Category:God and Prahlada
Theme Analysis
Prahlāda Mahārāja is celebrated throughout the Vedic literature as the ultimate standard of an unalloyed pure devotee. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that although Prahlāda was born into a demonic family, his consciousness was completely completely absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead due to the grace of his spiritual master, Nārada Muni. When his atheistic father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, severely persecuted him, the Lord personally appeared as Nṛsiṁhadeva to offer absolute protection. While the Lord's fierce, half-man, half-lion form terrified the entire universe, Prahlāda remained peaceful, seeing only his worshipable master. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is like a ferocious lion to the demons but as tender as a mother lioness to His devotees. Because Prahlāda harbored no material desires and refused all benedictions—rejecting the mercantile mentality of conditional worship—the Lord continuously enlightened him from within his heart. Furthermore, demonstrating the supreme compassion of a Vaiṣṇava, Prahlāda prayed not for himself, but for his father's liberation. By constantly remembering the Lord, Prahlāda Mahārāja achieved the highest spiritual perfection and remains an eternal mahājana, an authorized teacher of the absolute truth.
- Fierce Yet Affectionate: Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared specifically to protect Prahlāda. While His anger was unbearable to the demons and demigods alike, He was incredibly soft and affectionate toward His pure devotee.
- Rejecting Mercantile Devotion: Prahlāda Mahārāja flatly refused material benedictions from the Lord, declaring that devotional service should never be a business exchange. He simply begged to remain an eternal servant.
- The Compassionate Vaiṣṇava: Showing no malice toward his abusive father, Prahlāda Mahārāja begged the Lord to forgive Hiraṇyakaśipu, resulting in the purification of twenty-one generations of his family.
- Enlightened from Within: Because Prahlāda was completely surrendered, the Supreme Lord resided prominently in his heart, driving away all ignorance just as the sun dissipates darkness.
- Perfection Through Remembrance: By following the instructions of Nārada Muni and constantly remembering the Lord's pastimes, Prahlāda Mahārāja bypassed fruitive activities and mental speculation to attain pure love of God.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God is Always Enlightening Prahlāda Mahārāja Within His Heart.
Pages in category "God and Prahlada"
The following 92 pages are in this category, out of 92 total.
A
- After killing the demon Hiranyakasipu, the Lord Nrisinghadeva was pacified by Prahlad Maharaj, who offered prayers in hymns which are very instructive
- All glories to Nrsimha-deva! All glories to Nrsimha-deva, who is the Lord of Prahlada Maharaja and, like a honeybee, is always engaged in beholding the lotuslike face of the goddess of fortune
- Although his father tortured him and would have killed him had he himself not been killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Prahlada Maharaja begged pardon for him from the Lord. This favor was immediately granted by the Lord
- Although Prahlada was born in a demoniac family and although the Lord had never before placed His lotus hand on the head of Brahma, Siva or the goddess of fortune, His constant companion, Lord Nrsimhadeva kindly placed His hand on the head of Prahlada
- Although very ferocious, the lioness is very kind to her cubs. Similarly, although very ferocious to nondevotees like Hiranyakasipu, Lord Nrsimhadeva is very, very soft and kind to devotees like Prahlada Maharaja
B
- Bali Maharaja said: Persons like us, who are still attached to material enjoyment, who are contaminated by the modes of material nature & who lack the mercy of the SPG, cannot follow the supreme path of Prahlada Maharaja, the exalted devotee of the Lord
- Because Nrsimhadeva was groaning in anger, and the demigods are afraid to approach Him, so Prahlada Maharaja first appeals to Him, - My dear Lord, there is no need of any more groaning
- By the grace of Lord Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja became a greater king than his father, Hiranyakasipu. Prahlada's inauguration was performed by Lord Brahma in the presence of other saintly persons and demigods
E
- Emperor Prahlada attained spiritual success by remembering the Lord constantly, in pursuance of instructions given by Sri Narada Muni, the great saint and devotee
- Every action taken by Hiranyakasipu against his son Prahlada Maharaja was taken very seriously by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus when Hiranyakasipu was on the verge of killing Prahlada, the Lord personally appeared and killed Hiranyakasipu
- Everyone will be pleased with him (Prahlada) because the Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller of the universe, is always satisfied with a devotee who does not wish for anything beyond Him
H
- He (Bali) is the grandson of Prahlada Maharaja, another authority in the devotional service of the Lord
- He (Hanuman) always remained engaged in His service. That is the ideal character of Hanuman, for which he is still worshiped by all devotees. Prahlada Maharaj also offered his respectful obeisances unto Hanuman
- He (Prahlada Maharaja) prays to the Lord that all of us fallen souls in this material world may, by the grace of the Lord, engage in the service of His servant and thus be delivered
- He (Prahlada) was given everything, but by his that refusal, He (Nrsimhadev) was very much pleased. Not that He was offended, "Oh, I am offering, and you are not accepting?" No
