roaring, which makes el ephants flee to distant places, or Your nails, which are meant to kill Your enemies. (15) O most powerful, insurmountable Lord, who are kind to the fallen souls, I have been put into the association of demons as a result of my activi ties, and therefore I am very much afraid of my condition of life within this material world. When will that moment come when You will call me to the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the ultimate goal for liberation from condi tional life? (16) O great one, O Supreme Lord, because of combination with pleasing and dis pleasing circumstances and because of separa tion from them, one is placed in a most regret table position, within heavenly or hellish plan ets, as if burning in a fire of lamentation. Alt hough there are many remedies by which to get out of miserable life, any such remedies in the material world are more miserable than the miseries themselves. Therefore I think that the only remedy is to engage in Your service. Kindly instruct me in such service. (17)

O my Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, by engaging in Your tran scendental loving service in the association of devotees who are liberated souls [haṁsas], I shall become completely uncontaminated by the association of the three modes of material nature and be able to chant the glories of Your Lordship, who are so dear to me. I shall chant Your glories, following exactly in the footsteps of Lord Brahmā and his disciplic succession. In this way I shall undoubtedly be able to cross the ocean of nescience. (18) My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, O Supreme, because of a bodily conception of life, embodied souls neglected and not cared for by You cannot do anything for their betterment. Whatever remedies they accept, although perhaps temporarily benefi cial, are certainly impermanent. For example, a father and mother cannot protect their child, a physician and medicine cannot relieve a suffer ing patient, and a boat on the ocean cannot pro tect a drowning man. (19)

My dear Lord, eve ryone in this material world is under the modes of material nature, being influenced by good ness, passion and ignorance. Everyonefrom the greatest personality, Lord Brahmā, down to the small antworks under the influence of these modes. Therefore everyone in this material world is influenced by Your energy. The cause for which they work, the place where they work, the time when they work, the matter due to which they work, the goal of life they have considered final, and the process for obtaining this goalall are nothing but manifestations of Your energy. Indeed, since the energy and en ergetic are identical, all of them are but mani festations of You. (20) O Lord, O supreme eternal, by expanding Your plenary portion You have created the sub tle bodies of the living entities through the agency of Your external energy, which is agi tated by time. Thus the mind entraps the living entity in unlimited varieties of desires to be ful filled by the Vedic directions of karma-kāṇḍa [fruitive activity] and the sixteen elements. Who can get free from this entanglement unless he takes shelter at Your lotus feet? (21)

My dear Lord, O supreme great, You have created this material world of sixteen constituents, but You are transcendental to their material quali ties. In other words, these material qualities are under Your full control, and You are never con quered by them. Therefore the time element is Your representation. My Lord, O Supreme, no one can conquer You. As for me, however, I am being crushed by the wheel of time, and there fore I surrender fully unto You. Now kindly take me under the protection of Your lotus feet. (22) My dear Lord, people in general want to be elevated to the higher planetary systems for a long duration of life, opulence and enjoy ment, but I have seen all of these through the activities of my father. When my father was an gry and he laughed sarcastically at the demi gods, they were immediately vanquished simply by seeing the movements of his eye brows. Yet my father, who was so powerful, has now been vanquished by You within a mo ment. (23)

My dear Lord, now I have complete experience concerning the worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and other material pleasures enjoyed by all living entities, from Lord Brahmā down to the ant. As powerful time, You destroy them all. Therefore, because of my experience, I do not wish to possess them. My dear Lord, I request You to place me in touch with Your pure devotee and let me serve him as a sincere servant. (24) In this ma terial world, every living entity desires some future happiness, which is exactly like a mirage in the desert. Where is water in the desert, or, in other words, where is happiness in this ma terial world? As for this body, what is its value? It is merely a source of various diseases. The so-called philosophers, scientists and politi cians know this very well, but nonetheless they aspire for temporary happiness. Happiness is very difficult to obtain, but because they are un able to control their senses, they run after the so-called happiness of the material world and never come to the right conclusion. (25)

O my Lord, O Supreme, because I was born in a fam ily full of the hellish material qualities of pas sion and ignorance, what is my position? And what is to be said of Your causeless mercy, which was never offered even to Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva or the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī? You never put Your lotus hand upon their heads, but You have put it upon mine. (26) Un like an ordinary living entity, my Lord, You do not discriminate between friends and enemies, the favorable and the unfavorable, because for You there is no conception of higher and lower. Nonetheless, You offer Your benedictions ac cording to the level of one’s service, exactly as a desire tree delivers fruits according to one’s desires and makes no distinction between the lower and the higher. (27) My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of my association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general pop ulace. But Your servant Nārada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. How could I leave his service? (28)

My Lord, O un limited reservoir of transcendental qualities, You have killed my father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, and saved me from his sword. He had said very an grily, “If there is any supreme controller other than me, let Him save you. I shall now sever your head from your body.” Therefore I think that both in saving me and in killing him, You have acted just to prove true the words of Your devotee. There is no other cause. (29) My dear Lord, You alone manifest Yourself as the entire cosmic manifestation, for You ex isted before the creation, You exist after the an nihilation, and You are the maintainer between the beginning and the end. All this is done by Your external energy through actions and reac tions of the three modes of material nature. Therefore whatever existsexternally and inter nallyis You alone. (30) My dear Lord, O Su preme Personality of Godhead, the entire cos mic creation is caused by You, and the cosmic manifestation is an effect of Your energy. Alt hough the entire cosmos is but You alone, You keep Yourself aloof from it. The conception of “mine and yours,” is certainly a type of illusion [māyā] because everything is an emanation from You and is therefore not different from You. Indeed, the cosmic manifestation is non different from You, and the annihilation is also caused by You. This relationship between Your Lordship and the cosmos is illustrated by the example of the seed and the tree, or the subtle cause and the gross manifestation. (31)

O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of God head, after the annihilation the creative energy is kept in You, who appear to sleep with half closed eyes. Actually, however, You do not sleep like an ordinary human being, for You are always in a transcendental stage, beyond the creation of the material world, and You always feel transcendental bliss. As Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, You thus remain in Your transcendental status, not touching material objects. Although You appear to sleep, this sleeping is distinct from sleeping in ignorance. (32) This cosmic manifestation, the material world, is also Your body. This total lump of matter is agitated by Your potent energy known as kāla-śakti, and thus the three modes of material nature are manifested. You awaken from the bed of Śeṣa, Ananta, and from Your navel a small transcen dental seed is generated. It is from this seed that the lotus flower of the gigantic universe is man ifested, exactly as a banyan tree grows from a small seed. (33) From that great lotus flower, Brahmā was generated, but Brahmā certainly could see nothing but the lotus. Therefore, thinking You to be outside, Lord Brahmā dove into the water and attempted to find the source of the lotus for one hundred years. He could find no trace of You, however, for when a seed fructifies, the original seed cannot be seen. (34)

Lord Brahmā, who is celebrated as ātma-yoni, having been born without a mother, was struck with wonder. Thus he took shelter of the lotus flower, and when he had been purified after un dergoing severe austerities for many hundreds of years, he could see that the cause of all causes, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was spread throughout his own body and senses, just as aroma, although very subtle, is perceived in the earth. (35) Lord Brahmā could then see You possessing thousands and thousands of faces, feet, heads, hands, thighs, noses, ears and eyes. You were very nicely dressed, being decorated and be decked with varieties of ornaments and weap ons. Seeing You in the form of Lord Viṣṇu, Your symptoms and form being transcendental, Your legs extending from the lower planets, Lord Brahmā achieved transcendental bliss. (36) My dear Lord, when You appeared as Hayagrīva, with the head of a horse, You killed two demons known as Madhu and Kaiṭabha, who were full of the modes of passion and ig norance. Then You delivered the Vedic knowledge to Lord Brahmā. For this reason, all the great saints accept Your forms as transcen dental, untinged by material qualities. (37)

In this way, my Lord, You appear in various in carnations as a human being, an animal, a great saint, a demigod, a fish or a tortoise, thus main taining the entire creation in different planetary systems and killing the demoniac principles. According to the age, O my Lord, You protect the principles of religion. In the Age of Kali, however, You do not assert Yourself as the Su preme Personality of Godhead, and therefore You are known as Triyuga, or the Lord who ap pears in three yugas. (38) My dear Lord of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where there is no anxiety, my mind is ex tremely sinful and lusty, being sometimes so called happy and sometimes so-called dis tressed. My mind is full of lamentation and fear, and it always seeks more and more money. Thus it has become most polluted and is never satisfied in topics concerning You. I am there fore most fallen and poor. In such a status of life, how shall I be able to discuss Your activi ties? (39)

My dear Lord, O infallible one, my position is like that of a person who has many wives, all trying to attract him in their own way. For example, the tongue is attracted to palatable dishes, the genitals to sex with an attractive woman, and the sense of touch to contact with soft things. The belly, although filled, still wants to eat more, and the ear, not attempting to hear about You, is generally attracted to cin ema songs. The sense of smell is attracted to yet another side, the restless eyes are attracted to scenes of sense gratification, and the active senses are attracted elsewhere. In this way I am certainly embarrassed. (40) My dear Lord, You are always transcendentally situated on the other side of the river of death, but because of the reactions of our own activities, we are suf fering on this side. Indeed, we have fallen into this river and are repeatedly suffering the pains of birth and death and eating horrible things. Now kindly look upon usnot only upon me but also upon all others who are sufferingand by Your causeless mercy and compassion, deliver us and maintain us. (41)

O my Lord, O Su preme Personality of Godhead, original spir itual master of the entire world, what is the dif ficulty for You, who manage the affairs of the universe, in delivering the fallen souls engaged in Your devotional service? You are the friend of all suffering humanity, and for great person alities it is necessary to show mercy to the fool ish. Therefore I think that You will show Your causeless mercy to persons like us, who engage in Your service. (42) O best of the great per sonalities, I am not at all afraid of material ex istence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happi ness and maintaining their families, societies and countries. I am simply concerned with love for them. (43)

My dear Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, I see that there are many saintly persons indeed, but they are interested only in their own deliv erance. Not caring for the big cities and towns, they go to the Himālayas or the forest to medi tate with vows of silence [mauna-vrata]. They are not interested in delivering others. As for me, however, I do not wish to be liberated alone, leaving aside all these poor fools and ras cals. I know that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without taking shelter of Your lotus feet, one cannot be happy. Therefore I wish to bring them back to shelter at Your lotus feet. (44) Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhis, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṇas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṇas, are not satisfied by re peated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals. (45)

O Supreme Personal ity of Godhead, there are ten prescribed meth ods on the path to liberationto remain silent, not to speak to anyone, to observe vows, to amass all kinds of Vedic knowledge, to undergo aus terities, to study the Vedas and other Vedic lit eratures, to execute the duties of varṇāśrama dharma, to explain the śāstras, to stay in a soli tary place, to chant mantras silently, and to be absorbed in trance. These different methods for liberation are generally only a professional practice and means of livelihood for those who have not conquered their senses. Because such persons are falsely proud, these procedures may not be successful. (46) By authorized Ve dic knowledge one can see that the forms of cause and effect in the cosmic manifestation belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the cosmic manifestation is His energy. Both cause and effect are nothing but energies of the Lord. Therefore, O my Lord, just as a wise man, by considering cause and effect, can see how fire pervades wood, those engaged in devotional service understand how You are both the cause and effect. (47)

O Supreme Lord, You are actually the air, the earth, fire, sky and water. You are the objects of sense per ception, the life airs, the five senses, the mind, consciousness and false ego. Indeed, You are everything, subtle and gross. The material ele ments and anything expressed, either by the words or by the mind, are nothing but You. (48) Neither the three modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa], nor the predominating deities controlling these three modes, nor the five gross elements, nor the mind, nor the demigods nor the human be ings can understand Your Lordship, for they are all subjected to birth and annihilation. Consid ering this, the spiritually advanced have taken to devotional service. Such wise men hardly bother with Vedic study. Instead, they engage themselves in practical devotional service. (49)

Therefore, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, the best of all persons to whom prayers are of fered, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You because without rendering six kinds of de votional service unto Youoffering prayers, ded icating all the results of activities, worshiping You, working on Your behalf, always remem bering Your lotus feet and hearing about Your glorieswho can achieve that which is meant for the paramahaṁsas? (50) The great saint Nārada said: Thus Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was pacified by the devotee Prah lāda Mahārāja with prayers offered from the transcendental platform. The Lord gave up His anger, and being very kind to Prahlāda, who was offering prostrated obeisances, He spoke as follows. (51) The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlāda, most gentle one, best of the family of the asuras, all good fortune unto you. I am very much pleased with you. It is My pas time to fulfill the desires of all living beings, and therefore you may ask from Me any bene diction that you desire to be fulfilled. (52)

My dear Prahlāda, may you live a long time. One cannot appreciate or understand Me without pleasing Me, but one who has seen or pleased Me has nothing more for which to lament for his own satisfaction. (53) My dear Prahlāda, you are very fortunate. Please know from Me that those who are very wise and highly ele vated try to please Me in all different modes of mellows, for I am the only person who can ful fill all the desires of everyone. (54) Nārada Muni said: Prahlāda Mahārāja was the best person in the family of asuras, who al ways aspire for material happiness. Nonethe less, although allured by the Supreme Person ality of Godhead, who offered him all benedic tions for material happiness, because of his un alloyed Kṛṣṇa consciousness he did not want to take any material benefit for sense gratification. (55)

Nārada Muni continued: All the sons of the demons appreciated the transcendental instruc tions of Prahlāda Mahārāja and took them very seriously. They rejected the materialistic in structions given by their teachers, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka. (1) When Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the sons of Śukrācārya, observed that all the stu dents, the sons of the demons, were becoming advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because of the association of Prahlāda Mahārāja, they were afraid. They approached the King of the demons and described the situation as it was. (2)

When Hiraṇyakaśipu understood the entire situation, he was extremely angry, so much so that his body trembled. Thus he finally decided to kill his son Prahlāda. Hiraṇyakaśipu was by nature very cruel, and feeling insulted, he began hissing like a snake trampled upon by someone’s foot. His son Prahlāda was peaceful, mild and gentle, his senses were under control, and he stood before Hiraṇyakaśipu with folded hands. According to Prahlāda’s age and behav ior, he was not to be chastised. Yet with staring, crooked eyes, Hiraṇyakaśipu rebuked him with the following harsh words. (3-4) Hiraṇyakaśipu said: O most impudent, most unintelligent disruptor of the family, O lowest of mankind, you have violated my power to rule you, and therefore you are an obstinate fool. Today I shall send you to the place of Yamarāja. (5) My son Prahlāda, you rascal, you know that when I am angry all the planets of the three worlds tremble, along with their chief rulers. By whose power has a rascal like you become so impudent that you appear fear less and overstep my power to rule you? (6)

Prahlāda Mahārāja 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 mov ing, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahmā, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (7) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme controller and time factor, is the power of the senses, the power of the mind, the power of the body, and the vital force of the senses. His influence is unlimited. He is the best of all living entities, the controller of the three modes of material nature. By His own power, He creates this cosmic manifestation, maintains it and annihilates it also. (8)

Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: My dear father, please give up your demoniac mentality. Do not discriminate in your heart between enemies and friends; make your mind equipoised toward everyone. Except for the uncontrolled and mis guided mind, there is no enemy within this world. When one sees everyone on the platform of equality, one then comes to the position of worshiping the Lord perfectly. (9) In former times there were many fools like you who did not conquer the six enemies that steal away the wealth of the body. These fools were very proud, thinking, “I have conquered all enemies in all the ten directions.” But if a person is vic torious over the six enemies and is equipoised toward all living entities, for him there are no enemies. Enemies are merely imagined by one in ignorance. (10) Hiraṇyakaśipu replied: You rascal, you are trying to minimize my value, as if you were bet ter than me at controlling the senses. This is over-intelligent. I can therefore understand that you desire to die at my hands, for this kind of nonsensical talk is indulged in by those about to die. (11)

O most unfortunate Prahlāda, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above every thing, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all-pervading. But where is He? If He is everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar? (12) Because you are speak ing so much nonsense, I shall now sever your head from your body. Now let me see your most worshipable God come to protect you. I want to see it. (13) Being obsessed with anger, Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was very great in bodily strength, thus chastised his exalted devotee-son Prahlāda with harsh words. Cursing him again and again, Hiraṇyakaśipu took up his sword, got up from his royal throne, and with great an ger struck his fist against the column. (14) Then from within the pillar came a fearful sound, which appeared to crack the covering of the universe. O my dear Yudhiṣṭhira, this sound reached even the abodes of the demigods like Lord Brahmā, and when the demigods heard it, they thought, “Oh, now our planets are being destroyed!” (15)

While showing his extraordi nary prowess, Hiraṇyakaśipu, who desired to kill his own son, heard that wonderful, tumul tuous sound, which had never before been heard. Upon hearing the sound, the other lead ers of the demons were afraid. None of them could find the origin of that sound in the assem bly. (16) To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlāda Mahārāja was substantialin other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hallthe Supreme Personality of God head, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion. Thus the Lord appeared in His wonderful form in the assembly hall. (17) While Hiraṇyakaśipu looked all around to find the source of the sound, that wonderful form of the Lord, which could not be ascer tained to be either a man or a lion, emerged from the pillar. In amazement, Hiraṇyakaśipu wondered, “What is this creature that is half man and half lion?” (18)

Hiraṇyakaśipu stud ied the form of the Lord, trying to decide who the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva standing before him was. The Lord’s form was extremely fearsome because of His angry eyes, which resembled molten gold; His shining mane, which ex panded the dimensions of His fearful face; His deadly teeth; and His razor-sharp tongue, which moved about like a dueling sword. His ears were erect and motionless, and His nostrils and gaping mouth appeared like caves of a mountain. His jaws parted fearfully, and His entire body touched the sky. His neck was very short and thick, His chest broad, His waist thin, and the hairs on His body as white as the rays of the moon. His arms, which resembled flanks of soldiers, spread in all directions as He killed the demons, rogues and atheists with His conchshell, disc, club, lotus and other natural weapons. (19-22)

Hiraṇyakaśipu murmured to himself, “Lord Viṣṇu, who possesses great mystic power, has made this plan to kill me, but what is the use of such an attempt? Who can fight with me?” Thinking like this and taking up his club, Hiraṇyakaśipu attacked the Lord like an elephant. (23) Just as a small insect falls forcefully into a fire and the insignificant creature becomes in visible, when Hiraṇyakaśipu attacked the Lord, who was full of effulgence, Hiraṇyakaśipu be came invisible. This is not at all astonishing, for the Lord is always situated in pure goodness. Formerly, during creation, He entered the dark universe and illuminated it by His spiritual ef fulgence. (24) Thereafter, the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was extremely angry, swiftly attacked Nṛsiṁhadeva with his club and began to beat Him. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, how ever, captured the great demon, along with his club, just as Garuḍa might capture a great snake. (25)

O Yudhiṣṭhira, O great son of Bha rata, when Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva gave Hiraṇyakaśipu a chance to slip from His hand, just as Garuḍa sometimes plays with a snake and lets it slip from his mouth, the demigods, who had lost their abodes and who were hiding behind the clouds for fear of the demon, did not consider that incident very good. Indeed, they were perturbed. (26) When Hiraṇyakaśipu was freed from the hands of Nṛsiṁhadeva, he falsely thought that the Lord was afraid of his prowess. Therefore, after taking a little rest from the fight, he took up his sword and shield and again attacked the Lord with great force. (27) Making a loud, shrill sound of laughter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, who is extremely strong and powerful, captured Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was protecting himself with his sword and shield, leaving no gaps open. With the speed of a hawk, Hiraṇyakaśipu moved sometimes in the sky and sometimes on the earth, his eyes closed because of fear of Nṛsiṁhadeva’s laughter. (28)

As a snake cap tures a mouse or Garuḍa captures a very ven omous snake, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva captured Hiraṇyakaśipu, who could not be pierced even by the thunderbolt of King Indra. As Hiraṇyakaśipu moved his limbs here, there and all around, very much afflicted at being cap tured, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva placed the demon on His lap, supporting him with His thighs, and in the doorway of the assembly hall the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hand. (29) Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and His fierce eyes, full of anger, were impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the Supreme Personality of God head, Nṛsiṁhadeva, decorated with a garland of intestines taken from Hiraṇyakaśipu’s abdo men, resembled a lion that has just killed an el ephant. (30) The Supreme Personality of God head, who had many, many arms, first uprooted Hiraṇyakaśipu’s heart and then threw him aside and turned toward the demon’s soldiers. These soldiers had come in thousands to fight with Him with raised weapons and were very faith ful followers of Hiraṇyakaśipu, but Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva killed all of them merely with the ends of His nails. (31)

The hair on Nṛsiṁhadeva’s head shook the clouds and scattered them here and there, His glaring eyes stole the effulgence of the luminar ies in the sky, and His breathing agitated the seas and oceans. Because of His roaring, all the elephants in the world began to cry in fear. (32) Airplanes were thrown into outer space and the upper planetary system by the hair on Nṛsiṁhadeva’s head. Because of the pressure of the Lord’s lotus feet, the earth appeared to slip from its position, and all the hills and mountains sprang up due to His intolerable force. Because of the Lord’s bodily effulgence, both the sky and all directions diminished in their natural illumination. (33) Manifesting a full effulgence and a fearsome countenance, Lord Nṛsiṁha, being very angry and finding no contestant to face His power and opulence, then sat down in the assembly hall on the excellent throne of the king. Because of fear and obedi ence, no one could come forward to serve the Lord directly. (34) Hiraṇyakaśipu had been exactly like a fever of meningitis in the head of the three worlds. Thus when the wives of the demigods in the heavenly planets saw that the great demon had been killed by the personal hands of the Su preme Personality of Godhead, their faces blos somed in great joy. The wives of the demigods again and again showered flowers from heaven upon Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva like rain. (35)

At that time, the airplanes of the demigods, who de sired to see the activities of the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa, crowded the sky. The demigods be gan beating drums and kettledrums, and upon hearing them the angelic women began to dance, while the chiefs of the Gandharvas sang sweetly. (36) My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, the demigods then approached the Lord. They were headed by Lord Brahmā, King Indra and Lord Śiva and included great saintly persons and the residents of Pitṛloka, Siddhaloka, Vidyādhara loka and the planet of the snakes. The Manus approached, and so did the chiefs of various other planets. The angelic dancers approached, as did the Gandharvas, the Cāraṇas, the Yakṣas, the inhabitants of Kinnaraloka, the Vetālas, the inhabitants of Kimpuruṣa-loka, and the per sonal servants of Viṣṇu like Sunanda and Ku muda. All of them came near the Lord, who glowed with intense light. They individually offered their obeisances and prayers, their hands folded at their heads. (37-39)

