CONTENTS:
- A UNIQUE FORM COMING OUT FROM THE PILLAR, THE FORM IS OF NRSINGHADEVA
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
1. A UNIQUE FORM COMING OUT FROM THE PILLAR, THE FORM IS OF NRSINGHADEVA
A beautiful example for that is Prahlada Maharaja became a devotee of Krishna and his father started to trouble him because he became a devotee of Krishna. His father was the King of the demons, leader of all the daityas, Hiranyakasipu. When he saw that Prahlada became a devotee of Krishna and when he saw that Prahlada was not going to give up his surrender and submission to Krishna then Hiranyakasipu decided to kill him. He ordered his soldiers and body guards to kill Prahlada, a five-year-old boy. When they tried to kill him, pierce his body with spears they could not do anything, before they could even touch his body all the weapons broke into pieces. Prahlada was thrown in a pit of venomous snakes and the snakes were biting Prahlada nothing happened to Prahlada.
Prahlada was put under the feet of the wild elephant but the elephant instead of tramping Prahlada saluted Prahlada. They tried to burn him in fire, not just a small little fire, a mountain of fire was created and Prahlada was thrown into that fire and nothing happened. Prahlada was put in the boiling pot of oil nothing happened to Prahlada. Prahlada was thrown from a mountain cliff nothing happened to Prahlada. Prahlada was thrown into the ocean and the demons were throwing t
he mountain tops to burry Prahlada in the water, nothing happened. In spite of trying to kill Prahlada in so many ways, when Hiranyakasipu did not succeed then he asked Prahlada where are you getting this power from then Prahlada Maharaja said, SB 7.8.7 “My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours.
Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahma, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”Hiranyakasipu became so angry and started saying that his kulanga, the family line, for the King it’s a dynasty, he considered that this child is going to burn the entire family line so he decided to kill him and no matter in how many ways he tried to kill Prahlada he could not.
Then when he asked you are saying Hari is the source of all power, so where is your Hari, Krishna? Prahlada said He is everywhere; He is even in your heart but you are so unfortunate that you can’t see Him. He is in everyone’s heart, He is everywhere. Hiranyakasipu asked is He in this pillar? Because that’s the last place he though anyone could be, can somebody be in a pillar? But Prahlada replied Yes, he is there also. Hiranyakasipu was so angry that he struck the pillar with his fist and the pillar broke, a massive pillar supporting the roof of the assembly hall where thousands of people can assemble a huge high pillar broke. Then he heard a terrible sound, the sound was so terrible that it seemed that the entire universe was trembling. He couldn’t figure out where the sound was coming from so he looked here and there but then he saw a wonderful form, a unique form coming out from the pillar, the form is of Nrsinghadeva, half lion, the head of a lion and a body of a man. Immediately Hiranyakasipu attacked him, he pulled out his sword and attacked and a fight ensued between the two of them.
They practically fought the whole day throughout the day. Hiranyakasipu was very powerful and the Lord was more powerful but sometimes a more
powerful opponent plays around with the weaker opponent. He was playing like that and then finally when the day is turning into night, sandya, evening, sandya coming from sandi, the day is turning into night. At that time the Lord picked Hiranyakasipu, placed him on His lap and He was sitting at the frame of the door and with His nails He tore Hiranyakasipu’s body. tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-srngam dalita-hiranyakasipu-tanu-bhrngam With the nails of your lotuslike hands and what was Hiranyakasipu’s body like wasp, an insect.
Wasp body is very soft. Hiranyakasipu’s body that was that strong that not even thunder could do anything to that body, the Lord with His nails tore open that body. He pulled out his intestine and he wrapped the intestine around his neck like a garland and he threw away the heart then He threw away the body of Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu had the boon that he would not be killed by anybody but the Lord appeared as neither a man or an animal. He won’t be killed by any weapon, He used His nails, is nails a weapon? No. He won’t be killed in sky, land or water he was on the Lord’s lap. He won’t be killed inside or outside the room, He sat at the door which is neither inside or outside. This is how Hiranyakasipu was killed by the Lord. Here we see two things no matter how powerful Hiranyakasipu was but in front of the Lord he became totally insignificant.
No matter what kind of arrangements he made to become immortal the Lord could undo all those arrangements. On the other hand, we see Hiranyakasipu was trying to kill Prahlada in so many ways but he didn’t succeed. What’s the difference between Prahlada and Hiranyakasipu? Prahlada is a devotee and Hiranyakasipu is a demon. The Lord protects His devotee under all circumstances and the demon no matter how powerful the demon may be the Lord can annihilate him. That is the lesson we learn from this pastime. After hearing this wonderful pastime and understanding this act of the Lord what do we learn? Should we become inimical towards the Lord or should we become submissive to the Lord? Simple lesson but very valuable because when you surrender to the Lord the Lord gives you all protection.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA’S APPRECIATION
Prabhupada very boldly announced that, “If you want to know about God then come to me. I will tell you how He looks like, what His name is, what He does, what He likes and dislikes. I can even give you His telephone number.” When Prabhupada said that he meant it.
(Prabhupada Realizations)
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
Prahlada is a devotee and Hiranyakasipu is a demon. The Lord protects His devotee under all circumstances and the demon no matter how powerful the demon may be the Lord can annihilate him.
(The content of this E-magazine is based on a lecture given by HH Bhakti Charu Swami on 3 May 2015 on Narsimha Chaturdashi)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)