- Here (in SB 7.10.14) it is stated that anyone who chants and hears about the activities of Prahlada Maharaja &, in relationship with Prahlada's activities, the activities of Nrsimhadeva, gradually becomes free from all the bondage of fruitive activities
- Here the feelings of Prahlada Maharaja were in the mellow of vatsalya, filial love and affection. As a child cries when left by his mother, when Prahlada Maharaja felt that the Lord was away from him he began to cry (nadati)
- Hiranyakasipus are always inimical with the devotees of the Lord even if such devotee happens to be a son. Hiranyakasipu persecuted Prahlada although he was a boy of 5 years old and a beloved son of Hiranyakasipu
- His (Prahlada Maharaja's) father, Hiranyakasipu, chastised him severely when he was only five years old for his becoming an unalloyed devotee of the Lord
I
- I know that my father, at the time of his death, had already been purified by Your glance upon him, but because of his ignorance of Your power & supremacy, he was unnecessarily angry at You, falsely thinking that You were the killer of his brother
- If we take shelter of Nrsimhadeva and Prahlada Maharaja, it will be easier to kill the demons who are against Krsna and to thus reestablish Krsna's supremacy
- In the same Hayasirsa Purana, after Nrsimhadeva wanted to give benediction to Prahlada Maharaj, Prahlada did not accept any material benediction and simply asked the favor of the Lord to remain His eternal devotee
J
- Just as a lion is very ferocious to other animals but very kind and submissive to his cubs, so Lord Nrsimha appeared ferocious to Hiranyakasipu and very kind to His devotee Prahlada
- Just as those who are greedy see everything as a source of money-making and those who are lusty see everything as being conducive to sex, the most perfect devotee, Prahlada Maharaja, saw Narayana even within a stone column
- Just by glorifying the Lord, Sukadeva Gosvami, the speaker of Srimad-Bhagavatam, attained his perfection. (3) By praying to the Lord, Akrura attained the desired result. (4) By remembering the Lord, Prahlada Maharaja attained the desired result
L
- Let me offer my (Sridhara Svami's) obeisances unto Lord Nrsimhadeva, who is always enlightening Prahlada Maharaja within his heart and who always kills the nescience that attacks the devotees
- Lord Brahma asked Prahlada Maharaja to go forward and pacify the Lord's anger. Prahlada Maharaja, being confident of the affection of his master, Lord Nrsimha-deva, was not afraid at all
- Lord Jesus is a living example how one has to suffer in this material world simply for the matter of preaching the message of God. In Bhagavatam also there is another example like Lord Jesus. He is Prahlada Maharaja a boy of five years old
- Lord Nrsimha appeared from within the pillar not by the order of the atheist king but by the wish of His devotee Prahlada. An atheist cannot order the Lord to appear, but the Lord will appear anywhere and everywhere to show mercy to His devotee
- Lord Nrsimha-deva appeared on this Nrsimha Caturdasi on account of His devotee Prahlada
- Lord Nrsimhadeva advised Prahlada Maharaja to engage in his political duties so that people would become the Lord's devotees
- Lord Siva said: The end of the millennium is the time for Your anger. Now that this insignificant demon Hiranyakasipu has been killed, O my Lord, who are naturally affectionate to Your devotee, kindly protect his son Prahlada Maharaja
M
- Maharaj Prahlada offers the following prayers to the Lord, "My dear Lord Nrsimha, if I can be elevated to the position of Your servant, then it will be possible for me to hear about Your activities"
- My dear Prahlada, King of the Daityas, because of being attached to devotional service to Me, My devotee does not distinguish between lower and higher living entities. In all respects, he is never jealous of anyone
- My dear Prahlada, while you are in this material world you will exhaust all the reactions of pious activity by feeling happiness, and by acting piously you will neutralize impious activity
N
- Narayana, the SPG, who is full of all opulences, is predominant within the core of your heart because of your being a pure devotee. He always drives away all the darkness of ignorance, as the sun drives away the darkness of the universe
- No one was able to pacify the Lord (Nrsimhadeva) in His anger, but because the Lord was willing to exhibit His affection for Prahlada Maharaja, all the demigods and the others present before the Lord pushed Prahlada Maharaja forward to pacify Him
O
- O my Lord Nrsimhadeva, by engaging in Your transcendental loving service in the association of devotees who are liberated souls (hamsas), I shall become completely uncontaminated by the association of the three modes of material nature
- One who always remembers your activities and My activities also, and who chants the prayers you have offered, becomes free, in due course of time, from the reactions of material activities
P
- Prahlada flatly refused in the presence of Nrsimhadeva. - Sir, we are so prone to accept this material benediction, & Your great personality is offering. So this is a great allurement. Kindly save me. I am not a merchandise man, that I want something
- Prahlada Maharaja did not ask for anything for himself; rather, he prayed for the Lord to excuse his demoniac father. This is the attitude of a Vaisnava, who always thinks of the welfare of the entire universe
- Prahlada Maharaja fixed his mind and sight upon Lord Nrsimhadeva with full attention in complete trance. With a fixed mind, he began to offer prayers in love with a faltering voice
- Prahlada Maharaja is a vivid example of a pure devotee. Someone might argue that since Prahlada Maharaja, even though very old, was attached to his family, and specifically to his grandson Bali Maharaja, how could he be an ideal example?