Lord Brahmā prayed: My Lord, You are un limited, and You possess unending potencies. No one can estimate or calculate Your prowess and wonderful influence, for Your actions are never polluted by the material energy. Through the material qualities, You very easily create the universe, maintain it and again annihilate it, yet You remain the same, without deteriora tion. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You. (40) Lord Śiva said: The end of the millennium is the time for Your anger. Now that this insig nificant demon Hiraṇyakaśipu has been killed, O my Lord, who are naturally affectionate to Your devotee, kindly protect his son Prahlāda Mahārāja, who is standing nearby as Your fully surrendered devotee. (41) King Indra said: O Supreme Lord, You are our deliverer and protector. Our shares of sac rifices, which are actually Yours, have been re covered from the demon by You. Because the demoniac king Hiraṇyakaśipu was most fear some, our hearts, which are Your permanent abode, were all overtaken by him. Now, by Your presence, the gloom and darkness in our hearts have been dissipated. O Lord, for those who always engage in Your service, which is more exalted than liberation, all material opu lence is insignificant. They do not even care for liberation, not to speak of the benefits of kāma, artha and dharma. (42)

All the saintly persons present offered their prayers in this way: O Lord, O supreme main tainer of those sheltered at Your lotus feet, O original Personality of Godhead, the process of austerity and penance, in which You instructed us before, is the spiritual power of Your very self. It is by austerity that You create the mate rial world, which lies dormant within You. This austerity was almost stopped by the activities of this demon, but now, by Yourself appearing in the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva, which is meant just to give us protection, and by killing this de mon, You have again approved the process of austerity. (43) The inhabitants of Pitṛloka prayed: Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the maintainer of the religious principles of the universe. He has killed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the demon who by force en joyed all the offerings of the śrāddha ceremo nies performed by our sons and grandsons on the anniversaries of our death and who drank the water with sesame seeds offered in holy places of pilgrimage. By killing this demon, O Lord, You have taken back all this stolen prop erty from his abdomen by piercing it with Your nails. We therefore wish to offer our respectful obeisances unto You. (44)

The inhabitants of Siddhaloka prayed: O Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, because we belong to Sid dhaloka, we automatically achieve perfection in all eight kinds of mystic power. Yet Hiraṇyakaśipu was so dishonest that by the strength of his power and austerity, he took away our powers. Thus he became very proud of his mystic strength. Now, because this rogue has been killed by Your nails, we offer our re spectful obeisances unto You. (45) The inhabitants of Vidyādhara-loka prayed: Our acquired power to appear and disappear in various ways according to varieties of medita tion was banned by that foolish Hiraṇyakaśipu because of his pride in his superior bodily strength and his ability to conquer others. Now the Supreme Personality of Godhead has killed him just as if the demon were an animal. Unto that supreme pastime form of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, we eternally offer our respectful obeisances. (46)

The inhabitants of Nāgaloka said: The most sinful Hiraṇyakaśipu took away all the jewels on our hoods and all our beautiful wives. Now, since his chest has been pierced by Your nails, You are the source of all pleasure to our wives. Thus we together offer our respectful obei sances unto You. (47) All the Manus offered their prayers as fol lows: As Your order carriers, O Lord, we, the Manus, are the law-givers for human society, but because of the temporary supremacy of this great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu, our laws for maintaining varṇāśrama-dharma were de stroyed. O Lord, now that You have killed this great demon, we are in our normal condition. Kindly order us, Your eternal servants, what to do now. (48) The prajāpatis offered their prayers as fol lows: O Supreme Lord, Lord of even Brahmā and Śiva, we, the prajāpatis, were created by You to execute Your orders, but we were for bidden by Hiraṇyakaśipu to create any more good progeny. Now the demon is lying dead before us, his chest pierced by You. Let us therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You, whose incarnation in this form of pure goodness is meant for the welfare of the entire universe. (49)

The inhabitants of Gandharvaloka prayed: Your Lordship, we ever engage in Your service by dancing and singing in dramatic perfor mances, but this Hiraṇyakaśipu, by the influ ence of his bodily strength and valor, brought us under his subjugation. Now he has been brought to this low condition by Your Lord ship. What benefit can result from the activities of such an upstart as Hiraṇyakaśipu? (50) The inhabitants of the Cāraṇa planet said: O Lord, because You have destroyed the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was always a stake in the hearts of all honest men, we are now relieved, and we eternally take shelter of Your lotus feet, which award the conditioned soul liberation from materialistic contamination. (51) The inhabitants of Yakṣaloka prayed: O controller of the twenty-four elements, we are considered the best servants of Your Lordship because of rendering services pleasing to You, yet we engaged as palanquin carriers by the or der of Hiraṇyakaśipu, the son of Diti. O Lord in the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva, You know how this demon gave trouble to everyone, but now You have killed him, and his body is mixing with the five material elements. (52)

The inhabitants of Kimpuruṣa-loka said: We are insignificant living entities, and You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller. Therefore how can we offer suitable prayers unto You? When this demon was con demned by devotees because they were dis gusted with him, he was then killed by You. (53) The inhabitants of Vaitālika-loka said: Dear Lord, because of chanting Your spotless glories in great assemblies and arenas of sacrifice, we were accustomed to great respect from every one. This demon, however, usurped that posi tion. Now, to our great fortune, You have killed this great demon, exactly as one cures a chronic disease. (54)

The Kinnaras said: O supreme controller, we are ever-existing servants of Your Lordship, but instead of rendering service to You, we were engaged by this demon in his service, con stantly and without remuneration. This sinful man has now been killed by You. Therefore, O Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, our master, we offer our re spectful obeisances unto You. Please continue to be our patron. (55) The associates of Lord Viṣṇu in Vaikuṇṭha offered this prayer: O Lord, our supreme giver of shelter, today we have seen Your wonderful form as Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, meant for the good fortune of all the world. O Lord, we can under stand that Hiraṇyakaśipu was the same Jaya who engaged in Your service but was cursed by brāhmaṇas and who thus received the body of a demon. We understand that his having now been killed is Your special mercy upon him. (56)

Nārada Muni said: Although Prahlāda Mahārāja was born in a family of asuras, he was the greatest of all devotees. Having thus been questioned by his class friends, the sons of the asuras, he remembered the words spoken to him by me and replied to his friends as follows. (1) Prahlāda Mahārāja said: When our father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, went to Mandarācala Mountain to execute severe austerities, in his absence the demigods, headed by King Indra, made a se vere attempt to subdue all the demons in war fare. (2) “Alas, as a serpent is eaten by small ants, so the troublesome Hiraṇyakaśipu, who always inflicted miseries upon all types of peo ple, has now been defeated by the reactions of his own sinful activities.” Saying this, the dem igods, headed by King Indra, arranged to fight the demons. (3)

When the great leaders of the demons, who were being killed one after an other, saw the unprecedented exertion of the demigods in fighting, they began to flee, scat tering themselves in all directions. Simply to protect their lives, they hastily fled from their homes, wives, children, animals and household paraphernalia. Paying no heed to all these, the demons simply fled. (4-5) The victorious dem igods plundered the palace of Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of the demons, and destroyed every thing within it. Then Indra, King of heaven, ar rested my mother, the Queen. (6) As she was being led away, crying in fear like a kurarī cap tured by a vulture, the great sage Nārada, who at that time had no engagement, appeared on the scene and saw her in that condition. (7) Nārada Muni said: O Indra, King of the demigods, this woman is certainly sinless. You should not drag her off in this merciless way. O greatly fortunate one, this chaste woman is the wife of another. You must immediately release her. (8)

King Indra said: In the womb of this woman, the wife of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, is the seed of that great demon. Therefore, let her re main in our custody until her child is delivered, and then we shall release her. (9) Nārada Muni replied: The child within this woman’s womb is faultless and sinless. Indeed, he is a great devotee, a powerful servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, you will not be able to kill him. (10) When the great saint Nārada Muni had thus spoken, King Indra, being respectful to Nārada’s words, im mediately released my mother. Because of my being a devotee of the Lord, all the demigods circumambulated her. Then they returned to their celestial kingdom. (11) Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: The great saint Nārada Muni brought my mother to his āśrama and assured her of all protection, say ing, “My dear child, please remain at my āśrama until the arrival of your husband.” (12)

