The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Exemplary devotion

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Friday, Apr 08, 2005

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Exemplary devotion

CHENNAI, APRIL 8 . A person develops devotion to God as a result of spiritual practices performed during several births and this can be seen from examples cited in the scriptural texts. Prahlada was a child devotee. He was the son of Hiranyakasipu who hated God so much and had the audacity to declare that he was the Supreme. Prahlada is a fine illustration of how devotees can be born even in the most uncongenial environment and yet become exemplars of devotion. The Vishnu Purana describes at length the atrocities perpetrated on the denizens of the three worlds by Hiranyakasipu after he obtained boons from the creator, Brahma. He thought that he had become invincible because he had taken every precaution to see that he would not die under any circumstances. Little did he realise that no one can outwit the Almighty.

In his discourse, Sri P.R.Vaidyanatha Sastrigal said Prahlada was the very antithesis of his father and right from his childhood he adored the Supreme Being without anyone teaching him the scriptures. Hiranyakasipu sent him to his preceptor's hermitage to study with the other children and when he asked him during one of his visits what he had learnt Prahlada described the nature of the Lord. Enraged he scolded his preceptor who denied teaching him contrary to his orders. Prahlada came to his teacher's defence and said that no one needed to teach him as the Lord who was immanent in all had enlightened him about His glory.

Why did Hiranyakasipu entertain such hatred towards God? The Bhagavata Purana points out that he developed enmity after the Lord incarnated as a boar (Varaha) and killed his brother, Hiranyaksha. Prahlada continued to extol God and finally exasperated Hiranyakasipu ordered his servants to kill him but they could not even lay their hands on him. Thinking that there was no point in frightening him he tried to bring him around by cajoling him to give up praising the Lord but Prahlada remained unwavering in his devotion to God.

The cruel tyrant then tried several means to kill him but every time he came out of the ordeal unscathed. The Vishnu Purana states that when a sorcerer was engaged to kill him by the use of black magic, Lord Vishnu's discus, Sudarsana came to the child's rescue and saved him. When he was tied up and thrown into the ocean, Prahlada identified himself with God totally that when he regained his consciousness the ropes got severed of their own accord.

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