- Prahlada Maharaja prayed to the Lord (Nrsimhadeva) that he might continue to engage in the service of his spiritual master, Narada Muni
- Prahlada Maharaja replied that a man engrossed in the material consciousness of duality, thinking, "This is mine, and that belongs to my enemy," should give up his householder life and go to the forest to worship the Supreme Lord
- Prahlada Maharaja, although born of a demonic father, he was completely pure. He was completely on the transcendental stage. Therefore he could offer prayers to the Lord; others cannot
- Prahlada Maharaja, the topmost devotee of the Lord, is a reservoir of all the good qualities of great personalities. His character and activities have delivered all the fallen members of his demoniac family
- Prahlada Maharaja, when he was ordered by the Lord to take some benediction, he said that "I am not a merchant, Sir, that by giving You some service I'll take some return. Please excuse me." Nrsimha-deva was very much satisfied: "Here is a pure devotee"
- Prahlada prayed to Nrsimhadeva, "I shall not care for all those sinful activities because simply by hearing about Your pastimes I shall get out of all the contamination of material attachment"
- Prahlada prayed to Nrsimhadeva, "You are the supreme friend, the supreme worshipable Deity. Your pastimes are transcendental, and simply by hearing of them one can counteract all his sinful activities"
- Prahlada said, "I am not proud of being able to offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I simply take shelter of the mercy of the Lord, for without devotion one cannot appease Him"
- Prahlada said: In the Age of Kali, O Mahapurusa, You sometimes appear in a covered incarnation (Caitanya). Therefore You are known as Tri-yuga - one who appears in only three yugas
- Prahlada said: My Lord, You kill all the enemies of the world in Your multifarious incarnations in the families of men, animals, demigods, rsis, aquatics and so on. Thus You illuminate the worlds with transcendental knowledge
- Prahlada was an authority in the devotional service of the Lord because he had his father killed by Lord Nrsimhadeva, setting the example that even a father should be removed from the path of devotional service if such a father happens to be an obstacle
- Prahlada, master of all the chiefs of the demons, took the Supreme Lord's order on his head with folded hands. After saying yes to the Lord, circumambulating Him and offering Him respectful obeisances, he entered the lower planetary system known as Sutala
S
- Sravanam kirtanam visnoh (SB 7.5.23). One must simply hear about and describe Lord Visnu and His various incarnations. This narration concerning Prahlada Maharaja and Lord Nrsimhadeva, therefore, has properly described spiritual, transcendental subjects
- Sukadeva Gosvami achieved the desired goal of life simply by reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam. Prahlada Maharaj became successful in his devotional service by always remembering the Lord
- Svasty astu visvasya: "Let there be good fortune throughout the entire universe." Prahlada Maharaja thus requested the Lord to be merciful to everyone, including his father, a most envious person
T
- The discourse concerning Lord Nrsimhadeva and Prahlada Maharaja began when Maharaja Yudhisthira asked Narada how Sisupala had merged into the body of Krsna
- The great saint Narada said: Thus Lord Nrsimhadeva was pacified by the devotee Prahlada Maharaja with prayers offered from the transcendental platform. The Lord gave up His anger
- The killing of Hiranyakasipu and saving of Prahlada Maharaja also strictly followed this law of the supreme controller's activities
- The King (Yudhisthira) was thinking, "Prahlada Maharaj is actually a devotee of the Lord, while I am nothing"
- The Lord (Nrsimhadeva), being full of spiritual qualities, gave up all His anger and spoke to Prahlada
- The Lord appeared because of the bhakti-yoga exhibited by Prahlada Maharaja
- The Lord can be worshiped in all stages of life. For instance, even in the wombs of their mothers Maharaja Prahlada and Maharaja Pariksit worshiped the Lord; even in his very childhood, at the age of only five years, Dhruva Maharaja worshiped the Lord
- The Lord can fulfill many purposes through one action. Thus the killing of Hiranyakasipu and the saving of Prahlada were enacted simultaneously to prove the truthfulness of the Lord's devotee and the fidelity of the Lord Himself to His own purpose