After accepting the instructions of Devarṣi Nārada, my mother stayed in his care, without fear from any direction, as long as my father, the King of the Daityas, had not become free from his severe austerities. (13) My mother, being pregnant, desired the safety of her em bryo and desired to give birth after her hus band’s arrival. Thus she stayed at Nārada Muni’s āśrama, where she rendered service unto Nārada Muni with great devotion. (14) Nārada Muni delivered his instructions both to me, who was within the womb, and to my mother, who was engaged in rendering him ser vice. Because he is naturally extremely kind to the fallen souls, being in a transcendental posi tion, he gave instructions on religion and tran scendental knowledge. These instructions were free from all material contamination. (15) Be cause of the long duration of time that has passed and because of her being a woman and therefore less intelligent, my mother has forgot ten all those instructions; but the great sage Nārada blessed me, and therefore I could not forget them. (16)

Prahlāda Mahārāja contin ued: My dear friends, if you can place your faith in my words, simply by that faith you can also understand transcendental knowledge, just like me, although you are small children. Simi larly, a woman can also understand transcen dental knowledge and know what is spirit and what is matter. (17) Just as the fruits and flow ers of a tree in due course of time undergo six changesbirth, existence, growth, transfor mation, dwindling and then deaththe material body, which is obtained by the spirit soul under different circumstances, undergoes similar changes. However, there are no such changes for the spirit soul. (18)

“Ātmā” refers to the Supreme Lord or the living entities. Both of them are spiritual, free from birth and death, free from deterioration and free from material contamination. They are individual, they are the knowers of the external body, and they are the foundation or shelter of everything. They are free from material change, they are self-il luminated, they are the cause of all causes, and they are all-pervading. They have nothing to do with the material body, and therefore they are always uncovered. With these transcendental qualities, one who is actually learned must give up the illusory conception of life, in which one thinks, “I am this material body, and everything in relationship with this body is mine.” (19-20) An expert geologist can understand where there is gold and by various processes can extract it from the gold ore. Similarly, a spiritually ad vanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body, and thus by cul tivating spiritual knowledge he can attain per fection in spiritual life. However, as one who is not expert cannot understand where there is gold, a foolish person who has not cultivated spiritual knowledge cannot understand how the spirit exists within the body. (21)

The Lord’s eight separated material ener gies, the three modes of material nature and the sixteen transformations [the eleven senses and the five gross material elements like earth and water] within all these, the one spiritual soul exists as the observer. Therefore, all the great ācāryas have concluded that the individual soul is conditioned by these material elements. (22) There are two kinds of bodies for every indi vidual soul a gross body made of five gross el ements and a subtle body made of three subtle elements. Within these bodies, however, is the spirit soul. One must find the soul by analysis, saying, “This is not it. This is not it.” Thus one must separate spirit from matter. (23) Sober and expert persons should search for the spirit soul with minds purified through analytical study in terms of the soul’s connection with and distinction from all things that undergo crea tion, maintenance and destruction. (24)

Intelligence can be perceived in three states of activ ity wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. The person who perceives these three is to be con sidered the original master, the ruler, the Su preme Personality of Godhead. (25) As one can understand the presence of the air by the aromas it carries, so, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can un derstand the living soul by these three divisions of intelligence. These three divisions, however, are not the soul; they are constituted of the three modes and are born of activities. (26) Through polluted intelligence one is subjected to the modes of nature, and thus one is conditioned by material existence. Like a dreaming state in which one falsely suffers, material existence, which is due to ignorance, must be considered unwanted and temporary. (27) Therefore, my dear friends, O sons of the de mons, your duty is to take to Kṛṣṇa conscious ness, which can burn the seed of fruitive activ ities artificially created by the modes of mate rial nature and stop the flow of the intelligence in wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. In other words, when one takes to Kṛṣṇa con sciousness, his ignorance is immediately dissi pated. (28)

Of the different processes recom mended for disentanglement from material life, the one personally explained and accepted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be considered all-perfect. That process is the per formance of duties by which love for the Su preme Lord develops. (29) One must accept the bona fide spiritual master and render ser vice unto him with great devotion and faith. Whatever one has in one’s possession should be offered to the spiritual master, and in the as sociation of saintly persons and devotees one should worship the Lord, hear the glories of the Lord with faith, glorify the transcendental qual ities and activities of the Lord, always meditate on the Lord’s lotus feet, and worship the Deity of the Lord strictly according to the injunctions of the śāstra and guru. (30-31) One should al ways remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His localized representation as the Paramātmā, who is situated in the core of every living entity’s heart. Thus one should offer re spect to every living entity according to that liv ing entity’s position or manifestation. (32)

By these activities [as mentioned above] one is able to cut down the influence of the enemies, namely lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and jealousy, and when thus situated, one can render service to the Lord. In this way one surely attains the platform of loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (33) One who is situated in devotional service is certainly the controller of his senses, and thus he is a liberated person. When such a liberated person, the pure devotee, hears of the transcen dental qualities and activities of the Lord’s in carnations for the performance of various pas times, his hair stands on end on his body, tears fall from his eyes, and in his spiritual realiza tion his voice falters. Sometimes he very openly dances, sometimes he sings loudly, and sometimes he cries. Thus he expresses his tran scendental jubilation. (34)

When a devotee be comes like a person haunted by a ghost, he laughs and very loudly chants about the quali ties of the Lord. Sometimes he sits to perform meditation, and he offers respects to every liv ing entity, considering him a devotee of the Lord. Constantly breathing very heavily, he be comes careless of social etiquette and loudly chants like a madman, “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa! O my Lord, O master of the universe!” (35) The devotee is then freed from all material contamination because he constantly thinks of the Lord’s pastimes and because his mind and body have been converted to spiritual qualities. Because of his intense devotional service, his ignorance, material consciousness and all kinds of material desires are completely burnt to ashes. This is the stage at which one can achieve the shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet. (36)

The real problem of life is the repetition of birth and death, which is like a wheel rolling repeat edly up and down. This wheel, however, com pletely stops when one is in touch with the Su preme Personality of Godhead. In other words, by the transcendental bliss realized from con stant engagement in devotional service, one is completely liberated from material existence. All learned men know this. Therefore, my dear friends, O sons of the asuras, immediately begin meditating upon and worshiping the Su persoul within everyone’s heart. (37) O my friends, sons of the asuras, the Supreme Person ality of Godhead in His Supersoul feature al ways exists within the cores of the hearts of all living entities. Indeed, He is the well-wisher and friend of all living entities, and there is no difficulty in worshiping the Lord. Why, then, should people not engage in His devotional ser vice? Why are they so addicted to unneces sarily producing artificial paraphernalia for sense gratification? (38)

One’s riches, beauti ful wife and female friends, one’s sons and daughters, one’s residence, one’s domestic an imals like cows, elephants and horses, one’s treasury, economic development and sense gratificationindeed, even the lifetime in which one can enjoy all these material opulencesare certainly temporary and flickering. Since the opportunity of human life is temporary, what benefit can these material opulences give to a sensible man who has understood himself to be eternal? (39) It is learned from Vedic literature that by performing great sacrifices one may el evate himself to the heavenly planets. How ever, although life on the heavenly planets is hundreds and thousands of times more com fortable than life on earth, the heavenly planets are not pure [nirmalam], or free from the taint of material existence. The heavenly planets are also temporary, and therefore they are not the goal of life. The Supreme Personality of God head, however, has never been seen or heard to possess inebriety. Consequently, for your own benefit and self-realization, you must worship the Lord with great devotion, as described in the revealed scriptures. (40)

