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Once upon a time there lived a king named Hiranyakasipu. He was the king of demons. He wanted to be supremely powerful so he prayed to Brahma and received a boon from him that no god, man or beast would ever be able to kill him. Once he got the boon, he became so very arrogant that he decided that there was no need for a God Almighty. He told all his people that he was their chief and that they should worship him alone. He ordered all temples to be destroyed and made it clear that so long as he was around, there was no place for any other god. If anyone dared worship Vishnu, Shiva or anyone other than himself, his only punishment would be death. In fact, Hiranyakasipu thought that Vishnu was his greatest enemy.
Prahlad’s Devotion: Hiranyakasipu tormented his son Prahlad for his devotion to Vishnu
Hiranyakasipu had a small son named Prahlada. He was sent to the gurukul to be educated as befitted a prince. On his return, Hiranyakasipu asked him, “Well, my son, tell me briefly what you have learnt from your teachers at the gurukul.”
“Dear Father, I can sum up all my learning in a few words: I worship Vishnu, who has no beginning and no end, who is the cause of all things, whom no power on Earth can destroy.
Hiranyakasipu was so angry to hear these words that he trembled with rage. His anger was first directed towards Prahlada’s teachers.
“You traitors! Did I entrust my little son to your care so that you might teach him to love and revere my bitter enemy? I shall have you put to death.
“It is not our fault, great king,” cried the teachers. “We did not tell Prahlada a word of what he has just said. Nor did we teach him anything about your sworn.
“Tell me, Prahlada, who has told you all this?” asked Hiranyakasipu.
“Why, Father, it is the Lord himself who has taught me this because he resides in everything we see around us. He dwells in mountains and trees, the sky and the oceans. ‘He dwells in the innermost heart of every man,’ replied Prahlada.
“He is the Supreme, the God of Gods, and the King of Kings,” he continued.
“Don’t you dare speak like this!” screamed Hiranyakasipu. “Don’t you know that I am the only king of the three worlds? There is no other God.”
“The Lord is in you as well, my father,” said Prahlada. “All of us, everything on earth, are a part of God.”
“Don’t you dare call anyone else ‘the supreme being’ while I am around,” yelled Hiranyakasipu. “You fool, don’t force me to put you to death. That is the only punishment I have for those who worship anyone except me.
“But Father, the Lord is the creator, protector and destroyer of the universe,” said Prahlada. “Why are you so unwilling to acknowledge this simple truth? It is at his wish that we live or die.”
Hiranyakasipu mopped his brow in rage. “Take this fool away, out of my sight. I shall give one more chance to his teachers. Let them teach him what the actual truth is.”
So Prahlada was sent to the gurukul once again with strict instructions to teach him about the glories and omnipotence of Hiranyakasipu and keep off all thoughts of Vishnu. But when Prahlada returned the second time, he once again sang praises of Vishnu and his all-pervasiveness. This time Hiranyakasipu was angry beyond words.
“This boy is a disgrace to our clan! I gave him several chances because he is so young. But he is simply no good. Take him away and kill him. That’s the only thing to do,” he told his soldiers. Then he looked at his son and said, “I hope you realise your mistake in not obeying me when you die. Tell me, are you not afraid?’
“No, Father,” said Prahlada, smiling fearlessly. “I am not afraid so long as I have Vishnu as my protector. I know that no weapon can hurt me.”
“Indeed!” cried Hiranyakasipu, livid with rage, and he struck Prahlada with the sword in his hand. me Prahlada felt no pain. The sword turned as soft as a flower as it touched Prahlada’’s body. It did not even leave a single scratch!
Hiranyakasipu ordered his men to throw Prahlada before a mad elephant that had crushed several people to death. But the elephant stopped in front of Prahlada, picked him up gently and put him on his back.
“Lock him up in the dungeon with the most poisonous snakes,” ordered Hiranyakasipu. But none of the snakes harmed Prahlada and their venom turned to nectar in Prahlada’s presence.
“What magic have you been using against these creatures?” Hiranyakasipu roared.
“I know no magic, Father,” replied Prahlada. “The snakes did not harm me because they too are a part of the Lord and knew that I had the Lord’s protection. Father, God is everywhere and in everything, living and non-living. That is why I am not afraid. Do try to believe and understand this.”
Hiranyakasipu thought hard about other ways of killing him. His pride had completely blinded him to his love for his son. He had started looking at him as his enemy. “Throw Prahlada from the top of the highest tower,” he ordered. “He will surely die when he falls from that height.”
But the moment Prahlada was pushed from the tower, the earth below grew as soft as a bed and Prahlada was not hurt at all.
“Throw him into the deep ocean. Tie heavy stones on his body so that he might sink to the bottom.
Hiranyakasipu thundered. Prahlada uttered Vishnu’s name as he fell into the ocean, and the stones turned to sand and melted into the sea while the waves kept Prahlada afloat until a big wave gently dropped him on the shore. Then he walked back to the palace unhurt.
Hiranyakasipu could not believe his eyes when he saw his son. He thought his men had not carried out their duty.
“I shall have to destroy him with my own hands,” he told himself. He ordered a huge fire to be lit. He caught hold of Prahlada and threw him into the middle of the flames. Once again, as Prahlada prayed to Vishnu, the flames all round him turned cold and he remained unhurt.
When Hiranyakasipu realised that Prahlada could not be destroyed either by him or by any of his men, he got desperate.
“Tell me, Prahlada, do you really believe that God exists in everything?”
“Indeed I do, Father,” replied Prahlada. “If you shared my belief, you would not be so unhappy today.”
“I don’t believe it,” said Hiranyakasipu. “Does God also exist in this pillar?” he asked, pointing to a thick pillar behind him.
“Yes,” Prahlada said with conviction.
“I don’t believe you,” said Hiranyakasipu, kicking the pillar. The pillar collapsed into a heap of rubble and Vishnu stepped out of the pillar in the form of Narsimha, half-man and half-lion. Hiranyakasipu tried to fight him but was vanquished by him.
Hiranyakasipu had enjoyed the boon that no man or animal could destroy him. But Vishnu, appearing as Narsimha, half-man and half-lion, destroyed him easily. Prahlada was aware that Narsimha was none other than Vishnu himself. He knelt down before him and prayed, “My Lord, forgive my father.”
“Don’t grieve for your father, my child,” said Narsimha. “He has lost his arrogance and pride and will now attain a special place in my abode. Tell me, what boon should I grant you?”
“Now that I have seen you with my eyes, I have nothing left to wish for, my Lord,” said Prahlada. “Just let me remain your ardent devotee forever.”
“So you shall, my child,” said Narsimha, “but your work on earth is not yet complete. You have to live your life first.”
Narsimha made Prahlada the king of the demons and he lived to be one of the best kings on earth.
