Vishnu

 

Essence Of
Vishnu Purana

 

6    Prahlada Charitra- Nrisimhaavataara

Empowered by Brahma Deva’s boon of invincibility by all species normal in the Creation of Paramatma, Daitya Hiranyakashipu conquered Three Lokas, threw out Devas and all Celestial Beings from their respective Positions and controlledthe totality of the Universe, harassing Maharshis and all the virtuous and religious devotees especially the Vishnu Bhaktas. His son, the famed Prahlada was admitted in a Guru Kula and the Guru triedto teach everything according to the principles that the King wishedincluding that the King was God! But the boy learnt nothing that the Guru sought to teach  but strongly believed in relentless devotion to Narayana. Once Hiranyakashipu desired to test Prahlada that the Guru would have taught on the lines of the King’s own philosophy, but his amazement the boy stated otherwise and said:

Anaadi madhyantamajama vriddhikshayamachutam,

Pranatosmya–manantasantaanam Sarva kaarana kaaranam/

( My salutations to that Achyuta who has no beginning, midway and termination,  has no birth- enhancement-and finality; He is also the Cause-Causation and the Conclusion.) The King bacame furious at Prahlada’s statement and even desired to punish  the Guru as his teachings were totally unacceptable and unpalatable. But Prahlada prevented his father that his Guru tried and made tremendous efforts  to teach asper his father’s instructionsbut not only he but the rest of the students also made him join Vishnu  Bhajana. Hiranyam Kashipu cajoled, daunted, frightened and terrorised Prahlada but the deep dedication to Narayana was so intense that the boy was never brought under control; Prahlada argued with his father:

Shastaa Vishnurashesya Jagato yo Hrudisthitah,

Tamrutey Paramatmaanam Taatha kaka kena shasyatey!

(As the father asked Prahlada as to who taught this since the Guru swore thathe did not, Prahlada said: As Bhagvan Vishnu is right in my heart, who else needed to teach me!)

Na Shabda gocharam yasya Yogidhyeyam Param padam,

yato yasha Swayam Vishnum  sa Vishnuh Partameshwara

( As Hiranyakashipu  shouted as to who that Bhagavan was? You Stupid! Then Prahlada replied: Vishnu is Parameshwara who is worthy of meditation; he is not visible nor heard and certainly not assessed but could most definitely be visualised, heard or assessed through meditation and faith!)

Na kevalam taatha! Mama Prajaanaam sa Brahmabhuto Bhavatascha Vishnuh,

Dhaataa Vidhaataa Parmeshwa -rascha Pradeeda kopam kurushe kimartham/

( As father asked Prahlada as  to he was the Supreme besides himself, Prahlada replied: Dear father, Maha Bhuta Vishnu was not only meant for me but to the whole World, its Praja, the Karta of Hiranyakashipu, his Administrator, and finally is his destroyer too.) Since, the King could not contain this nonsense any further, he ordered that this odd creature called Prahlada be tortured, cut into pieces and destroyed finally; as the Daitya resolved on these lines, Bhagavan despatched his Sudarshana Chakra to save the boy from the various deeds of unending violences: he had Prahlada trampled by elephants, bitten by snakes, sliced into body parts, thrown from mounatain tops, blown by fierce winds, burnt by Agni, but each act of cruelty that was executed to the child furthered his confidence  and devotion. The Daitya King called his Ministers and the Chiefs of his Army and confessed:

Naagnirdagati Naivaayam Shastraircchinno nachoragaih,

Kshayam neeto na vaatena vishena na krutyaya/

Namaayaabhirna Chaivoyaatpatito na cha Diggajaih,

Baalotidrushtichitteyam Naaneynaarthomsti jeevitaa/

Tadesha toyamadhey tu samaakraanto Maheedharaih,

Tishthabdasataantram Praanaanan–hyayasti Durmatih!

(Lo, this hopeless son of mine was burnt by Fire, sliced by weapons, bitten by poisonous snakes, subdued by harsh winds, deceased by powerful poisons, destroyed by delusions, dead by throwing from mountain tops, and trampled by elephants; this monument of Evil has no use for me excepting hastening my restlessness and anxiety; hence, I want you to crush him between mountains and dip deep into fathomless Seas for thousand years and be perished into oblivion!) As Prahlada heard the above instructions of his Army of several ‘Akshouhinis’, Bhakta Prahlada strengthened himself and prayed to Paramaatma thus:

