Miscellaneous - Religion   

Narayana in everything

CHENNAI: Hiranyakasipu is alarmed at the direction his son’s education is taking. Prahlada is a Vishnu bhakta and, because of that, a pacifist, said V.S. Karaunakarachariar in a discourse.

When Hiranyakasipu asks him how he will slay his enemies, Prahlada wonders how one can think of anyone as an enemy. Lord Narayana resides in every one of us. So how can anyone be thought of as an enemy.

When Hiranyakasipu sends his men to slay Prahlada , Prahlada says the swords have left him unharmed, because Narayana resides in him. Narayana resides in Hiranyakasipu’s henchmen and also in their swords. Can Narayana hurt Narayana?

Thirumangai Azhvar, in one of his verses, describes himself as the God who resides in Thirumala and also in Thirukkannapuram. This verse too shows that those with true devotion know that the Lord resides in us. Nammazhvar, in his ‘Kadal gnyaalam’ verse, expresses the same thought.

The only difference is that Thirumangai Azhvar, as is his wont, refers to the Archa form of the Lord, even when he talks of His form as an Antaryamin. The greatness of the Narasimha avatara is that it revealed to the world the devotion and comprehension of Prahlada. His appearance in man-lion form is one of His beautiful forms. The lion’s majesty is one that pleases. The combined beauty of the human and lion forms is also a uniqueness of the avatara.

When Prahlada is cast into the sea, he contemplates on Narayana, who resides in him, and the bonds that fetter him break. The Vishnu Purana ends with a brief mention of the Narasimha avatara.

It says Prahlada and Hiranyakasipu live happily, and that later Narasimha kills Hiranyakasipu. It is in the Bhagavata Purana that we have all the details about the Narasimha avatara. The Vishnu Purana touches upon the philosophical angles. It was left to the Bhagavata Purana to fill in the details of the story of Narasimha. It is because the Vishnu Purana gives us such an insight into philosophy that it was referred to as Purana Ratna by Alavandar.

The Vishnu Purana highlights Prahlada’s devotion.

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