- The Lord, the Supersoul of all living entities, is sober, peaceful and equal to everyone. Since the great devotee Prahlada was protected by the Lord's potency, Hiranyakasipu was unable to kill him, in spite of endeavoring to do so in various ways
- The rendering of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in expectation of a good reward is deprecated by Prahlada Maharaja as mercantile business
- The same pure devotee (Prahlada Maharaja) requested the Lord (Nrsimhadeva), "My Lord, my father (Hiranyakasipu) was atheist, and he has committed so many offenses, so I beg that my father may be liberated"
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead nonetheless advised Prahlada Maharaja to follow the regulative principles (even though he has fully surrendered to the lotus of the Lord), for since he was going to be the king, others would follow his example
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlada, a devotee like you never desires any kind of material opulences, either in this life or in the next. Nonetheless, I order you to enjoy the opulences of the demons in this material world
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlada, O most pure, O great saintly person, your father has been purified, along with twenty-one forefathers in your family. Because you were born in this family, the entire dynasty has been purified
- The Vedas are expanded by many branches and subbranches by great devotees and empowered incarnations of the Lord like Vyasa, Narada, Sukadeva Gosvami, the Kumaras, Kapila, Prahlada, Janaka, Bali and Yamaraja
- They (the confidential devotees) have knowledge of how to do this. When Prahlada Maharaja met Lord Nrsimha-deva, he said: My dear Lord," Prahlada began - I am not very anxious for my own deliverance
- This (prayers by Anasuya) was accepted by the lords (Brahma, Visnu and Siva), and as Dattatreya the Lord expounded the philosophy of the spirit soul and especially instructed Alarka, Prahlada, Yadu, Haihaya, etc
- Those who follow your example will naturally become My pure devotees. You are the best example of My devotee, and others should follow in your footsteps
- To protect His devotees, the Lord sometimes has to kill their enemies. For example, to protect Prahlada Maharaja, the Lord had to kill his enemy Hiranyakasipu, although Hiranyakasipu attained salvation because of being killed by the Lord
- Twelve personalities - Brahma, Narada, Lord Siva, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Bhisma, Bali, Sukadeva Gosvami and Yamaraja - are agents of the Lord authorized to speak and propagate the principles of religion
W
- When he was offered a benediction by Lord Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear Lord, I have no problems and want no benediction from You because I am quite satisfied to chant Your holy name. This is sufficient for me
- When he was offered a benediction by Lord Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear Lord, I only lament to see others bereft of Your love. I am simply lamenting for them and devising various plans to deliver them from the clutches of maya - SB 7.9.43
- When he was offered a benediction by Lord Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear Lord, whenever I chant I immediately merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. I only lament to see others bereft of Your love
- When Lord Nrsimhadeva saw the small boy Prahlada Maharaja prostrated at the soles of His lotus feet, He became most ecstatic in affection toward His devotee
- When one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." Thus Prahlada Maharaja decided to offer his best prayers to the Lord, without consideration of his material position
- When Prahlada Maharaja was offered benediction by Nrsimha-deva, due to his great devotion and tolerance he refused to accept any benediction from the Lord, thinking that such acceptance was not befitting a sincere devotee
- When the fierce form of Nrsimha-deva appeared in order to kill Hiranyakasipu, Prahlada was unagitated. He remained calm and quiet, whereas others, including even Lord Brahma, were frightened by the features of the Lord
- While Bali Maharaja was describing his fortunate position in this way, the most dear devotee of the Lord, Prahlada Maharaja, appeared there, like the moon rising in the nighttime
- While offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja said: balasya neha saranam pitarau nrsimha, nartasya cagadam udanvati majjato nauh