A materialistic person, thinking himself very advanced in intelligence, continually acts for economic development. But again and again, as enunciated in the Vedas, he is frus trated by material activities, either in this life or in the next. Indeed, the results one obtains are inevitably the opposite of those one desires. (41) In this material world, every materialist desires to achieve happiness and diminish his distress, and therefore he acts accordingly. Ac tually, however, one is happy as long as one does not endeavor for happiness; as soon as one begins his activities for happiness, his condi tions of distress begin. (42) A living entity de sires comfort for his body and makes many plans for this purpose, but actually the body is the property of others. Indeed, the perishable body embraces the living entity and then leaves him aside. (43) Since the body itself is ulti mately meant to become stool or earth, what is the meaning of the paraphernalia related to the body, such as wives, residences, wealth, chil dren, relatives, servants, friends, kingdoms, treasuries, animals and ministers? They are also temporary. What more can be said about this? (44)

All this paraphernalia is very near and dear as long as the body exists, but as soon as the body is destroyed, all things related to the body are also finished. Therefore, actually one has nothing to do with them, but because of igno rance one accepts them as valuable. Compared to the ocean of eternal happiness, they are most insignificant. What is the use of such insignifi cant relationships for the eternal living being? (45) My dear friends, O sons of the asuras, the living entity receives different types of bodies according to his previous fruitive activities. Thus he is seen to suffer with reference to his particular body in all conditions of life, begin ning with his infusion into the womb. Please tell me, therefore, after full consideration, what is the living entity’s actual interest in fruitive activities, which result in hardship and misery? (46) The living entity, who has received his present body because of his past fruitive activ ity, may end the results of his actions in this life, but this does not mean that he is liberated from bondage to material bodies. The living en tity receives one type of body, and by perform ing actions with that body he creates another. Thus he transmigrates from one body to an other, through repeated birth and death, be cause of his gross ignorance. (47)

The four principles of advancement in spiritual lifedharma, artha, kāma and mokṣaall depend on the disposition of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, my dear friends, follow in the footsteps of devotees. Without desire, fully depend upon the disposition of the Su preme Lord, worship Him, the Supersoul, in de votional service. (48) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is the soul and the Supersoul of all living entities. Every living entity is a manifestation of His energy in terms of the liv ing soul and the material body. Therefore, the Lord is the most dear, and He is the supreme controller. (49) If a demigod, demon, human being, Yakṣa, Gandharva or anyone within this universe renders service to the lotus feet of Mukunda, who can deliver liberation, he is ac tually situated in the most auspicious condition of life, exactly like us [the mahājanas, headed by Prahlāda Mahārāja]. (50)

My dear friends, O sons of the demons, you cannot please the Supreme Personality of God head by becoming perfect brāhmaṇas, demi gods or great saints or by becoming perfectly good in etiquette or vast learning. None of these qualifications can awaken the pleasure of the Lord. Nor by charity, austerity, sacrifice, clean liness or vows can one satisfy the Lord. The Lord is pleased only if one has unflinching, un alloyed devotion to Him. Without sincere de votional service, everything is simply a show. (51-52) My dear friends, O sons of the demons, in the same favorable way that one sees himself and takes care of himself, take to devotional service to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present everywhere as the Su persoul of all living entities. (53)

O my friends, O sons of demons, everyone, including you (the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas), the unintelligent women, śūdras and cowherd men, the birds, the lower animals and the sinful living entities, can revive his original, eternal spiritual life and ex ist forever simply by accepting the principles of bhakti-yoga. (54) In this material world, to ren der service to the lotus feet of Govinda, the cause of all causes, and to see Him everywhere, is the only goal of life. This much alone is the ultimate goal of human life, as explained by all the revealed scriptures. (55)

Prahlāda Mahārāja said: One who is suffi ciently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of lifein other words, from the tender age of childhoodto prac tice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional ser vice can give one complete perfection. (1) The human form of life affords one a chance to re turn home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. This devotional ser vice is natural because Lord Viṣṇu, the Su preme Personality of Godhead, is the most be loved, the master of the soul, and the well wisher of all other living beings. (2)

Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: My dear friends born of demoniac families, the happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be obtained in any form of life, according to one’s past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained with out endeavor, just as we obtain distress. (3) En deavors merely for sense gratification or mate rial happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit. If one’s endeavors are directed toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can surely attain the spir itual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in eco nomic development. (4) Therefore, while in material existence [bhavam āśritaḥ], a person fully competent to distinguish wrong from right must endeavor to achieve the highest goal of life as long as the body is stout and strong and is not embarrassed by dwindling. (5)

Every human being has a maximum duration of life of one hundred years, but for one who cannot con trol his senses, half of those years are com pletely lost because at night he sleeps twelve hours, being covered by ignorance. Therefore such a person has a lifetime of only fifty years. (6) In the tender age of childhood, when every one is bewildered, one passes ten years. Simi larly, in boyhood, engaged in sporting and playing, one passes another ten years. In this way, twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when one is an invalid, unable to perform even material activities, one passes another twenty years wastefully. (7) One whose mind and senses are uncontrolled becomes increas ingly attached to family life because of insatia ble lusty desires and very strong illusion. In such a madman’s life, the remaining years are also wasted because even during those years he cannot engage himself in devotional service. (8) What person too attached to household life due to being unable to control his senses can liberate himself? An attached householder is bound very strongly by ropes of affection for his family [wife, children and other relatives]. (9)

Money is so dear that one conceives of money as being sweeter than honey. Therefore, who can give up the desire to accumulate money, especially in household life? Thieves, professional servants [soldiers] and merchants try to acquire money even by risking their very dear lives. (10) How can a person who is most affectionate to his family, the core of his heart being always filled with their pictures, give up their association? Specifically, a wife is always very kind and sympathetic and always pleases her husband in a solitary place. Who could give up the association of such a dear and affection ate wife? Small children talk in broken lan guage, very pleasing to hear, and their affec tionate father always thinks of their sweet words. How could he give up their association? One’s elderly parents and one’s sons and daughters are also very dear. A daughter is es pecially dear to her father, and while living at her husband’s house she is always in his mind. Who could give up that association? Aside from this, in household affairs there are many decorated items of household furniture, and there are also animals and servants. Who could give up such comforts? The attached house holder is like a silkworm, which weaves a co coon in which it becomes imprisoned, unable to get out. Simply for the satisfaction of two im portant sensesthe genitals and the tongueone is bound by material conditions. How can one es cape? (11-13)

One who is too attached cannot understand that he is wasting his valuable life for the maintenance of his family. He also fails to understand that the purpose of human life, a life suitable for realization of the Absolute Truth, is being imperceptibly spoiled. How ever, he is very cleverly attentive to seeing that not a single farthing is lost by mismanagement. Thus although an attached person in material existence always suffers from threefold miser ies, he does not develop a distaste for the way of material existence. (14) If a person too at tached to the duties of family maintenance is unable to control his senses, the core of his heart is immersed in how to accumulate money. Although he knows that one who takes the wealth of others will be punished by the law of the government, and by the laws of Yamarāja after death, he continues cheating others to ac quire money. (15)

O my friends, sons of de mons! In this material world, even those who are apparently advanced in education have the propensity to consider, “This is mine, and that is for others.” Thus they are always engaged in providing the necessities of life to their families in a limited conception of family life, just like uneducated cats and dogs. They are unable to take to spiritual knowledge; instead, they are bewildered and overcome by ignorance. (16) My dear friends, O sons of the demons, it is certain that no one bereft of knowledge of the Su preme Personality of Godhead has been able to liberate himself from material bondage at any time or in any country. Rather, those bereft of knowledge of the Lord are bound by the mate rial laws. They are factually addicted to sense gratification, and their target is woman. Indeed, they are actually playthings in the hands of at tractive women. Victimized by such a concep tion of life, they become surrounded by chil dren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and thus they are shackled to material bondage. Those who are very much addicted to this con ception of life are called demons. Therefore, although you are sons of demons, keep aloof from such persons and take shelter of the Su preme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, the origin of all the demigods, because the ultimate goal for the devotees of Nārāyaṇa is liberation from the bondage of material existence. (17 18)

