I. Bhakta Prahlad – The Great Story of Faith Victory
We hear many stories in the Puranas. However, the story of Bhakta Prahlad is of great significance. It is a story of how a young boy's courage, faith, trust and kindness won.
Bhakta Prahlad was a great devotee. His father was Hiranyakashyap, a great demon king. He possessed extraordinary powers, but his pride ultimately led to his destruction. In this story, truth, faith, trust, and kindness prevailed, while pride and hatred prevailed. Who won in the end? Yes, Bhakta, faith and goodness prevailed.
This story teaches us a great lesson –
1. Truth always wins.
2. Faith gives us self-confidence.
3. Trust drives us forward.
4. Kindness is the most excellent quality that remains as a human being.
5. Arrogance destroys us.
To fully understand these points, we need to understand the whole story. Let's examine the stories of devotees Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap.
II. Devotee Prahlad's Faith – Victory of Devotion over Arrogance
The supreme devotee Prahlad always kept the name of Shri Hari (Lord Vishnu) in his heart. Even as a small child, his devotion was extraordinary. Whenever we trust anyone in life, we feel the desire that they will support us. However, Prahlad had immense faith not in any man but in God.
Prahlad's immense faith in God
Hiranyakashyap, Prahlad's father, wanted people to worship him as God. However, Prahlad believed that "the only real God in this world is Sri Hari." It is an excellent example of the strength of his faith at such a young age.
Prahlad constantly meditated on Lord Narasimha wherever he was and in whatever situation. He faced many tests of faith, but he did not give up on any of them. He bravely faced all the difficulties by maintaining his faith in God.
Hiranyakashyap's arrogance and its impact
Hiranyakashyap was a king with extraordinary powers. He was proud that he had received a boon from Lord Brahma and that no one could kill him. This arrogance increased his arrogance. "I have no fear in this world; I am God," he thought. However, Prahlad believed that "the true God is Sri Hari."
Seeing Prahlad believing in God, Hiranyakashyap became angry. "Why don't you admit I am God?" he asked many times. But Prahlad bravely replied, "The true God always saves."
Tests of faith
Hiranyakashyap made many attempts to test Prahlad's faith:
1. Brahmins in the Gurukul - Although they tried to teach Prahlad the religion of demons, he only worshipped God.
2. Sending demons to torment—Hiranyakashyap ordered his servants to punish Prahlad, but Prahlad was not harmed.
3. Putting him in the fire with Holika - The demon Holika took Prahlad into the fire to burn him. Prahlad remained unharmed while Holika burned.
4. Thrown off the mountain – Despite being thrown off a big hill, he remained unharmed thanks to the grace of God.
5. Sending an army to suppress him – Nothing happened to him, no matter how many demons tried to kill Prahlad.
The narrative demonstrates that we can overcome challenges with faith, dedication, and bravery.
How did Prahlad's faith finally win? To know that, we need to take the story one step further. What happened to Hiranyakashyap's pride? How did Lord Narasimha come?
III. hiranyakashyap's pride – Pride destroys the proud
The story of Hiranyakashyap clearly illustrates that pride ultimately brings down even the most outstanding individuals in this world. No matter how much his power and strength increased, in the end, it was because of his pride that he lost his life.
His extraordinary power, cruelty to the gods
Hiranyakashyap was a powerful demon king. He performed great penance from Lord Brahma and received a tremendous boon. That boon was –
Not a single human being could kill him; not a single living being could kill him.
Not at night, not during the day – that was not the time for him to die
Not at home, not outside – he would not be threatened anywhere
Not on earth, not in the sky – Hiranyakashyap would not be killed anywhere
Not with any weapon – nothing would harm him
After receiving this boon, his pride and arrogance grew terribly. He considered himself the ruler of the entire world. "I am the ruler of this universe; I am God!" He tried to proclaim.
He had only one problem – the devotees who worshipped Vishnu sincerely, especially his son Prahlada!
Hiranyakashyap defeated the gods, sold them into slavery, and made them his servants in the kingdom. Devendra himself bowed his head before him. Proud of his great power, he even began to reject the truth.
His nature of not accepting the truth
True greatness arises from facing the truth, regardless of one's power. But Hiranyakashyap would never accept a truth that he did not like.
Whenever Prahlada said, "The real ruler of this world is Sri Hari," Hiranyakashyap became furious.
"Where is your Sri Hari? He does not exist because I am not there!" He would ask bluntly.
"I will not tolerate anyone speaking against me!" He would roar.
He thought that even his son would not be allowed to live if he spoke against him. When pride has grown to this level, it is dangerous for a person!
The reward of pride
Hiranyakashyap made many attempts to suppress his son Prahlada's devotion. But Prahlada did not lose his faith in God.
One day Hiranyakashyap angrily asked Prahlad:
"Where is the Lord you believe in? Is he here now?"
Prahlad smiled and said, "Mother! Father! You cannot see Him, but He is everywhere."
Hiranyakashyap could no longer bear it and asked, "Is He in this pillar, as you said?"
Prahlad replied boldly, "Yes, He is!"
Angrily, Hiranyakashyap hit the pillar hard. With that one hit, the pillar split and Lord Narasimha Swamy emerged from that pillar in a terrifying form!
The great lesson this story teaches us is:
1. No matter how much pride grows, it ultimately leads to our destruction.
2. No one can change the truth. The truth will eventually come to light, no matter how powerful one may be.
3. Those who have faith and righteousness never lose.
How did Hiranyakashyap lose? How did Lord Narasimha punish him?
