Vishnupurana 1.17.p2

A Prose English Translation of Vishnupuranam 1.17.p2

Language: English

1.17.p2.1

His illustrious son, by name Prahlāda, while yet a boy, residing in the dwelling of his preceptor, read such readings as are studied in early years. Once on a time the high-souled (Prahlāda) in the company of his preceptor appeared before his father the Daitya-chief while drinking. The father Hiranykasipu, raising up his son prostrate at his feet, spoke to Prahlāda of unmitigated prowess, saying,—"Repeat, boy, agreeably, the substance of what you have read during the period". Prahlāda said,—"Hear, father I will repeat the substance of what I have read. Hear attentively what occupies my thoughts. I bow to that Great Being who is without beginning, middle or end, increase or diminution: the imperishable lord of the world, the universal cause of causes". Parāçara said:—Hearing those words the lord of the Daityas, his eyes red with ire and lip swollen with indignation, looked towards the preceptor and said,—"O vile Brahmana, what is this? O vicious-minded, thou hast, in disrespect to me, taught my boy the worthless commendation of my foe". The preceptor replied,—"O sovereign of Daityas, it doth not behove thee to give way to anger; I have not taught thy son what he has uttered". Hiranyakashipu said,—"Prahlāda, my boy, by whom then you have been thus taught. Your preceptor says that he has not instructed you thus". Prahlāda replied,—"Vishnu, O father, is the instructor of the whole world and is present in our minds.

1.17.p2.2

Who else, but that Great Soul can teach us (any thing)?" Hiranyakashipu said,—"O thou of vile understanding, who is this Vishnu, of whom thou art speaking again and again before me the valiant lord of the world?" Prahlāda said,—"He is Vishnu, the great God, who is being meditated upon by the devout, whose glory cannot be described in words, who is all things and from whom all things proceed". Hiranyakashipu said,—"O fool, myself living, to whom else you give the title of supreme lord? Are you desirous of death that you are mentioning this again and again?" Prahlāda replied, "O father, Vishnu, who is Brahmā, is not only the creator, preserver and supreme lord of me only, but of all creatures as well as of thyself. Be propitiated; why art thou angry?" Hiranyakashipu said,—"What evil spirit has entered into the breast of this silly lad, that, he, like one possessed, gives expression to such profane words". Prahlāda said,—"That Vishnu is not only present in my mind, but he pervades the whole universe; He is omnipresent and commands me, thyself and all creatures". Hiranyakashipu said,—"Away with this wicked boy; take him again to the preceptor's house and govern him; perhaps he has been taught by some vicious-minded (men) to sing the glories of my foes". Parāçara said:—He having said this Prahlāda was again conducted to the preceptor's house by the Daityas, where always prompt to attend upon the preceptor he received instructions constantly.

1.17.p2.3

After a considerable time that lord of Asuras sent for Prahlāda again and said "O my boy, recite me some poetical composition". Prahlāda said—"May that Vishnu be propitiated with us, from, whom matter and soul originate and all that is mobile and immobile proceeds and who is the cause of all this creation". Hiranyakashipu said,—"Destroy this vicious-minded boy; there is no use of his life; he is a fraud to his own family since he has proved a traitor to his kin". Parāçara said—Being thus commanded by him, hundreds and thousands of Daityas, with huge weapons, addressed themselves for his destruction. Prahlāda said to the Daityas—"Since Vishnu is present in your weapons as well as in mind, your weapons shall fail to hurt me". Parāçara said—Thereupon hundreds of Daityas assailed Prahlāda with their weapons but he did not feel the least pain and his strength was ever renewed. Hiranyakashipu said—"O you of vile understanding, refrain from glorifying my enemy; I promise you immunity, be not so foolish". Prahlāda replied: "No fear can overwhelm me since that immortal remover of all dangers is present in my mind, the very recollection of whom is enough to remove all perils consequent upon birth and human infirmities". Hiranyakashipu said—"O serpents, speedily bring this vicious lad to destruction with your envenomed fangs". Parāçara said:—Being thus commanded by him, Kuhaka, Takshaka, Artdhaka and many other venomous serpents, bit him in every part of his body.

1.17.p2.4

But with his mind solely devoted to Krishna he remained in that pleasurable recollection; he could not feel anything although he was bitten by deadliest serpents. The serpents said to the sovereign of the Daityas—"Our fangs are broken; our jewelled crests are shattered; our hoods are burning; Our hearts are trembling; but the skin of this body is unhurt; O king of Daityas, resort to some other expedient". Hiranyakashipu said—"O Elephants of the spheres, unite your tusks and slay this deserter of his own family and the supporter of our enemy; sometimes our own descendants bring about our own destruction as the fire consumes the wood from which it proceeds". Parāçara said:—The boy was then cast down on the earth being assailed by the tusks of those elephants of the spheres as huge as mountain peaks; but he recollecting Govinda, thousands of tusks were blunted against his breast: he then spoke to his father: "The tusks of the elephants hard as adamant have been blunted. This is not on account of any strength of mine but is consequent upon my calling upon Janārddana who destroys all dangers and sins the sources of all these evils". Hiranyakashipu said:—"Away, O ye elephants of the spheres. O Asuras, light out fire; O deity of the winds, blow up the fire, and let this perpetrator of endless iniquities be destroyed therein".

1.17.p2.5

Parāçara said:—Thereupon commanded by their master the Dānavas piled a huge heap of wood around the son of the king of Asuras and then put fire thereto to burn him. Prahlāda said—"This fire, although blown up by the wind, doth not burn me: I behold all around me the face of the quarters, cool, and the beds of lotuses". Parāçara said:—Thereupon the twice-born ones, the sons of Bhargava, the high-minded priests skilled in speech and the reciters of Shama Veda, eulogising him, said to the sovereign of the Daityas,—"O king, subdue thy anger against this lad, thy own begotten son. Even thy ire against the celestials bore fruits. O king, we shall so bring up this boy, that he growing humble shall engage in the destruction of thy enemies. O king of daityas, since childishness is the root of all these evils, it behoveth thee to renounce thy ire against this boy. If he according to our instructions, does not abandon the cause of Hari we shall then concert infallible measures to bring about his destruction". Parāçara said Thereupon being thus solicited by the priests the king of Daityas had his son brought out from the flames by the Daityas.

Linked texts (1)

Viṣṇupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit