Chapter 15

1-2. Sri Narada said, since that time Sri Prahlada, like a mad man in an ecstatic mood began to roam about fully dovetailed in Sri Narayana, His divine power could bring spiritual enlightenment to those who came in his contact. At times in ecstacy he was mad singing or laughing, crying; and his very sight made people wash off their sins and forthwith endowed them with divine inspiration.

8-5. He sang, “He Govinda, He Mukunda, He Keshava, He Hare, He Sri Vallabha, He Srinidhe, He Sri Vaikuntha, He Destroyer of wicked, He Prabhu, He Omniscient Lord, He Shuddha (untouched by maya), He the Paramount Being of Supreme meditation, He the Dispenser of wicked, He Dhaval (untinted), He Deliverer of the Universe, let us have our steadfast devotion at Thy Lotus Feet, He Padmanabha, He Vasudeva, He Vaikunthanatha, He Jagadisha, He Jagannivasa, He Garuda Vahana (Rider on Garuda), He Chaturbhuja (Lord with four Hands), He Chakrapani (One Who holds Discus in hand). He Lakshmi- nivasa—kindly bestow on me the eternal servitorship at Thy Lotus Feet.

6. O Achyuta, Thou art the Embodiment of Trancendent, Thou art the Fountain Source of all Incarnations and the Lord of all lords. O Sridhar, Thou lifted up the earth from the bottom of the ocean; those who are endowed with intuitive wisdom they alone realise Thee. Thou art the Dispenser of the quagmire of maya. Thou art of the Hue of impending-rain-showering cloud. Thou art the Giver of boons, He Gunakara, Thou art the Subhadra and Thou art the Balabhadra.

7-8. He Murare, the narration of Thy Glory is nectar-pouring to the ears, He the ocean of Bliss. Thou art bedecked with Yellowish Garments which is dazzling like gold. He Narayana, Garuda is Thy ride, He the ocean of All-auspiciousness. Thou dwellest on the bed of the ocean of Bliss. Thou Graciously makest myself free from the worldly ocean. I make my full surrender to Thy Lotus Feet.” Thus extolling Sri Hari, Prahlada suddenly feeling deep pang of separation from the Lord began to cry. Seeing him, people flocked round him.

9-10. O Lord, a fallen jiva who is steeped in nescience, for him Thy Lotus Feet are the only stay and the source of his deliverance, He Ananta, alas, I am drowned into the whirling pool of this worldly streams and now lamenting how can I be delivered up? O Saviour, be gracious unto me. He Dayamaya, Thou graciously endowest me with bestowing unflinching devotion at Thy Lotus Feet and deliver this destitute from this worldly ocean. He Jagadishvar, if Thou showerest not Thy Grace upon this poor creature then 1 am undone. Alas! due to my karma, I am afflicted by the triple guna of maya.

11-12. O Lord, being prompted by lust and anger, all the eleven sesnses have become made for mundane enjoyment. They tried- lessly with all their crookedness and turbulent force indulge in fruitive karma and I am subjected to its consequences. O Lord, even now if I do not secure of Thy protection then 1 am undone. There rests no hope of my getting rid of them! Those who run after the unquenchable lust for the woman who is the veritable mirage of the worldly desert also their heart is tinted by the ego-centric malice and their heart is ever scorched by that fire of egotism; anger throws dust into their eyes and lust robs of their intellect. Alas! the path of blessedness is unapproachable to them.’

13-14. But here good people noticing Sri Prahlada so un-concerned with the world they after listening to him in glorification of the exalted Lord got their heart melted and tears rolled down their cheeks; they fell in prostration at his feet. Those who have got their sins washed off and became untinted of their heart some of them became overwhelmed with joy by having sight of Parama-bhagavata Sri Prahlada and with their devout heart paid their homage to him. People in a great number came to have his gracious Darshana.

15-16. Here Sri Prahlada without any aspiration maddenly sang and danced in ecstacy singing aloud the Divine Pastimes of the Exalted Lord Sri Hari. Wherever exalted Parama-Bhagavata Sri Prahlada went, his very sight brought a through change in the minds of the people and they got their sins washed off. Does the sun shine for his own purpose? Never for himself. But it disperses the darkness of the world, so too a Paramabha- gavata roams about with a view to eradicating the nescience of the people.

17. Those asuras who threw him into the deep sea and thought of his sure death, when saw him alive and returning, they were awe-struck and hurriedly went to their king to report.

18. When king Hiranyakashipu heard from them about Prahlada’s survival he was wonder-struck yet he ordered them to bring him before him but it seemed as it were, he saw himself at the peril of death.

19-20. Those asuras brought Sri Prahlada before the king, but there was no sign of any fear in his face; he was shining with his divine splendour whereas he saw Hiranyakashipu much perturbed as if he was afraid of apprehending impending death of himself. It appeared that he has reached the shore of the sea of his life propelled by the boat of his corporeal body and just at the point of abandoning the body-boat. And so much fear- stricken that death-god was sitting at his neck.