My dear sons of demons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, is the original Supersoul, the father of all living entities. Con sequently there are no impediments to pleasing Him or worshiping Him under any conditions, whether one be a child or an old man. The rela tionship between the living entities and the Su preme Personality of Godhead is always a fact, and therefore there is no difficulty in pleasing the Lord. (19) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, who is infal lible and indefatigable, is present in different forms of life, from the inert living beings [sthāvara], such as the plants, to Brahmā, the foremost created living being. He is also pre sent in the varieties of material creations and in the material elements, the total material energy and the modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa], as well as the un manifested material nature and the false ego. Although He is one, He is present everywhere, and He is also the transcendental Supersoul, the cause of all causes, who is present as the ob server in the cores of the hearts of all living entities. He is indicated as that which is pervaded and as the all-pervading Supersoul, but actually He cannot be indicated. He is changeless and undivided. He is simply perceived as the su preme sac-cid-ānanda [eternity, knowledge and bliss]. Being covered by the curtain of the ex ternal energy, to the atheist He appears nonex istent. (20-23)

Therefore, my dear young friends born of demons, please act in such a way that the Supreme Lord, who is beyond the conception of material knowledge, will be sat isfied. Give up your demoniac nature and act without enmity or duality. Show mercy to all living entities by enlightening them in devo tional service, thus becoming their well-wish ers. (24) Nothing is unobtainable for devotees who have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all causes, the original source of everything. The Lord is the reservoir of unlimited spiritual qualities. For devotees, therefore, who are transcendental to the modes of material nature, what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation, which are all automatically obtainable under the influence of the modes of nature? We dev otees always glorify the lotus feet of the Lord, and therefore we need not ask for anything in terms of dharma, kāma, artha and mokṣa. (25)

Religion, economic development and sense gratificationthese are described in the Vedas as tri-varga, or three ways to salvation. Within these three categories are education and self-re alization; ritualistic ceremonies performed ac cording to Vedic injunction; logic; the science of law and order; and the various means of earning one’s livelihood. These are the external subject matters of study in the Vedas, and therefore I consider them material. However, I consider surrender to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu to be transcendental. (26) Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the well wisher and friend of all living entities, formerly explained this transcendental knowledge to the great saint Nārada. Such knowledge is extremely difficult to understand without the mercy of a saintly person like Nārada, but eve ryone who has taken shelter of Nārada’s disci plic succession can understand this confidential knowledge. (27)

Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: I received this knowledge from the great saint Nārada Muni, who is always engaged in devo tional service. This knowledge, which is called bhāgavata-dharma, is fully scientific. It is based on logic and philosophy and is free from all ma terial contamination. (28) The sons of the demons replied: Dear Prah lāda, neither you nor we know any teacher or spiritual master other than Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the sons of Śukrācārya. After all, we are chil dren and they our controllers. For you espe cially, who always remain within the palace, it is very difficult to associate with a great per sonality. Dear friend, most gentle one, would you kindly explain how it was possible for you to hear Nārada? Kindly dispel our doubts in this regard. (29-30)

The great saint Nārada Muni said: The de mons, headed by Hiraṇyakaśipu, accepted Śukrācārya as their priest for ritualistic ceremonies. Śukrācārya’s two sons, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, lived near Hiraṇyakaśipu’s palace. (1) Prahlāda Mahārāja was already educated in devotional life, but when his father sent him to those two sons of Śukrācārya to be educated, they accepted him at their school along with the other sons of the asuras. (2) Prahlāda certainly heard and recited the topics of politics and eco nomics taught by the teachers, but he under stood that political philosophy involves consid ering someone a friend and someone else an en emy, and thus he did not like it. (3) My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, once upon a time the King of the demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu, took his son Prah lāda on his lap and very affectionately inquired: My dear son, please let me know what you think is the best of all the subjects you have studied from your teachers. (4)

Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: O best of the asuras, King of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any person who has accepted a temporary body and tem porary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest [vana]. More clearly, one should go to Vṛndāvana, where only Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prevalent, and should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (5) Nārada Muni continued: When Prahlāda Mahārāja spoke about the path of self-realiza tion in devotional service, thus being faithful to the camp of his father’s enemies, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of the demons, heard Prahlāda’s words and he laughingly said, “Thus is the intelligence of children spoiled by the words of the enemy.” (6) Hiraṇyakaśipu ad vised his assistants: My dear demons, give complete protection to this boy at the gurukula where he is instructed, so that his intelligence will not be further influenced by Vaiṣṇavas who may go there in disguise. (7)

When Hiraṇyakaśipu’s servants brought the boy Prahlāda back to the gurukula [the place where the brāhmaṇas taught the boys], the priests of the demons, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, pac ified him. With very mild voices and affection ate words, they inquired from him as follows. (8) Dear son Prahlāda, all peace and good for tune unto you. Kindly do not speak lies; just re ply with the truth. These boys you see are not like you, for they do not speak in a deviant way. How have you learned these instructions? How has your intelligence been spoiled in this way? (9) O best of your family, has this pollution of your intelligence been brought about by you or by the enemies? We are all your teachers and are very eager to hear about this. Please tell us the truth. (10)

Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, whose external energy has created the distinctions of “my friend” and “my enemy” by deluding the intelligence of men. Indeed, I am now actually experiencing this, although I have previously heard of it from authoritative sources. (11) When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased with the liv ing entity because of his devotional service, one becomes a paṇḍita and does not make distinc tions between enemies, friends and himself. In telligently, he then thinks, “Every one of us is an eternal servant of God, and therefore we are not different from one another.” (12) Persons who always think in terms of “enemy” and “friend” are unable to ascertain the Supersoul within themselves. Not to speak of them, even such exalted persons as Lord Brahmā, who are fully conversant with the Vedic literature, are sometimes bewildered in following the princi ples of devotional service. The same Supreme Personality of Godhead who has created this situation has certainly given me the intelligence to take the side of your so-called enemy. (13)

O brāhmaṇas [teachers], as iron attracted by a magnetic stone moves automatically toward the magnet, my consciousness, having been changed by His will, is attracted by Lord Viṣṇu, who carries a disc in His hand. Thus I have no independence. (14) The great saint Nārada Muni continued: The great soul Prahlāda Mahārāja became silent af ter saying this to his teachers, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the seminal sons of Śukrācārya. These so-called brāhmaṇas then became angry at him. Because they were servants of Hiraṇyakaśipu, they were very sorry, and to chastise Prahlāda Mahārāja they spoke as follows. (15) Oh, please bring me a stick! This Prahlāda is dam aging our name and fame. Because of his bad intelligence, he has become like a cinder in the dynasty of the demons. Now he needs to be treated by the fourth of the four kinds of politi cal diplomacy. (16) This rascal Prahlāda has appeared like a thorn tree in a forest of sandal wood. To cut down sandalwood trees, an axe is needed, and the wood of the thorn tree is very suitable for the handle of such an axe. Lord Viṣṇu is the axe for cutting down the sandal wood forest of the family of demons, and this Prahlāda is the handle for that axe. (17)

Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the teachers of Prahlāda Mahārāja, chastised and threatened their disci ple in various ways and began teaching him about the paths of religion, economic develop ment and sense gratification. This is the way they educated him. (18) After some time, the teachers Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka thought that Prah lāda Mahārāja was sufficiently educated in the diplomatic affairs of pacifying public leaders, appeasing them by giving them lucrative posts, dividing and ruling over them, and punishing them in cases of disobedience. Then, one day, after Prahlāda’s mother had personally washed the boy and dressed him nicely with sufficient ornaments, they presented him before his fa ther. (19) When Hiraṇyakaśipu saw that his child had fallen at his feet and was offering obeisances, as an affectionate father he imme diately began showering blessings upon the child and embraced him with both arms. A fa ther naturally feels happy to embrace his son, and Hiraṇyakaśipu became very happy in this way. (20)