IV. Kindness and Environment – Victory of Devotion, Faith
Prahlad was not just a devotee but a person with goodness in his heart, strong faith in his beliefs, and patience. He did not act with ill will towards anyone. No matter how much Hiranyakashyap punished him, he did not feel hatred towards him. Because Prahlada's heart was full of kindness.
Prahlada's way of combining devotion, truth, and kindness
We have already seen Prahlada's devotion. He had immense faith in God. However, he also possessed patience and kindness.
No matter how hard the demons tried to kill him, he did not hate them.
Even when Hiranyakashyap punished him, he believed, "My father will change; he will also know God one day."
When Holika was burning in the fire, he did not hate her.
Despite enduring significant torture, he declared, "Father! If you know God, you will also change." These qualities teach us a valuable lesson: those who believe in truth never instigate hatred.
Environment (Narasimha Swamy incarnation - the power of nature in time)
According to our Puranas, God can manifest in any form. By the boon of Hiranyakashyap, God incarnated as Narasimha Swamy.
Not inside the house, not outside - Narasimha caught him halfway at the door.
Not in the day, not at night - He came in the evening, the time between the setting of the sun and the onset of darkness.
Not a human, not an animal - He appeared in the form of Narasimha with the face of a lion and the body of a human.
Not with any weapon – he killed Hiranyakashyap with his claws.
Not on earth, not in the sky – he killed him by placing him on his thigh.
What does this show? Nature responds in time!
No matter how powerful one may be, nature reacts on its own when people belittle Dharma. God does not abandon his devotees in times of danger.
No matter how many tricks the wicked perform, nature also supports them when true justice prevails.
The power that comes with faith
Prahlad showed great courage at a young age. His lack of fear stemmed from his faith. He believed that Narasimha Swamy would protect him.
No matter how hard his father tried to kill him, he believed that God would protect him.
God came and answered his faith in person.
The great lesson this story teaches us all is that no one can break our faith. If our faith is true, then ultimately, victory is ours!
No matter how powerful Hiranyakashyap is, a person with pride and arrogance beyond their lifespan cannot live. No matter how powerful God is, he will never stop helping his devotees.
"Devotion is not just being afraid, but also standing bravely."
"Truth always prevails, while falsehood never endures." "Nature and God always support those who follow Dharma."
Prahlada's faith, trust, courage, and kindness made him a devotee. If we embody these qualities, we can bravely face any challenging situation.
V. Prahlada's victory over Hiranyakashyap – How devotion, faith, and truth won
Hiranyakashyap committed a violation beyond his power and rights. He hated that his son, even though he was following a faith Hiranyakashyap did not believe in, was following a faith he did not. However, this story teaches us a valuable lesson: devotion, Dharma, and faith never fail.
The end of Hiranyakashyap through the incarnation of Narasimha Swamy
As Prahlad had said, Vishnu was everywhere. But Hiranyakashyap did not believe that. He angrily asked, "Is your Lord Hari in this pillar?" and immediately hit the pillar.
The pillar suddenly split, and Narasimha Swamy appeared in a terrifying form.
He had the body of a human and the face of a lion.
He appeared so ferocious.
Not in the day, not at night – in the evening
Not on the earth, not in the sky – Sitting on his thigh
Not with any weapon – Using himself as a weapon, he killed Hiranyakashyap with his spears.
Seeing this, the gods were happy, and the demons trembled with fear. No matter how much Hiranyakashyap's power increased, his arrogance ultimately led to his downfall.
How devotion, faith and truth won
Hiranyakashyap's weakness of faith – his arrogance
Prahlad's strength of faith – his faith
Important lessons this story gives us:
1. Dharma is never destroyed – No matter how severe the calamity, those who follow Dharma will ultimately win.
2. Pride leads to our destruction – No matter how powerful a person is, excessive pride ultimately leads to their downfall.
3. Devotion is not fear, but courage – Prahlada did not fear for his life because he had faith in God.
4. Nature upholds justice – Nature helps in time, and those who do wrong, no matter how many, are destroyed.
Prahlada's life demonstrates that we can overcome difficulties with courage, faith, devotion, honesty, and trust. Truth always wins, and lies do not last long.
We should understand this story so that we do not lose faith in our lives and adopt strong qualities, recognising that goodness will always prevail. Prahlada's devotion and courage serve as an example for us all.
VI. Conclusion – Lessons that the story of Hiranyakashyap-Prahlad teaches us
No matter Hiranyakashyap's strength, his pride ultimately led to his downfall. However, Prahlada remained steadfast in his faith, even in the most challenging situations. The events in this story teach us many important lessons.
Lessons to learn from this story
1. Truth always prevails – Lies and pride may hold power for a few days but ultimately lead to destruction.
2. Faith has excellent power – If we continue on the right path with faith, our victory is inevitable no matter how many obstacles we face.
3. Be kind – Prahlada did not show hatred even to those who tortured him. We, too, must learn to understand and forgive others.
4. Pride leads to our downfall – Hiranyakashyap got overwhelmed by pride beyond his strength and ultimately lost his life.
5. Nature upholds justice – If we behave wrongly, nature will teach us the proper lesson.
We should cultivate faith, kindness and truth instead of arrogance. No matter how strong we are, if we are arrogant, it will only harm us.
Every human being should possess kindness. We should be able to understand the pain of others and offer them help.
We should follow the truth – we should live honestly without pressure.
Faith is the guide in our life.
Our faith gives us the courage to face difficult times. We should believe that if we do good deeds, God will help us. We should know the joy of living righteously.
If we do not lose faith in our lives and move forward with goodness, kindness, and honesty, victory is ultimately ours.
The story of Prahlada offers us a valuable lesson in courage, faith, kindness, and living without arrogance. If we can live with faith, righteousness and honesty, we can overcome any problem!