21-23. Though Hiranyakashipu was bedecked with gem-set ornaments and diadem but he appeared as an eclipsed moon, nay, a king’s dead body with all wreaths just placed on the enflamed pyre. As it were, due to the offence that he committed by calumniating exalted devotee of Sri Vishnu, he appeared like a veritable vilest sinner. He became delirious with his lower lip bitten by his frenzy teeth and it so looked like darken cloud moved by storm. He appeared like the tree torn-tossed. He was surrounded by those wicked asuras who were like the messengers of god of death.

24. That Hiranyakashipu whose very name created fear at the minds of the celestials but now his most beautiful robust body appeared like a Palash tree scorched by the forestfire. Yet he could not realise that his death is imminent. Sri Prahlada, a man of intuitive wisdom seeing such plightful condition of the king felt remorse.

26. Sri Prahlada with his folded palms paid his obeisance to his father and getting a sign from the eye-sight of his father he sat on a provided seat. Noticing the red-eyes of his father he remained with his bowed head.

26-28. King Hiranyakashipu, the wicked number one, without justification became furious and rebuked his son Prahlada; but thus he calumniating an exalted devotee of Sri Hari actually welcomed his death. He shouted, ‘Re fo?l, this is my last word, listen to me. No more I shall repeat; and decide for ever.’ Pronouncing these words he snatched from his arms a most sharpened sword which was shining like glittering silver and just ready to chop off Prahlada’s head. The onlookers became nonplussed. Now he shouted, ‘either your body will be cut into pieces or instantly give up Hari.’

29-30. When onlookers saw this plightful condition all lamented, alas, Prahlada is finished. But some of the asuras felt happy, others expressed their deep feeling, yet others with their indifferent look watched the scene and rising their head expressed their eagerness what Prahlada would be doing now.

31-35. Sri Prahlada who was remaining unperturbed when just after paying his obeisance was going to speak, from outside all could hear a most pittiable lamentation as it were, a devastating fire, suddenly broke out. From all sides only loud cry ‘ha mother, father, ha son’—thus the asuras lamented and it was so heart-rending that it burst the shell of the universe. Hearing this lamentation king Hiranyakashipu ran with his sword to the out-skirt of his palace. Soon he met a gigantic creature who appeared like the world-dissoluting fire. He was so dazzling that it was very difficult for the king to look at him. He was none but Lord Sri Nrisihma Who was shining with His Divine Splendour.

36-38. Hiranyakashipu saw Him first as the veritable worlddevastating fire but next he could know Him as an unseen and un-heard creature. At last he could understand that it was a lion and man combined creature. The light that was effulging from His Person was actually scorching all sides. Shaking off His manes He actually tormented all corners like the gale at the time of world-dissolution and that gale was as if tossing the sun even; the very movement of His both the Hands created, such a cycloning whirlwind that uprooted not only the trees but even mighty mountains. At His very stepping, the earth became so shaking like earthquake at which the sky-touching buildings were toppling down. At His very sight blazing fire came out.

39-41. What a wonder, who is this gigantic creature? Never have I heard, nor seen such a creature here to before. He is of a peculiar type having half of His body as lion and other half as a wonderful man! How this wonderful creature have come? Never 1 saw such a peculiar creature. Is it that the words of Devarshi Narada are becoming true? So He may be that Hari appearing in this wonderful and unnatural Form I hope, being supplicated by the celestials that crafty Hari might have come to kill me. Most probably He is the same Narayana Who killed Madhu and Kaitabha, as I notice He is holding Conch, Discus etc.

42-45. Let it be, whosoever He may be; I shall kill Him in no time and then destory all the gods. This way Hiranyakahipu speculated but when thus he was thinking and looking upon Sri Nrisimhadeva it amounted to him to be purged out all his sins but the offences that he created by calumniating the exalted devotee of Sri Hari and also Sri Hari Himself were not removed. The very sight of the Lord destroyed the entire stock of his sins that were accumulated from many past births; even the gravest sins that were done due to spoiling the virginity of maidens, raping other’s wife, spoiling her chastity also got washed up by the very sight of the Lord. That mighty asura Hiranyakashipu took a wonderful bow. Seeing him with armour some of his soldiers also took their weapons and stood by his side.

46-50. Now Sri Prahlada seeing the Lord at once could recognise Him as His worshipful God. He recalled those Words of Sri Narayana Who spoke about His Incarnation, so He fell in prostration before Him. Sri Prahlada could visualise the Lord encompassed with the entire universe holding in His very viratarupa, the mountains, the seven seas, all the hands, celestials, asuras, men so on and so forth. He saw on His Head the upper portion, the universe, in His eyes the sun and moon and also the world-dissolution fire, in His cavity the patala, in His teeth the Ananta-Naga and other serpents. Brahma and Shiva were on the joining part of His Arms, and in different parts of the Arms of eight-Dikpalakas, in His Breast the entire space-world, in His garments the lightning and at His Feet the earth. The sweat is the veritable oceans, the hairs of the body holding the trees of dense forests, in the veins the mountains, in the skin the veritable maya and in His effulgence His Own spiritual Splendour.

51. As he was an affectionate devotee of Sri Hari so through his eyes that are collyriumed with devotion could realise the Divinity of Sri Nrisimha. The Lord out of His Own Prerogative bestowed upon him this Divine Vision, because, Sri Hari never can keep Himself concealed before His steadfast devotees.