Namastey Pundarikaaksha Namastey Purushottama,

Namastey Sarva Lokaatmannamastey tigmachakriney/

Namo Brahmanya devaaya Go Brahmana Hitaayacha,

Jagaddhitaaya Krishnaaya Govindaaya namo Namah/

Bruhatvey Srujatey Vishwam Sthiyatou paalayatey punah,

Rudrarupaaya Kalpaantey Namastubhyam Trimurtaye/

Devaa Yakshaa Suraah Siddhaa Naagaa Gandharva Kinnaraah,

Pischaachaa Rakshasaaschaiva Manushyaah Pashavastathaa/

Pakshinah Sthaavaraaschaiva pippileeka sareesrupaah,

Bhumyaapognir Nabho Vaayuh Shabdah Sparshastathaa Rasah/

Rupam Gandho Mano Buddhiraatmaa Kaalstathaa Gunaah,

Yeteshaam Paramaarthascha Sarvametattwamachyuta/ 

Vidyaavidye Bhavaansatyamasatyam twamvishaamrutey,

Pravruttamcha Nivruttamcha Karmvedotim bhavaan/

Samasta karma bhoktaa cha karmopakaranaanicha,

Twameva Vishno Sarvaani Sarvakarmaphalamcha yat/

Mayyanyatra Tathaan yeshu Bhuteshu Bhuvaneshucha,

Tavaiva Vyaptiraishvaryaguna samsuchiki Prabho/

Twaam Yoginaschinthayanti twaam yajanti chaYaajakaah,

Havya Kavya Bhugekastvam Pitru Devaswarupadhruk/

Rupam Mahatthe Sthita matra Vishwam tatascha Sukshmam Jagadetadisha,

Rupaani Sarvaani cha bhutabhedaa steshvantaraatmaaravyamateeva Sukshmam/

Tasmaachha Sukshmaadi Viseshanaanaamagocharey Yatparamaatma rupam,

Kimapyachintyam tawa rupamasti Tasmai Namastey Purushotthamaaya/

Sarva Bhuteshu Sarvaatmanyaa Shaktiraparaa tawa,

Gunaashrayaa Namastassyai Shaswataayai Sureshwara/

Yaateeta gocharaa Vaachaam Manasaa chaaviseshana/

Jnaanijnaana pari- cchedya taam Vandey Sweshvareem paraam/

OmNamo Vaasudevaaya tasmai Bhagavatey sadaa,

Vyaktiriktam na yasyaasti Vyaktiriktokhilasya yah/

Namastasmai Namastasmai Namastasmai Mahaatmaney,

Naama Rupam na yasyaiko yostistveynopalabhyatey/

Yasyaava- taara rupaani samarchinta Divyokasah,

Apashyantah param Rupam Namastasmai Mahatmaney/

Yon tishthannasesashya pashyateeshah Shubhaashubham, 

Tam Sarva Saakshinam Vishwam Namasye Pareshwaram/

Namstestu Vishnavey tasmai yasyaabhinna midam jagat,

Dhyeyah sa Jagataamaadyah sa praseedantu mey Harih/

Om Nano Vishnavey tasmai Namastasmai punah punah,

Yatra Sarvam yatah Sarvam yah Sarvam Sarva Samshrayah/

Sarvagatwaadanantasya sa yevaahamavisthitah,

Mattah Sarvamaham Sarvam mayi Sarvam Sanaataney/

Ahamevaakshayo nityah Paramaatmaatma samshrayah,

Brahmasanjnohamevaagney tathyaantey cha parah pumaan/

(Pundarikaksha, Purushottama, Sarva Lokaatman, Tikshana Chakradhaari, Go-Brahmana-Hitakaari Krishna, Vaasudeva, Jagaddita Govinda! My sincere prostrations you again and again. As Brahma Swarupa, you do the scripting of Srishti; as Vishnu administer and preserve it, and as Rudra you perform the samhara; thus you are the Trimurti-dhaari Parameswara! In reality you assume the myriad Swarupas of Devas, Yakshas, Asuras, Siddhaas, Nagas, Gandharvaas, Kinnaraas, Piscachaas, Rakshasaas, Manushyas, Pashus, Pakshis, Sthaavaraas, Pipeelikaas or ants, Sariswarupaas, Prithivi, Jala, Akasha, Vayu, Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, Rasa, Gandha, Manas, Buddhi, Atma, Kaala, Guna, and all other forms and indeed you are not only present in them but in fact you are all these yourself! You are the Vidya and Avidya, Satya and Asatya, Visha and Amrita, Vedokta Pravritti and Nivritti Karmaas; You are the Bhokta and Bhojya, and again the Karmaphala of Plus and minus variations; you are spread over among me and all others, among Bhutas and Bhuvanas, Gunas and Traits, Suchanaas or indications; all the Yogiganaas meditate you only, Yagnika ganas perform Yagnas only in your name, you are the Pitruganas and Devaganas receiving and forwarding Kavyaas and Havyas! Ishwara! The totality of  Brahmanda is your Gross Form, of which a minute part is in the Form of Bhumi, and in that Sukshma Form of Earth are a staggering sub-forms of Beings and the ‘Antaraatma’ is the Sub- Conciousness; indeed far beyond is the ‘Sukshmaatma Sukshma’ ‘Avishaya’ or nothingness to whom my salutations! You are the  Saguna- Nirguna Parashakti and Nitya Swarupini Shakti and it is that Para-Paraa Shakti which is even far interior or far beyond that Shakti is Vaasudeva. That ‘Vastu’which is not material but is a huge question-mark that I pray with humility and extreme dedication! While the whole Universe is visible yet indivisible, may that Supreme Power who makes, maintains and mars it-as the Adi Kaarana, Akshara, Adhara Bhuta,  Avyaya, and Adi Shakti save me and let me live so as to serve you again and again and ultimately get absorbed unto You! the Brahma Sanjnak Parama Purusha!)

