Verse 1.3.81

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.3.81:

पुनः पुनर् वरान् दित्सुर् विष्णुर् मुक्तिं न याचितः ।
भक्तिर् एव वृता येन प्रह्रादं तं नमाम्य् अहम् ॥ ८१ ॥

punaḥ punar varān ditsur viṣṇur muktiṃ na yācitaḥ |
bhaktir eva vṛtā yena prahrādaṃ taṃ namāmy aham || 81 ||

“Again and again Bhagavān Śrī Nṛsiṃhadeva asked Prahlāda to accept the boon of liberation, still that sovereign of devotees (bhakta-rāja) only prayed for bhakti lifetime after lifetime. I offer my obeisance unto him, Śrī Prahlāda.”

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Now, in order to show the superior, divine qualities of Śrī Prahlāda, he first glorifies his supreme niṣṭha (fidelity) to bhakti in comparison to mukti or liberation. This verse is from the Śrī Nārāyaṇa vyūha-stava (Hayaśirṣa Pañcarātra).

The intent of saying punaḥ punaḥ (again and again) is that in spite of Bhagavān Viṣṇu pining to grant a boon repeatedly, Śrī Prahlāda did not pray for mukti, but prayed only for bhakti. In this way, to reveal the unique glories of Śrī Prahlāda only, Śrī Viṣṇu displayed an eagerness to grant him liberation again and again. Nevertheless, the repeated disregard for liberation and prayer for bhakti by Śrī Prahlāda indicates his intense loyalty and aspiration for bhakti alone.

Punaḥ punaḥ can also suggest that he prayed for bhakti lifetime after lifetime.

Śrī Parāśara muni, father of Śrīla Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsadeva, also evokes this mood through the words of Śrī Prahlāda in Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.20.18):

नाथ! योनि-सहस्रेषु येषु येषु व्रजाम्य् अहम्
तेषु तेषु अच्युता भक्तिर् अच्युतास्तु सदा त्वयि

nātha! yoni-sahasreṣu yeṣu yeṣu vrajāmy aham
teṣu teṣu acyutā bhaktir acyutāstu sadā tvayi

“O Acyuta, although I may wander through thousands of wombs, lifetime after lifetime let my bhakti,, always be unfailing unto You.” In this verse the words yoni-sahasreṣu vrajāmi indicate “I may wander through thousands of births,” thus mukti is disregarded and spurned beyond any scope.