Nārada Muni continued: My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, Hiraṇyakaśipu seated Prah lāda Mahārāja on his lap and began smelling his head. With affectionate tears gliding down from his eyes and moistening the child’s smil ing face, he spoke to his son as follows. (21) Hiraṇyakaśipu said: My dear Prahlāda, my dear son, O long-lived one, for so much time you have heard many things from your teach ers. Now please repeat to me whatever you think is the best of that knowledge. (22) Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chant ing about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, of fering prayers to the Lord, becoming His serv ant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired com plete knowledge. (23-24)

After hearing these words of devotional service from the mouth of his son Prahlāda, Hiraṇyakaśipu was extremely angry. His lips trembling, he spoke as follows to Ṣaṇḍa, the son of his guru, Śukrācārya. (25) O unqualified, most heinous son of a brāhmaṇa, you have disobeyed my order and taken shelter of the party of my enemies. You have taught this poor boy about devotional service! What is this nonsense? (26) In due course of time, var ious types of diseases are manifest in those who are sinful. Similarly, in this world there are many deceptive friends in false garbs, but even tually, because of their false behavior, their ac tual enmity becomes manifest. (27) The son of Śukrācārya, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s spiritual master, said: O enemy of King Indra, O King! Whatever your son Prahlāda has said was not taught to him by me or anyone else. His spontaneous devotional service has naturally developed in him. Therefore, please give up your anger and do not unnecessarily accuse us. It is not good to insult a brāhmaṇa in this way. (28)

Śrī Nārada Muni continued: When Hiraṇyakaśipu received this reply from the teacher, he again addressed his son Prahlāda. Hiraṇyakaśipu said: You rascal, most fallen of our family, if you have not received this educa tion from your teachers, where have you gotten it? (29) Prahlāda Mahārāja 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 Kṛṣṇa are never aroused, either by the instruc tions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both. (30) Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of en joying material life, and who have therefore ac cepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the ser vice of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by an other blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in ma terialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries. (31)

Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination. (32) After Prahlāda Mahārāja had spoken in this way and become silent, Hiraṇyakaśipu, blinded by anger, threw him off his lap and onto the ground. (33) Indignant and angry, his reddish eyes like molten copper, Hiraṇyakaśipu said to his servants: O demons, take this boy away from me! He deserves to be killed. Kill him as soon as possible! (34) This boy Prahlāda is the killer of my brother, for he has given up his family to engage in the devotional service of the enemy, Lord Viṣṇu, like a menial servant. (35) Although Prahlāda is only five years old, even at this young age he has given up his af fectionate relationship with his father and mother. Therefore, he is certainly untrustwor thy. Indeed, it is not at all believable that he will behave well toward Viṣṇu. (36)

Although a medicinal herb, being born in the forest, does not belong to the same category as a man, if beneficial it is kept very carefully. Similarly, if someone outside one’s family is favorable, he should be given protection like a son. On the other hand, if a limb of one’s body is poisoned by disease, it must be amputated so that the rest of the body may live happily. Similarly, even one’s own son, if unfavorable, must be rejected, although born of one’s own body. (37) Just as uncontrolled senses are the enemies of all yogīs engaged in advancing in spiritual life, this Prah lāda, who appears to be a friend, is an enemy because I cannot control him. Therefore this en emy, whether eating, sitting or sleeping, must be killed by all means. (38) The demons [Rākṣasas], the servants of Hiraṇyakaśipu, thus began striking the tender parts of Prahlāda Mahārāja’s body with their tridents. The demons all had fearful faces, sharp teeth and reddish, coppery beards and hair, and they appeared extremely threatening. Making a tumultuous sound, shouting, “Chop him up! Pierce him!” they began striking Prah lāda Mahārāja, who sat silently, meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (39-40)

Even though a person who has no as sets in pious activities performs some good deed, it will have no result. Thus the weapons of the demons had no tangible effects upon Prahlāda Mahārāja because he was a devotee undisturbed by material conditions and fully engaged in meditating upon and serving the Su preme Personality of Godhead, who is un changeable, who cannot be realized by the ma terial senses, and who is the soul of the entire universe. (41) My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, when all the attempts of the demons to kill Prahlāda Mahārāja were futile, the King of the demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu, being most fearful, be gan contriving other means to kill him. (42) Hiraṇyakaśipu could not kill his son by throw ing him beneath the feet of big elephants, throwing him among huge, fearful snakes, em ploying destructive spells, hurling him from the top of a hill, conjuring up illusory tricks, ad ministering poison, starving him, exposing him to severe cold, winds, fire and water, or throw ing heavy stones to crush him. When Hiraṇyakaśipu found that he could not in any way harm Prahlāda, who was completely sin less, he was in great anxiety about what to do next. (43-44)

Hiraṇyakaśipu thought: I have used many ill names in chastising this boy Prahlāda and have devised many means of kill ing him, but despite all my endeavors, he could not be killed. Indeed, he saved himself by his own powers, without being affected in the least by these treacheries and abominable actions. (45) Although he is very near to me and is merely a child, he is situated in complete fear lessness. He resembles a dog’s curved tail, which can never be straightened, because he never forgets my miSBehavior and his connec tion with his master, Lord Viṣṇu. (46) I can see that this boy’s strength is unlimited, for he has not feared any of my punishments. He appears immortal. Therefore, because of my enmity to ward him, I shall die. Or maybe this will not take place. (47)

Thinking in this way, the King of the Daityas, morose and bereft of bodily luster, re mained silent with his face downward. Then Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the two sons of Śukrācārya, spoke to him in secret. (48) O lord, we know that when you simply move your eyebrows, all the commanders of the various planets are most afraid. Without the help of any assistant, you have conquered all the three worlds. Therefore, we do not find any reason for you to be morose and full of anxiety. As for Prahlāda, he is noth ing but a child and cannot be a cause of anxiety. After all, his bad or good qualities have no value. (49) Until the return of our spiritual master, Śukrācārya, arrest this child with the ropes of Varuṇa so that he will not flee in fear. In any case, by the time he is somewhat grown up and has assimilated our instructions or served our spiritual master, he will change in his intelligence. Thus there need be no cause for anxiety. (50)

After hearing these instructions of Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the sons of his spiritual master, Hiraṇyakaśipu agreed and requested them to in struct Prahlāda in that system of occupational duty which is followed by royal householder families. (51) Thereafter, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka systematically and unceasingly taught Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was very submissive and hum ble, about mundane religion, economic devel opment and sense gratification. (52) The teach ers Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka instructed Prahlāda Mahārāja in the three kinds of material ad vancement called religion, economic develop ment and sense gratification. Prahlāda, how ever, being situated above such instructions, did not like them, for such instructions are based on the duality of worldly affairs, which involve one in a materialistic way of life marked by birth, death, old age and disease. (53) When the teachers went home to attend to their household affairs, the students of the same age as Prahlāda Mahārāja would call him to take the opportunity of leisure hours for play. (54)

Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was truly the su preme learned person, then addressed his class friends in very sweet language. Smiling, he be gan to teach them about the uselessness of the materialistic way of life. Being very kind to them, he instructed them as follows. (55) My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, all the children were very much affectionate and respectful to Prah lāda Mahārāja, and because of their tender age they were not so polluted by the instructions and actions of their teachers, who were attached to condemned duality and bodily comfort. Thus the boys surrounded Prahlāda Mahārāja, giving up their playthings, and sat down to hear him. Their hearts and eyes being fixed upon him, they looked at him with great earnestness. Prah lāda Mahārāja, although born in a demon fam ily, was an exalted devotee, and he desired their welfare. Thus he began instructing them about the futility of materialistic life. (56-57)