As Prahlada’s Naga Paasha was released, there was a commotion of Seas, the Nava Grahas were tottering from their alignments, and a series of Earth quakes occurred while the mountains which sought to crush Prahlada collapsed in smithereens and the powerful force of the depths of Seas into which Prahlada was submeged threw him out in the Sea-bed.No sooner that this happened than Hiranyakashipu was overcome with suppressed emotion for his son realising that Prahlada was indeed invincible and not himself as the Super Lord of Trilokas; almost immediatelythere was the grand appearance of Lord Narasimha who was neither man nor a lion as per Brahma’s boon to Hiranyakashipu and the time too was dusky and propitious as it was neither day nor night. Even as Prahlada greeted his father, mother and Guru with veneration, the Unique Narasimha the immortal incarnation of Vishnu placed the greatest menace to the Universe in the form of Hiranyakashipu, pulled and rolled over across his mighty thighsand pierced his nails deep into the Daityas body to death. Bhakta Prahlada was unable to overcome his emotions and broke out into a memorable Stuti to the Avatara of Nrisimha as follows:

Om Namah Paramarthartha sthoola sukshma Kshara –akshara,

Vyaktaavyakta Kalaateeta Sakelesha Niranjana/

Gunaanjana Gunaadhaara Nirgunaatman Gunasthita,

Mahtaamurta Mahaa Murthi Sukshma Murtha Sphutaasphuta/

Karaala sowmyarupatman Vidyaavidyaa Mahaachyuta,

Sadasadrupa Sadbhaava Sadasd –bhava Bhavana/

Nityaanitya Prapanchaatmatannishprapanchaamalashritaa,

EkaanekaNamastubhyam Vaasudevaadi kaarana/

Yah Sthula sukshmah prakiata prakaasho yah Sarva bhuto na cha Sarva bhutah,

Vishwam yataschaitada Vishva hetor Namostu tasmai Purushottamaaya/

(Paramaartha! Artha or Drushya Rupa!Sthula Sukshma! Ksharaakshara! Vyaktaavyakta! Kaalaatita!Sakaleswara! Niranjana Deva! My obeisances to you! Gunaanu-rangita! Gunaadhaara! Nirgunaatma! Gunasthita! Murtaamurta! Maha Murta! Sukshma Murta! Prakaashaaprakaasha Swarupa! Vikaraala Rupa yet Sundara Rupa!Vidyaavidyaa! Achyua! Sadasat /Karyakaarana Rupa! Jagatudbhava Sthaana or the Origin of the Universe; Sadasat Jagat Paalaka or the Supreme Administrator of the the world that be or the world that is not! Jnaanaashraya Swarupa! Ekanta Rupa! Adikaarana!  Prakashamaya! Sarva Bhuta- Adhistana Deva! Vishva Kaarana! Samasta Jagotpanna!) As Jagannatha was pleased with Prahlada again and again with his extemporaneous and spontaneous commendations, Bhagavan asked him for a boon and Prahlada replied:

Dharmaartha Kaamaih kim tasya muktistasya karey shitaa,

Samasta Jagatam muley yasya bhaktih karey sthitaa,

Samasta Jagataam muley yasya Bhakatih sthitaa twayi!

( Of what avail are Dharma-Artha-Kaama –Moksha to me Janardana, since my unwavering Bhakti that you provided to me is in my tight grip for the Janaardana Swarupa!) Then on his own, Bhagavan granted Mukti  much after his Dharma Prachara was assured from Prahlada! Any person fortunate in reading or hearing Prahlada Charitra would be instantly be purged of his sins of past or present. Mere reading or reciting the Chapters of Prahlada in Vishnu Purana, especially on Purnima or Amavashya or Ashtami or Dwadashi would  enjoy the fruits of Go-Daana and would most definitely ovecome all kinds  severe and close-trap tribulations as insurmoutable as in the case of Maha Bhakta Prahlada!



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